How to Edit a PDF on Mac without Adobe: 4 Alternative Ways

Introduction:

Adobe Acrobat is reputed for its versatile features but feared for its expensive subscriptions. Users will spend much budget per year to access most of its editing tools. You no wonder look for free or more affordable alternatives to edit PDF files on Mac. Finding the right software is a challenge, especially for a friendly and powerful one. Through lots of tests, we recommend four PDF editors. Check how to edit a PDF on Mac without Adobe using the 4 ways.

How to Edit a PDF on Mac without Adobe Using SwifDoo PDF

SwifDoo PDF for Mac serves all your key needs in handling PDF documents. It allows you to directly modify the original content or add extra annotations over the pages. It is a free PDF reader with zoom, multi-screen, and more reading modes to switch. Here is a look at how to edit a PDF on Mac without Adobe using SwifDoo PDF other features:

• Make a PDF editable on Apple Mac to delete, change, or insert words and links;
• Organize PDF pages by removing, rotating, adding, and splitting them;
• Password protect and unlock PDFs;
• Take notes, highlights, free-hand drawings, and more.

Step 1: Install the SwifDoo PDF for Mac and launch it;

Step 2: Open your PDF in the software and navigate to the Edit menu;

Step 3: Click Edit All, and you can edit the PDF on the Mac without Adobe immediately;

Step 4: Click on an image and choose an option you want to edit the image in the PDF, like cropping, rotating, and more;

Step 5: Type into a text box around the text block and edit the text, or use Insert Text to add new words;

Step 6: Go to other menus like the Annotate to conduct further edits, and then save the changes.   

You can go for a lifetime license and quickly get started without a learning curve, even as a casual user.

How to Edit a PDF without Adobe on Mac Using PDF Expert

You can conveniently edit a PDF on a Mac without Adobe using the Adobe Acrobat alternative, PDF Expert. This software offers basic form, text, and image editing features. It’s designed with common highlighting, note-taking, and text-adding annotation tools. The PDF viewer and editor has an intuitive and streamlined UI. It provides permanent licenses for only Macs but costs much more than competitors. The annual subscription is also pricy.

Unmask how to edit a PDF without Adobe Acrobat on a Macbook or Mac PC using PDF Expert.

Step 1: Drag and throw your PDF document into the Mac program;

Step 2: Go to the upper menu bar to click Edit;

Step 3: Choose Text in the secondary menu bar to make the PDF text editable;

Step 4: Select other tools like Image or Link to edit the pictures or insert hyperlinks into the PDF;

Step 5: When done, save the file with edited content.

Edit PDF without Acrobat in Mac Preview

When it comes to how to edit a PDF on Mac, you might ask, "Does Apple have its own PDF editor?”. It depends on what your editing means. Preview is best for those who resist and refuse subscriptions and crazy pricing plans and only do simple text and stuff covering. It is native to MacOS and doesn't have an editor for altering existing text.

Let’s see how you can edit a PDF on Mac in Preview without Adobe for free.

Step 1: Control-click the PDF you wish to edit, and choose Open with > Preview;

Step 2: Click the Show Markup Toolbar icon on the top bar;

Step 3: Select an editing tool to apply a separate annotation layer over the file;

Step 4: Click the text adding tool (letter A around with a rectangle) and click on a page to enter text;

Step 5: Change the text font or formatting, use the Sign tool to create a signature, or use Redaction to remove information permanently.

Edit a PDF on Mac with PDF Studio

Another best PDF editor for Mac you can try to edit a PDF file without Adobe is PDF Studio. The software by Qoppa is decent and more economical than Adobe. Its pro version locks the text, image, form, and any element editing features behind it. Better than Adobe, it offers a perpetual license and batch editing function. However, the time to load and process can be long for heavy files.

Step 1: Click File > Open in PDF Studio to select and import your PDF file;

Step 2: Choose Edit > Edit Content, then click and draw with your cursor around the text to make it editable;

Step 3: You can remove, replace, format, and do more to edit the text line in place or move the text;

Step 4: Click an image, and you can resize and reposition it;

Step 5: Save the edited PDF by clicking File > Save.

Conclusion

Are you looking for PDF editing software for macOS that should be able to do as much as possible? It’s better to be free or modest in subscription fees. Perhaps you would like to utilize it to edit a PDF in Mac without Adobe with a One-Time purchase.

If you hate to try tons of software repeatedly, this article might help. PDF Expert and PDF Studio are good and less expensive but still high-dollar compared with other replacements. SwifDoo PDF is a cost-effective choice. For completely free ones, you may search for open-source PDF editors such as LibreOffice Editor.