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Best Free Alternatives to iLovePDF Desktop
Stop paying $6/mo ($72/yr). Discover professional-grade tools that won't break your budget.
Category: PDF UtilityVerified for 2025
Top Recommended Replacements
Stirling-PDF
FREEBest Modern / Privacy Alternative
Why we like it
The 'Privacy King' of 2025; a fully open-source, locally hosted web-suite that gives you 50+ tools (Merge, Split, OCR, Redact, Sign) for $0; your files never leave your machine; supports Docker, Windows, Mac, and Linux; recently added a 'Fully Open-Source PDF Text Editor'.
Keep in mind
Requires a bit of technical setup if you want to host it as a server; the 'Text Editor' is newer and slightly less polished than Adobe Acrobat.
PDF24 Creator
FREEBest for Windows Power Users
Why we like it
100% free for both personal and commercial use; works completely offline; includes a virtual PDF printer, OCR, and the ability to assemble files via drag-and-drop; incredibly stable and lightweight.
Keep in mind
Windows only; interface looks slightly dated (early 2010s style); no native Mac or Linux version.
PDFgear
FREEBest for AI Features
Why we like it
A completely free desktop editor that includes 'AI Copilot' (ChatGPT-powered) to summarize or search your PDFs; allows for full text and image editing like a word processor; supports batch conversion for free.
Keep in mind
Closed-source; some community concerns regarding data privacy on its AI-powered features.
Scribus
FREEBest for Desktop Publishing
Why we like it
The open-source alternative to InDesign; perfect if your 'PDF editing' is actually complex layout and design work; professional-grade color management and CMYK support.
Keep in mind
High learning curve; not intended for quick 'PDF merging' or simple text tweaks.
LibreOffice Draw
FREEBest Built-in Editor
Why we like it
If you already have LibreOffice, you have a powerful PDF editor; 'Draw' allows you to click and edit text/images in most PDFs as if they were vector graphics; zero additional software to install.
Keep in mind
Can struggle with complex layouts or PDFs with multiple layers; not optimized for large document management.
Okular
FREEBest for Annotation
Why we like it
Universal document viewer; superior annotation tools (highlighting, stamps, notes); very fast; works on Windows, Mac, and Linux.
Keep in mind
Lacks heavy editing features like text replacement or page deletion/merging.
BentoPDF
FREEBest Minimalist Tool
Why we like it
A new, lightweight, and entirely offline suite; focused on core tasks like merging and splitting without any bloat; AGPL-3.0 license.
Keep in mind
Fewer features than Stirling-PDF (no OCR or advanced editing).
Xodo
FREEBest for Mobile/Tablet
Why we like it
The best mobile PDF experience; excellent cloud sync (Drive/Dropbox); free version is quite capable for basic markup and signatures.
Keep in mind
Heavy 'Premium' upselling in the 2025 version; limits on number of tasks per day for free users.
PDF-XChange Editor (Free Version)
FREEBest for Precision
Why we like it
The fastest PDF engine; free version includes 70% of the pro features (OCR, measurement tools); one of the few that handles large engineering drawings well.
Keep in mind
Some advanced features add a watermark in the free version; Windows only.
Sejda PDF Desktop (Free)
FREEBest Cross-Platform UI
Why we like it
Beautiful, intuitive interface; performs 30+ tasks; free version allows 3 tasks per day which is often enough for casual users.
Keep in mind
Strict daily usage limits and file size caps on the free tier.
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