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TruthFinder background check service review
6:18 am | August 22, 2022

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro Software & Services | Comments: Off

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TruthFinder is a comprehensive online service that allows users to search through extensive databases, including public records maintained by various government agencies as well as social media profiles. By utilizing advanced algorithms, the platform effectively sifts through an immense volume of data to deliver detailed reports on the individuals you’re researching. This capability can be particularly useful in a variety of reasonable situations, such as verifying the identity of a prospective neighbor, reconnecting with an old friend, or gathering information relevant to personal safety.

However, it is crucial to understand the ethical guidelines surrounding the use of TruthFinder. The service is not intended for conducting employee background checks, tenant screenings, or verifying consumer credit information. Furthermore, users must adhere to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, which prohibits using such platforms for any purpose that could infringe upon an individual’s privacy or rights.

Think of TruthFinder as a streamlined resource for accessing publicly available information that can otherwise be cumbersome to compile independently. The data it aggregates comes from reliable and authorized sources, ensuring that users can trust the integrity of the information provided. According to the company's claims, these sources are regularly updated, allowing for the removal of inaccuracies and ensuring that users receive the most accurate and relevant information possible.

Here’s a look at how we liked TruthFinder.

TruthFinder: plans and pricing

TruthFinder provides a variety of flexible pricing options tailored to different user needs, making it accessible for anyone seeking detailed information about individuals.

1. People Search Subscription: For comprehensive searches, the monthly subscription is priced at **$28.33**. Opting for a bi-monthly subscription will cost you **$47.03**, which breaks down to **$23.52 per month**. This plan grants you access to a wealth of data, offering unlimited person reports and location reports. You'll receive insights into social media profiles, location history, and much more, ensuring you're equipped with thorough information.

2. Reverse Phone Lookup: If your primary interest lies in contacting someone via their phone number or obtaining limited personal details, the Reverse Phone Lookup plan is available for just $4.99 per month. This economical option proves invaluable if you're specifically seeking someone's employment history, as well as email and phone information associated with that number, providing you with targeted results without the extras.

3. Reverse Email Lookup: For those needing to gather information through email correspondence, the Reverse Email Lookup plan costs $29.73 per month. While the reports you obtain through this plan may offer less detail than the comprehensive People Search plan, you benefit from unlimited email reports sent directly to your inbox, streamlining your access to the data.

4. Customization Options: If the preset plans offered do not perfectly align with your needs, you can reach out to their customer support team to customize a plan that suits your requirements. This flexibility allows you to tailor your experience, ensuring you receive the most relevant information.

5. Offline Access and Additional Services: Have the convenience to download and view reports offline for an additional $3.99 monthly fee, making it easy to access your data anytime, anywhere. Furthermore, TruthFinder offers a Dark Web Monitoring service for $2.99 a month, which monitors known hacker forums to protect your passwords and personal credentials from potential breaches.

Payment Options: TruthFinder supports a variety of payment methods, accepting major credit and debit cards, as well as digital payment platforms like PayPal and Amazon Pay, ensuring a hassle-free checkout experience.

With these well-rounded options, TruthFinder makes it easy for users to gain valuable insights and ensure their online safety, whether they're searching for a person, investigating a phone number, or safeguarding their digital presence.

TruthFinder review

TruthFinder lets you perform background searches on anyone in the USA (Image credit: TruthFinder)

TruthFinder:: features

TruthFinder offers many of the same features that you’d expect to find with other background check services. These include searches that cover both public and private sources, plus the ability to identify potential associates and relatives of your search subject.

If TruthFinder correctly manages to identify the person you are searching for, you could receive a report containing many essential details about their life. These will be collated from birth records, social media profiles, and criminal and traffic records.

The TruthFinder platform also offers self-monitoring tools, meaning you can view your record to see what potential employers, or other people who search for you, will see on the platform. Through TruthFinder, you can even claim a particular record as your own. If you do this, you’ll be able to correct factual inaccuracies on it or hide it from other TruthFinder users.

