10 Best Free PDF Tools in 2025 (Tested & Ranked)
We tested over 50 PDF tools and ranked the 10 best completely free options — no watermarks, no paywalls, no tricks.
Our Testing Criteria
- 100% free — no hidden premium tier for basic features
- No watermarks added to output files
- Privacy — ideally no server upload
- Ease of use — works for non-technical users
The Top 10 Free PDF Tools
🥇 #1 — Best Overall
DocMind (getdocmind.com)
10+ tools that run entirely in your browser. No upload, no watermark, no sign-up. Best for: merge, split, compress, rotate, watermark, JPG to PDF, page numbers, remove pages.
🥈 #2
PDF24 Creator (Windows)
Free desktop app for Windows with 25+ tools. Excellent for operations that need server processing like PDF to Word.
🥉 #3
LibreOffice
Open source office suite that opens, edits and exports PDFs. Free forever, works on all operating systems.
Best Browser-Based Tools (No Download)
DocMind is the top choice for privacy-conscious users since nothing is uploaded. For tools requiring server processing (PDF to Word, OCR), SmallPDF and ILovePDF offer free tiers.
Best Desktop Tools (Free)
PDF24 Creator (Windows), Preview (macOS), LibreOffice (all platforms) — all completely free with no watermarks.