PDFLiner is a powerful all-in-one PDF editor tool that offers its users numerous benefits, such as ease of use and amazing compatibility. However, users with specific needs might prefer an alternative. This article explores their options. Read on to learn all of them!
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PDFLiner: What Is It?
Being a PDF online editor, PDFLiner offers more than simply adding or removing text or pictures to and from a PDF file. The platform boasts extensive functionality for adding and filling out editable fields with various types of data, signing your documents, and collaborating on them. Additionally, it provides security features such as watermarks and more.
Given its wide compatibility as an online platform and a free catalog of form templates, PDFLiner is one of the best alternatives to Adobe PDF editing software. It’s lightweight, intuitive, and unfussy, but its range of features is considerable.
Why Would You Need a PDFLiner Alternative?
Despite PDFLiner’s ease of use and efficiency, some users might feel tempted to explore other PDF editor options in specific settings. For instance, those seeking special features like support for ISO compliance can combine PDFLiner for everyday use with more specialized software for cases where it is required. Cheaper yet simpler tools have their appeal for a certain audience, too.
Top 20 PDFLiner Alternatives
This section contains the reviews of 20 software products you might want to use to edit PDF online, depending on your needs. Each of the alternatives has its own specific strengths as well as certain downsides that are mentioned in the reviews.
Adobe Acrobat Pro DC
The Acrobat PDF editor hardly needs to be introduced. The product in question is its premium, paid version and offers a wide variety of features. For example, it enables you to make sure that the documents you create comply with the ISO requirements. The software is also advanced in terms of accessibility. Finally, you can rely on it to add interactive media to the files you create. Unfortunately, Adobe Acrobat Pro DC lacks the intuitiveness that PDFLiner is appreciated for. Expect the learning curve to be rather steep. The price is not particularly affordable, too.
| Pros | Cons |
| ISO-oriented functionality | Takes time to master |
| Wide range of accessibility features | Relatively expensive. |
| Support for interactive media |
PDFelement
If batch processing is a high priority to you as someone who needs to deal with a large number of documents efficiently, you might want to consider PDFelement. This is a simple PDF editor app with good cross-platform compatibility. While you can edit PDF on Windows as well as MacOS, expect some differences in the interface, which can undermine your speed of learning, especially if you don’t spend a lot of time working with it. Overall, PDFelement can be a robust alternative to PDFLiner for the limited use that involves batch processing.
| Pros | Cons |
| Specialized support for batch editing | Not consistent across platforms. |
| Works on different operating systems | |
| Comparatively easy to navigate. |
PDFescape
For users who are looking for a PDF solution on a tight budget, PDFescape can be an attractive option. Its premium feature pack covers needs such as converting and editing PDF documents. Unfortunately, it mainly targets people who don’t work with PDF files much. The main disadvantage compared to PDFLiner is that you might lack the sign and seal functionality, which can undermine your ability to work on legal documents. The interface is reasonably easy to explore. Still, PDFescape can be a feasible alternative to pricier editors if you only need the basics.
| Pros | Cons |
| Budget-friendly | Not consistent across platforms. |
| Enough for basic needs. |
PDF Pro
Another basic option for users who prefer to focus on essential features, PDF Pro also offers a free-of-charge version. Its functionality is rather limited, but it can be a plus if you do not feel like investing a lot of effort in learning a new skill. It stores the files you open as a list, which can be convenient if you often have trouble finding documents you worked on some time ago. At the same time, it is time-consuming to parse.
| Pros | Cons |
| Stores a list of previously opened documents | Slower than ideal |
| Simple interface | No advanced features |
| Inexpensive |
PDF Expert
PDF Expert can be a viable solution due to its affordable plans for users looking for a reasonably priced PDF tool that is not limited to the most vital function. It boasts a relatively simple interface that makes it faster compared to old-school apps such as Adobe Acrobat. At the same time, it goes beyond basic editing. Please keep in your mind that PDF Expert does not support OCR. It’s also important to note that the software targets MacOS users. Still, if you need to edit texts, images, links, signatures, pages, and files easily, PDF Expert is what you are looking for.
