Having the right tools can make any job easier. Typically, we think of tools we use in our hands; wrenches, screwdrivers, and so on, but what about the tools we need in the office and in the classroom? In an age of increasingly remote and digital work, it is important to have the right digital tools to complete our tasks. One of the best tools any office (remote or in-person) can have is a PDF editor. PDF editors are online applications or software that can be used to edit and/or create a PDF file. Some PDF editors are easier to use than others and offer different tools and come with different price tags. Here we will review some of the more popular PDF editors and see what they can offer in terms of utility and ease of use.
Lumin PDF – One of the more popular PDF editors is Lumin PDF. Lumin PDF is an easy-to-use PDF editor that offers a wide range of tools that allow the user to merge/split PDFs, convert other files into PDFs, and many other things that PDF editors should offer. Probably it’s best trait that makes it very easy to use is its compatibility with Google Drive. This means that if you have a Google Drive account (most businesses do) then you will be able to work directly with the files on your Google Drive account. You can quickly access them, edit the PDF, and then save it to your Google Drive account. Lumin PDF will even convert a Google Drive file into a PDF if it isn’t in that format already. This makes Lumin PDF a user-friendly PDF editor with a great set of tools.
Sejda – Sejda PDF is an online PDF editor, which does have an offline alternative. Sejda is not the most difficult PDF editor to use in terms of interface or usability, but it does come with some flaws that make it more difficult than some. The conversion process for Sejda is not perfect and some users report difficulties inputting text onto their PDF document. In addition to this, it is not fully free. There is a free version, but it comes with many limitations. Sejda is a good PDF editor, but with some frustrations that make it more difficult than it otherwise would be.
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Smallpdf – Smallpdf is one of the most common PDF editors in the world, with good reason. The reason it has become so popular is because of the language support. Smallpdf makes things easy for its customers by offering a wide range of language options. This is not only for the interface but also for the text editing support. As many businesses are global now, this is a great asset. There are some negatives in terms of ease of use for Smallpdf though. The option to convert a file to a PDF is not the best and creates some issues for the user after the conversion. That being said, this is a relatively easy-to-use PDF editor for a wide audience.
PDFescape – PDFescape is a nice and semi user-friendly PDF editor. While it does offer many great features, the homepage interface can be a bit difficult to navigate. Also, the website design is not the best and has caused some frustration; however, the overall opinion of PDFescape is quite high, and many users like the low-cost subscription model that is offered. PDFescape is not perfect but students who are looking for a PDF editor which can be used to create new PDFs at a low cost will find this one interesting.
PDFelement 6 – PDFelement is another popular PDF editor, and generally one of the easier ones to use. PDFelement works as an all-around PDF editor with many different features such as conversion, compression, and other tools. While it does not have many drawbacks, some users report slow load times as well as some annoyances when trying to convert a file from Microsoft Word into a PDF format. These are not major issues though and PDFelement 6 is an overall good option for many PDF users.
Adobe Acrobat – Adobe Acrobat is perhaps the most well-known PDF editor, and for good reason. It has been around a very long time and is the go-to PDF editor for many businesses, universities, and offices around the world. But the question remains, is it easy to use? Although Adobe Acrobat is a great PDF editor, it probably is not the most user-friendly and easy-to-use PDF editor available. The reason for this is partially because of how good it is. It has many different tools that are nice for creating new PDFs, but the learning curve can be a bit steep for the average user. If you are not familiar with PDF editors and all the tools, it might not be the best one. This is particularly true if you are having to pay for it instead of the business or school since Adobe Acrobat is a relatively expensive PDF editor.
Nitro Pro 10 – This PDF editor can seem a bit expensive for some. It is a quality PDF editor and not so difficult to use, which is the main point; however, the high (one time) price might be a sticking point for some people. Nitro Pro 10 is a well-designed PDF editor that offers a great PDF converter that only a few users have reported problems converting text with. Nitro Pro 10 is a good option for businesses that can afford an easy-to-use PDF editor for their office.
Ilovepdf – Ilovepdf is another high-end (expensive) PDF editor that is better suited for business than for private use. This does not take away from what a good PDF editor this is though. It is very fast and does not have a very long load time, making it a good PDF editing service for those who work under the duress of busy office life. IlovePDF does come with a small learning curve, but it is not as great as for Adobe Acrobat or some other PDF editors. It is a highly-rated top-end PDF editor that can be used to create new PDFs or edit existing ones without much frustration.
