Scan, extract, edit, sign, and organize your documents.
Adobe Acrobat Reader
PDFgear
PreviewFind an approach for: compress a pdf for sharing.
PDF ExtractorAdobe Acrobat Reader
PDF ExpertFind an approach for: convert a pdf into an editable document.
Adobe Acrobat ReaderPDF ExpertPreviewI need to edit and sign a PDF
PDF Extractor
iLovePDFPreviewI need original-quality images from a PDF
Adobe Acrobat Reader
PDF Easy CombinerI need to combine several PDFs
PreviewReorder a document, copy selected pages or split it into smaller PDFs—without confusing pages with embedded pictures.
Preview
Scanner ProFind an approach for: scan documents into searchable pdfs.
PDF content recovery and document conversion on Mac, iPhone and iPad
Consider PDF Extractor 1.02 for focused content reuse rather than a full PDF editor. It describes local conversion and OCR with a one-time full-access purchase. Try a representative file before upgrading; our earlier version 1.01 iPhone image sample does not establish version 1.02 conversion quality or Mac behavior.
A mainstream PDF reader with free basic document interactions and separately paid editing and conversion capabilities.
Shortlist it when other people already exchange documents through Acrobat, or you need a familiar PDF reader with an upgrade path.
A PDF toolkit with mobile apps and web tools; document each execution environment explicitly.
Choose it when image extraction sits alongside merging, splitting and conversion. The iPhone follow-up recovered the three unique pictures as JPGs.
A focused iPhone and iPad app for combining PDF files in a chosen order, rather than managing an entire PDF editing suite.
Shortlist it for a focused file-merging workflow with control over input order. Compare PDFgear when you also need a broader mobile PDF toolkit; Preview and PdfCraft are separate Mac choices.
An Apple-focused PDF workspace spanning reading, annotations, signatures and paid document editing.
Shortlist it for a document workspace with reading, markup and paid editing capabilities rather than one isolated conversion.
An open-source PDF workbench for reading, merging, splitting and organizing pages, with a native Mac download.
A desktop/self-hosted option for document assembly. Its external tutorial makes the page-management workflow easier to assess before installing.
A broad PDF utility suite worth investigating before paying for routine document operations.
A sensible shortlist for merging, reading and other routine document tasks. Use the platform-specific documentation: desktop and mobile tools are not interchangeable.
Apple’s built-in PDF and image tool; mobile and Mac versions must be documented separately.
For ordinary viewing, annotation and page operations, start with the tool already on your Mac before installing a larger PDF suite.
A camera-first scanning workflow with document organization, OCR and multiple export formats.
Look here when scanning, recognizing text and exporting documents are recurring work, not just an occasional camera capture.
Adobe Inc.
A mobile document scanner that turns paper documents and receipts into digital PDFs.
Business
Explore appThe Grizzly Labs
A document-scanning app for capturing, organizing and sharing scans as PDF files.
Business
Explore appApple
Apple's note-taking app for text, checklists, sketches, attachments and scanned documents.
Productivity
Explore app
Try Preview first for reading, page assembly, basic markup, visible signatures, supported image conversion and simple cutouts. Install another tool when the requirement is original-content editing, dependable OCR output, specialized signing, library management, advanced design or repeatable production work.
Preview is more than a file viewer. Start here for everyday PDF and image work, then use the task chapters for the exact workflow. Install another app when the job needs capabilities such as original PDF-content editing, controlled OCR output, advanced design or managed document workflows.
Preview is useful for inspecting file information, recovering available document versions, processing a small selected image set and viewing supported 3D files on current systems. None of those features turns it into a full archive, automation engine or 3D authoring suite.
Preview can print selected pages, arrange pages on a sheet and export supported files. It can also work with supported scan/import routes. Decide whether you need a physical print, a flattened viewing copy or a reusable source before choosing the command.
Search an existing text PDF with Preview’s Find controls and use Live Text for supported images. If you need a persistent searchable scan, batch recognition or layout-preserving Word conversion, verify that exact output or use a dedicated OCR/conversion tool.
Export a separate PDF with Preview’s Reduce File Size filter, then compare the saved file with the original. Keep the smaller copy only if the text, diagrams and required fields remain usable.
Use the actual Redaction Selection tool for supported text removal, not a black rectangle or crop. Use PDF password settings when the recipient needs restricted opening. Verify the saved copy; Preview is not a complete document-sanitation or managed-signing system.
Use Preview for basic image geometry, format conversion, simple markups and supported background removal. Decide the required pixels, transparency and output format first. Move to a dedicated editor for layers, precise masks, restoration or complex design.
Preview can fill supported form fields, place text boxes and visible signatures, and add reading annotations. It cannot edit the existing body text of a PDF. Keep an editable working copy and inspect the saved result in the viewer the recipient uses.
Use Preview’s thumbnail sidebar to assemble and rearrange PDF pages. Duplicate the originals first, then verify the saved packet. Page operations can replace a simple merger or splitter; they do not turn Preview into a full content editor.