If you’re getting suspicious calls from a number that you don’t recognize, you may be able to use TruthFinder to identify its owner via the reverse phone lookup feature. In some cases, TruthFinder may even be able to reveal social media profiles or photographs associated with the number you are searching for.

TruthFinder: interface and in use

The TruthFinder interface is slick and easy to use. To perform a search, all you need to do is enter the search subject’s name and their local city. Next, TruthFinder will ask questions to help narrow down possible results, such as the gender, age, and known locations of the individual being searched for. You are also requested to provide your first and last name, email, and zip code.

TruthFinder review

You’ll have to sit through numerous loading screens before purchasing and accessing your TruthFinder report (Image credit: TruthFinder)

After that, TruthFinder will display a series of loading screens and progress bars. However, although these pages are visually attractive, it’s hard to avoid the feeling that they are presented for show. There are also enticing statements about how you may be “shocked” to see what is in this individual’s report, and you also have to verify that you are over 18 years old. There is also some marketing as 5-star favorable service reviews are flashed non-stop during the process.

Eventually, TurthFinder will show you a list of candidates who match your search query. You can identify the correct person based on a few factors, such as address and social network. During our testing, TruthFinder successfully identified the majority of people we tried searching for.

Once you’ve found the correct person, you’ll have to pay for your report before opening it. The final report screen is a lengthy interactive document containing a wide range of information on your search subject, including location history, contact information, and possible relatives. Strangely, TruthFinder also includes extraneous information in reports, such as horoscopes and astrological signs.

TruthFinder: support

If you run into trouble or have any difficulty using TruthFinder, you can turn to the help section of the platform’s website. Unfortunately, the information presented here isn’t as detailed as we’d like, but there are some articles on essential topics such as “Cancel Account” and “Is TruthFinder Safe?” Consequently, If you need assistance, you’ll probably be better off contacting the service via the toll-free number, which is available Monday to Friday, 10 AM to 10 PM ET. TruthFinder support staff are available on weekdays and work extended hours, so your query will be responded to quickly.

There are not many companies that offer 24/7 customer support, and unfortunately, TruthFinder is not one of them.

We were disappointed to find limited other options, such as chat, videos, or a user forum. We also did not find a direct email or a support portal. While not perfect, the support system that is in place will surely answer your queries fairly quickly.

TruthFinder review

It would be good if TruthFinder was more forthcoming about how the platform works and which sources it collects data from during background checks (Image credit: TruthFinder)

TruthFinder: security

The service offered is secure and private, ensuring that the person you’re looking up will never be able to know that you tried looking them up, using their phone, email, or any other personal information. Data protection is entrusted to the 256-bit encryption mechanism, an encryption protocol used by the US Army, which will safeguard all of your classified information. Moreover, the platform employs SSL certificates from Cloudfllare Inc. guaranteeing your privacy and data security. An additional layer of security can be obtained by utilizing the platform’s Dark Web Monitoring services, but if you’re a diligent and conscientious internet user, you can skip the expense.

TruthFinder: the competition

One major limitation of TruthFinder is that you can’t use the service to complete pre-employment background checks as it is not FRCA compliant. If you are looking for such a service, consider People Trail instead. People Trail is licensed to perform pre-employment background checks and doesn’t require you to sign up for a lengthy membership as TruthFinder does.

PeopleFinders is another background checking service in direct competition with TruthFinder. If you’re not keen on TruthFinder’s hefty monthly cost, you’ll be glad to hear that PeopleFinders’ prices start at a more budget-friendly $2.95.

TruthFinder: final verdict

TruthFinder is a highly useful tool designed to help users locate long-lost relatives, reconnect with friends, or verify the information available about themselves in the public domain. As one of the top-rated platforms for conducting background checks, it enables you to obtain comprehensive reports on individuals, which can include details such as criminal records, address histories, and social media profiles.

In addition to standard background checks, TruthFinder offers reverse phone lookup capabilities, allowing you to identify callers by entering their phone numbers. This feature can be particularly handy if you receive calls from unknown numbers or want to know more about who might be contacting you.

Moreover, TruthFinder provides a service that checks whether your personal information, such as email addresses or Social Security numbers, is being sold on the dark web. This feature is crucial for protecting your identity and personal data in an increasingly digital world.

