PDF-XChange Review — 2025

What is PDF-XChange Editor?

PDF-XChange, developed by Tracker Software, is a Windows-based PDF editor known for being fast, deeply featured, and affordable.

It's regularly reviewed by TechRadar, PCWorld, and other major tech outlets as one of the most capable Acrobat alternatives for Windows users who prefer to own their software outright instead of subscribing.

How does PDF-XChange work

PDF editing tools

• Edit existing text directly in PDFs or insert new text blocks.
• Add comments, highlights, stamps, and geometric shapes.
• Rearrange, rotate, crop, or delete pages; add headers, footers, Bates numbering, and watermarks.
• Redact sensitive information permanently, and compare document versions for legal or audit use.

PDF management tools

• Merge or split PDFs, extract specific pages, and manage bookmarks.
• Measure distances, angles, and areas right on technical drawings — a feature that makes it a favorite among architects and engineers.
• Batch tools let you apply repetitive tasks (like stamping or watermarking) to multiple files at once.

File conversion

• Export PDFs to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, plain text, or image formats.
• Create PDFs from scans, Office files, or images, either through drag-and-drop or print-to-PDF functions.

OCR (Text Recognition)

PDF-XChange app has built-in OCR that converts scanned or image-based PDFs into searchable, selectable text.

E-signatures and forms

• Fill existing forms and design new interactive fields.
• Apply digital signatures and secure certificates.
• Encrypt documents, restrict permissions, and lock finalized versions before sharing.
• Fully supports legally recognized signature formats (PKCS#7 / PAdES) for professional use.

Cloud & mobile access

• Primarily a Windows desktop application; there's no full-featured browser or macOS-native editor at parity.
• Tracker Software provides lightweight browser plugins for viewing PDFs and printing to PDF, but not full editing online.
• In business deployments, you can run the software on virtualized environments (Citrix / Terminal Services).

Pros and cons

What you'll like

• Powerful feature set at an affordable price.
• Excellent OCR, redaction, and annotation tools.
• Unique measurement tools ideal for engineers and legal teams.
• Fast, stable performance even with large PDFs.
• One-time license — own it permanently.

What to consider

• Interface looks dated and dense compared to web apps.
• Free version adds watermarks when using paid tools.
• Windows-only — no full macOS version.
• Refunds are limited once a license key is issued.
• Updates stop after one year unless maintenance is renewed.

Is PDF-XChange viewer legit?

Engineers, lawyers, and office teams use it daily for serious work, not just quick markups.

TechRadar named it one of the best free PDF editors, highlighting how capable it is:

"PDF-XChange Editor is one of the best free PDF editors. It's also excellent for converting documents between PDF and Word formats, and even includes OCR — making it much clearer and easier to use."

Is PDF-XChange safe?

Yes, it's built for professional security and compliance:

• All document processing happens locally on your Windows PC — nothing is uploaded to third-party servers.
• You can encrypt files, set permissions, apply password protection, and permanently redact sensitive data.
• Tracker Software releases regular security updates; as long as maintenance is active, patches arrive quickly.
• There are no major known vulnerabilities, and the company maintains a transparent changelog.

User reviews of PDF-XChange

PDF-XChange Editor has a Trustpilot rating of 3.7 out of 5. Users praise its feature set and performance but voice frustration about licensing and customer support.

Positive reviews

The program offers all the tools needed for editing and annotation:

"I use PDF-XChange already for a long time and it's a great PDF viewer with a lot of features. I had to get used to it. I use the feature to add remarks a lot. I don't use paper anymore…."

It's called one of the best PDF programs available:

"One of the best platform in the market. I love it."

Negative reviews

Licenses stopped working over time:

"Don't buy from this company. Your license will become no more valid after a time and you will not be able to install even the paid version. SCAM alert."

A user criticizes the maintenance and upgrade fee model:

"This company at first sold its PDF product as is, without any subscriptions or annual fees. They then 'discovered' annual 'maintenance' fees and require previous customers to then purchase those fees, otherwise fixing 'buy' watermarks on customers' PDF document printouts. This practice is unethical and points to a corrupt company ethos."

Poor experiences with support:

"…I also want to mention I DID contact their support and they refused to help because somehow providing legacy links (how??) was enabling 'pirating' their software (and sorry what's that got to do with me, a paying customer?). I provided them with a purchase invoice too…."

There aren't many PDF-XChange reviews on Trustpilot, so it's worth checking other review sites or asking users on Reddit for their opinions.

PDF-XChange pricing

As of now, pricing is the following:

• Editor – $56–$62 per user (perpetual license) with one year of updates.
• Editor Plus – $70+ per user, adds advanced form and stamping tools.
• Volume licenses – Scaled pricing for 100+ seats or sitewide use. After one year, the license remains active, but updates require renewal.

PDF-XChange contacts

Need help? Here's how to get in touch with the PDF-XChange team:

• Email: support@pdf-xchange.com
• Support page: pdf-xchange.com/support
• Phone (North America): +1 (250) 324-1621
• General inquiries or live chat: pdf-xchange.com/contact

Is PDF-XChange worth trying?

It's a good fit if:

• You're a Windows user who needs advanced editing, OCR, redaction, or measurement capabilities.
• You work with scanned documents, contracts, or engineering drawings, and want high accuracy.
• You prefer owning software outright instead of paying ongoing subscriptions.

It might not be ideal if:

• You're on macOS or expect a modern, cloud-native editor.
• You dislike dense, ribbon-style UIs.
• You need real-time online collaboration or mobile parity.

PDF-XChange features give you everything you need to work with documents from start to finish — editing, OCR, security, all of it. But if you'd rather have something easier to use, with clear plans and quick, friendly support, PDF Guru or TheBestPDF might feel like a better fit. Both are improving fast and getting better with every update.