[Newest] 6 PDF Annotation Tool for Faster Revisions and Document Collaboration

Part 1. What Is PDF Annotation Tool?

You can think of a PDF annotation tool as a virtual toolbox for your PDF files. It lets you add all sorts of helpful elements directly onto the document:

• Highlighting key passages? Check.
• Leaving clear and concise comments to explain your edits? Absolutely.
• Want to draw an arrow pointing to a specific section that needs revision? You got it!

These annotations are like digital sticky notes but way more powerful.

But PDF annotation tools aren't just about adding your own flair. You can share your annotated PDFs with colleagues or classmates, and everyone can see your edits and suggestions. So, there are no more endless email threads or confusing handwritten notes – everything is clear and organized.

Part 2. Afirstsoft PDF - Best PDF Annotation Tool

When it comes to annotating PDFs, Afirstsoft PDF offers a simple UI with all the necessary features that are easy to learn for beginners and pros alike.

Here’s how you can review your files with Afirstsoft PDF with these 6 easy steps:

Step 1. Install and Import PDF

In the first step, download the Afirstsoft PDF tool on your computer and install it. Then, open the software and import your PDF file in these three ways:

• Click the + icon.
• Click Open.
• Drag and drop.

Now, click the Comment option from the top bar menu. Here, you can see different tools for annotating your PDFs.

Step 2. Annotate with Highlight

Click the Highlight option, select the text to highlight, and right-click it. Choose Open Pop-up Note, type your comment in the box, and hit Enter.

Step 3. Use Underlines

Another option is to underline a passage. To do this, select Underline from the top bar and choose the text. Now, select the Pop-up Note option from the right-click menu sticky note your explanations.

Step 4. Cross Out the Text

If you want to mark some unnecessary content in your PDF file, select the text and choose the Strikethrough option from the pop-up menu.

After that, click crossed out text and select the Open Pop-up Note icon to add your notes or comment.

Step 5. Insert with a Tilde

For this, mark the text in your PDF file and click the Tilde option from the pop-up menu. Click the selected content and choose the color you want.

Then, click the text again and choose the Open Pop-up Note icon. Now, type in your content in the comment box, and that’s about it.

Step 6. Apply Stickers

To annotate with stickers, click Sticker in the top menu and select the one you want to add from any category.

Place the sticker in the appropriate position on the PDF file and choose the Open Pop-up Note option from the right-click menu for your comments.

Part 3. 6 Afirstsoft PDF Annotator Alternatives

Apart from Afristsoft PDF, there are a few other PDF annotation tools worth a try. Let’s explore what they offer to help you in reviewing your files.

1. Adobe Acrobat Reader

The Adobe PDF annotation tool is built into the Acrobat Reader software. Whether you’re a student, professional, or casual user, it makes reading, editing, and annotating digital documents like PDFs quite easy on desktop and mobile devices. The Comment section under Tools is where you start reviewing your document.

You can now highlight the important bits in different colors, mark text for deletion, add comments or notes anywhere in the document, or use drawing tools to draw attention to specific areas within the PDF.

But that’s not all. Acrobat Reader lets you share the file link in view-only or review mode so that the recipient can see the exact changes needed in the document and resolve them.

Cost:

• Free package with no PDF editing feature.
• Acrobat Standard: $12.99/month.
• Acrobat Pro: $19.99/month.
• Acrobat Pro: $23.99/month.

2. Foxit PDF Editor

Tired of marking up by hand and then printing or scanning documents just to share feedback? Foxit PDF annotation tool has you covered where annotating PDFs is as simple as highlighting text on a webpage. It equips you with a complete toolbox for leaving clear and on-the-point comments directly on the file. Highlight key sections, add explanatory text boxes, and even draw shapes on the PDF to pinpoint different sections for revision.

Foxit makes document collaboration on PDFs a breeze. You can organize the feedback process by comparing the two versions of the file and keep your projects moving forward.

Cost:

• Foxit PDF Editor: $129/year, desktop and web support, AI-enabled, 20 GB cloud storage.
• Foxit PDF Editor+: $199/year desktop, mobile, web support, AI assistant, Smart Redact, and 150 GB cloud storage.

3. AvePDF

Ditch the highlighter graveyard and say goodbye to sticky note overload! AvePDF Editor is here to change the way you annotate PDFs. Forget software downloads – this tool lives right in your web browser to let you annotate with just a few clicks, which makes reviewing a joy, not a chore.

