There are a number of different online PDF editor tools that can help you streamline the process of annotating PDF files, making it faster and more efficient. Whether you're adding comments, highlighting important sections, or inserting additional notes, the right tools can significantly enhance your productivity. Let's explore some of the best methods and tools available to help you annotate PDFs quickly and effectively, ensuring that you can easily manage and share your annotated documents with others.
Why it's important to use the right tool to annotate a PDF
Annotating a PDF effectively is important in order to simplify and streamline the feedback process. This is particularly important for graphic designers, content creators, project managers, marketing managers, software developers, etc, that need clients to review a PDF document and provide feedback.
Properly annotated PDF files make it easy to track changes, suggestions, and corrections throughout the document's lifecycle. Having an organized process is important, especially for projects that involve multiple stakeholders, as it ensures that everyone is on the same page and that all feedback is documented and accessible.
The Top Tools for Quick PDF annotations
1. BugHerd
BugHerd is one of the simplest yet comprehensive PDF annotation tools available. It's different to the free PDF annotation tools on the market because it has more functionality, and users can markup PDFs, as well as Figma files, designs, images, drawings and websites, by simply pointing and clicking right on the element that they want to comment on. All feedback then flows into a task board so that it can be easily tracked.
Key Features
- Feedback is pinned directly onto specific elements of PDFs, Figma files, images, etc (like sticky notes on a page)
- Add comments, screenshots, annotations and even video capture, for clear, actionable feedback
- All feedback is organized into a Kanban-style task board for easy tracking and management
- BugHerd also connects with tools like ClickUp, Monday.com, Trello, Asana, Slack and Zapier
How to annotate PDF files using BugHerd
BugHerd is a free PDF editor for the first 14 days. Just sign up to a 14-day free trial and you're set to go - no credit card details required. You'll be able to annotate as well as check out all of the other great features that BugHerd has to offer.
1. Start your BugHerd trial and create a new project.
2. Load any PDFs, images, designs, etc, to the Deliverables tab in your project. You can group them for easier feedback management (or group them to share).
3. Share the PDF with anyone you want to get feedback from. BugHerd will capture their annotations as tasks, ready for you to action.
Speed up the PDF file annotation process with BugHerd
Quickly annotate PDF files with BugHerd's simple point and click functionality and provide feedback by leaving virtual 'sticky-notes' on your PDF.
With the BugHerd PDF annotator, you can mark up PDFs using text comments, virtual handwritten text boxes, screen recordings, and even a freehand drawing tool. You can also highlight text, capture screenshots and attach images and documents to your feedback.
You'll be able to provide detailed feedback easily to designers, web dev teams, project managers, etc, who will benefit from the visual and contextual feedback.
Easily manage the feedback on your annotated PDF - all from a single location
When you add comments to a PDF using BugHerd, each one automatically flows into a user-friendly Kanban-style task board for easy tracking.
All tasks are centralized into one location, ensuring that nothing is missed. Feedback can then be prioritized and tasks labelled and assigned to team members; making it easy for feedback to be managed and actioned. You'll be able to view your own list of annotations, or your entire team's.
Manage your PDF annotations using project management tools that you already use
BugHerd also connects seamlessly with a range of project management, web development, customer support and CRM tools such as ClickUp, Monday.com, Trello, Asana, Jira, GitHub, Slack, Zapier and many more; ensuring smooth communication and collaboration across platforms
Send as much or as little information as you desire between BugHerd and your existing project management tools to keep your annotation projects moving.
Other Great BugHerd Features
Get Started Quickly
Get BugHerd's browser extension and quickly start providing feedback via annotations, video, screen capture, audio files, etc.
User access
Choose who has access to your annotations in BugHerd. Just want certain team members to leave feedback without seeing the task board? Can do. Need to have comments only between the team working on a task? BugHerd allows you to adjust the visibility settings, enabling each team to concentrate on their specific project tasks.
Security and privacy
At BugHerd we take the privacy and security of our clients' data very seriously. We are committed to providing a secure environment and applying best practices to minimize risk.
The platform is designed to protect your data from threats by applying security principles at every layer, while maintaining high performance. Read more about BugHerd's security.
Pros
- Simple to use and annotate a PDF file
- Use it on unlimited projects
- Built-in Kanban board for easy management of your annotations
- Also integrates with popular project management tools that you already use
- 7-day free trial
- Competitive pricing
- Comprehensive Help Library
Cons
- Does not not convert PDFs to other files
- No e-sign functionality
2. Adobe Acrobat
Adobe Acrobat offers a comprehensive suite of features that streamline the PDF review and editing process. Users can add comments, highlight text, and draw shapes directly on the PDF. Multiple people are able to annotate and share feedback on a PDF in real-time.
