Is PDF Studio free and safe to use?

Yes. PDF Studio is 100% free with no signup required. All processing happens inside your browser — your files are never uploaded to any server, so your documents stay completely private.

Can I edit text in a scanned PDF?

You can overlay new text on any page, including scanned pages. For full OCR (recognizing existing scanned text), a browser extension or desktop tool would be needed, as true OCR requires significant server-side processing.

How do I merge multiple PDFs?

Upload two or more PDFs using the upload zone, reorder them in the page panel if needed, then click 'Download Final PDF' — PDF Studio merges all pages into one file automatically.

Will my files be uploaded anywhere?

No. PDF Studio uses pdf-lib and pdf.js loaded from a CDN, and all editing logic runs entirely in your browser. Your PDF data never leaves your device.

How do I add a signature to a PDF?

Click the Signature tool in the annotation panel, draw your signature on the canvas, then drag it to position it on any page. You can also upload an image of your signature.

How do I reduce PDF file size?

Switch to the Compress tab, choose a compression preset (Recommended for most cases), and click Compress PDF. The tool recompresses embedded images and strips unused metadata, showing you before/after file size and percentage saved.

Can I password protect a PDF?

Yes. In the Security panel, enter a password and click Encrypt PDF. PDF Studio uses pdf-lib's built-in AES encryption to lock the document with your chosen password.

What file formats can I convert to PDF?

You can convert JPG, PNG, and WebP images into a new PDF document. Simply upload the images in the Image-to-PDF mode and download the resulting PDF.

Free PDF Editor Online – Edit Text, Images, Merge, Split & Compress PDFs | PDF Studio

PDF Studio

The all-in-one PDF editor that runs entirely in your browser — merge, split, annotate, sign, compress, and more.

100% Private · No Upload · No Signup

Quick Answer

PDF Studio is a free, browser-based PDF editor. Upload any PDF to edit text, insert images, merge or split pages, annotate, add a signature, apply a watermark, compress, or password-protect — all without sending your file to any server.

Upload PDF

Drop your PDF here

or click to browse — accepts .pdf files

Pages (0)

Annotation Tools

Text Options

Font

Size

Color

Drawing Options

Stroke 3px

Color

Highlight Options

Opacity 40%

Color

Watermark

Text

Opacity 25%

Size 48

Color

Draw Signature

Draw your signature above, then click "Place on Page" — it will be added to the center of the current page.

Header & Footer

Header

Footer

Include page numbers

No PDF loaded

Upload a PDF above to start editing

Merge Multiple PDFs

Upload multiple PDF files below. They will be merged in the order shown — drag to reorder before downloading.

Drop PDFs here

Select multiple PDF files to merge

Compress PDF

Drop PDF to compress

Recompresses images + strips metadata

Images → PDF

Upload JPG, PNG, or WebP images. Each image becomes one page in the PDF.

Drop images here

JPG · PNG · WebP

Security Options

Drop PDF to protect

Password encrypt or watermark your PDF

What Is PDF Studio?

A fully private, browser-based PDF toolkit for everyday document needs.

PDF Studio is a free online PDF editor that runs entirely inside your web browser using industry-standard open-source libraries (pdf-lib and pdf.js). There is no server involved — your files never leave your device. Whether you need to merge two contracts, annotate a report, add a signature to a lease, compress a large slide deck before emailing, or protect sensitive documents with a password, PDF Studio handles it all in one place without any software to install or accounts to create.

How to Use This Tool

1
Choose a mode
Select Edit & Annotate, Merge, Compress, Image→PDF, or Security from the tabs at the top.
2
Upload your file(s)
Drag files into the upload zone, or click Browse. PDF files load instantly — thumbnails appear in the page panel.
3
Select a page
Click any thumbnail to jump to that page. Use the rotate, duplicate, delete, and extract buttons next to each thumbnail.
4
Use annotation tools
Pick a tool (text, draw, highlight, signature, shapes, watermark, etc.) and click or draw on the canvas to annotate.
5
Apply global options
Set headers/footers, page numbers, watermarks, or security settings that apply to all pages at once.
6
Download or print
Click Download Final PDF to save the edited file, or Print PDF to send it directly to your printer.

Advanced Features

Merge & Split

Combine unlimited PDFs or extract any page range into a new document.

Smart Compression

Four preset levels recompress images and strip metadata for up to 80% smaller files.

Digital Signature

Draw a signature on the canvas and place it precisely on any page with a single click.

