Top 8 PDF Creator Tools for Online and Offline Use

PDF format is now the standard format for all important documents in the digital world. The reason behind it could be attributed to its unique features of retaining format across all PDF tools and providing enhanced security to documents.

If you need to create a PDF file but don't know which PDF creator you should use, you no longer need to be worried. In this article, we will discuss the top 8 PDF creators currently available in the market.

Part 1: Top 5 PDF Creators Offline

Many PDF creators are available in the market, claiming to be the best. However, when creating a PDF file, you will need many tools, from image or text editing to adding watermarks and signatures. So, when choosing a PDF creator, you must look closely at its features and their working.

You probably won't have the time to test each tool individually. That's why we have created a list of the top 5 desktop PDF tools along with their key features, pros, and cons for you:

1. UPDF With AI-Integration for Windows and Mac - The Best Choice

UPDF is an all-in-one PDF solution that allows you to create PDF files using premium features at a minimal cost. You can use features like text editing, image editing, link editing, adding watermarks, sticky notes, in PDF, etc. It also lets you add many security features to your PDF documents. You can also create a a multi-page PDF and convert your PDF to multiple formats using its effective conversion feature.

Key Features

Create PDF: Create PDFs from existing document formats, CAJ, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Visio and Images.

Edit PDF: The most amazing feature of this tool is its editing feature. You can modify all the texts, images, links, and other elements on your PDF document in one place.
Annotate PDF: This tool has the most markup and comment tools, such as stamps, stickers, sticky notes, text boxes, pencils, etc.
OCR Text Recognition: The PDF OCR tool makes it possible to turn a scanned PDF document or an image-based PDF document into a searchable and editable PDF document.
Sign PDF: You can add your handwritten signatures to PDF documents. It allows you to store over four different types of signatures.
Watermark PDF: You can create a customized watermark and apply it to your PDF documents.
Convert PDF: It allows you to convert PDF documents to over 9 different formats like Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Text, etc.
Header & Footer: With the help of this PDF creator, you can add customized headers and footers to your documents to give them a professional look.

Pros

It has a lightning document loading speed. You can open a large PDF file in a few seconds, which is even better than Adobe Acrobat. Check the comparison about Adobe Acrobat vs UPDF.
One account for 4 platforms. You can use one account to unlock all the Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android applications and use the features.
It has a beautifully designed interface, which makes it the best choice for PDF lovers.

2. Adobe Acrobat

Adobe Acrobat is one of the oldest PDF makers that you can use to create PDF files. It has many features available for you to use when creating or modifying a PDF file. These features include PDF editing, commenting, organizing, converting, OCR, etc. However, most of these features are only available in the premium version, which is very expensive.

Key Features

Using Adobe Acrobat, you can combine multiple PDF files into one file or split a large PDF file into multiple files.
The Adobe Creator allows you to share your document with multiple people to receive feedback in the form of comments using a single file.
You can add multiple restrictions to your PDF documents to make them safer and more secure using Adobe Acrobat.

Pros

It allows you to add digital signatures to your PDF documents to make them highly secure. You can also add electronic signatures to PDFs using Adobe Acrobat.
If your PDF file is large, you can compress it using this PDF compressing facility without worrying about document quality.

Con

Due to rich features, it can be overwhelming for new users, and navigation can become cumbersome.
Beginners will get confused when they use this tool for the first time.
It is way too expensive for users.

3. Foxit PDF Editor

Another PDF creator you can use to create or modify PDF files is the Foxit PDF editor. While using it for creating a PDF file, you can use features like PDF editing, e-signatures, live collaboration with friends, adding stamps, watermarks, etc. It allows you to create editable and searchable documents using its text recognition (OCR) tool.

Key Features

You can create PDF documents and forms in PDF, PDF/A, PDF/E, and PDF/X from any other file format or web pages using the Foxit PDF Editor.
Using this PDF editor, you can permanently redact text or images from your PDF documents to make them more secure.
It allows you to set your PDF documents' accessibility according to Section 508 technology standards to make them available for people with disabilities.

Pros

It gives you the option to protect your PDF documents using password encryption or Microsoft Azure Information Protection to secure your document.
To protect your privacy, you can sanitize your document to remove all your personal information from the PDF document.