Keep the original, compare actual byte sizes and stop processing the larger copy. Preview’s filter can produce an unhelpful result; use a new candidate from the original, a better source scan, an accepted split or a more configurable compressor.
Step-by-step guideFor a simple page subset, select the required thumbnails in Preview, open Print, verify that only the selected pages are included and use the PDF save option to create a new file. Keep the original; printing a PDF is not a guarantee that every interactive feature survives.
Preview
Step-by-step guideIf you are leaving Acrobat, replace the specific job rather than the entire brand. Preview can cover basic markup and page work, PDFgear is a documented free original-text editor candidate, PDF Expert offers an Apple-focused paid workflow, and focused converters serve a different content-reuse task.
PDFgearAdobe Acrobat ReaderInvestigate PDFgear for a Mac editing requirement its free desktop documentation covers. Keep Acrobat Reader for free reading and markup when that is sufficient; consider paid Acrobat when a specific Adobe editing or document workflow is required. This is not a quality or security ranking.
Preview Step-by-step guideStart with Preview for ordinary annotations and page work. Consider PDFgear for documented free original-text editing, PDF Expert for an Apple-focused paid editing workflow, and paid Acrobat for requirements already tied to Adobe. Use a converter only when reusable content, rather than an edited PDF, is the deliverable.
Preview Step-by-step guideIf you need an original embedded picture, use a tool that explicitly extracts PDF images and inspect its saved output. If you need the appearance of a page, Preview can export a page to an image format. Those are different results; neither a screenshot nor a page export establishes original-image fidelity.
PDFgear
Step-by-step guideOn supported current iOS releases, Preview can insert a PDF from a file into an open PDF through its page-thumbnail controls. For a dedicated multi-file workflow, PDFgear documents an iPhone merger. Choose the route available on your device and verify order and output; no merge-quality winner is declared here.
PDF Extractor
Step-by-step guideIf words cannot be selected because the PDF is a scan, use OCR. Current Preview documentation includes an Embed Text option when exporting PDF; Camera Live Text can help with a short physical passage. Neither extracting embedded pictures nor taking a screenshot by itself creates reliable editable text.
Step-by-step guideUse Preview for annotations, forms and ordinary page assembly. Consider PDFgear for Mac when you need to change existing PDF text: its current Mac documentation describes that feature as free. PdfCraft is another page-workbench candidate. These recommendations follow documented scope, not a same-file editing benchmark.
Scanner Pro
Step-by-step guideFor basic document scanning without adding another scanner app or subscription, start with Files or Notes on iPhone. Preview also provides document scanning on supported iOS versions. These are the first routes to consider; this is not an independently audited ranking of third-party ad-free scanners.
PDF Extractor Step-by-step guideChoose Markdown for text-first notes, HTML for content you need to inspect in a browser, and RTF for formatted text exchange. PDF Extractor 1.02 lists all three. Pick the format for the next editing tool, not as a shortcut to an identical copy of a PDF page.
PDF Extractor Step-by-step guideUse PDF Extractor 1.02 or later to convert a PDF into a .docx document, then open that file in your preferred Word-compatible editor. Treat conversion as the start of editing: keep the PDF and check the saved result before relying on it.
PDF ExtractorPDF ExpertStart with PDF Extractor for focused document recovery without a subscription. Consider PDF Expert when you also want an Apple-focused PDF editor, iLovePDF for a wider utility toolkit, and Acrobat when an existing Adobe workflow already meets the job. None is declared the most accurate converter here.
PDF Extractor Step-by-step guidePDF Extractor 1.02 adds document conversion and extends its stated workflow to Mac as well as iPhone and iPad. Its useful new role is recovering content you want to edit—not replacing a complete PDF editor.
PDF Extractor Step-by-step guideOpen a PDF, choose image extraction, inspect the recovered pictures and export the selection. Version 1.02 lists an allowance of 20 supported images before full access. This guide remains an iPhone/iPad method; the app also lists Mac support, but those controls have not been reproduced here.
PDF ExtractoriLovePDFCompare the required output first. PDF Extractor 1.02 now describes Mac/iPhone/iPad content recovery and editable-document conversion; iLovePDF offers a broader toolkit. The image sample below used PDF Extractor 1.01, not 1.02, and is not a Word-conversion comparison.
PDF ExpertAdobe Acrobat ReaderChoose PDF Expert for an Apple-focused document workspace with annotation and paid editing. Choose Acrobat Reader for basic reading, commenting and signing within the Adobe ecosystem, with paid mobile tools available separately. Match the exact platform and plan before paying.
Scanner Pro Step-by-step guideCapture the document, review the image, enable the appropriate OCR language and export a PDF. Reopen it elsewhere and search a known phrase. Our current workflow is sourced from Readdle documentation, not a completed device test.
PDFgear Step-by-step guideAccording to PDFgear’s iOS guide, open Tools → Merge PDFs, add the documents, arrange their order and merge. The saved PDF appears highlighted in Files; open it before sharing.
