The Adobe PDF editor online experience is familiar to many users who rely on Adobe's free web services for quick PDF tasks on the go. However, using the free Adobe editor online entails some level of compromise. For instance, large files can't be processed unless the Internet connection is stable and fast. Or else, maybe a particular feature requires an Adobe subscription and that's exactly the one you need but you don't want it to break your wallet!
The Best Alternative to Acrobat PDF Editor Online
Due to these and other reasons, a lot of users prefer to shift away from the Adobe environment altogether. This is also why there are now so many other premium PDF editors on the market vying for market share. The one thing that's missing in this gigantic PDF puzzle is a powerful PDF editor that's not open-source but still free for Mac users. This large gap is now ably filled by UPDF, a premium PDF editor.
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UPDF PDF Editor Features List
- View PDF: View PDF files in multiple view modes.
- Edit PDF: Comprehensive PDF editing tools to add, delete, and modify text, images, etc.
- Annotate PDF: Markup tools, text commenting boxes, text notes, underlining, highlighting, typewriter mode, and more review tools to create collaborative and PDF workflows.
- Organize PDF: Merge and split PDF files easily, reorder pages with drag and drop actions, and remove, add, rotate, replace, or extract PDF pages - UPDF is a companion to help you manage small and large PDF workloads with very little effort on your part.
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Why UPDF and Not Adobe Acrobat Online PDF Editor
Desktop utilities such as UPDF are, in general, more secure than accessing online services. If your PDF workflows are confidential and not intended for wider distribution, then using the Adobe PDF editor online puts you at risk because your information is sent over the Internet. Even if the Adobe site itself is strongly secure, your files can be intercepted in transit and exposed, thereby compromising data security. That's the main reason UPDF is a better alternative to using the free Adobe editor online or any other online PDF editor.
The second reason is productivity-related. UPDF offers all the PDF tools that an online service just can't provide, such as the ability to handle very large documents, the ability to work offline, and a few other advanced capabilities.
Compare UPDF with Adobe Editor Online
UPDF | Adobe Editor Online | |
Platforms | Desktop: Win/Mac/iOS/Android | Online |
Security | All the files will be stored on your local storage, and you don't need to upload any documents to the internet. | You have to upload your documents to the website. |
Internet | Don't need to connect internet to use it. | You have to connect internet to use it. |
Stability | High stability | The stability varies on the internet. |
With that in mind, let's look at how UPDF works:
Step 1: Enter Edit Mode
Click the "Edit PDF" button in the top menu bar to go into edit mode. Clicking it will reveal a new toolbar with all the PDF editing tools you need.
Step 2: Add Text, Image, or Link to PDF
There are three options in the editing toolbar: Text, Image, and link.
Click one option and then click on the document where you want the text, image, or link to appear.
Insert the text, image, or link and then resize and reposition it the way you want.
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Step 3: Edit PDF Text, Image, or Link
You'll see a purple border around the editable text, image, or link blocks in the PDF.
The text, image, or link content inside can be edited as easily as you would edit the text, image, or link in a Word document.
You can also control the attributes of the text in a PDF, such as a font type, size, style, font color, letter bolding, text alignment, etc.
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Video Tutorial on How to Edit a PDF File
Other Features of UPDF:
- Secure PDF: Protect private PDFs with password security and file-action restrictions against unauthorized copying, printing, etc.
- Create and Fill PDF Forms: Quickly create your own forms or fill an interactive PDF form. Advanced form management tools with simple operations.
- Handwritten and Digital Signature Creation: Legally validate your documents with authentication-friendly, verifiable electronic signatures or handwritten signatures.
- Convert PDF: Transform your PDFs into multiple handy file types such as MS Office formats (Word, Excel, etc.), HTML, image files, etc. so they can be edited natively in their respective applications.
Due to the limitations of the Adobe online PDF editor, we recommend using UPDF on Windows or Mac. It comes with all the rich features of a premium and secure PDF editor.
What Can the Adobe Acrobat Online PDF Editor Do?
Oddly enough, the free Adobe PDF editor online is not an actual PDF editor. It is more of a PDF reading and annotations tool to add notes and mark up your PDF files. This can be misleading to many users who think they'll be able to edit existing text; unfortunately, you need the full desktop version or free trial version of Adobe Acrobat DC or Pro DC.
The other problem is that once you upload a file to the Adobe online PDF editor, you'll need to sign up or sign in with an Adobe, Google, Facebook, or Apple ID. The worst part is that it is notoriously basic, with just commenting, highlighting, and freehand drawing tools. You can't add shapes, stamps, speech balloons, arrows, etc.
Nevertheless, there are a few useful things you can do with the free Adobe PDF editor online:
- Add Sticky Notes
- Add Text Comments
- Draw freehand shapes
- Change the color of your annotations
- Erase drawings
- Highlight and underline the text
Conclusion
Adobe PDF Editor Online has fewer tools, and once you need to use the more advanced features, you need to upgrade to pay. And online tools are not very secure. UPDF is an offline PDF editor, and because it is offline, it is absolutely secure. It is also more feature-rich than Adobe PDF Editor Online.
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