| Pros | Cons |
| Relatively affordable | No OCR feature |
| Fast processing | |
| Intuitive |
FormSwift
If you deal with many industry-specific documents and want to have a big library of specialized templates to choose from, FormSwift can be a good choice. It comes with a built-in collection of forms related to various areas, from insurance to tax reports. The main toolbar is designed in a minimalist way, which saves time. Unfortunately, it is only viable if you purchase a long-term plan. Shorter period subscriptions are pricey. But if you work a lot with electronic documents, a long-term subscription will be quite beneficial for you.
| Pros | Cons |
| Moderately priced if purchased for a longer period | Not viable if purchased for a short term. |
| Intuitive toolbar design | |
| Big form catalog to choose from |
Sejda
Another budget-friendly option on this list, Sejda, has a lot of features that make this editor PDF-friendly. You can use it to convert your documents to and from other formats, as well as for editing, annotating them, and more. It comes with electronic signature support to save you time. The app has a simple and intuitive interface that allows you to use most of the features with a single click. Finally, the free version has a lot to offer, unlike many truncated packages. The biggest downside is that the number of saves is heavily limited.
| Pros | Cons |
| Extensive free functionality | Limited savings in the free version. |
| Well-thought-out interface | |
| Flexible pricing |
DocHub
This is an online service for working with PDFs. Right from your browser, you can edit PDFs, add signatures or create new documents based on an extensive database of ready-made templates. DocHub can be a sound choice for users who do not work with PDF files much but want to have full functionality and probably use a PDF editor on Android. It offers all it has for free. The only limitation in case you do not subscribe is that the amount of data you can handle and save is restricted. The premium version is relatively affordable, too. Field menus can confuse a new user, and you cannot make drafts.
| Pros | Cons |
| You can get a lot for free | Field menus could be more intuitive; |
| Premium is not expensive | Does not support drafts. |
| The interface is generally simple |
Smallpdf
This tool offers functionality similar to that of PDFLiner, but with exceptions. You can use it to edit and sign documents in PDF format as well as to convert them, in particular to JPG images. It is also an efficient PDF annotater with an unfussy design. The interface here is also quite easy to use ― just upload a document in PDF format ― and you can edit it using the toolbar. Unfortunately, it doesn’t offer easy-to-navigate fillable fields, or a catalog of tax reporting forms like PDFLiner does.
| Pros | Cons |
| A lot of features; | Fields are not as convenient to edit as in PDFLiner; |
| Simple design; | No tax form catalog. |
| Password security feature. |
EasePDF
EasePDF is an online PDF platform that offers a variety of editing, converting, and e-sign opportunities. Just like PDFLiner, it features security mechanisms such as watermarks and PDF-to-JPG conversion. Unfortunately, it doesn’t provide as much support for templates as PDFLiner does, which makes it a good choice for someone who doesn’t fill out forms often. Apart from that, sharing files is not as easy with EasePDF as one would expect, which can be a problem if you cooperate on documents a lot. Generally, however, it is a robust solution.
| Pros | Cons |
| Advanced e-signing | Limited template functionality |
| Improved security with watermarks | |
| Powerful editing |
PDFSimpli
Unlike many products on this list, PDFSimply focuses largely on conversion. Thus, it is much-liked by students, who often need to change the format of their work or a useful source. You can also interact with text and images in the document, watermarks, e-signatures and save the resulting PDF to your device. Sharing is less efficient than with PDFLiner, but you can still use it if it’s not a priority.
| Pros | Cons |
| Solid PDF editing functionality that targets both text and images | No direct sharing between users. |
| Good for conversion | |
| Support for e-signing | |
| Watermarks |
iLovePDF
If you value the possibility of re-organizing your documents, such as splitting files or reordering pages, iLovePDF could be the right solution for you. It boasts fillable fields that enable you to make changes quickly on the go and offers extensive editing features. However, be prepared to pay for it without first testing it because iLovePDF doesn’t offer a free trial for its premium plans. The permanent free version is limited and has ads.
| Pros | Cons |
| Two paid plans to choose from; | Free trial is not supported. |
| Made for quick editing; | |
| Extensive reorganizing functionality. |
Lumin PDF
An efficient PDF tool with cloud integration that enables you to not worry about saving your changes, Lumin PDF also offers electronic signing and a time-saving sharing feature that improves collaboration. Its basic version is moderately priced but lacks some of the essential features offered by PDFLiner. For instance, you can’t use it to highlight certain text portions, which is a must in many use cases. Timestamps and security locking are also not available with the basic version. Finally, you might miss PDFLiner’s form catalog.
