By: Robert Soares | PDFs run the business world. Over 290 billion new PDFs get created every year, and that number keeps climbing. Proposals, contracts, catalogs, training docs. They're everywhere.
But raw PDFs have a problem. They just sit there. You can't track who opened them. You can't tell if someone read past page two. And when you need to merge three files or shrink one for email? Good luck figuring out which tool actually works without signing up for seventeen things first.
I tested these tools. Not just clicked around the homepage. Actually uploaded files, ran conversions, checked if the output was usable. Some tools from the original version of this article are gone now. Others have SSL errors or redirect to parked domains. What's left here actually works.
Want to learn more about PDF manipulation? Check out our complete guide to PDF tools.
The Quick Answer
If you just need to merge, split, or compress a PDF right now, use our free PDF tools. No signup. No file upload to random servers. Everything happens in your browser.
For more serious work, here's how I'd break it down:
| What You Need | Best Option |
|---|---|
| Quick one-off tasks | iLovePDF or PDF24 |
| Professional editing | Adobe Acrobat |
| Turn PDFs into something people actually read | Flipbooker |
| Free desktop software | Foxit Reader |
| Bulk conversion | Convertio |
1. Flipbooker
Flipbooker does something different. Instead of converting your PDF to yet another static format, it turns the file into an interactive flipbook.
Why does that matter? Because 98% of businesses still use PDF for external communication, but nobody actually knows if those documents get read. With Flipbooker, you see exactly who opened it. Which pages they looked at. How long they spent on each one.
You can also add email capture forms, embed the flipbook on your website, or export it as an offline HTML5 file. The analytics alone make it worth trying if you send proposals, catalogs, or anything where knowing "did they read it?" actually matters.
Flipbooker can also export to JPG, PNG, and other image formats when you need that.
2. Adobe Acrobat
Adobe Acrobat is the obvious choice for a reason. Adobe invented the PDF format back in 1993, and they've been maintaining the standard ever since. The PDF specification is now an open ISO standard (ISO 32000), but Adobe's tools still set the benchmark.
Acrobat converts PDFs to Word, Excel, PowerPoint. It handles OCR for scanned documents. You can edit text directly, fill forms, sign documents electronically. The full package.
The catch? It's expensive. $22.99/month for the Pro version. Worth it if PDF editing is part of your daily work. Overkill if you just need to merge files occasionally.
3. SmallPDF
SmallPDF keeps things simple. Upload a file, pick what you want to do, get your converted file back. No learning curve.
They offer 21 tools: compress, convert, merge, split, edit, sign. The free tier limits you to two tasks per day, which is fine for occasional use.
SmallPDF's compression is particularly good. I've shrunk 15MB files down to 2MB without visible quality loss. Handy when email attachments have size limits.
4. iLovePDF
iLovePDF is the workhorse option. Free tier is generous. Interface is clean. Tools work reliably.
You get merge, split, compress, convert (to and from Word, Excel, PowerPoint, JPG), rotate, add page numbers, watermark, unlock, protect. The basics, done well.
If you need to compress a PDF for email or split out specific pages, this handles it without fuss.
5. PDF24
PDF24 offers over 25 free tools, and they mean it. No hidden paywalls. No "upgrade to unlock this feature" tricks.
The desktop app (Windows only) is particularly useful. Install it once, and you get a virtual printer that converts anything to PDF, plus tools for merging, splitting, and editing. All offline.
German company, been around since 2006. The tools aren't flashy, but they work.
6. Foxit PDF Reader
Foxit started as a lightweight alternative to Adobe Reader. The full Reader is still free and handles viewing, annotation, and form filling well.
Their paid Editor competes with Adobe Acrobat at a lower price point. Better for enterprise deployments where you need consistent PDF handling across a team.
Recent versions added AI features for summarizing and translating documents. Useful or gimmicky depending on your needs.
7. Wondershare PDFelement
PDFelement sits between free tools and Adobe pricing. One-time purchase option available instead of subscription-only.
Good for: form filling, signatures, basic editing. The OCR works well enough for searchable PDFs from scans. Mobile apps for iOS and Android if you need to work from your phone.
Not as powerful as Acrobat for advanced editing, but most people don't need advanced editing.
8. Nitro PDF
Nitro targets the enterprise market. PDF editing, e-signatures, and workflow tools in one package.
The collaboration features matter if your team passes documents back and forth for review. Track changes, comments, version history. Integrates with Microsoft 365 and common cloud storage.
Pricing is per-user, which adds up for larger teams. But if document workflow is a bottleneck, Nitro can speed things up.
9. Soda PDF
Soda PDF works online, as a desktop app, and as a Chrome extension. Pick whatever fits how you work.
Recent additions include AI tools for summarizing and translating PDFs. The batch processing handles multiple files at once, which saves time on repetitive tasks.
Free tier exists but pushes you toward paid plans pretty aggressively.
10. PDF Candy
PDF Candy claims to have processed over 7.6 billion files since 2016. The tool count is ridiculous: 90+ options covering every PDF operation you can imagine.
Files are deleted within two hours, which is better than some competitors that keep them for days. GDPR compliant, if that matters for your documents.
The interface feels a bit cluttered with all those options, but everything I tested worked.
11. PDF2Go
PDF2Go is another solid free option with a desktop app for offline work.
The editing capabilities go beyond basic. You can write directly on PDFs, highlight, add shapes and images. Sort of like markup tools in a basic image editor.
German-based (like PDF24), good privacy practices, works without creating an account.
12. Convertio
Convertio handles more than just PDFs. Over 300 file formats, 25,600+ conversion combinations. Audio, video, images, documents, ebooks.
For PDF specifically, you can convert to/from most common formats. The batch conversion handles multiple files. API available if you need to automate conversions.
Free tier limits file size to 100MB. Paid plans go higher if you work with large documents.
What About Tracking Engagement?
Most of these tools help you create or modify PDFs. But they don't solve the bigger problem: knowing if anyone actually reads what you send.
Think about the last proposal you emailed. Did they open it? Did they read past the pricing section? Did they share it with the decision-maker? With a regular PDF, you have no idea.
This is where converting a PDF into a flipbook changes things. Interactive documents load faster (no downloading), look better (page-turn animations beat endless scrolling), and most importantly: you get analytics.
Flipbooker shows you:
- When someone opens your document
- Which pages they viewed
- How long they spent on each page
- Whether they clicked any links
For sales proposals, product catalogs, or anything where engagement matters, that data is gold.
Free Tools You Can Use Right Now
Need something quick without signing up anywhere? We built free browser-based tools that run entirely client-side. Your files never leave your computer.
- Merge PDF - Combine multiple PDFs into one
- Compress PDF - Shrink file size without quality loss
- Split PDF - Extract specific pages
No account required. No file uploads. Just drag, drop, done.
How to Choose
For occasional use: iLovePDF, PDF24, or our free tools. Why pay for something you use twice a month?
For daily editing: Adobe Acrobat if budget allows. Foxit or PDFelement if you want similar features at lower cost.
For business documents that need tracking: Flipbooker. The analytics and lead capture features aren't available in traditional PDF tools.
For developers: Convertio's API or PDF24's desktop automation.
The format isn't going anywhere. The PDF software market is projected to reach $5.5 billion by 2026. But how we use PDFs is changing. Static attachments that disappear into inboxes? That's the old way.
Interactive, trackable, engaging documents? That's where things are heading.
Last updated: January 2026