The website is recognized for its reliability and security, ensuring that your searches are confidential and that your personal information is protected. However, it is important to note that a monthly membership fee is required if you wish to conduct unlimited searches. If you only need to perform a one-time search, it may be more cost-effective to explore alternative services that offer pay-per-report pricing, which allows you to obtain the specific information you need without committing to a monthly subscription.

We've also highlighted the best background check service for individuals.

Instant Checkmate review
9:40 pm | August 21, 2022

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro Software & Services | Comments: Off

Instant Checkmate is a people search tool that aggregates data from public records. The service is user-friendly and provides a wide range of information, including contact details and criminal records. However, the results are not instant, and the service requires you to answer numerous questions and navigate several warnings before receiving a report, which can be frustrating. Despite these inconveniences, the site is worth exploring, boasting over 1.4 billion recent searches.

In this Instant Checkmate review, you will discover whether this is the best option for conducting background checks or people searches.

Instant Checkmate prices as of February 2025.

Instant Checkmate only offers monthly subscriptions with unlimited reports (Image credit: Future)

Instant Checkmate: plans and pricing

Instant Checkmate offers subscription plans that allow for unlimited reports. A one-month subscription costs $35.47. Alternatively, you can sign up for three months at a rate of $28.38 per month, which requires a prepayment of $85.13. Additionally, there is an option to purchase reverse phone lookups for $5.99 each month. Unfortunately, individual reports for single cases are not available for purchase. However, you may be able to find a “trial offer” that significantly reduces the price.

Instant Checkmate: features

Instant Checkmate review

Instant Checkmate searches a wide variety of records to offer relatively comprehensive reports (Image credit: Instant Checkmate)

Instant Checkmate is a comprehensive online tool designed to help users search for individuals by entering their name, city, and state. In addition to name searches, the platform offers a reverse phone lookup feature, allowing users to identify unknown callers.

The service focuses exclusively on public records, meaning that all the information provided is available through other sources. However, Instant Checkmate is notable for its expansive reach, compiling a wide array of data in its reports. This includes details about owned properties, vehicles registered, past addresses, family connections, marriages, and bankruptcy filings. Furthermore, the platform can inform users if the individual in question is a registered sex offender, holds a gun license, or has any reported criminal, arrest, or traffic records.

It's crucial to understand that Instant Checkmate does not comply with the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). Therefore, it should not be relied upon for conducting background checks for employment purposes or rental applications, as it may not provide the legal protections or standards required for such processes.

Instant Checkmate: interface and in use

The user experience on Instant Checkmate can be somewhat cumbersome. Initiating a search is straightforward: you simply input the relevant information about the person in the search bar on the homepage. However, as you proceed, expect to encounter a series of pop-up prompts requesting additional details to help refine your results. These prompts may ask for information such as the gender of the individual you’re searching for and the names of known relatives.

During this process, users are often bombarded with warnings that graphic content may be included in the search results. These alerts are repetitive, with users potentially encountering up to five such notifications before being granted access to the report. While warning users about potentially sensitive content is important, the frequency and intensity of these alerts can feel excessive and somewhat distracting, detracting from the overall user experience.

As part of the registration process, you’ll need to provide your name and email address, and you will be required to consent to receive promotional emails from Instant Checkmate, which could be viewed as an annoyance by some users.

Instant Checkmate review

Instant Checkmate requires you to click through a large number of pop-ups before you can access a report (Image credit: Instant Checkmate)

The experience does improve once you finally access a report. Users can expect to find primarily accurate information, although some mistakes can occur, particularly regarding address details. One noteworthy feature is that criminal records are accompanied by a likelihood score, serving as a reminder that while Instant Checkmate strives to provide accurate data, it can’t guarantee its correctness.

Overall, while Instant Checkmate offers a wealth of information that can be valuable, the user experience could benefit from a more streamlined process and fewer interruptions.

