Organize pages like cards on a table
Select pages with a click, then rotate, delete, insert or move them. Every step can be undone, even after you save.
An independent PdfCraft guide
PdfCraft is the free PDF editor you actually own.
Read, search, organize, combine, split and protect PDFs on Windows, macOS, Linux or right in your browser.
Download buttons fetch the file directly from github.com/storytold/pdfcraft/releases.
Which PdfCraft is this?
This guide covers PdfCraft, the native desktop PDF editor written in Rust by the ArtCraft team: github.com/storytold/pdfcraft.
GitHub also hosts an unrelated project with a similar name, a browser-based collection of PDF tools built with Next.js by a different team: github.com/PDFCraftTool/pdfcraft. The two share no code or authors. If you want many single-purpose tools on a web page, that project may suit you; if you want a desktop app for reading, organizing and filling PDFs, read on.
Merge, split or turn images into a PDF, right here
Three quick jobs you can finish on this page without installing anything. Your files are processed by your own browser and never uploaded. These tools are built by PDFCraftTool.org, not by ArtCraft; for full editing, open the PdfCraft app further down or download it.
Add two or more PDFs, put them in order with the arrows, then merge. Bookmarks, links and form fields from the originals are not carried over; PdfCraft's Combine files keeps them.
Drop PDF files here
Processed locally in your browser with the open-source pdf-lib library (MIT). Nothing is uploaded.
- $0
- on every platform, with no account
- 0
- crashes across the 983-file pdf.js test corpus (963 render cleanly), per the project's tests
- 4 + web
- desktop systems plus a browser version
- Rust
- written from scratch as a clean-room implementation
What is PdfCraft?
PdfCraft is a free, open-source PDF workbench made by the ArtCraft team (source code at github.com/storytold/pdfcraft). ArtCraft builds a family of Crafting Apps, open alternatives to the creative and office software most people rent by the month, and PdfCraft is its PDF reader and editor. It is written from the ground up in Rust, released under the MIT or Apache-2.0 license, and runs as a native app on Windows, macOS, Linux and FreeBSD. A WebAssembly build opens the same app in any modern browser.
The project describes itself as a clean-room reimplementation of Adobe Acrobat. Today it covers the everyday jobs: viewing and searching documents, commenting, filling forms and adding basic digital signatures, organizing pages, combining and splitting files, opening password-protected PDFs and redacting sensitive content. Every save is incremental and atomic, so the original bytes of your file are never overwritten.
ArtCraft PdfCraft is still alpha software and says so openly. Reliable editing of existing text, Office conversion and OCR beyond Latin scripts are on the roadmap rather than in the app today. Releases come quickly (0.7.1 and 0.8.0 shipped two days apart), and PDFCraftTool.org follows each one so you know which PdfCraft download to pick and what changed.
Try PdfCraft right here
This is the real PdfCraft app, the unmodified WebAssembly build that ArtCraft publishes, running inside this page. Load it, drop in a PDF and try searching, rotating pages or adding a comment. Your file is opened by your own browser and never uploaded. The first load downloads about 13 MB; after that it opens from your browser cache.
About 13 MB, runs locally
What you can do with PdfCraft
The PDF jobs people do every day, done natively and offline.
Find text as you type
Matches light up while you type, and copied text keeps its reading order in columns, CJK and right-to-left runs.
Fill, sign and comment
Fill interactive forms, add notes, highlights, shapes and ink, and sign with a basic digital signature.
Careful rendering of world scripts
Kerning, ligatures, right-to-left text, vertical Japanese and colour emoji are rendered with care; the project's specimen page shows twelve writing systems at once. Pages are currently drawn by the open-source hayro renderer while ArtCraft builds its own.
Private by default
No account, no telemetry and no cloud. Encrypted PDFs from RC4 to AES-256 open normally and stay encrypted when you save.
Download PdfCraft for your computer
The PdfCraft download is free on every system. Windows gets signed installers for x64, ARM64 and 32-bit PCs, plus portable builds that run from a USB stick. Mac gets one universal, notarized app for Apple silicon and Intel. Linux users choose between AppImage, Flatpak, .deb, .rpm and a tarball, and FreeBSD has its own build.
Download buttons fetch the file directly from github.com/storytold/pdfcraft/releases.
