In this ONLYOFFICE PDF Editor review, I will share what I found during my week-long experiment using this PDF software. I spent several hours testing ONLYOFFICE PDF Editor, and I will guide you through my findings so you can easily decide whether this is the PDF editor you are looking for.
In this article, I will show ONLYOFFICE PDF editor’s key features, user interface, my experience, pricing, and pros and cons to give some insights into whether this PDF editor is worth trying.
Let’s jump in!
ONLYOFFICE
Summary
ONLYOFFICE is an open-sourced office suite offering a full range of tools to create, edit, and collaborate on text documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and PDF files. After reviewing the ONLYOFFICE PDF editor, I discovered that it is a simple and ideal option for both individuals and businesses. I especially loved that its free version includes some tools that you typically need to buy.
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Free PDF editor for individuals
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Offers a full range of tools to create, edit, and collaborate on documents
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Plugins can help to customize the tools you use for PDFs
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Super easy and intuitive software
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It would be great if ONLYOFFICE would provide more reading functionalities
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Key points I found during my ONLYOFFICE PDF editor review
These are the key points that I explored during my ONLYOFFICE PDF editor review:
- ONLYOFFICE PDF editor is completely free for personal use.
- However, it is more than just a PDF editor, as it offers many tools to create and edit documents, PDF files, spreadsheets, and presentations.
- I enjoyed using ONLYOFFICE PDF editor’s plugin feature to personalize the tools I want to use when working on PDF documents.
- ONLYOFFICE PDF editor is a very intuitive software with a short learning curve for exploring its features.
Let’s see the details!
What is ONLYOFFICE?

There are other office suites besides Microsoft Office or Google Workspace. Based on my experience, one of the best Google Workspace or Microsoft Office alternatives is ONLYOFFICE.
It is an open-sourced office suite offering a full range of tools to create, edit, and collaborate on text documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and PDF files. ONLYOFFICE Docs has powerful editing tools for all kinds of documents.
It is a versatile platform and works on Windows, Linux, and macOS as well. Most importantly, it was designed to make collaboration seamless, so you have many options to share your document for viewing, editing, reviewing, commenting, and more.
But for now, we will focus on its PDF editor solution, which you can get for free. In the next step of the ONLYOFFICE PDF editor review, let’s take a look at its key features!
Key Features
Let’s dive into ONLYOFFICE PDF editor’s key features!
PDF editor

If you click on the edit PDF, you will see all the options to make changes in a PDF file. You can edit existing text, use a different font type for the text, adjust the size, and change the margins of a content block and paragraph alignment and spacing.
ONLYOFFICE PDF editor uses a drag-and-drop system when editing text in your PDF files. So, when you select a text box, you can not only edit it but move around on the pages.

Besides editing existing text, you can add new text to your PDF. To add a new text box, just select the text box option above. Similarly to the editing features, you can change your text box’s fonts, color, etc.

In addition to text editing, you can insert pictures into PDF documents using ONLYOFFICE PDF editor. When inserting a picture, it also follows a drag-and-drop system.
Therefore, once you insert the picture, to move it somewhere else, you only need to click on the edited picture, and you can place it somewhere else smoothly.
PDF reader

ONLYOFFICE has some essential PDF reader tools as well. On the right button of the page or the view option, you can zoom and choose from more themes.
For instance, you can use light or contrast dark themes when reading your PDF documents. Personally, I really enjoyed the fact that the ONLYOFFICE PDF editor offers numerous themes for reading your PDFs.
Annotate PDF documents

Annotating PDF documents is critical when it comes to team collaboration. Efficient PDF annotation tools help to review documents faster and more efficiently.
With the ONLYOFFICE PDF editor, you can access the PDF annotation tools by clicking on the Comment tab. Here, you will find the options to add comments, highlight text, apply strikethrough, or access the drawing tools.
PDF organizer

If you hit the Page Thumbnails button on the left, you can easily reorganize your pages with the ONLYOFFICE PDF editor. You only need to drag and drop the page’s thumbnail, and you can change the order.
PDF forms

ONLYOFFICE PDF editor allows you to create PDF forms. If you go to the home page, select the PDF form on the left, and you will reach the same page as above.
Compared to other PDF editors, ONLYOFFICE PDF editor has all the tools to create customizable forms. You can insert text boxes, dropdown lists, checkboxes, images, signature fields, etc.
PDF protection

