5 Best Drawboard PDF Alternatives - A Comprehensive Guide

In the list of popular tools, you must have seen the Drawboard PDF. It is a specific tool used widely for annotation, editing, and highlighting text from your PDF documents. However, some limitations make it compulsory to find a Drawboard PDF alternative for use when required.

It might be a hard decision to choose which PDF editor can be used as the best alternative to this particular PDF editor. For your assistance, we have researched a lot on the internet and listed some of the best picks. You can choose a Drawboard alternative from the following section by reading them and choosing the one that suits your needs.

Part 1. Drawboard PDF Overview

Before jumping to the list of tools that we have found, it is important to have a quick overview of Drawboard PDF. It might be possible that you are aware of the major functions of this tool. However, it will be a plus point to know about this PDF editor first before looking for an alternative to Drawboard PDF.

Overall, it is a specific PDF tool that is used for tasks like annotations, highlighting, and simple editing. One can install this PDF editor on their Android, IOS, Windows, and Mac devices. It is a cross-platform application that can be used on any device which makes it suitable for a vast proportion of people.

drawboard pdf interface

Its effective annotation tool makes it better than many other tools which is the main reason for its popularity.  Despite the list of functions, it also has some limitations making it necessary to find a Drawboard PDF alternative.

We have listed some major limitations here.

  • It costs $50 per year which may not be affordable for a lot of users, especially students.
  • The updated features may not be compatible with the previous versions of operating systems.

Due to these features, the list of suitable users of Drawboard PDF narrows down. To overcome these problems, you must be aware of the alternative Drawboard PDF to use when this tool isn’t useful to you.

Part 2. Is There Any Drawboard PDF Android Alternative?

Yes, you can find multiple applications from Google Play that you can use as an alternative to Drawboard PDF. Many people think that Adobe Acrobat is the only solution they can use on their handy devices. However, you can find multiple other apps that can be used to read and edit PDF files.

One of the best applications that we have found for Android is a PDF Reader – PDF Viewer. It is the best Drawboard PDF Android alternative that you can use for free. Its extensive list of features to improve the reading and editing experience makes it a perfect choice.

pdf reader and viewer for android on google play

To improve your PDF reading experience, it also has a specific dark mode in which you can change the preview screen interface to a dark background. Despite general features, it also has many other tools for converting your documents from one format to the other.

In short, it is the best Drawboard PDF alternative available for Android users. You can download it from Google Play and use it freely. Its electronic signature addition feature makes it better than many other applications including Adobe Acrobat because it is available for free.

Part 3. 4 Best Drawboard PDF Alternatives

While looking for an alternative to Drawboard PDF, you will see a long list of choices for use on Windows and Mac. But the question comes which is the best choice over the others? It is compulsory to choose the right tool from the list of available ones to be comfortable while using them.

With the aim to share the best tools, we have researched a lot and tested multiple tools. In our testing, we have found the following PDF readers and editors the best ones. You can use a Drawboard PDF alternative from the following list as per the device you are using.

1. Afirstsoft PDF

Compatibility: Windows & MacOS

Price: Free + Paid (Optional)

With a variety of editing tools and unique functions, Afirstsoft PDF stands at the top of our list. We have found this tool equipped with almost every necessary function that you may need in such a tool. Its toolkit includes text editing tools, image editing tools, and related ones.

Afirstsoft pdf editor interface

Whether you are a student or a professional user, you will find your required tool in this tool. This Drawboard alternative is available to be downloaded for free. You don’t have to purchase its subscription until you want to access its AI chatbot after the free credits have been finished.

Key Features

  • It enables you to edit already written text on the PDF pages effectively.
  • You can change the font style and size of the current text as well as add new text sections.
  • Afirstsoft PDF has a format converter with the availability of multiple formats.
  • One can easily navigate through its menu bar to access its most of the features with a single click.

These unique and advanced features have encouraged us to rank it at the top position in the list of alternative Drawboard PDF. We suggest you download it by clicking on the “Free Download” button shown below and give it a try to check how effective this PDF editor is.

2. Foxit Reader

Compatibility: Windows, MacOS, Android, & IOS

Price: Free + Starts from $129.99 per year

Another tool that we have found a good Drawboard PDF alternative is Foxit PDF Reader & Editor. It is one of the most powerful readers available on the internet with a comprehensive solution. Using its advanced PDF reading features, you can improve your reading experience and read your files easily.

foxit pdf reader interface

The PDF reader has been made capable of working in cross-platform facilities. It means that you can easily access your documents from your different devices. The cloud storage of Foxit Reader makes it easy for you to share files within your different devices and use them.

Overall, it is a good alternative to Drawboard PDF but its PDF editing tools are only available for paid users. It doesn’t allow you to access even a single feature from its editing toolbar for free.