Adobe Acrobat also integrates with other Adobe products and cloud storage services, to help streamline workflows. It has an intuitive interface and can be used for PDF annotation both personally and professionally.
Key Features
- Allows users to create PDFs as well as add comments, notes, and text highlights directly onto a PDF
- Drawing tools include shapes, lines, and freehand drawing for annotations.
- Converts PDFs to and from various other formats such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
- Supports real-time collaboration for multiple people
- Integrates with Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive and SharePoint
Pros
With Adobe Acrobat you are able to create, edit and annotate PDFs. It has an intuitive interface and integrates with popular cloud services. The platform also supports real-time collaboration and provides robust security features, including password protection and encryption for sensitive documents.
Cons
Adobe Acrobat is pricey, especially for the Pro version, which may be prohibitive for some users. The software can also be resource-intensive, potentially slowing down older computers. It is also feature rich and somewhat complex requiring a longer learning curve to fully utilize its capabilities.
3. Nitro Pro
Nitro Pro is a PDF editor that offers a comprehensive suite of tools for creating, editing and converting PDF documents. It also offers e-sign functionality through a user-friendly and easily navigable interface. Nitro Pro supports collaboration with features like commenting, reviewing, and sharing, and it integrates with Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive.
The software also includes advanced security features, including password protection and encryption, and it also offers high-speed performance.
Key Features
- Comprehensive tools for creating and editing PDF documents
- Supports e-signatures and sharing of signed documents
- Converts PDFs to and from various other formats such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
- Integrates with Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive
- Advanced security options, including password protection and encryption
Pros
Nitro Pro is easy to use yet powerful, and allows users to create, edit, and also convert PDFs efficiently. It's e-signature feature is a bonus. Its integration with platforms such as Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive enhances collaboration. Due to its high-speed performance and compatibility with other file formats it's a valuable tool for businesses and professionals.
Cons
Nitro Pro can be relatively expensive compared to other PDF solutions, which might be a barrier for some users. The software can also be resource-intensive, potentially affecting performance on older or less powerful computers. Due to its extensive features, it can take time to get up and running on Nitro Pro, and customer support can sometimes be slower than expected.
4. Foxit
Foxit is a versatile PDF editing tool designed for both individual and business use. It offers a wide range of features including PDF creation, editing, and conversion, as well as collaboration tools like shared reviews and commenting. It has a user-friendly interface which makes it accessible for users of all skill levels, and its lightweight design ensures fast performance.
Foxit also includes robust security features such as password protection, encryption, and digital signatures to safeguard sensitive documents. It also integrates with platforms such as Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive, for easy management of documents.
Key Features
- Comprehensive tools for creating and editing PDFs
- Supports digital signatures
- Includes shared reviews, commenting, and annotation features
- Converts PDFs to and from various other formats like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
- Advanced security options, including password protection and encryption
- Integrates with Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive
Pros
Foxit strikes a good balance between advanced functionality and user-friendliness. Unlike many other platforms, it offers a lightweight, fast-performing solution whilst being feature rich. Its robust security measures, including encryption and digital signatures, provide peace of mind for handling sensitive documents.
Cons
Foxit is user-friendly but the interface can be cluttered and seem overwhelming due to the amount of features it has. The platform can also be relatively expensive, particularly for small businesses or individual users. There can be occasional compatibility issues with certain PDF files, leading to formatting inconsistencies or errors and the customer support can sometimes be slow or less responsive compared to other solutions.
5. Kami
Kami is a digital classroom tool designed for document collaboration and annotation for students and teachers. It allows users to annotate PDFs, images, and other documents in real-time, making it an ideal solution for interactive learning.
With Kami you can annotate via text, drawing, highlighting, and adding comments. The platform integrates with Google Classroom, Microsoft Teams, and other learning management systems. Kami also offers features like voice and video comments, which enhance the learning experience and support diverse learning styles.
Key Features
- Annotate a PDF via text, highlighting, drawing, and shapes
- Multiple users can annotate simultaneously
- Includes voice and video feedback
- Syncs with Google Drive, OneDrive, and other cloud services
- Offline access capability allows you to annotate documents without an internet connection, with changes syncing once online
Pros
Kami stands out due to its real-time collaboration features which allows multiple users to work together on document annotations simultaneously. It supports voice and video comments, making it highly interactive, and its offline access capability means that you can keep annotating even when offline to keep things moving. It's a good tool for educational institutions.
Cons
Kami has limitations compared to other tools. The free version has fewer features and limits the extent of its utilization, requiring a subscription for full access. Performance issues can arise with larger documents, causing slowdowns or lags. It's much more suited to educational organizations and its integrations are less comprehensive for business-focused platforms, limiting its appeal for non-educational professional use.