See every file and install stepPdfCraft vs Adobe Acrobat
Adobe Acrobat is the industry standard and is priced like one: US$14.99, US$19.99 or US$24.99 a month for Standard, Pro or Studio on an annual plan billed monthly (adobe.com, checked October 2026). PdfCraft costs nothing, needs no account and runs on Linux, which Acrobat does not support. Acrobat still leads on editing existing text, Office conversion, signature workflows and multilingual OCR. For reading, commenting, forms and page organizing, PdfCraft is already a capable free Acrobat alternative.
| Feature | PdfCraft | Adobe Acrobat |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $0 | $14.99+ |
| View, search and annotate | Yes | Yes |
| Rotate, delete, insert and reorder pages | Yes | Yes |
| Combine, extract and split | Yes | Yes |
| Forms | Partial | Yes |
| Edit existing text and images | No | Yes |
| Word, Excel and PowerPoint | Partial | Yes |
Start using PdfCraft in three minutes
Download
Pick the file for your system on our download page. Every button links to the release files ArtCraft publishes at github.com/storytold/pdfcraft.
Open a PDF
Drag a file onto the window, or click Open file. Each document gets its own tab.
Get to work
Open All tools to organize pages, combine files, fill forms or protect a document. Our tutorials cover each one.
Who PdfCraft is for
Students and home users
Read course packs, fill in forms and merge scans without paying for a subscription you need twice a year.
Linux and FreeBSD desktops
A modern PDF editor with native packages, on systems where Adobe Acrobat has never shipped a desktop app.
Privacy-minded teams
Law firms, clinics and finance teams can open confidential files on machines that never talk to a cloud service.
Developers and AI agents
pdfcraft-cli and an opt-in MCP server let scripts and agents inspect, edit, combine and split PDFs with the same engine.
The practical guidebook
Make your next PDF task easier.
Start with a walkthrough, choose the right installer, or test your Adobe workflow before switching.
PdfCraft Tutorial: Your First PDF Workflow
Learn how to use PdfCraft to find text, organize pages, combine documents and check your saved PDF, with a practical first-project walkthrough.
Read the guide
PdfCraft vs Adobe Acrobat: A Practical Migration Guide
Compare PdfCraft and Adobe Acrobat using your real documents. Test page tools, forms, text, scans and saved outputs before moving your PDF workflow.
Read the guide
PdfCraft for Windows: Installer and Portable Setup
Choose the right PdfCraft Windows download, compare MSI and portable ZIP builds, verify the file and complete a first-run PDF check.
Read the guide
PdfCraft on Linux: Ubuntu, Mint, Flatpak and AppImage
Install PdfCraft on Linux with a suitable package, check CPU architecture, run Flatpak or AppImage builds and troubleshoot first-launch issues.
Read the guidePdfCraft questions, answered
Yes. PdfCraft is free and open source under the MIT or Apache-2.0 license on every platform. There is no paid tier, no trial period and no account to create.
PdfCraft is built by the ArtCraft team as part of its Crafting Apps, a set of free, open-source creative and office tools. Its source code is at github.com/storytold/pdfcraft and its project page is getartcraft.com/apps/pdfcraft.
No. PDFCraftTool.org is an independent, third-party guide and is not run by ArtCraft. PdfCraft is developed by the ArtCraft team, and its source code and releases are at github.com/storytold/pdfcraft. Every download button here links to the files ArtCraft publishes there, so you get the same signed builds.
No. github.com/PDFCraftTool/pdfcraft is a separate project by a different team: a browser-based set of PDF tools built with Next.js. This site covers the Rust desktop app from github.com/storytold/pdfcraft. The two only share a similar name.
For reading, searching, commenting, filling forms, redacting and organizing, combining or splitting pages, it already does for many people. Reliable editing of existing text, Office conversion, signature-request workflows and non-Latin OCR are not there yet.
No. The web version is a WebAssembly app that runs entirely inside your browser tab. There is no server-side processing, so your PDF never leaves your device.
The source code is public, Windows installers are code-signed, the Mac app is notarized by Apple, and every release ships a SHA-256 checksum file. The app sends no telemetry.
Windows on x64, ARM64 and 32-bit PCs, macOS on Apple silicon and Intel, Linux on x86_64, ARM64 and RISC-V, and FreeBSD. Anything with a modern browser, including a Chromebook, can use PdfCraft Online.
Open Menu, then Edit, then Preferences (⌘, on a Mac or Ctrl+, elsewhere). Auto follows your system language, and you can pick any translated language from the list.
Yes. The MIT and Apache-2.0 licenses allow personal, business and government use at no cost. Companies can install PdfCraft on every desk, deploy the MSI silently, or host PdfCraft Online on their own intranet.
Not yet. ArtCraft ships PdfCraft for desktop systems and the web. On a phone or tablet you can try PdfCraft Online in the browser, although the desktop layout works best on larger screens.
It is an optional installer from ArtCraft that sets up PdfCraft and the other Craft Apps, then keeps them updated. If you only want PdfCraft, the direct download works just as well.
Get PdfCraft and keep your money.
Install the desktop app, or open it in your browser in a few seconds.
