ONLYOFFICE PDF Editor: The Power of Simplicity and Versatility

ONLYOFFICE PDF Editor

dependable, free alternative, providing essential PDF editing functions and cloud-based collaboration. Its user-friendly interface and feature-rich set make it suitable for both personal and professional use.

What we like

Free open-source Office suite
Offers both desktop and online version
Includes the ability to create fillable PDF forms
Wide range of PDF editing options

What we don’t like

Couldn’t open some of my PDFs
Mobile apps are limited
cCmments created in Collaboration mode aren’t visible in other PDF editors

Get ONLYOFFICE PDF Editor

When it comes to editing PDFs, many will immediately think of premium software, like Adobe Acrobat, which often requires a costly subscription to unlock full functionality. However, free alternatives, such as ONLYOFFICE PDF Editor are changing the game, offering powerful, user-friendly tools for easy PDF editing. This review dives into the capabilities and assesses how well it functions as a cost-effective solution for managing PDF documents.

This is a sponsored article and was made possible by ONLYOFFICE. The actual contents and opinions are the sole views of the author, who maintains editorial independence even when a post is sponsored.

Content

What Is ONLYOFFICE PDF Editor?

ONLYOFFICE is an open-source office suite available both online and as a desktop application, offering a compelling alternative to paid software, especially since it’s completely free. With a wide array of features designed to meet various productivity needs, it’s a versatile tool that makes a compelling case for itself.

This review focuses specifically on the ONLYOFFICE PDF Editor, it’s important to mention that ONLYOFFICE also includes DocSpace for Zoom, powerful word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation tools, serving as an all-in-one replacement for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

ONLYOFFICE also doubles as a collaboration environment, where users can share documents securely via their own servers or through ONLYOFFICE’s cloud services.

What ONLYOFFICE PDF Editor Can Do

I’m a big book geek and love to read all day every day if time allows. While I prefer physical books, I do a fair share of reading on my laptop or my tablet (depending on where I am). With ONLYOFFICE PDF Editor, I can easily open and view books I have in PDF format on my Windows PC. A mobile app is also available, but it’s a bit more limited in scope, as you’d expect.

In my experience, however, ONLYOFFICE PDF Editor did have issues opening some PDFs. I couldn’t really figure out why, especially since other PDF Viewers had no issue displaying the files.

On the bright side, I appreciate the PDF’s Editor user-friendly interface, which adopts a familiar design similar to Microsoft’s ribbon, making navigation intuitive and straightforward. It’s indeed superior to other open-source alternatives, such as LibreOffice.

When it comes to viewing PDFs, the ONLYOFFICE desktop app has everything I want, including a great dark mode and various interface themes to switch between. Plus, the annotation tools in the Comment tab make adding notes or highlighting text a breeze.

Additional editing features can be found under the Edit PDF menu, including the handy Edit Text option, which I use when I need to modify the text in a PDF. While I may not use this when reading a book, it’s incredibly helpful when I need to customize a form for my purposes, for example.

In addition, I can easily insert images, shapes, or text boxes, which enhances the editing experience. Furthermore, the option to add or delete pages makes the PDF Editor even more convenient for me.

For added functionality, ONLYOFFICE PDF Editor allows you to install a variety of plug-ins. The library is diverse, offering options like ChatGPT, Jitsi, HTML, Pixabay, and a Photo Editor, among others. Personally, I installed the Google Translate plug-in, which makes it easy to translate sections of a book or document while I am reading. When something isn’t clear, this functionality can be particularly helpful.

PDF Creation

ONLYOFFICE PDF Editor also functions as a PDF creation tool, offering both ready-made templates and the option to create your own from scratch. If you choose the latter, there are many customization options available. The interface will feel familiar if, like me, you’ve used Microsoft Office in the past, making it easy to navigate.

By simply browsing through the Insert tab options, I found that I could include a wide range of content in my PDF, such as images, charts, tables, equations, and symbols. Moreover, I can further customize the document by adding a watermark or changing the page color.

