List of the Top 15 PDF Annotators for Linux in 2025

Apryse, which was previously known as PDFTron, is transforming the document landscape. It enables precise viewing, annotating, editing, creating, and generating of PDFs across various platforms, including web, mobile, desktop, and server applications. The technology offered by Apryse is compatible with all leading platforms and supports a wide array of file formats, such as PDF, Microsoft Office, and CAD files. By implementing this solution on your own infrastructure, you can manage the entire document and data lifecycle without the need to rely on external server services. This independence allows organizations to enhance their workflows and maintain greater control over their document processes.

Nutrient offers a comprehensive suite of solutions tailored to meet all your PDF needs, providing tools that effortlessly handle PDF functionalities on any platform. 1. SDK: Integrate sophisticated PDF capabilities into iOS, Android, Windows, the web, or any cross-platform technology, offering features such as PDF viewing, annotation, collaboration, and much more. 2. Libraries: Use our robust .NET and Java libraries to empower your backend systems with capabilities for batch processing of redactions and PDF forms, OCR for scanned text, and editing of PDF documents, all directly from your application server. 3. Processor: Our nimble PDF microservice, Processor, facilitates the quick creation of PDFs from HTML, including HTML forms, alongside conversions from Office to PDF, OCR processing, redaction, and the combination and exporting of XFDF. 4. PDF API: Leverage our hosted PDF API to create, convert, and modify PDF documents within your workflows. We manage the development and server operations, allowing you to focus solely on growing your business. At Nutrient, we see ourselves not merely as a tool but as a dedicated partner in your journey to success. You can easily reach out to our engineers for specialized support, access thorough examples to aid in integration, and utilize our premium documentation to maximize your experience. Additionally, we are committed to continuous improvement and innovation, ensuring our solutions evolve with your needs.

Global OEMs, SaaS providers, and enterprise users utilize the Adobe PDF Library to streamline the processes of creating, editing, and managing PDF documents. As an authorized Adobe partner, our SDK is built using the same source code as Acrobat, ensuring top-notch stability, reliability, and quality. Supported programming languages include .NET, .NET Framework, Java, and C/C++, and it is compatible with platforms such as Windows, Linux, and MacOS, with package management facilitated through NuGet and Maven. The library boasts a wide range of capabilities, encompassing annotations, content creation and modification, color management, and various extraction options for text, images, and forms. It also offers features for compression, optimization, and conversion to formats like PDF/A, PDF/X, EPS, PostScript, XPS, and ZUGFeRD, along with robust display and printing options. Moreover, it allows for the import, export, and flattening of both static and dynamic XFA forms, along with AcroForms, and supports a variety of image operations including extraction, rendering, and thumbnail creation. The optimization functionality enhances file size and content, while OCR capabilities enable text addition to documents and images. Additionally, users can convert PDFs to Office formats such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, and implement security measures including viewer settings, redactions, password protection, encryption/decryption, and watermarking. Pricing structures are adaptable for OEMs, SaaS solutions, and end-users, based on their specific usage needs. Accelerate your development process and reach the market more swiftly with the Adobe PDF Library; take advantage of the free trial available for download today.

Enhance your website's capabilities with RAD PDF, an installation-free solution for PDF editing, form filling, redaction, signing, viewing, and much more! Designed as a user-friendly library/WebControl that works seamlessly with .NET 3.5+, .NET Core, and .NET 5+, RAD PDF is compatible with various ASP.NET frameworks such as MVC, Razor, Blazor, and WebForms. This powerful tool supports 99% of internet browsers across platforms including Linux, Mac OS X, Microsoft Windows, and mobile devices, eliminating the need for plugins or Adobe Reader. More than just a PDF to HTML converter, RAD PDF fully supports essential PDF features such as annotations, bookmarks, form fields, and page labels. With sophisticated PDF options, users can selectively enable or disable features not accessible through Adobe Acrobat Reader, such as restricting PDF download while still permitting online viewing. Moreover, RAD PDF allows users to fill out and save PDF form fields directly through their web browsers, streamlining the process without requiring any software installation. By integrating directly with ASP.NET, RAD PDF empowers your web application to collect input data, create tailored workflows, and offer an intuitive graphical user interface for virtually any online PDF interaction you can envision! Experience the convenience of RAD PDF and elevate your website's PDF handling capabilities today!

Experience seamless creation, review, and editing of PDF documents with this comprehensive PDF editor designed for Windows, Mac, and Linux platforms. PDF Studio offers an intuitive interface and serves as a reliable alternative to popular PDF editors like Adobe® Acrobat®, providing all essential PDF functionalities at a more budget-friendly price while ensuring complete adherence to PDF standards. Among its standard features, PDF Studio allows users to create PDFs, convert scanned documents to PDF format, and annotate or markup files with ease. Additionally, it includes precise measuring tools, the ability to fill out and save PDF forms, and options to secure documents through password protection. Users can manipulate pages by appending or deleting them, as well as create custom watermarks, headers, and footers. Advanced tools like loupe, pan & zoom, and rulers enhance the user experience, while integration with document storage solutions and DocuSign adds further convenience. Notably, it also supports PDF 2.0 standards, ensuring compatibility with the latest PDF advancements. For those seeking even more functionality, PDF Studio Pro encompasses all standard features with the addition of advanced tools. Users gain access to an interactive form designer, optical character recognition (OCR) for text recognition, and the ability to edit content, including text and images. Furthermore, the Pro version allows for redaction and sanitization of sensitive information, comparing multiple PDFs, optimizing document size, and digitally signing PDFs. Enhanced imposition features round out this powerful PDF editing suite, making it suitable for professionals in need of robust document management solutions.

