You get a PDF that needs one paragraph rewritten, a signature added and a few pages pulled out, and you don't want to pay for a subscription just to do it. PDF-XChange Editor is a Windows PDF editor sold with a perpetual license. It also has a free version you can try first.
Quick facts
- Current version: 11.1.2.0
- Platform: Windows 10 and later; 32-bit, 64-bit and ARM64 installers
- Price: from USD $62.00 for Editor, USD $79.00 for Editor Plus
- License: one payment, used indefinitely; optional maintenance renewal for updates
- Trial: a free version with about 70% of features unrestricted
Key features
Edit text, images and pages directly
The editor lists more than 400 features. They include editing base content and vector objects, find and replace, a spell checker, and redaction. For page work you can crop, split, merge, extract, replace, resize and rotate pages.
Mark up documents with dozens of comment types
You get highlight, callout, cloud, sticky note and typewriter annotations. There are also measurement tools for distance, perimeter and area, plus custom stamps and 3D comment support. Audio and video/sound rich media annotations are included too.
Turn scans into searchable text
The built-in OCR runs on whole documents or a selected region. It can also recognize characters when you convert a PDF to Office formats. Editor Plus adds an enhanced OCR engine that the vendor describes as more accurate than the default one.
Convert to and from Word, Excel and PowerPoint
You can export PDFs to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, plain text, PDF/A and PDF/X. Going the other way, you can create PDFs from Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, Visio, images, Markdown, CSV, RTF, XPS and email files.
Sign, certify and protect files
You can add digital signatures, timestamp and certify documents, and use long-term validation. Security policies and password protection are included. The FreeSign tool adds typed or drawn signatures and initials.
Open files from cloud storage
Open documents from Google Drive, OneDrive, SharePoint, Dropbox and Box.com. The newest build also lets you search files in cloud storage.
Ask an AI assistant about a document
The AI Assistant analyzes and interacts with PDFs using models from OpenAI, Anthropic and Google. It only works if you supply your own AI account API key. Without a key, no data goes to any AI model.
Editor vs Editor Plus
Editor Plus adds the enhanced OCR engine, creating and editing fillable forms, and dynamic JavaScript stamps. It also adds document comparison, automatic form identification and the Add Placeholder tool for signature and initial spots. These aren't available without restriction in a regular Editor license.
Who it's for
It suits people who handle PDFs all day and want a one-time purchase: office staff, students, and anyone who fills in forms, marks up drafts or redacts files. Teams can buy 3, 5 and 10 user packs, with larger volume licenses on the pricing page.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Perpetual license, so you aren't tied to a monthly fee
- Many tools are free: the vendor counts 257 free features against 145 licensed ones
- Portable versions, with and without OCR
- Very wide annotation, form and security toolset
Cons
- Windows only; there's no Mac version
- Installers are large, around 430 MB for the standard zipped installer
- Form creation, enhanced OCR and document comparison need the pricier Plus license
- Updates after the first year need a paid maintenance renewal
- Windows 7 is not supported and the vendor expects serious problems on it
FAQs
Can I try it before paying?
Yes. You can download the free version and test it; about 70% of features are unrestricted.
Is it a subscription?
No. You pay once and use the software indefinitely. Maintenance renewal is optional but recommended for new features and updates.
How much does renewal cost?
Renewals completed within 30 days of expiry cost approximately 25% of the original license price per year.
Does it work on Windows 11?
Yes. The vendor lists support for current Windows versions, Windows 11 included. The current version needs Windows 10 or later.
Does it need an internet connection for the AI features?
The AI Assistant needs an API key from one of the supported AI providers. Nothing is processed by AI models until you provide one.
System requirements
- OS: Windows 10 and later, including Windows 11
- Installers: 32/64-bit zipped, 64-bit MSI, 32-bit MSI, ARM64 MSI, EXE, and portable builds
- Terminal Server: versions 4 to 10 are listed as Microsoft/Citrix Terminal Server compatible