--- title: Wondershare PDFelement canonical: https://saasranked.com/software/pdfelement/ category: PDF Editors points: 90 rank: 1 of 9 facts_checked: 2026-10-08 --- # Wondershare PDFelement Desktop PDF editor for Windows and Mac, with mobile apps, sold yearly or as a one-time licence. 90 points out of 100. #1 of 9 PDF editors. Vendor: Wondershare. Website: https://pdf.wondershare.com/ - The Windows-only yearly plan costs $79.99 for the first year and renews automatically [1]. - A perpetual licence for PDFelement 13 on Windows costs $129.99 [1]. - There is no free version: the 14-day trial adds a watermark to every saved file [1]. - It edits existing text, runs OCR, redacts, builds forms and compares two PDFs [2][4][5]. - Wondershare names an ISO 27001 certification [1][2]. Verdict: PDFelement suits people who want a full desktop editor on Windows or Mac at a lower price than the big names. It covers text editing, OCR, redaction, forms, file comparison and tracked signature requests [2][3][4][5], and it is still sold as a perpetual licence [1]. The catch: there is no free version, and the store shows sale prices without saying what the yearly plan renews at [1]. Best for: Windows users who want to buy a PDF editor once. ## Points | Criterion | Line | Value | Points | Note | |---|---|---|---|---| | Editing | Edit existing text | Yes | 6/6 | Edits text, images and pages "just like Word" on Windows, Mac and mobile [2]. | | Editing | OCR | Yes | 6/6 | AI-OCR turns scans into editable PDFs, including batch OCR [2]. | | Editing | True redaction | Yes | 6/6 | Applying redaction marks removes the content permanently, per the Windows user guide [4]. | | Editing | Create fillable forms | Yes | 6/6 | Adds fillable fields and designs interactive forms [2]. | | Editing | Compare two PDFs | Yes | 6/6 | Compare PDFs opens two files side by side and highlights changed, inserted and deleted content [5]. | | Systems | Apps | Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Web | 15/15 | Apps for Windows, Mac, iPhone/iPad and Android [2]; multi-platform plans add the web [3]. | | Signing and security | Request e-signatures | Yes | 8/8 | Sends agreements to multiple signers and tracks progress with real-time updates and email reminders [3]. | | Signing and security | Password protection | Yes | 6/6 | Passwords can block copying, editing or printing [2]. | | Signing and security | Certificate-based signatures | Yes | 6/6 | Signs with a digital certificate (certificate-based signature) [1][3]. | | Price | Free version without watermarks | No | 0/8 | No free version; the unregistered and registered trials both add a watermark when you save [1]. | | Price | First-year price for text editing | $79.99/yr | 5/7 | Yearly plan for Windows only, $79.99 for the first year [1]. | | Price | One-time licence | Yes | 5/5 | A perpetual licence for PDFelement 13 on Windows costs $129.99, one-time fee [1]. | | Privacy | Edits files on your computer | Yes | 8/8 | PDFelement for Windows and for Mac are installed desktop apps that edit files on your computer [2]. | | Privacy | SOC 2 Type II or ISO 27001 | Yes | 7/7 | Wondershare says PDFelement holds ISO 27001 information security certification [1][2]. | ## Plans | Plan | Price | Per month (USD) | |---|---|---| | Yearly (Windows) | $79.99/year [1] | $6.67 | | Yearly (cross-platform) | $89.99/year [1] | $7.50 | | 2-Year (Windows) | $109.99 for 2 years [1] | - | | Perpetual (Windows) | $129.99 one-time [1] | - | | Perpetual (cross-platform) | $139.99 one-time [1] | - | Store prices are shown against higher regular prices, such as $129 for the Windows yearly plan. The yearly plan renews automatically at a price the store does not state. A 30-day money-back guarantee applies [1]. ## Strengths - Sold as a perpetual licence ($129.99 for Windows) as well as yearly plans [1]. - Apps for Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android, plus web access on multi-platform plans [2][3]. - Sends PDFs to several signers and tracks signing progress with reminders [3]. - Compares two versions side by side and highlights changes [5]. - Signs with a digital certificate, not only a drawn signature [1][3]. ## Limits - No free version; the trial watermarks every saved file [1]. - The yearly plan renews automatically, and the store does not state the renewal price; it shows $129 as the regular price [1]. - Single-platform plans cover Windows only; Mac, mobile and web need a cross-platform plan [1]. - On perpetual licences, mobile and web access is offered for a limited time only [1]. ## Vendor claims (not scored) - Wondershare says PDFelement was a G2 Grid Leader in spring 2025 [1]. ## Sources 1. [Shop Wondershare PDFelement for Windows (Individuals Plan)](https://pdf.wondershare.com/store/windows-individuals.html), Wondershare, accessed 2026-10-08 2. [PDF features | PDFelement](https://pdf.wondershare.com/features.html), Wondershare, accessed 2026-10-08 3. [eSign PDFs securely and legally | Wondershare PDFelement](https://pdf.wondershare.com/esign-pdf.html), Wondershare, accessed 2026-10-08 4. [How to Redact PDF (PDFelement User Guide for Windows)](https://pdf.wondershare.com/guide/redact-pdf.html), Wondershare, accessed 2026-10-08 5. [How to Compare Two PDF Files: 4 Accurate Ways to Find Changes](https://pdf.wondershare.com/how-to/compare-pdf.html), Wondershare, accessed 2026-10-08