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Best Free Alternatives to Soda PDF 360
Stop paying $10/mo (Standard) - $15/mo (Pro). Discover professional-grade tools that won't break your budget.
Category: PDF Suite & ManagementVerified for 2025
Top Recommended Replacements
PDFgear
FREEBest Overall Free Alternative
Why we like it
100% free with no watermarks; includes a powerful AI Copilot (ChatGPT-powered) for summarizing and querying docs; features full text editing and OCR.
Keep in mind
AI features require internet; there are hints of future paid 'advanced' plans, though core features remain free in late 2025.
Stirling-PDF
FREEBest for Privacy & Data Sovereignty
Why we like it
The #1 open-source PDF app on GitHub; self-hostable (Docker) to ensure 100% privacy; includes 50+ tools (redaction, security, conversion); zero cost.
Keep in mind
Requires basic technical knowledge for server setup; no native 'Word-style' text editing in the basic web UI.
Foxit PDF Editor
Best Professional/Enterprise Choice
Why we like it
Industry-leading performance and security; offers a one-time perpetual license option (unlike Soda); excellent AI Assistant and Smart Redaction.
Keep in mind
The perpetual license can be expensive; the mobile app is feature-rich but has a large file size.
Sejda PDF
FREEBest for Quick Browser Edits
Why we like it
The best web-based editor for changing existing text for free; very fast and intuitive interface; allows 3 tasks per day without a subscription.
Keep in mind
Strict 200-page and 50MB file limits on the free tier; pricing for the desktop version is high for casual users.
PDF-XChange Editor
FREEBest for Heavy Windows Annotation
Why we like it
Incredibly fast even with 100MB+ documents; the most affordable pro-grade perpetual license; highly customizable 'Ribbon' UI.
Keep in mind
Windows only; the free version includes many features but watermarks 'Pro' tools.
LibreOffice Draw
FREEBest Open-Source Desktop Alternative
Why we like it
Completely free with no limits; acts as a true 'Object Editor' for PDFs—you can move images and edit text freely; cross-platform (Win/Mac/Linux).
Keep in mind
Not a dedicated PDF tool, so formatting can occasionally break when opening complex PDF/A files; lacks advanced OCR.
PDFsam Basic
FREEBest for Merging & Splitting
Why we like it
Lightweight and runs entirely offline; perfect for simple organization tasks like rotating or extracting pages; 100% free with no ads.
Keep in mind
Basic version does not edit text or images; you must upgrade to 'Enhanced' or 'Visual' for advanced editing.
PDF Expert
FREEBest for Mac & iOS Users
Why we like it
Smooth, elegant interface designed specifically for Apple devices; top-tier Apple Pencil support for iPads; faster rendering than Soda PDF.
Keep in mind
Recently moved to a more expensive subscription model; the free version is mostly a viewer/annotator.
Okular
FREEBest Lightweight Multi-Format Reader
Why we like it
Universal viewer that handles PDFs, EPUBs, and Comic files; supports basic annotation and digital signatures; 100% free.
Keep in mind
Lacks the 'Word-like' text editing features found in Soda or PDFgear; the interface is strictly functional.
UPDF
Best Modern AI-First Experience
Why we like it
Beautiful 'Gen Z' aesthetic; powerful AI for translating and summarizing complex reports; often runs deep sales on lifetime licenses.
Keep in mind
The free version adds watermarks to edited files; mobile features are slightly behind the desktop version.
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