Pros:

  • Advanced AI chatbot for document summary and quick highlights
  • A comprehensive toolkit to customize your files.
  • Cross-platform working
  • Offers a variety of solution

Cons:

  • The editor is only available for paid subscribers

3. Xodo

Compatibility: Windows, Mac, IOS, & Android

Price: Free trial + $14.99/mo

If you are looking for an optimal solution for your PDF reading and editing tasks, Xodo PDF can serve you as a Drawboard PDF alternative. It offers a comprehensive solution with an online working facility. You can use its tools online even without downloading this software on your device.

xodo pdf editing toolbar

Xodo PDF offers a variety of tools for reading, editing, and converting PDF files. It is right to say that it includes a long list of format converters for its users. To streamline your reading process, it has an AskPDF feature that is based on an AI algorithm.

With the help of this AI chatbot, you can easily summarize your lengthy documents for quick understanding. This specific chatbot will also help you have deep insights into your documents to understand them properly.

Pros:

  • Offers a variety of editing and converting tools
  • Can be used online without installation
  • Enables you to edit text smoothly without looking awful
  • Cloud-based storage facility for keeping your files secured

Cons:

  • Highly expensive for students and newbies

4. PDF Annotator

Compatibility: Windows

Price: Free trial + $79.95 per license

If you are a Windows user and working as a proofreader, reviewer, or someone who leaves comments on documents, you should try PDF Annotator. It is a comprehensive solution for such users because it offers multiple features for annotation and comment sharing on PDF files.

pdf annotator interface

This Drawboard PDF alternative can help you annotate your documents, add signatures, leave comments, and highlight text. In short, it offers multiple functions to proofread and review a particular document.

The best feature of the PDF Annotator is the restoration of the original file. It can quickly restore the original file by removing all markup points. But its major drawback is its highly expensive subscription which has encouraged us to rank it at the last position of our list.

Pros:

  • Offers multiple tools to annotate documents
  • One can use its touchscreen feature to draw something over the files.
  • It allows you to quickly restore the original file by removing comments and annotations.

Cons:

  • Highly expensive subscription
  • No PDF editing tools

Part 4. Which Drawboard alternative is Better?

So far, you have gone through the comprehensive guide for choosing an alternative to Drawboard PDF. It might be possible that you have chosen a tool from the above list. But if you are still confused about which tool is better than others, we have got your back.

Here, we have listed a table comparing all the above-listed tools by their major features. It can help you quickly compare these tools and get a final verdict to choose the right PDF editor.

Tool Name

Editing Functioning

Ease of Use

Pricing

PDF Reader – PDF Viewer

Limited

Easy

Free

Afirstsoft PDF

Multiple

Super Easy

Free

Foxit Reader

Limited

Easy

Free + Paid

Xodo PDF

Multiple

Easy

Free Trial + Paid

PDF Annotator

Limited

Easy

Free Trial + Paid

Part 5. How to Choose an Alternative to Drawboard PDF?

If you are interested in evaluating some other tools to find a Drawboard PDF alternative, it is recommended to be careful and check some specific factors. For those who don’t know what to look for while choosing a Drawboard alternative, we have discussed some factors below with brief descriptions.

Affordability

The very first factor you should take into account is the affordability of the PDF editor. As mentioned earlier, the higher pricing of Drawboard is the major reason for finding its alternative. So, you can’t rely on highly expensive tools and look for something affordable.

First of all, you should choose software like Afirstsoft PDF that allows you to access its maximum features for free. But if you are unable to find such an effective tool, it is good to find one with affordable pricing. It will help you be comfortable while using it for your various tasks.

Editing Functions

The second most important factor to consider for choosing the right alternative Drawboard PDF is the list of editing functions. It is good to explore the whole list of functions and make sure that it has something additional as compared to general tools.

With the help of such an extensive solution, you will be able to perform various tasks related to your PDF documents. It can help you perform most of your tasks within the tool instead of looking for a third-party tool.

Ease of Use

Last but not least, you should also have a deep eye on the interface of the software. It is good to pick a Drawboard PDF alternative with a clean and simple interface. This solution will help you access the maximum features of such software with ease.

You don’t need to look for assistance from professional or experienced people to find some particular features. It will be easy for you to work with such a PDF editor without getting guidance from others.

Part 6. Summary

The above-listed tools have been found the best to choose as your PDF reader and editor. You can choose a Drawboard PDF alternative from the above list according to your requirements. We hope you will be able to perform all your PDF document-related tasks using these advanced editors.

Emily Davis

Editor-in-Chief

Emily Davis is one of the staff editors of Afirstsoft PDF Editor team. She is a dedicated staff editor with a keen eye for detail and a passion for refining content.

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