You do not need an expensive subscription to edit a PDF on a Mac. Your computer already ships with a capable tool called Preview, and a handful of free apps and websites cover the few things Preview cannot do. This guide walks through exactly how to edit a PDF on Mac for free, from quick annotations and signatures to merging files and rewriting text.
What You Can Do in Preview (and What You Can't)
Preview is the document and image viewer built into macOS, and it handles most everyday PDF tasks without a single download. It is genuinely good at:
- Adding highlights, notes, shapes, and text boxes
- Signing documents with a saved signature
- Filling in non-interactive forms
- Reordering, rotating, and deleting pages
- Merging two or more PDFs into one
- Compressing a file to a smaller size on export
The one thing Preview cannot do is edit the existing body text of a PDF. To change a paragraph that is already on the page, you need a free editor like PDFgear or LibreOffice Draw, which we cover below.
How to Annotate a PDF in Preview
- Double-click the PDF so it opens in Preview. If it opens elsewhere, right-click the file and choose Open With, then Preview.
- Click the Markup toolbar icon (the pen tip inside a circle) to reveal the annotation tools.
- Use the highlight, text box, shape, and sketch tools to mark up the page.
- Choose File, then Save (or press Command-S) to keep your changes.
How to Sign a PDF in Preview
- Open the Markup toolbar and click the signature icon.
- Create a signature using your trackpad, your Mac's camera, or your iPhone.
- Click your saved signature to drop it onto the page, then drag and resize it to fit the signature line.
- Save the document when you are done.
How to Fill Out a Form in Preview
For interactive forms, click directly into each field and type. For flat forms that were scanned or exported without fields, use the text tool in the Markup toolbar to place text wherever you need it, then adjust the font size so it lines up with the printed labels.
How to Merge, Reorder, or Delete Pages
- Open the PDF and choose View, then Thumbnails to see every page in the sidebar.
- Drag thumbnails up or down to reorder pages, or select one and press Delete to remove it.
- To merge, drag pages from a second PDF's thumbnail sidebar directly into the first document's sidebar.
- Save, or use File, then Export to save a separate copy.
Free Tools for Deeper Editing
When you need to change existing text, run OCR on a scan, or convert a PDF to another format, reach for one of these no-cost options.
PDFgear
PDFgear is a free desktop app for Mac that edits real text, adds and replaces images, runs OCR on scans, and includes an AI assistant, with no paywall on the essentials. It is the closest thing to a free, full-featured editor.
LibreOffice Draw
The free LibreOffice suite includes Draw, which opens a PDF and lets you edit text and objects directly, then export the result back to PDF. It is a solid option for occasional text fixes without installing anything commercial.
Google Docs
Upload a PDF to Google Drive and open it with Google Docs to convert it into editable text. Formatting will not survive perfectly, but for pulling out and rewriting content it works and costs nothing.
Browser-based tools
Web editors such as Smallpdf and Adobe's free online tools handle merging, splitting, compressing, and converting from any browser, which is handy when you would rather not install software. Because they upload your file to a server, avoid using them for confidential documents.
Which Free Method Should You Use?
- Annotate, sign, fill forms, merge pages: Preview, already on your Mac.
- Edit existing text or run OCR: PDFgear or LibreOffice Draw.
- Extract and rewrite content: Google Docs.
- Quick convert, compress, or split: a browser-based tool.
Need a PDF to Edit?
If you are gathering study material or presentations, our free SlideShare downloader saves any public deck as a PDF you can then mark up in Preview. You can also merge photos or scans into one document with our JPG to PDF and PNG to PDF converters. On an iPhone or iPad too? See our guide to the best PDF editor apps for iOS.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a free PDF editor already on my Mac?
Yes. Preview comes pre-installed on every Mac and handles annotation, signing, form filling, and page management for free.
Can I edit the text of a PDF on Mac without paying?
Preview cannot change existing text, but free apps like PDFgear and LibreOffice Draw can edit the actual text and export a new PDF.
How do I sign a PDF on Mac for free?
Open the PDF in Preview, click the Markup then signature icon, create your signature once, and drop it onto any document afterward.
Are free online PDF editors safe?
They are fine for everyday, non-sensitive files. For confidential documents, prefer Preview or another on-device tool so nothing is uploaded to a server.
Final Thoughts
Editing a PDF on a Mac is free for the vast majority of tasks. Start with Preview for annotations, signatures, forms, and page shuffling, and add PDFgear or LibreOffice Draw when you need to rewrite text or run OCR. With that simple combination, you can handle almost any PDF without ever opening your wallet.