Con

The interface could be more user-friendly, especially for new users. It feels like too many features are jammed together.
It doesn't have a friendly price.
You have to purchase Windows and Mac versions separately.

4. Nitro Pro

Nitro Pro is a reliable PDF maker tool that offers many features when creating a PDF file. Its PDF editing tool includes features like adding and deleting text, images, tables, etc. You can also export pages from other PDF files. It also allows you to crop, rotate, extract, or resize pages or images in a PDF document according to your needs.

Key Features

You can create a fillable PDF form using Nitro Pro with ease. These forms can be created directly or extracted using its OCR tool.
It allows you to compare and detect differences between text and images in two versions of the same file.
Nitro Pro allows you to create and add a customized stamp to your PDF documents.

Pros

Using Nitro Pro, you can encrypt your PDF documents using 256-bit AES encryption and RMS 2.0 integration.
You can use multiple types of signatures to sign your documents, from simple signatures to high-quality digital signatures.

Con

The desktop application of Nitro Pro suffers from performance issues, and its PDF conversion feature is lackluster compared to other PDF editors.
It is really expensive when compared to UPDF.
You have to purchase Windows and Mac versions separately.

5. PDFCreator

PDFCreator is a Windows-compatible only PDF tool that can help you create a PDF file according to your needs. It has many exciting features like COM interface, CS-Script, Actions, Tokens, Automated Save, etc., that you can use when creating PDF files. PDFCreator also allows you to archive your PDFs by converting them to PDF/A documents.

Key Features

PDFCreator allows you to convert any printable document to PDF format. You can also convert your PDF documents to different image formats like JPG, PNG, TIFF, etc.
If you deal with PDF documents in bulk, you can use the "Tokens" feature to assign and sort your PDF documents under different tags.
It has broad multilingual support and is available in all major languages. It also has a translating tool if your native language isn't supported.

Pros

You can merge multiple PDF files into a single PDF file, and during the process, you can rearrange the PDF files according to your needs.
The COM interface of this PDF maker will allow you to control the application directly.

Con

Its interface and features are more suited to companies and businesses than personal needs.

Part 2: Make a Beautiful PDF Document with the Best PDF Creator with 2 simple ways

You are going to need a proper tool at your disposal to create a professional and elegant PDF document. It means the choice of PDF maker is important as it should have the required features you need depending on your field. UPDF is an excellent tool that provides you with all the necessary tools to create a professional document.

An editor and an annotator are the two most essential tools to use when creating PDF files. You can learn how to create a beautiful PDF document in UPDF below:

Way 1. Create a PDF from "File"

Step 1: Create a New PDF File

You can just drag and drop different formats of files into UPDF, which is the quickest way to make it into PDF file.

You can start creating a PDF file by opening the UPDF on your system and selecting the "File" menu from the top bar. Within the "File" menu, tap "Create" and choose an option according to your needs. You can choose either blank pages to start the file or create PDF from different file format, CAJ, Word, Excel, Power Point, Visio, Image.

Step 2: Add and Edit Text in PDF

Once you have chosen, you can start adding content to the PDF document by selecting the "Edit PDF" option from the left toolbar. To add text to your PDF, select "Text" and start adding or modifying the text you want. You can define text font color, style, and size according to your requirements.

Step 3: Add and Edit Images in PDF

To add images to your PDF file, select the "Image" option. You can add, remove, extract, rotate, and crop images in your PDF using UPDF.

Step 4: Add and Edit Links in PDF

If you need to add links to your PDF document, you can select the "Link" option. You can add a link between different pages of your PDF document or link to any external webpage.

Way 2. Create a PDF from "Batch" Feature

Batch combine function can allow you to create a PDF file through one or more pictures. The advantage of using batch combine is improving working effiency since you do not have to create PDF one by one. Steps mentioned below is the whole process of creating PDF.

Step 1. Choose "Batch" Function

Open UPDF and select the batch block in the top right corner. You can choose "Combine" out of 5 choices.

Step 2. Create a PDF

Add image to the file section and click "Apply" to combine document into PDF file.

There is a pop-up window to save the PDF file, you may choose anywhere to save it which will be the PDF that created from the image format.

Part 3: Top 3 PDF Creators Online Free

We have introduced you to many great desktop PDF creators. However, multiple top-tier tools are available if you are looking for an online PDF maker. Online PDF creators have some advantages over desktop version tools as they can be accessed from anywhere and using any device.