PDF Studio Viewer is a reliable and user-friendly document reader that works across multiple platforms. It allows users to annotate and complete interactive forms seamlessly. For those seeking more advanced features, PDF Studio Standard and PDF Studio Pro offer enhanced capabilities. Key features of PDF Studio Viewer include: - High-fidelity PDF display - Annotation and markup tools for PDFs - Functionality to fill and save forms - Support for rendering digital signatures and layers - An intuitive user interface - Enhanced printing and searching options - Options for document storage integration - Integration with DocuSign© With such a comprehensive set of tools, PDF Studio Viewer is an excellent choice for both casual users and professionals alike.

No matter if you are an individual, a corporation, a government entity, or an academic organization, engaging with PDFs—whether reading, creating, signing, annotating, or completing forms—is crucial. Foxit PDF Reader emerges as a lightweight, remarkably swift, and feature-rich PDF viewer that allows users to create PDFs at no cost, along with the ability to open, view, sign, and print any PDF file effortlessly. This software is driven by the industry's most rapid and accurate PDF rendering engine, guaranteeing an outstanding experience in both viewing and printing documents. It also boasts multilingual support, accommodating users in English, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish, which enhances its accessibility. Moreover, users have the convenience of signing documents using their own handwriting, leveraging eSignature capabilities, and easily checking the validity of digital signatures. In terms of security, Foxit PDF Reader integrates protective features such as Trust Manager/Safe Mode, ASLR & DEP, options to disable JavaScript, and Security Warning Dialogs, ensuring users are safeguarded against potential threats. Furthermore, it effortlessly connects with major cloud storage solutions and prevalent enterprise content management systems, rendering it an essential resource for various organizations. Its wide array of functionalities not only boosts productivity but also positions it as a favored option among users who prioritize efficiency and dependability when handling PDF documents. With its continuous updates and user-centric features, Foxit PDF Reader remains committed to enhancing the overall document management experience.

Enhance your applications with the versatile MuPDF SDK, which seamlessly integrates robust PDF capabilities. This compact yet swift viewer accommodates various document formats, including PDF, XPS, OpenXPS, CBZ, and ePUB. It features a renderer crafted for high-quality anti-aliased graphics, ensuring that text is displayed with precise metrics and spacing, accurate to mere fractions of a pixel. The PDF library comes equipped with a range of interactive functionalities such as annotations, form filling, digital signatures, redactions, and search capabilities. Furthermore, the command-line tools offer extensive customization options for rendering, converting documents, and manipulating PDF files, allowing for conversion to formats like HTML, SVG, and CBZ. In addition to its C library, MuPDF provides a Java library utilizing JNI, compatible with both Oracle's Java and Android platforms. Alongside the Java API, bindings for C++ and Python have also been established, showcasing its compatibility with major programming environments and operating systems. Its flexibility and optimization for various platforms make it a powerful tool for developers. The MuPDF API has found applications in a wide range of deployments, including mobile applications on both Android and iOS, SaaS and cloud solutions, document management systems, and various embedded products, highlighting its versatility and effectiveness in meeting diverse user needs.

With Able2Extract Professional, you can handle various tasks such as converting, creating, editing, and signing PDFs, as well as utilizing OCR capabilities for scanned documents. The software allows for customization of the interface's language and visual style, offering both light and dark themes to enhance your PDF experience. You have the flexibility to select specific elements like pages, paragraphs, or lines for conversion, and can transform intricate PDF table data into Microsoft Excel format while preserving the original table layouts through the Smart Layout Detector feature. Additionally, you can modify PDF text and pages, annotate documents, and remove unwanted content. The program also supports signing PDF files, filling out forms, and creating new PDFs, while offering options to split documents into smaller sections. It enables the conversion of scanned PDFs into multiple languages, including English, French, and Spanish. For those managing large quantities of files, batch PDF conversion can be streamlined by organizing numerous documents into queues or entire folders, allowing for efficient processing. Moreover, you can batch create PDFs from diverse formats and merge them into a single document, while also securing your files by adding passwords and permissions. Able2Extract Professional truly serves as your all-in-one solution for comprehensive PDF management, catering to a wide range of user needs.

Slim PDF Reader allows you to copy and paste text from PDFs, annotate them, and fill out interactive forms seamlessly. This lightweight and entirely free application offers the ability to validate digital signatures on various operating systems, including Windows, Mac, and Linux. Its Dark theme is designed to conserve battery life and minimize eye strain for users. With a minimal download size of just 15 MB, Slim PDF Reader is a fast, resource-efficient desktop PDF reader that remains completely free of any unwanted bloatware. You can experience an effortless PDF management solution that prioritizes user convenience and system performance.

