Top PDF Editors for Ubuntu Users
Linux users have great open-source tools for PDF editing. We review the best PDF editors for Ubuntu, from command line tools to full GUI suites.
Ubuntu users often think they are left out of professional PDF editing tools like Adobe Acrobat. Not true! Linux has powerful alternatives.
1. LibreOffice Draw (Free & Pre-installed)
Most people use Writer for words, but LibreOffice Draw is an amazing PDF editor.
- Pros: Opens PDFs as editable objects. You can move text, delete images, and add shapes.
- Cons: Can mess up formatting on complex forms.
2. Master PDF Editor (Free / Paid)
A robust proprietary tool available for Linux.
- Pros: Full feature set (signatures, forms, OCR).
- Cons: Free version puts a watermark on saved files.
3. Inkscape (Vector Editor)
Since PDFs are vector files, Inkscape can open and edit them.
- Pros: Ultimate control over design elements.
- Cons: Only edits one page at a time. Not good for long documents.
4. Online PDF Editors (OS Independent)
Why install software?
- Percime PDF Editor: Works in your browser (Firefox/Chrome).
- Pros: No installation, works instantly on Ubuntu, free.
- Cons: Requires internet.
5. PDF Arranger (For merging/splitting)
If you just need to reorder pages:
sudo apt install pdfarranger
It's lightweight and perfect for organizing pages.
Conclusion
You don't need Windows to edit PDFs. Start with LibreOffice Draw for quick text edits, or use an Online PDF Editor for a familiar, Acrobat-like interface on Linux.