| Pros | Cons |
| Cloud integration; | Minimal basic plan. |
| Automatic change tracking; | |
| Efficient sharing. |
FillAnyPDF
With the unlimited storage capacity granted by cloud systems, FillAnyPDF is an easy-to-use document management system targeting PDF files. The editing takes place online makes it compatible with most systems and devices. Security is a big problem when working with confidential forms on the Internet, so FillAnyPDF gives you the ability to exclude certain areas and make your documents visible only to the person for whom the form is intended. One of the product’s highlights is its intuitive drawing tools, which can be useful if you work with highly visual documentation. However, it doesn’t enable you to track all the changes. Merging smaller documents into big ones is also not an option.
| Pros | Cons |
| Unlimited storage | No merging functionality |
| Good drawing toolkit | Change tracking could be better |
| Intuitive design |
HotDocs
HotDocs targets corporate customers. It takes pride in its compliance features and enables you to create a branded PDF to represent your vision. This product scales easily and comes in two versions depending on the size of your company. HotDocs offers efficient cooperation and sharing features and lets you sign and edit documents online. Its primary limitation is that it is not available for individual use. The viability of it for smaller businesses can also be questioned.
| Pros | Cons |
| Excellent scaling; | Not for individual users; |
| Corporate-oriented features; | Might be too expensive for small companies. |
| PDF branding support. |
Eversign
As the name suggests, Eversign focuses on enabling electronic signatures. It targets individual users, including self-employed professionals, as well as small businesses and corporations. It comes with a library of templates and allows for editing before you sign the document. This can be a good solution if you don’t need to convert documents on a regular basis and aren’t concerned about re-organizing pages or adding page numbering to your PDF.
| Pros | Cons |
| Pricing plans to choose from depend on the customer type | Relatively limited conversion and document reorganizing functionality. |
| Specialized e-sign functionality with a focus on legal aspects | |
| Good compatibility |
ActiveDocs
While ActiveDocs would be of little use to an individual user or a small company, it can work wonders for larger organizations, which are its primary target audience. It offers a large system based on a modular approach. This ensures greater flexibility and enables you to adjust the wealth of forms ActiveDocs offers according to your own business rules. It is a powerful tool that is not cheap but may be well worth it.
| Pros | Cons |
| Modular for diversification and flexibility; | Not exactly affordable; |
| Enables a high level of customization; | For big companies only. |
| Targets document turnover automation. |
FileThis
FileThis is a corporate customer data management system with a focus on security and efficiency. It enables you to automate document retrieval and save time and effort in that way. Its primary focus is financial documentation and in industries such as loans. On the downside, the learning curve is much steeper than PDFLiner due to its narrower niche. PDFLiner’s form catalog is also more diverse, which is only natural given that it is a more universally usable solution.
| Pros | Cons |
| Enhances security; | Not easy to master; |
| Focus on automation; | Tends to be industry-specific. |
| Industry-specific processes. |
PandaDoc
With its free trial period and demos on request, PandaDoc is one of the most accessible contract management solutions on the market. It enables efficient sharing and makes navigation within a file quick and effortless. With PandaDoc, you can sign and date documents as well as edit the text in them. However, it is more limited when it comes to drawing and might not be suitable for users who like to explore the creative aspects of PDFs.
| Pros | Cons |
| Intuitive design; | Limited drawing possibilities. |
| You can request a demo to get to know the project; | |
| Easy e-signing; | |
| Good sharing options. |
PDFCandy
PDFCandy is an all-in-one PDF toolkit that enables you to create PDF documents and edit them in depth. From merging several files into one to converting them into another format to deleting and rearranging projects, it offers a truly wide range of functions. You might still miss certain formatting options, as well as PDFLiner’s extensive form catalog. The simplicity of use is also affected by how the functions are structured within the interface. Moreover, PDF Candy has pleasant graphics, so nothing catches your eye and distracts you from work. In general, working with this tool is quite convenient.
| Pros | Cons |
| Intuitive design; | Limited drawing possibilities. |
| You can request a demo to get to know the project; | |
| Easy e-signing; | |
| Good sharing options. |
Choosing a PDF Editor: Bottom Line
The products above all may or may not make good alternatives to PDFLiner, depending on your needs. Feel free to explore what the platform offers and choose an option that fits a particular situation as needed.