--- title: PDFgear canonical: https://saasranked.com/software/pdfgear/ category: PDF Editors points: 81 rank: 4 of 9 facts_checked: 2026-10-08 --- # PDFgear Free PDF editor for Windows, Mac, iOS and Android, plus online tools, with no sign-up, ads or watermarks. 81 points out of 100. #4 of 9 PDF editors. Vendor: PDF Gear Tech Pte. Ltd.. Website: https://www.pdfgear.com/ - PDFgear is free on Windows, Mac, iOS and Android, with no sign-up, ads or premium version [1][2]. - The desktop app changes existing text and runs OCR on scanned pages [2]. - Exported files carry no watermark [4]. - Redaction permanently deletes selected content, offline on Windows and Mac [5]. - Signature requests go through eSignGear, PDFgear's signing site, free for two documents a month [7]. Verdict: PDFgear suits anyone who wants to edit PDF text, run OCR and redact without paying, on a computer or a phone [1][2][5]. Files are edited on your device and saved without watermarks [4]. Its password tool only adds an open password, it documents no way to compare two PDFs, and it says some advanced options may cost money later [6][9][10]. Best for: People who want to edit PDF text for free. ## Points | Criterion | Line | Value | Points | Note | |---|---|---|---|---| | Editing | Edit existing text | Yes | 6/6 | Changes existing text, replaces images and deletes paragraphs [2]. | | Editing | OCR | Yes | 6/6 | OCR makes scanned PDFs editable [2]. | | Editing | True redaction | Yes | 6/6 | Redaction permanently deletes selected text or images on Windows and Mac [5]. | | Editing | Create fillable forms | Yes | 6/6 | Builds fillable forms on Mac and in the online form creator [3][11]. | | Editing | Compare two PDFs | Not published | 0/6 | PDFgear's own guide to comparing PDFs uses other tools [10]. | | Systems | Apps | Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Web | 15/15 | Apps for Windows, Mac, iOS and Android, plus online tools in the browser [1][8]. | | Signing and security | Request e-signatures | Yes | 8/8 | Through eSignGear, PDFgear's signing site: send and track, two documents a month free [7]. | | Signing and security | Password protection | Not published | 0/6 | Adds an open password [6]. Limits on printing or copying are not documented. | | Signing and security | Certificate-based signatures | Yes | 6/6 | Supports certificate-based digital signatures [3]. | | Price | Free version without watermarks | Yes | 8/8 | Free, and exported files carry no watermark [4]. | | Price | First-year price for text editing | $0 | 7/7 | Entirely free, with no premium version [2]. | | Price | One-time licence | Yes | 5/5 | Entirely free [2]. | | Privacy | Edits files on your computer | Yes | 8/8 | Edits PDFs on your computer without an internet connection [4]. | | Privacy | SOC 2 Type II or ISO 27001 | Not published | 0/7 | | ## Plans | Plan | Price | Per month (USD) | |---|---|---| | PDFgear | Free [1][2] | $0 | PDFgear says it may charge for some advanced options, such as cloud AI tools, but has set no timeline [9]. ## Strengths - Entirely free, with no ads, premium version or in-app purchases [2]. - Edits existing text and works without an internet connection [4]. - Redaction permanently deletes text or images [5]. - Supports certificate-based digital signatures [3]. ## Limits - Password protection sets only an open password; print and copy limits are not documented [6]. - PDFgear documents no tool for comparing two PDFs [10]. - Signature requests are free for only two documents a month; more needs eSignGear Premium [7]. - PDFgear says fees for some advanced options, such as AI tools, are under consideration [9]. ## Vendor claims (not scored) - PDFgear says it holds a 4.9-star rating from more than 10,000 reviews [1]. - PDFgear says its OCR supports more than 30 languages [1]. ## Sources 1. [PDFgear - Free PDF Editor Software & Online tools](https://www.pdfgear.com/), PDFgear, accessed 2026-10-08 2. [PDFgear for Windows: Edit, Convert, Annotate, Chat PDF](https://www.pdfgear.com/pdfgear-for-windows/), PDFgear, accessed 2026-10-08 3. [PDFgear for Mac](https://www.pdfgear.com/pdfgear-for-mac/), PDFgear, accessed 2026-10-08 4. [Best Free PDF Editor for Computer and Mobile](https://www.pdfgear.com/pdf-editor-reader/), PDFgear, accessed 2026-10-08 5. [How to Redact a PDF for Free](https://www.pdfgear.com/pdf-editor-reader/how-to-redact-a-pdf.htm), PDFgear, accessed 2026-10-08 6. [How to Password Protect a PDF for Free](https://www.pdfgear.com/pdf-editor-reader/how-to-password-protect-a-pdf.htm), PDFgear, accessed 2026-10-08 7. [eSignGear | Free Online e-Sign & Digital Signature Tool for PDFs](https://www.esigngear.com/), PDFgear, accessed 2026-10-08 8. [PDFgear Free AI PDF Editor for Android](https://www.pdfgear.com/pdfgear-for-android/), PDFgear, accessed 2026-10-08 9. [Is PDFgear Really Free? And Why is that](https://www.pdfgear.com/insights/is-pdfgear-free.htm), PDFgear, accessed 2026-10-08 10. [How To Compare Two PDF Files Online and Offline](https://www.pdfgear.com/pdf-editor-reader/how-to-compare-two-pdf-files.htm), PDFgear, accessed 2026-10-08 11. [PDF Filler & Form Creator](https://www.pdfgear.com/pdf-form/), PDFgear, accessed 2026-10-08