PDF protection is an important factor you need to consider, particularly for business users, as your PDFs can include your and other’s sensitive information.
If you click on the file, you can easily add passwords to your PDF files and restrict access. Just a side note here: you can not recover the password for your PDF file, so make sure you keep it in a safe place that you will not forget about.
Plugins

ONLYOFFICE PDF editor’s plugin feature is really special on the market. This is probably thanks to the fact that ONLYOFFICE is not only a PDF editor, but the ONLYOFFICE Suite includes other tools as well, such as presentation, document, and spreadsheet editor.
Using the plugins, you can boost your PDF experience with additional tools. For instance, you can install an AI chatbot plugin to perform tasks in your PDF and document editor. You can also install an OCR plugin for your PDF documents.
I really loved that all the plugins you can access are free, and I can personalize the tools I need for my PDF documents.
My experience with ONLYOFFICE PDF editor
During my ONLYOFFICE PDF editor review, I used the ONLYOFFICE desktop app for my PDF files and forms. Just out of curiosity, I also took a look at the spreadsheet, document, and presentation editors.
They work quite similarly to Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint and offer a smooth experience. Overall, my feeling was that ONLYOFFICE is one of the best alternatives to Microsoft Office in terms of document compatibility and user interface.
Its PDF editor had a smooth experience as well. I did not experience any learning curve, and the whole process was very intuitive. I especially enjoyed trying some plugins and the way I can customize my tool stack for PDF documents.
During my ONLYOFFICE PDF editor review, I did not experience any performance issues compared to Adobe Acrobat.
Ultimately, I had a smooth and positive experience with ONLYOFFICE PDF editor. It offers not only a PDF editing solution but a wide array of tools for your documents, presentations, and spreadsheets.
ONLYOFFICE PDF editor’s user interface

ONLYOFFICE PDF editor has a simple user interface with many easy-to-use tools. It is an excellent PDF editor for both work and personal use.

Moreover, you can access some templates for documents, spreadsheets, or presentations. It is also a quite unique addition.
Pricing

You can use ONLYOFFICE in two ways.
First, you can download the desktop app (i.e., ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors), and after you install it, you can use it for completely free.
Second, you can create a free ONLYOFFICE DocSpace account and work on PDFs and other office files. DocSpace also offers a paid plan with some benefits and more storage space. It starts at $20 per admin monthly.
Pros and cons I discovered during my ONLYOFFICE PDF editor review

After reviewing my ONLYOFFICE PDF editor, I found the pros and cons you should know about this software.
ONLYOFFICE PDF editor’s pros
ONLYOFFICE is a completely free PDF editor for individuals.
In addition, it offers more than just a PDF editor but a full range of tools to create, edit, and collaborate on text documents, spreadsheets, presentations, and PDF files.
ONLYOFFICE PDF editor’s plugin can help to customize what tools you want to use when working with PDF files. It is a unique feature compared to other PDF editors.
Lastly, ONLYOFFICE PDF editor is a super easy and intuitive software.
ONLYOFFICE PDF editor’s cons
It would be great if ONLYOFFICE would provide more reading functionalities like 2-page, 4-page spread, or split views.
Related articles:
- The 8 Best PDF Editors In 2025 | 30+ Personally Tested PDF Tools
- The 7 Best Adobe Acrobat Alternatives: 30+ PDF Editors Tested
- I Tested +30 PDF editors for Windows | Here Are The 8 Best
Wrap-up: ONLYOFFICE PDF editor review
After reviewing the ONLYOFFICE PDF editor, I discovered that it is a simple and ideal option for both individuals and businesses. I especially loved that its free version includes some tools that you typically need to buy.
Overall, if you want a simple but reliable PDF editor with easy-to-use tools, I can highly recommend ONLYOFFICE PDF editor for individuals and businesses.
Frequently asked questions
Does ONLYOFFICE have a PDF editor?
ONLYOFFICE has a PDF editor that you can use to read, annotate, and work on PDF files. When it comes to PDF editing, you can change existing text, use a different font type for the text, adjust the size, and change the margins of a content block and paragraph alignment and spacing.
Is ONLYOFFICE free for personal use?
ONLYOFFICE is free for personal use, including its PDF editor.
How can I edit a PDF without paying?
There are some PDF editors on the market which allow you to edit your PDF files for free. For instance, you can use ONLYOFFICE PDF editor for completely free.

Hey there! I am Aron, the founder of Thebusinessdive. I created Thebusinessdive to help you elevate your productivity to the next level. It is a place where you find the best tools, ideas, and tips to supercharge your productivity and performance. Subscribe to my YouTube channel to hear more about the best productivity tools. Let’s dive in!