A PDF annotation app is used to insert comments and notes while proofreading the document. The annotation aims to give feedback on the paper right inside the PDF. There are numerous PDF annotators available on the internet. Choosing the best one that suits your needs and preferences is tough.
What is a PDF annotation app, and how many functions does a powerful pdf annotator have？ Which is the best one and also free to use? In this article, we will answer all your questions regarding PDF annotators, and this article will also help you to read details about the top 5 free PDF annotation apps.
Part 1: What is PDF Annotation, and How Does It Work?
PDF annotation refers to providing feedback by inserting comments and notes in the proofread documents. You can insert comments anywhere in the document. You can share the document with anyone, and your teammates can see all the comments and notes inserted by you.
How Does A PDF Annotator Work?
Add notes, corrections, and comments anywhere in the document. You can also add handwritten annotations using a tablet PC.
Save your document and share it with your friends, teammates, or coworkers.
You can restore your document to the original format anytime with a single click.
You can add or remove and re-order the pages in the document.
Part 2: 5 Best Free PDF Annotation Apps with Annotating Steps
There are plenty of PDF annotators available on the internet. A user may need help to select the best one of all. Here is a list of the top 5 best free PDF annotation apps with a detailed annotation guide.
1. WPS Office （Highly Recommended）
Product Description
WPS Office is the best PDF annotator available nowadays. It is highly recommended due to its various outstanding and unique features. WPS Office is a complete Office suite having a Writer, presentation, spreadsheet, and PDF software. You can easily edit, annotate, convert, and compress your PDF using WPS PDF. You can use WPS Office for PDF annotations on Mac and Windows.
Main Features
It Includes different Office tools, e.g., Writer, PDF, Spreadsheet, and Presentation software.
Free to use
Compatible with all file formats of Microsoft Office and Adobe Acrobat
Supports all devices, including Windows, Mac, Linux, iOs, and Android
Advanced PDF editing and annotating features
Supported Device
Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and iOS
Price
Free to use for the standard version.
Pros
User-friendly interface
Free to use
It contains all advanced features
Includes PDF conversion, combine, and split functions
Free Download Steps
Visit the official website of the WPS Office at wps.com.
Click the Free Download button and run the installer to download and install WPS Office on your PC or Mac.
Steps for Annotating PDF files with WPS Office
Step 1: Open your PDF using WPS Office PDF.
Step 2: Click the Comment tab from the toolbar menu.
Step 3: Insert comments, notes, and textbox, or highlight the text and save your document to share with your coworkers or teammates.
2. Adobe Acrobat (Original )
Product Description
Adobe Acrobat is a famous PDF software used for many years. It provides all the standard and advanced PDF annotations for Windows and Mac. You can also create PDF files from scratch using Adobe Acrobat. It is also used to convert PDFs to different formats.
Main Features
View, store, edit, and share your PDFs conveniently.
Complete forms fast and add your signature or initials. Then share a link with others.
Add text boxes, sticky notes, and highlights, and share the PDF to get others' input in one file.
Access your files from any device
Supported Devices
Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android
Price
Free to use with essential functions, and requires a paid subscription to use all advanced features.
Pros
Quickly edit, manage, convert, and sign PDFs
Text-to-speech feature if you do not want to read the document
Free Download Steps
Visit the official website of Adobe Acrobat and click the Download Adobe Acrobat button.
Steps for annotating PDF files with Adobe Acrobat
Step 1: Open the PDF with Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Step 2: Click the Comment icon and then click Add a comment.
Step 3: You can also Insert text and replace the selected text. Save the PDF to share with others after the annotation is completed.
3. Foxit (Ease for Beginners)
Product Description
Foxit Reader is another PDF software for creating, editing, and annotating documents. It is free and convenient to use for beginners. You can easily read and share PDFs using Foxit.
Main Features
Form filling and eSign features
Read PDF anywhere - available for Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and web
Collaborate and share PDFs using Cloud integration
Protect and encrypt PDFs
Supported Devices
Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and web
Price
Free to use for a trial period
Pros
Simple and easy user interface
Night mode feature to view PDFs at night
Cons
Slow response while loading large-size PDF files
It is hard to judge which PDF is active while considering multiple PDFs
Free Download Steps
Visit the official website of Foxit.