Play Store Listing

Instant Checkmate offers a mobile app for Android but not one for iOS (Image credit: Google)

Instant Checkmate: mobile app

Instant Checkmate offers an Android app, but it does not have an iOS app, which is a drawback since iOS is another widely used smartphone platform. Users on the Google Play Store have given the app a high rating of 4.4 out of 5 stars. They praise its ease of use and the accuracy of the data, although some users have expressed frustration with the login process and noted that the information provided lacks depth.

Instant Checkmate review

Instant Checkmate’s site includes several how-to videos to help you set up an account (Image credit: Instant Checkmate)

Instant Checkmate: support

Instant Checkmate provides support via phone and email from 10 AM to 10 PM Eastern Time, Monday through Friday. If you encounter issues signing up for the service or locating a report, you can visit the online help center, which offers tutorial videos and answers to frequently asked questions. Additionally, canceling your Instant Checkmate subscription is straightforward and can be done at any time.

However, it's important to note that Instant Checkmate lacks additional support options, such as chat or a user portal, which are available in similar services.

Another significant advantage of Instant Checkmate is that it makes it easy to remove your information from its search database. Unlike many other people search tools that obscure this option, the opt-out request link is conveniently located in the footer of the Instant Checkmate website. Typically, your data is removed within two days after you submit an opt-out request.

Instant Checkmate review

Instant Checkmate’s website is secured with Norton Symantec (Image credit: Instant Checkmate)

Instant Checkmate: security

Instant Checkmate’s website is secured with Norton Symantec, and all payment data is transferred using 256-bit encryption. Since all of the information on the site is available through public records, there’s relatively little emphasis on keeping reports secure. The connection is also a secure SSL connection that uses “A private and safe 128-bit encrypted connection.”

Instant Checkmate: the competition

Instant Checkmate is one of the most reliable people search tools available. However, it tends to be more expensive compared to competitors like US Search. If your budget allows, choose Instant Checkmate, as the information provided is generally much more accurate than what you'll find with US Search.

If you require a Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) compliant background check, you might want to consider other services like GoodHire or Checkr. Both platforms are considerably more expensive and charge on a per-search basis, but their data is suitable for use in employment and rental application decisions.

Instant Checkmate: final verdict

Instant Checkmate is an accessible and budget-friendly people search tool that offers a wealth of information to users. One of its standout features is the extensive range of data available, surpassing many similar services in the market. From basic contact information to more in-depth records, it provides a comprehensive overview of individuals, making it a valuable resource for anyone looking to reconnect with old friends, conduct background checks, or gather information for various reasons.

However, the user experience can be somewhat frustrating due to the cumbersome process involved in accessing reports. Subscribers often find themselves navigating through numerous pop-up ads and promotional screens before reaching the final results, which can be overly tedious and detracts from what is otherwise a straightforward search experience. This issue persists even for paying members, which could be disappointing for users who expect a smoother service.

Despite these annoyances, Instant Checkmate remains relatively user-friendly once you get past the initial hurdles. The platform typically delivers complete and accurate results, making it a worthwhile option for those who prioritize thoroughness over seamless navigation. For users willing to endure the pop-up barrage, Instant Checkmate can be an effective tool for uncovering detailed personal information. Overall, it balances affordability and depth of data, making it a notable choice in the realm of people search services.

We've also highlighted the best people search finder and best background check services for individuals.

Soda PDF Online
8:10 pm | August 18, 2022

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro Software & Services | Tags: | Comments: Off

As its name suggests, Soda PDF Online is an online PDF editor available for any device and ready to let users edit, alter, manipulate, and otherwise personalize PDF files. We've long been fans of Soda PDF, which has consistently ranked among the best PDF editors we've tested. We put the latest version to the test, to see if it still deserves a download.

Soda PDF Online: Pricing

  • Simple subscription options

Soda PDF Online during our review process

You have numerous options open to you when it comes to editing a PDF (Image credit: Soda PDF)

Like almost all of the best PDF editors we've tested, this one is a subscription-only service. The plans have been expanded upon since last we looked at it, and it now features three different tiers: Standard, Pro, and Business.

Standard gets you the basic tools, such as View, Convert, and Edit. These will allow you to perform many actions, including altering the original text of a PDF, adding images and additional content, splitting PDFs, merging them, and such like. All of this for $12.59 / £10 a month.