Full Annotation Suite

Highlight, underline, freehand draw, shapes (rectangle, circle, arrow), and sticky notes.

Password Protection

Encrypt any PDF with AES-256. The password is applied locally — no server ever sees it.

Image Conversion

Turn any JPG, PNG, or WebP photo into a PDF page — great for scans and photo albums.

Direct Print

Send the finished PDF to your printer directly from the browser — no download needed.

Headers & Page Numbers

Add consistent headers, footers, and auto-incrementing page numbers across every page at once.

Online vs Desktop vs Mobile PDF Editors

Feature	PDF Studio (Online)	Desktop App	Mobile App
Cost	✓ Free	$49–$299/yr	Free + IAP
No install needed	✓ Yes	✗ No	✗ No
File privacy (local only)	✓ Always	✓ Yes	Varies
Merge & split	✓	✓	Limited
OCR (scanned text)	Overlay only	✓ Full OCR	Limited
Signature support	✓ Draw	✓ Draw+cert	✓ Draw
Works offline	After load	✓ Yes	✓ Yes
Cross-platform	✓ Any browser	OS specific	iOS/Android

Recommended Settings by Use Case

Use Case	Mode	Compression	Tips
Résumé / job application	Edit & Annotate	Recommended	Add header with your name; keep under 1 MB
Contracts & signatures	Edit → Signature	Low	Use password protection; keep images at full quality
Scanned documents	Edit → Text overlay	High	Add text boxes over blank fields; compress to reduce scan size
Large reports for email	Compress	High / Extreme	Target under 5 MB for most email clients
Photo album / portfolio	Image → PDF	Recommended	Upload images in display order; they become pages in sequence
Confidential files	Security	Any	Combine watermark + password for dual protection

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes — completely free, no account required, and no data leaves your device. All processing happens inside your browser using open-source JavaScript libraries. We never see your files.

You can overlay new text boxes on any page, including scanned images. True OCR (recognizing and making the original text editable) requires server-side computation and is not available in a fully browser-based tool, but the text overlay approach works well for filling in blanks or adding corrections.

Switch to the Merge PDFs tab, upload two or more PDF files, reorder them by dragging if needed, then click Merge & Download. PDF Studio combines them into one file in the order shown.

No. PDF Studio is 100% client-side. The pdf-lib and pdf.js libraries are loaded from a CDN once on first use, but your document data is only ever processed in your browser's memory and is never transmitted anywhere.

In Edit & Annotate mode, click the Sign tool in the annotation toolbar. A signature canvas appears in the sidebar — draw your signature with your mouse or finger, then click Place on Page. Your signature is added to the center of the current page and is baked into the final PDF when you download.

Results vary by document. PDFs with many high-resolution images can typically be reduced by 40–80% using the Extreme preset. Text-only PDFs have less to compress but metadata stripping can still save a few KB. The Compress tab shows before/after file size and exact percentage saved.

Yes. Go to the Security tab, upload your PDF, enter a password in the Set Password section, and click Encrypt & Download. The file is encrypted using AES-256 via pdf-lib entirely in your browser. If you lose the password, the file cannot be recovered — keep it safe.

Yes. PDF Studio is fully responsive and works on iPhone, Android, and tablet browsers. The drawing and signature tools support touch input, and the layout switches to a single-column view on smaller screens.

About This Tool

Editorial & Document Tools Team

Built by document processing engineers and UX writers with experience in PDF standards, browser APIs, and privacy-first tooling.

Last reviewed: June 2025 · Built with pdf-lib v1.17 and pdf.js v4

Privacy statement: This tool processes all documents locally in your browser using Web APIs. No analytics, no tracking pixels, and no file data is ever transmitted to any server. You can verify this by monitoring your browser's network tab while using the tool.

Drop your PDF here

Pages (0)

Annotation Tools

Text Options

Drawing Options

Highlight Options

Watermark

Draw Signature

Header & Footer

No PDF loaded

Drop PDFs here

Drop PDF to compress

Drop images here

Drop PDF to protect

What Is PDF Studio?

How to Use This Tool

Choose a mode

Upload your file(s)

Select a page

Use annotation tools

Apply global options

Download or print

Advanced Features

Merge & Split

Smart Compression

Digital Signature

Full Annotation Suite

Password Protection

Image Conversion

Direct Print

Headers & Page Numbers

Online vs Desktop vs Mobile PDF Editors

Recommended Settings by Use Case

Frequently Asked Questions

About This Tool

Editorial & Document Tools Team

References & Standards

Add Note