PDF is like JPG or PNG on the image. It’s a portable file format that basically is not intended to edit. But, there will always be some situations where you need to edit a PDF file. For instance, you need to edit an invoice to add a signature or to edit the bill amount. In such a case, you need a tool that is really capable to edit a PDF document.

In general, there are two ways to edit a PDF file in Windows. First, you can convert your PDF file into a raw format first and edit it with an appropriate tool (such as Microsoft Words or LibreOffice). Alternatively, you can use a PDF editor, which we will cover in this article.

The following are 3 of the best free tools to edit a PDF file in Windows.

1. Icecream PDF Editor

Icecream PDF Editor is the first tool you can try if you are looking for a free PDF editor for Windows. It is great to do things like adding a signature or stamp to an invoice, changing the bill amount, or annotating a PDF document. This app comes with a tabbed interface, allowing you to open multiple PDF files at once.

Icecream PDF Editor is pretty easy to use. Editing a PDF file with this tool is like editing a document file on a word processor. In addition to the tasks we have mentioned above, you can also use Icecream PDF Editor to edit or add a new phrase to your PDF document. When editing or adding a new phrase, you can also set the font family, the font size as well as the font color. You can simply click a menu on the left panel to turn your PDF document into an editing mode.

If you need to add a new page, Icecream PDF Editor also allows you to do so. You can simply click the Pages menu on the menu bar and select Add page. It’s also possible if you want to add an image to your PDF file. Here are the things you do with Icecream PDF Editor.

• Add or edit text
• Add a new page
• Insert images and stamps
• Annotate a PDF document
• Password-protect a PDF document

2. PDFescape

PDFescape is an online PDF editor, but the desktop version is also available, which you can install on Windows. The desktop version of PDFescape comes with more features than the online version. Unfortunately, it’s not available as a fully free app. You need to upgrade to the paid version to unlock all of the features. PDFescape also allows you to open multiple PDF files at once as it comes with a tabbed interface.

PDFescape is also pretty easy to use. Clicking the Edit menu on the menu bar will turn your PDF file into an editing mode. You can then edit a phrase or add a new one. When editing a phrase, PDFescape also allows you to set a new font family or size.

PDFescape allows you to:

But again, you need to upgrade your PDFescape to the paid version to unlock the features above. A 7-day trial is available to try those features for free.

One thing to note. Each feature offered by PDFescape requires a module. You need to install all of the modules to use all of the features above. No module is installed by default.

3. PDF Pro

PDF Pro is a bit similar to PDFescape. It is an online PDF editor that offers a desktop version fo Windows users. The desktop version of PDF Pro is available as a freemium app. All features are available for free, but your PDF file will contain a watermark once you save it. PDF Pro only allows you to open one PDF file (doesn’t support multiple tabs).

Editing a PDF file with PDF Pro is also pretty easy. You can simply click a part you want to edit to turn it into an editing mode. PDF Pro comes with several pre-defined stamps in case you need to add a stamp to your PDF file. PDF Pro allows you to:

• Add or edit text
• Insert a new page
• Add a signature
• Add a stamp
• Annotate a PDF file
• Password-protect a PDF file

Adding a signature is a bit hassle in PDF Pro. You need to define your signature first before being able to insert it into your document.

The verdict

Basically, a PDF file is not intended to edit. But if you need to, you can try one of the tools above. All PDF editors above can be used for free on Windows. Icecream PDF Editor is great. It has a fancy interface and comes with a bunch of features to edit a PDF file. PDF Escape has more features but requires you to upgrade to the paid version to unlock those features.

What about PDF Pro? This PDF editor also comes with plenty enough of features and you can use all of those features for free. However, your PDF file will contain a watermark unless you upgrade to the paid version. Plus, the interface of PDF Pro is not too impressive.