The best tools are kept for Pro. These include OCR search, eSign and forms capabilities, adding comments, the ability to secure PDFs, and batch processing. This plan will set you back $15.10 / £12 a month.

Finally, Business expands upon Pro by allowing you to edit any OCR document, introduces phone support, as well as Windows, Mac and Linux deployment, for $20.14 / £16 a month.

Annual subscriptions are also available. In our experience, these prices feel middle of the road for such tools. There are cheaper alternatives, like EaseUS, and more expensive ones, such as Foxit. 

You can also try the service out for free by clicking here, to see if it’s right for you. 

  • Pricing: 3.5/5

Soda PDF Online: Interface

Soda PDF Online during our review process

Open a document to reveal all tools available to you to edit it to its fullest (Image credit: Soda PDF)
  • Clean, versatile, you choose the way you want to work.

As soon as you begin a free trial from the homepage, you’ll be instantly immersed in the interface. No request for contact details, no demands for your credit card info. That’s definitely a huge plus.

The UI doesn’t give you much to work with as long as you haven’t opened a document. You can do so by clicking on the blue ‘Upload File’ button, top right of the interface. From there you have access to your computer’s file system, as well as your Dropbox and OneDrive accounts. Note that you can only upload one document at a time, which could be frustrating if you have a lot of work to do.

A sidebar on the left offers you three choices: access to all the files you’ve uploaded to Soda PDF, the Edit section (selected by default once a document has been opened), and Translate, which lets you translate a file into one of seven languages, including Russian, Spanish and French.

We’re not experts in most languages, but we did check out the results of translating an English document into French and it was, for the most part, perfectly acceptable. More than good enough to get the gist of the content. Plus it’s as easy to edit the results as it is to modify the original document. Soda PDF also automatically creates a new document for your translation, making sure the original is never affected by such an action.

Taking a look at the ‘Edit’ section, you’ll find all the tools you’re after in a toolbar at the top. Clicking on some activates a drop down menu to reveal additional options. Everything you need is there, from adding new text boxes or images, freehand drawing on the page, adding various shapes, creating forms, performing an OCR pass, organising your document (such as rotating, duplicating or deleting pages), as well as cropping, compressing, merging and converting a file.

Top right of the interface is an AI assistant, and an export feature which lets you download, email, or print your PDF, and at the very top you have zooming in and out buttons, a search field, and undo and redo buttons, among others.

  • Interface: 5/5

Soda PDF Online: Tools

Soda PDF Online during our review process

You can translate your document into one of seven different languages (Image credit: Soda PDF)
  • A large selection of tools, easy to access and use

Using any of the tools described above is as easy as clicking on it and then clicking somewhere on the page to apply it. You then have complete editorial control over this new object. But that’s not all. You might’ve noticed there aren’t any obvious tools to edit a PDF’s existing content. But that’s because you don’t need any: simply double-click on a paragraph to give you the ability to alter it at will. Not only that, you can even resize and reposition the text box.

We didn’t have as much success with images that had a URL embedded in them. If we were to click on them, we’d be taken to the webpage in question rather than being able to edit the image itself. Basic images with no such link, were just as easy to resize and reposition as the text we worked on above.

Soda PDF Online also lets you design forms that can be filled in by others, and you have many tools at your disposal to merge multiple documents into one, insert or extract pages, replace them or move them around.

And of course, you’re able to create a PDF document from scratch, either starting with a blank page, converting an existing document into a PDF, or even based on data saved in your computer’s clipboard.

If you’re looking for tools that don’t appear within this interface, go back to Soda PDF’s main page, click on ‘More Tools’ at the top, and ‘View all tools’. You’ll be graced with a long list of features, including, among others, the ability to convert HTML to PDF. Now, Macs have a system-wide feature that allows them to do this straight out of the box of course, but PC users will appreciate this very well-implemented feature. We tried it on a variety of web sites, even pages that competing services struggled with, and Soda PDF’s results were most impressive.

