The Best Free PDF-XChange Alternative in 2026
PDF-XChange Editor is a Windows-only desktop application priced at $62 as a one-time purchase (a perpetual license, not a subscription). Its free evaluation mode covers about 70% of core functionality, but advanced features like enhanced OCR, fillable forms, and document comparison require the paid license — and using licensed features in evaluation mode adds a watermark to your output. PDFlexa runs entirely in the browser on any operating system, free, with no watermarks.
PDF-XChange Editor vs PDFlexa: Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | PDF-XChange Editor | PDFlexa (Free) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free (limited) / $62 one-time for full license | ✅ Free (core tools, no purchase) |
| Platform | Windows only | ✅ Any browser, any OS |
| Installation required | ✅ Yes, desktop download | ❌ No install needed |
| Basic editing & annotation | ✅ Free | ✅ Free |
| Advanced OCR | ❌ Licensed version only | ✅ Yes, free |
| Fillable form creation | ❌ Licensed version only | ✅ Yes, free |
| Document comparison | ❌ Licensed version only | ✅ Yes, free |
| Watermark-free output on all features | ❌ Evaluation mode watermarks licensed features | ✅ Always watermark-free |
| AI Summary / Translate / Chat | ❌ Not offered | ✅ Yes — free |
| Mobile access | ❌ Not available | ✅ Works on any mobile browser |
Why People Look for a PDF-XChange Alternative
1. Windows-Only, With a Required Download
PDF-XChange Editor only runs on Windows and requires installing a desktop application. PDFlexa works in any modern browser on Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, or Android with no install.
2. Evaluation Mode Watermarks Your Output
Using licensed-only features without paying adds a watermark to the resulting file. PDFlexa's output is always clean, whether you're on the free or premium tier.
3. Advanced Features Require a One-Time Purchase
Enhanced OCR, fillable form creation, and document comparison are locked behind the $62 license. PDFlexa includes OCR, form filling, and comparison in its free plan.
4. No AI Features
PDF-XChange Editor is a traditional desktop PDF editor with no AI-assisted tools. PDFlexa includes free AI summarization, translation, and chat-with-PDF on every account.
Where PDF-XChange Editor Has an Edge
PDF-XChange Editor's perpetual one-time license — rather than a recurring subscription — appeals to users who prefer paying once and owning the software indefinitely, and its free tier already covers roughly 70% of core functionality for viewing, annotating, and basic editing. For power users doing heavy, offline desktop annotation work on Windows specifically, its depth of markup tools is well established.
Which PDFlexa Tools Replace PDF-XChange Editor?
Here is every common PDF-XChange Editor task and its PDFlexa equivalent:
- Combine files → Merge PDF
- Reduce file size → Compress PDF
- Extract pages / split document → Split & Extract Pages
- Export to Word → PDF to Word
- Export to Excel → PDF to Excel
- Export to PowerPoint → PDF to PowerPoint
- Export to image → PDF to JPG or PDF to PNG
- Convert to PDF → Word to PDF, Excel to PDF, PowerPoint to PDF
- Fill & sign forms → Fill PDF and Sign PDF
- Add comments / markup → Annotate PDF
- Redact sensitive content → Redact PDF
- Password protect → Password Protect PDF
- Remove password → Unlock PDF
- Add watermark → Watermark PDF
- Rotate pages → Rotate Pages
- Delete / reorder pages → Delete Pages or Organize PDF
- Crop pages → Crop PDF
- Make scanned PDF searchable → OCR PDF (multi-language)
- Number pages → Add Page Numbers
- Flatten PDF → Flatten PDF
- Repair corrupted PDF → Repair PDF
- Convert to PDF/A → PDF to PDF/A
- AI summary, translation, chat, and smart redact → AI Summary, AI Translate, Chat with PDF, AI Smart Redact
Frequently Asked Questions
Does PDF-XChange Editor work on Mac or Linux?
No, PDF-XChange Editor is Windows-only. PDFlexa works in any modern browser regardless of operating system.
Will my file have a watermark if I use PDF-XChange Editor's free version?
Using licensed-only features in evaluation mode adds a watermark to your output. PDFlexa's output is always watermark-free.
Is PDFlexa a one-time purchase like PDF-XChange Editor?
No — PDFlexa's core tools are free to use with no purchase required. A €4.99/month premium plan is available for higher AI usage limits and extended cloud storage.
Do I need to install anything to use PDFlexa?
No. PDFlexa runs entirely in your browser — no download, plugin, or account needed for core tools.
Need to add a password to a sensitive file? See our guide on how to password protect a PDF.