Acrocide
A small, free PDF editor for Windows: the parts of Acrobat people actually use, and nothing else.
Why “Acrocide”?
Adobe Acrobat is the best-known program for PDFs. Its free version, Acrobat Reader, lets you read, print, comment on, and sign PDFs, but changing the PDF itself (fixing text, rearranging pages, or redacting) needs a paid Acrobat subscription, which also comes with a sign-in, cloud storage prompts, and toolbars full of features most people never use.
Acrobat + -cide, as in pesticide (from Latin caedere, “to kill”). In other words: death to Acrobat.
It began as one person's answer to paying a monthly subscription just to fix a typo in a PDF. Acrocide does the everyday jobs (editing, signing, commenting, redacting, and rearranging pages) in one thin bar at the top of the window, with no sign-in, no subscription, and no ribbon full of buttons.
What it does
- Edit textClick a line to change it; it keeps the original font when it can. Click empty space to add text.
- CommentHighlight, underline, strike out, and add sticky notes. They show up in Acrobat and other viewers too.
- SignDraw, type, or load your signature once, then click to place it.
- RedactReally remove text and images under the boxes you draw, not just cover them up.
- PagesMove, rotate, delete, and extract pages, and merge PDFs together.
- ShareEmail a PDF straight from the app, with a copy to yourself.
- TidyRemove hidden details (author, software, and dates) when you save.
- PrintAnd it can be your default PDF app, so PDFs open in it with a double-click.
Installing
- Download the installer above and open it. It installs in a few seconds, just for you; no administrator rights needed.
- If Windows says “Windows protected your PC”, click More info, then Run anyway. Windows shows this for programs that aren't signed with a paid certificate.
- To open PDFs with Acrocide by default: right-click any PDF, choose Open with → Choose another app, pick Acrocide and select Always.