On occasions when I need to generate an official PDF, the Signature feature under the Protection tab is a real asset. Additionally, ONLYOFFICE provides encryption for sensitive documents, such as bank files, which I regularly have to deal with. If needed, I can also password-protect my files.

PDF Forms

A key highlight of ONLYOFFICE PDF Editor is its ability to create fillable forms. While tools like LibreOffice offer similar functionality, popular platforms like Office 365 and Google Docs will only export static forms.

ONLYOFFICE PDF Editor allows you to create forms with a quick switch to the Form tab. I personally found it helpful when I was coordinating a book club and needed to poll the group’s preferences regarding book selection, meeting locations, and other logistics.

I found that making a fillable PDF form is really straightforward. Simply add the fields you need, such as checkboxes, radio buttons, date and time fields, etc., and customize each using the menu on the right. You can even preview the form to ensure everything looks right before sending it. When you’re done, save the PDF, and share it. The fillable form should retain its editable fields.

There’s the possibility to generate a link for the fillable form by using the Share & collect option to also amass responses right in your workspace. However, you’ll need to set up a cloud for that.

Collaboration

You can use ONLYOFFICE PDF Editor to collaborate with others on a project. For instance, I used this when writing a book review for publication on a blog. I asked my friend for some feedback and insight on my draft review.

To edit a PDF in real time, my friend and I had to connect to the cloud. ONLYOFFICE offers the option to connect to your own cloud service (with options such as Moodle, Nextcloud, Liferay). Since we aren’t part of a professional organization, I created an ONLYOFFICE cloud instead. This is free to use for 3 administrator-level users and an unlimited number of regular users.

ONLYOFFICE’s collaboration feature relies on Rooms. These are dedicated spaces that can house all the documents that your team needs. As the administrator of such a room, I’ve invited my friend to join the room on the ONLYOFFICE server. She then had to create a profile to join.

Once she connected, we could both view and edit the PDF I’d previously added to the Room. On the left side, there’s an instant chat section, so you can easily coordinate with the other people on your team. There are other options as well, like the ability to view Version history and save everyone’s changes with one click.

The whole setup on my Windows PC took only a few minutes, after which I could start viewing the changes made by my friend and was able to edit the PDF quickly.

What About ONLYOFFICE DocSpace?

ONLYOFFICE DocSpace is the web-based platform accessible via a browser, offering PDF editing along with the World, Excel, and PowerPoint alternatives.

You can create a new PDF from scratch by pressing the Actions button and then selecting PDF Form -> Blank. Or, you can upload a PDF from your machine. You’ll find most of the features available in the desktop version here as well.

Setting up the collaboration feature is similar here. Once you have your workspace set up, you’ll need to invite your teammates to join. Rooms can be set as private or public.

ONLYOFFICE PDF Editor Pricing

The ONLYOFFICE suite, including the PDF Editor, is free to use. However, if you want to use the collaborative feature beyond three administrative-level users, you will need to upgrade to a paid ONLYOFFICE DocSpace tier, as follows.

Business Cloud: $20 per admin user per month
Enterprise On-Premises: starting at $6,550 per server (lifetime license.)

There are a few more Enterprise options available as well.

Convenient PDF Editing

ONLYOFFICE PDF Editor offers a lot for a free tool, including advanced features, such as creating fillable forms and collaborating in real-time. While it’s missing some options, such as integrations with video conferencing and notes apps, it’s a highly capable PDF and document editor. Personally, I had an overall great experience with it and think it’s worth considering.

All images and screenshots by Alexandra Arici.

Alexandra Arici –
Staff Writer

Alexandra is passionate about mobile tech and can be often found fiddling with a smartphone from some obscure company. She kick-started her career in tech journalism in 2013, after working a few years as a middle-school teacher. Constantly driven by curiosity, Alexandra likes to know how things work and to share that knowledge with everyone.

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