Nevertheless, they have their disadvantages regarding PDF security, size, feature, etc. Below are the top 3 online PDF creators with their pros and cons:

1. iLovePDF

iLovePDF is an online PDF creator that can be used to create a PDF file through multiple formats like MS Office. The PDF file creation and modification process in this online platform offer multiple features like removing or adding pages, adding watermarks or signatures, rotating pages, adding page numbers, etc. Its PDF converter tool can convert PDF files to JPG, PDF/A, PowerPoint, and Excel formats.

Pros

You can repair a damaged PDF file online using the repair PDF tool of iLovePDF.
If a PDF document has added security restrictions, you can remove them using this PDF creator.

Con

This online tool severely lacks PDF editing and annotation features.

2. PDF24 Tools

Another online PDF creator that you can use is PDF24. When creating a PDF file using it, you can choose between multiple options like images to PDF, webpage to PDF, create PDF with the camera, etc. It also allows you to merge, split or compress PDF files. You can also add, rotate, remove, or extract pages from PDF files using PDF24.

Pros

PDF24 allows you to create a PDF job application based on your CV, cover letter, or other attachments.
You can linearize your PDF files using the tool so that when shared online, these files can be processed faster and more efficiently.

Con

The interface of this free online PDF maker is outdated.

3. Smallpdf

You can use Smallpdf, an online PDF creator, to create the PDF files you need. It has features like merge, split, sign, encrypt, and rotate that can be very helpful during PDF creation. The PDF editing tool of Smallpdf will allow you to add text, shapes, images, and annotations to your PDF document. You can also add, delete, or extract pages from a PDF using this online solution.

Pros

Smallpdf allows you to scan and create PDFs using your smartphone.
You can create signatures, add them to PDF files, or request signatures from others when using the platform.

Con

It doesn't have a proper PDF annotation tool which can be problematic when editing created PDFs.

Part 4: Comparison of the 8 PDF Creators

In this part, we will draw a comparison between the top 8 PDF creators so you can easily select any of them according to your requirement.

Tools	Ease-of-Use	Top Features	Pricing	Rating
UPDF	High	View, Edit, Convert, Annotate, Create, Protect, Crop, Split, Sign PDF, Organize PDF, Watermark, Background, Header & Footer, OCR, Share PDF via Link	$29.99/Year $49.99/Perpetual	4.8/5
Adobe Acrobat	Low	Create, Edit, Annotate, Export, Organize, Sign, Protect, OCR, Compare, Measure	$29.99/Month $239.88/Year	4.8/5
Foxit PDF Editor	Low	Convert, Create, Edit, Annotate, Organize, View, Form, Protect	PDF Editor Pro + 12: $149.00/Year PDF Editor Pro 12: $99.00/Year PDF Editor 12: $79.00	4.65/5
Nitro PDF	Medium	Convert, Create, Organize, Edit, Annotate, Share, Protect, and Forms	$179.99/Lifetime	4.5/5
PDFCreator	Low	Convert PDF, Tokens, Digital Signatures, Multilingual, Merge and Rearrange, COM Interface, CS-Script	Professional: $23.90/Year Terminal Server: $380/Year Server: $1100/Year	4.2/5
iLovePDF	Medium	Merge, Convert, Sign, Watermark, Repair, Organize, Protect, Scan to PDF	Premium: $7/Month	4.1/5
PDF24 Tools	Low	Merge, Split, Convert, Create, Compare, Redact, Web Optimize PDF	Free	3/5
Smallpdf	Medium	Compress, Convert, Edit, Merge, Split, Sign, Organize	Pro: $12/Month Team: $10/Month	4.4/5

In terms of cost, features, and efficiency, it is clear that UPDF provides the best PDF solutions in the market. If you seek a tool that covers every department and provides competitive results, it is UPDF.

Ending - What PDF Creator is the Best?

Creating and modifying PDF files will be an important part of your life if your personal or professional life revolves around the digital world. As we have mentioned above, many PDF creators are available in the market.

When choosing a PDF creator tool for yourself, it is unimportant which tool is the cheapest or has the most features. What matters is that you get the features you need at the lowest cost. In this situation, UPDF, by far and large, is the most suited PDF creator for you.