And finally, we thought we’d take a quick look at Soda PDF’s AI tools - yes, AI’s got to Soda too. Click on ‘AI Assistant’ to analyse your documents. After which you’ll be offered a series of questions based on its content. Think on it as a quick summarisation tool. And you’re not limited to the questions the AI came up with: you’re also able to ask your own.

  • Tools: 4.5/5

Should I buy...?

Soda PDF Online during our review process

Can’t see a tool you’re after, like converting HTML to PDF? Check out all the tools via Soda PDF’s homepage (Image credit: Soda PDF)

Buy it if...

You're a PDF power-user
If you need to work with PDFs, frequently have to alter these documents without having to go back to the original application that made them, and you are required to do all this no matter which device you currently have at hand.

Don't buy it if...

You need an offline PDF reader
You need offline access to your tool, or are just looking for a means to read and print PDF documents.

Alternatives

PDF Candy is one of the best free online PDF editors out there. It houses an impressive 47 different tools for making your documents the way you want them - including 29 PDF converter tools. It's delightfully easy to use, but free users are limited to performing one task an hour.

I Love PDF is a stellar free online PDF tool that hosts plenty of document manipulation actions. In our review, we praised the online service for its simplicity and range of features, despite not being a fully fledged PDF editor.

Foxit PDF Editor is one of the best PDF editors you can buy, and an excellent alternative to Adobe Acrobat DC. When we reviewed the product, we discovered "a great app for businesses who need to manipulate, edit, redact and otherwise alter PDFs on a regular basis."

PDF Candy review
7:55 pm | August 5, 2022

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro Software & Services | Tags: | Comments: Off

PDF Candy is an online PDF editor that offers a wealth of tools to - you guessed it - edit PDFs online for free (with some limits - see below). And by ‘wealth’, we mean an impressive 49 tools, including editing, merging, compressing, rearranging, and protecting files. The service is delightfully simple to use, although as with most free PDF editing tools, an upgrade is needed to unlock its full potential.

How does the latest version of this online tool compare to the best PDF editor and best free PDF editor software out there? We put it to the test.

PDF Candy: Pricing & plans

PDF Candy during our review process

You can subscribe to PDF Candy monthly, yearly, or grab yourself a perpetual license (Image credit: PDF Candy)
  • Fair, free, with flexible payment upgrades

Users can freely access the tools via the browser PDF Candy Web - and there’s no restriction to which tools you can use - although you can only perform one task an hour, making the free version ideal for minimal or irregular PDF editing (or sloths). At least it's more generous than SmallPDF's one-task-per-day restriction.

Should you attempt to perform another task within the hour, a handy, if somewhat threatening, red countdown timer tells you how long you’ll have to wait.

Removing this time-lock requires a monthly or annual subscription - doing so also increases file size limits, too.

The lifetime license - a one-off payment - opens up PDF Candy, as well as offering a desktop PDF editor download free for Windows.

You can also get a yearly subscription for both the web and desktop versions for $4 a month (it’s advertised as usually being $18 monthly). If you’d rather not be tied down to a yearly contract, you can use the web version for $6 a month. Alternatively, you can purchase a perpetual licence for both the web and desktop versions for $99, which is slightly more than subscribing for 2 years.

  • Pricing: 4/5

PDF Candy: Interface & experience

PDF Candy during our review process

All of PDF Candy’s tools are displayed on this page (Image credit: PDF Candy)
  • PDF Candy could not be simpler to use

Using PDF Candy is child’s play. Literally. The ability to grasp a mouse and discern an icon is all that’s needed to get started.

When you first hit the homepage, you’ll find a bold ‘action’ button to add files from your desktop, or use third-party cloud storage services, Dropbox and Google Drive. Depending on the tool you use, this will slightly vary, but layout and workflow remains largely the same.

Dragging files onto the action button offers you a choice of the six most popular tools: convert a PDF, Compress it, Edit it, Merge it with others, Split it, or Delete pages. If those aren’t what you’re after, beneath that action button is the full list of tools offered by PDF Candy - including rearrange pages, and image and office doc conversion to PDF. Icons are big, bold, streamlined and uniquely identifiable in design - so you can generally find what you need if you know what you’re looking for.

