Expert Rating
Benefits
- Contains a complete set of PDF editing tools
- Offers several subscription packages to meet different needs
- Cross-platform solution with native macOS, iOS and iPadOS apps
The inconvenients
- Only offers annual subscriptions
- Access to mobile applications is excluded from the basic package
- The user interface may overwhelm casual users
Our verdict
The Foxit PDF Editor app provides access to a comprehensive set of features and is designed for serious users rather than those looking to edit documents occasionally. As a result, the user interface may seem overwhelming for users who don’t need all of these tools.
When looking for a reliable PDF editor, you may come across Foxit’s products. The company offers several PDF-centric solutions on popular operating systems, catering to different document needs. PDF Reader and PDF Editor are two of Foxit’s most popular Mac apps, and they both excel at performing their relevant tasks.
Find out how Foxit PDF Editor compares to other PDF tools in our roundup of the best PDF editors for Mac.
Although they are two separate applications, Foxit’s PDF Reader and PDF Editor feel like two tiers of the same product. The PDF Reader edition is available for free on macOS, allowing users to view, annotate, sign, and let AI analyze their documents.
On the other hand, Foxit PDF Editor allows you to access the entire editing toolbox for an annual subscription. The Basic plan currently costs $129.99/£110.05 when paid annually in advance, there is also the option to pay monthly. Similarly, the Plus (+) plan, which includes more features, is offered at $159.99/£135.45 per year depending on your billing preferences. Before committing to the purchase, you can request a 14-day free trial to test out Foxit PDF Editor’s features.
Note that choosing monthly billing still commits you to a full year, but the fees are split accordingly. Foxit doesn’t seem to offer its PDF Editor app for a single month, so unfortunately you can’t subscribe for a month and cancel. Also, the above values apply to individual licenses. Opting for the editions with an admin console for license management would cost you an additional $20 per year.
Features of Foxit PDF Reader
Foxit PDF Reader is a free document viewer that supports advanced annotation tools. This allows you to control the size, color, and style of inserted text or shapes. The application also offers convenient customization features, such as support for changing the document background color, flipping and rotating pages, signing forms, and more.
In addition to editing the PDF file, this Mac app can read text aloud, measure distances, calculate areas, magnify selected points, and have AI analyze your document. It’s definitely better than Apple’s Preview app and most of the free PDF readers I’ve used.
We’ve rounded up some more free PDF editors here: Best Free PDF Editors for Mac.
Features of Foxit PDF Editor
Foxit PDF Editor supports all the features of PDF Reader and enables editing features. With file conversion support, you can export PDFs as Microsoft Office documents, images, HTML files, and more. The application also integrates an optical character recognition (OCR) feature, which allows you to select text detected on images.
Like most PDF editors, the Foxit application allows you to fully manipulate the grouped text and images in a particular document by adding, deleting, or editing them. You can search and replace text, check for language errors, change the font, fill out forms, insert URLs, and more. You can also rearrange pages as needed, just as you would expect.
Foxit PDF Editor also caters to power users, with advanced features like document redaction. These options can remove sensitive information that may be hidden in images or other elements, such as metadata. You can also choose between redaction styles and add different layers of security. Not to mention JavaScript support and accessibility controls.
Perhaps what struck me most about Foxit PDF Editor is its integration with ChatGPT. Not only can this AI assistant analyze and summarize the document, but it can also perform actions on your behalf. So, for example, you can ask it to insert a new page or extract an existing page using natural language. Plus, you have the typical AI tools related to text, such as translation, error detection, tone enhancement, etc.
The Basic plan should be enough for most users, as it bundles pretty much all the relevant PDF editing features they’d expect. Some exclusives to the Plus plan include access to mobile apps, tracking signatures from other parties, smart redaction, 130GB of cloud storage instead of 20GB, and template support. So, if you plan on editing PDFs exclusively on your Mac, the Basic plan will probably be enough. Alternatively, if you often edit from your iPhone or iPad or collect e-signatures from others, the Plus plan might be a better fit for you.
Should you buy Foxit PDF Editor?
Since Foxit doesn’t offer a monthly subscription, PDF Editor is aimed at professionals with long-term document editing workflows. With PDF Editor+, you can access a comprehensive set of features that can tailor compatible documents to your needs. While the app is generally fast, the user interface may seem overwhelming for some users, especially those who don’t need all the tools on offer. Ultimately, Foxit PDF Editor is designed for serious users rather than those looking to casually edit documents. If the user interface overwhelms you, then this app is probably an overkill for your particular case.
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