Click the Download Free Trial button to download the Foxit PDF editor.
Steps for annotating PDF files with Foxit PDF Editor
Step 1: Open the PDF using Foxit PDF Editor.
Step 2: Click the Comment tab in the toolbar menu.
Step 3: Perform your necessary annotation, e.g., insert text, comments, highlight text, etc.
Step 4: Save the document and share it with others.
4. PDF-XChange (Easy-to-use)
Product Description
PDF-Xchange is an excellent PDF annotator for users familiar with Microsoft Word because it has a similar interface to MS Word. A variety of PDF annotation free tools are available in PDF-Xchange.
Main Features
Create stunning documents using PDF-Xchange.
Create dynamic stamps
Create editable forms
Integrated with OneDrive to save your documents
Supported Devices
Windows, Mac, iOS
Price
Free to use as a trial version
Pros
Familiar user interface
A lot of tools for annotation
Cons
It does not allow PDF creation
Watermark removal is not available in the free version
Free Download Steps
Visit the official website of Tracker-Software to download PDF-Xchange.
Click the Download button.
Steps for annotating PDF files with PDF-Xchange
Step 1: Open your PDF file with PDF-Xchange.
Step 2: Click the Comment tab in the toolbar menu.
Step 3: Annotate your documents as per your requirement and save the document to share with others.
5. PDF Expert (Good for Mac)
Product Description
PDF Expert is a popular PDF editor for Windows and Mac users. You can insert comments, highlight text, and add notes and stamps to annotate your PDF file. You can also edit, combine, convert, and protect PDFs using PDF Expert.
Main Features
Edit and modify PDFs easily
Convert PDFs to 200+ file formats
Turn scanned documents and images into editable PDFs
Secure and protect PDFs with a password
Supported Devices
Windows, Mac, iOS
Price
Free for a trial period. Different price plans for Home, Professional, and Ultimate versions
Pros
Includes common annotation features
Simple user interface
Cons
Not suitable for large PDFs
Free Download Steps
Visit the official website of PDF Expert.
Hit the Download button.
Steps for annotating PDF files with PDF Expert
Step 1: Open your PDF with PDF Expert.
Step 2: Make necessary annotations and save your file to share with others.
Part 3: Why We Need a Free PDF Annotation App？
Annotating PDF documents helps you to provide feedback on a document by highlighting the text, inserting or removing text, and many other functions. Here are some reasons why you need a free PDF annotation app.
Quick Document Management
You can quickly and efficiently manage your documents by eliminating sending multiple emails to teammates for editing the file. Just annotate the document and share it with your teammates at remote locations.
Collaboration
PDF annotation allows multiple users to view and edit the document simultaneously.
Note-taking
Users can add their notes to the document, highlight important sections, or underline key points, which can help them remember important information and stay organized.
Reviewing
Users can add comments, corrections, or suggestions to the document, which can help the author improve the quality of the work.
Presentations
Users can add annotations or notes to the document, which can help them remember essential points or emphasize certain aspects of the presentation.
Legal documents
Users can add their signatures to the legal document, highlight important clauses, or add comments or suggestions, which can help ensure the document is legally binding and accurate.
Studying
Users can add notes, highlight important sections, and organize information to make studying and retaining the material more accessible.
FAQs
Q1: How do I annotate a PDF in Chrome?
You can install the Adobe Acrobat extension in your Chrome browser. All PDF files will open in Adobe Acrobat. You can easily annotate using the Comment option.
Q2: How can I annotate a PDF on Mac?
Open the PDF document you want to annotate. Click the Show Markup Toolbar button in the top right corner. Make the necessary annotations and save the document.
Top 5 Free PDF Annotation Apps - Wrap up
This article discusses the top 5 free PDF annotation apps with step-by-step annotating guides. There are numerous other PDF annotation apps available on the internet. However, WPS Office is the best PDF annotation software.
WPS Office is a complete office suite having a Writer, Presentation, Spreadsheet, and PDF software. It is compatible with all Microsoft Office and Adobe Acrobat reader file formats. You can easily open your Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Adobe PDF files using the WPS Office suite. WPS Office is available for Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android users. You can create stunning and professional documents using WPS Office. It is available on its official website as a free download.