Conholdate.Total serves as the all-encompassing toolkit for every .NET API provided by Aspose and GroupDocs, empowering developers to execute an extensive range of document processing functions within their .NET applications. This comprehensive package offers integrated solutions tailored for various document management systems, enabling users to create, modify, print, view, sign, compare, automate, and convert a diverse array of widely-used document formats. With Conholdate.NET, you can seamlessly handle numerous file types, making it simple to open, edit, and convert files with ease. Currently, Conholdate.Total.NET is compatible with an impressive array of file formats, which includes Microsoft Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations, Adobe PDF files, Outlook items, Microsoft Project files, and over 100 additional formats, making it an invaluable resource for developers. Its versatility ensures that users have the tools necessary to manage their document workflows effectively.

JPedal simplifies the process of handling PDF files in Java, allowing developers to accomplish common tasks with just a few lines of code. For over two decades, IDRsolutions has been dedicated to enhancing this software, ensuring it can effectively address any challenging PDF issues. It fully supports all PDF 2.0 specifications, incorporating features like Encryption and Blending, Forms and Annotations, as well as PostScript and OpenType fonts. The library is rich with sample code and APIs that seamlessly fit into your applications, enabling feature additions with merely 2-3 lines of code. JPedal utilizes its proprietary font engine and custom image libraries to deliver superior image quality while maximizing performance for Java applications. The development of JPedal is ongoing, with nightly builds and monthly updates ensuring users have access to the latest improvements. Furthermore, the same team that develops the code is also available to provide support, ensuring a cohesive experience for users. This commitment to development and support makes JPedal a reliable choice for Java developers dealing with PDF functionalities.

jPDFEditor caters specifically to developers and integrators, while Qoppa Software provides PDF Studio, a versatile desktop PDF editor compatible with Mac, Windows, and Linux, built on robust PDF technology. With jPDFEditor, users can easily load documents from various sources, including local and network drives, URLs, and Java input streams, which is particularly beneficial for runtime-generated documents or those sourced from databases. After making edits, the library also supports saving the modified documents. Key features include the ability to display and print PDF files, seamlessly convert text and image formats (like GIF, PNG, JPG, and TIFF) into PDFs, and fill out and save interactive PDF forms. Users can annotate and markup PDFs with full support for all types of PDF annotations, digitally sign documents, edit content, and perform redaction. Additionally, jPDFEditor offers optional modules for Optical Character Recognition (OCR) and document comparison. Its powerful API, known as jPDFProcess, enables extensive PDF manipulation, while features like text search, selection, and copy facilitate efficient document handling. The interface supports easy navigation through thumbnails, bookmarks, annotations, and signatures, complemented by advanced tools such as zoom, loupe, and snapshot functionalities. Overall, jPDFEditor provides a comprehensive solution for managing PDF files effectively.

jPDFWeb is a Java-based library designed for transforming PDF files into SVG or HTML5 formats. This library offers the capability to save files either in a local directory or directly through an output stream, enabling seamless delivery to a client browser from a J2EE server environment. Developed using Qoppa's proprietary PDF technology, jPDFWeb eliminates the need for additional drivers or third-party installations. Its compatibility with Java ensures that applications can operate across various operating systems including Windows, Linux, Unix (such as Solaris, HP UX, and IBM AIX), as well as Mac OS X and any other platform that supports Java runtime environments. Among its numerous features, jPDFWeb provides the ability to convert PDF documents into HTML5 or SVG formats, and when paired with jOfficeConvert, it can also transform Microsoft Word and Excel files into HTML5. Additionally, it supports the conversion of text, images, vector graphics, annotations, links, and form field data, while also validating digital signature statuses. The library can generate page thumbnails, accommodates CJK fonts, and is compliant with the latest PDF specifications, making it a versatile tool for developers. Furthermore, its flexibility allows for enhanced user experiences in web applications by integrating well with existing systems.

jPDFPreflight is a Java-based library designed to ensure that PDF documents adhere to various compliance standards, such as PDF/UA and PDF/A, while also providing the capability to convert these documents into compliant formats. This versatile tool can verify compliance with a range of profiles, including PDF/UA, PDF/A-1b, PDF/A-2b, PDF/A-2u, PDF/A-3b, and various PDF/X standards like PDF/X-1a:2001, PDF/X-1a:2003, PDF/X-3:2002, and PDF/X-3:2003 (which includes ZUGFeRD). Additionally, jPDFPreflight facilitates the conversion of PDFs to meet specific standards, such as transforming documents into PDF/A-1b, PDF/A-2b, and PDF/A-3b formats. Among its many features, the library provides a comprehensive report outlining all compliance issues found within the document, allowing users to identify and address discrepancies easily. Furthermore, it enables users to annotate documents, drawing attention to areas that fail to meet compliance standards. Notably, jPDFPreflight operates seamlessly across multiple operating systems, including Windows, Linux, Unix, and Mac OS X, thanks to its complete Java foundation, making it a powerful tool for PDF management. Overall, it stands out as an essential resource for anyone needing to manage PDF compliance effectively.