It has a toolbox with colorful highlighters to highlight key passages, detailed stamps, precise drawing tools like circles and rectangles to point out a section, and the ability to add text comments, all at your fingertips.

With AvePDF, you can quickly collaborate by saving the document directly on the cloud, which you can share later with your teammates.

Cost:

• AvePDF Free: Process 2 PDFs within 6 hours, 128 MB file limit.
• AvePDF Premium: Unlimited processing with no hourly limitations, 512 MB file max file size limit, access to beta tools, and tech support.

4. PDF-XChange Editor

If you want to leave your mark on PDF files, the PDF-XChange editor introduces you to highlighting, commenting, and drawing tools to review as smoothly as putting pen to paper.

You can add comments and interactive annotations to your files in many formats, including:

• Geometric shapes.
• Text boxes.
• Audio files.

There is also a choice of custom styles palette to save annotation styles for further use.

Cost:

PDF-XChange Editor has many pricing models based on the number of licenses you want to purchase. Here are two examples:

• Single-user license: $56 for 1 year, $67.20 for years, and $72.80 for 3 years, respectively.
• 3 User Pack: $154 for 1 year, $184.80 for years, and $200.20 for 3 years, respectively.

5. Soda PDF

Soda PDF Online is a true hidden gem that does more than just edit PDFs. It has a full set of annotation tools in the Comment section, like highlighting, crossing out text, adding shapes, and commenting in the sticky notes style, which you can do with or without using the dedicated pencil tool.

You can bookmark your comments to access them afterward without much trouble.

This annotation tool also has text redaction and lets you create a new stamp to sign the document for approval.

Soda PDF is compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux OS and mobile devices. It allows you to store your annotated files for 24 hours in your account or save the document to your preferred cloud storage directly. Therefore, you can continue annotating across multiple devices anytime, anywhere, by accessing your PDFs online or offline for better workflow.

Cost:

• Standard Package: $7/month.
• Pro Package: $7.25/month.
• Business Package: $16.50/month.

6. PDFescape

PDFescape is a free PDF annotation tool rich with features for hassle-free PDF file reviews. It allows you to quickly upload your document and add your reviews using sticky notes, highlights, underlines, strikeouts, and shapes.

Further options like inserting text and quick navigation to other pages are really helpful, too. You also have the option to save the PDF in your account, download it to your device, and print it directly.

PDFescape has an online version and a Windows app that can compress or merge PDF documents, convert them to other formats, and add page numbers to them. You can also share your PDFs using a free and paid subscription to work together with your team members on multiple projects.

Cost:

• Free online and desktop versions.
• PDF Premium: $2.99/month.
• PDF Ultimate: $5.99/month.

Part 4. FAQs Related to PDF Annotation Tool

How can I annotate a PDF online?

PDFescape is an excellent online PDF annotation tool free of cost and can help you quickly add reviews. First, go to the PDFescape and sign up for an account, and upload your PDF.

Then, click + in the left menu, select Highlight, and mark the text on the PDF to highlight it. Next, choose the Sticky Note option from the menu, click where you want to attach it to the file, and type in your comment.

How to annotate a PDF without Adobe?

If you don’t want to use Adobe, Afirstsoft PDF is the best alternative due to its advanced annotation features. Simply, drag and drop your file to Afirstsoft PDF and go to the Comment tab. Here, click Highlight, Underline, or Strikethrough and mark up the text on the file. Right-click the highlighted/underlined/crossed-out content, click Open Pop-up Note, and add your review.

What is the best software to annotate PDF?

Soda PDF, AvePDF, and Foxit PDF Editors highlight any passage, add stamps or shapes, cross out text, and attach sticky notes to your PDF file. However, Afirstsoft PDF is the ideal choice to mark up your documents because of its intuitive interface, multi-platform support, and tons of annotation options.

Part 5. Conclusion

In conclusion, we’ve told you about the best PDF annotation tool, Afirstsoft PDF, and how you can use it to select the text to add your remarks with highlights and stickers, strikethroughs, and underlines.

We’ve also discussed a few alternatives to Afirstsoft PDF to improve your files with annotations.

However, we recommend you to try Afirstsoft for PDF annotations because of its ease of use and low price. So, download it now to try out all its document review features mentioned above.