If there’s a flaw here, it’s the lack of categorization. There’s no clear basis for their default order - it’s not alphabetical, for example. The first 14 are the ‘popular’ tools, and the rest seem to have been ordered by the designer’s preference.

There’s a search field at the top of the page which can help you find a tool quickly, and it’s also possible to ‘favorite’ a tool, which will make it appear first in the ‘popular’ or ‘other’ list after a page refresh.

That strong, simple interface extends once you dive into any of the tools. PDF Candy never leaves you in doubt as to what to do and what to expect.

  • Interface & experience: 5/5

PDF Candy: Editing

PDF Candy during our review process

Editing a PDF is as powerful as it is easy with PDF Candy (Image credit: PDF Candy)
  • As easy as using a word processor

Editing PDF files online is as effortless as every other function in PDF Candy. Key tools run along a left sidebar, and, as with elsewhere, the icons leave you in no doubt what each button does.

Editing text in a PDF file isn’t a million miles away from editing a word processor document. Open up the PDF editor, highlight a word, line, or paragraph, then you’re free to replace it with your own content.

Alternatively, by clicking anywhere in the document, you can begin writing in the text box, before dragging it into position. You’ll also gain a handful of controls over the appearance, but it’s fairly lacking. You can’t even change the typeface, although you have the basics, such as bolding, italicising, resizing, and a choice of 10 colors.

Whiteout is a useful tool for hiding sensitive data from a PDF file - although, once exported, you might be unpleasantly surprised to realise you can still select this hidden text. It’s a great tool when printing out a document, but not when sharing it digitally. It you need proper redaction, where compliance weighs heavy on your mind, we still prefer Foxit PDF Editor.

The included eSign software works very well, offering three options for adding signatures to documents: via text, image upload, or drawing it with your mouse. And you only need to create this once. Your signature will then be saved, to be used across other documents (and you can add more if required).

  • Editing: 4/5

PDF Candy: Conversion

PDF Candy during our review process

PDF Candy has a wealth of tools that allow you convert documents to and from the PDF format (Image credit: PDF Candy)
  • Packs an incredible 34 PDF conversion tools

PDF Candy boasts the ability to convert documents in just one click. And in our experience, the platform delivers on this promise. The only (admittedly optional) exception is when converting images to PDF and vice versa, where you can also select the image quality.

After waiting 15 seconds for the tool to process the document, a rapid-fire conversion takes place. Once converted, you can download or immediately open the document into another tool to make further alterations, such as merging PDFs or compressing PDF files.

But the real draw here is the sheer number of PDF converter options. There are 34 ‘convert to PDF’ tools, including Word to PDF, Excel to PDF, and PowerPoint to PDF. There's even an option for Pages, the Apple format, although this feels somewhat superfluous as converting any file format to PDF has been baked into the Mac since the launch of macOS X, all the way back in 2001. There are also options for converting images and popular eReader formats to PDF.

On the flip side, ‘convert from PDF’ has 17 tools, such as PDF to Word, PDF to JPG, and PDF to Excel. If you find yourself regularly converting to and from PDF, you'll find a lot of utility in PDF Candy.

  • Conversion: 5/5

PDF Candy: Extra features

PDF Candy during our review process

PDF Candy boasts a large number of tools, including the ability to fill in forms and sign them (Image credit: PDF Candy)
  • Loaded with bonus tools you didn't know you need

So, PDF Candy nails down the basics. Here’s a platform that offers everything most PDF users will need to get the job done. But it doesn’t end there.

Beyond editing, converting, and otherwise altering pages, the free online PDF editor also features the ability to encrypt and password-protect files, edit a document’s metadata, and add watermarks to PDF files. And, as expected by this point, everything is equally easy to use.

PDF OCR was startlingly accurate - ‘reading’ text in a PDF and exporting it to a .TXT file. The formatting may not match what’s on the page, but the content itself was precise. Depending on the amount of ‘unreadable’ images you have in the document, wait times will vary.

Also available are Image Candy and Video Candy, the company’s free online image editor and video editor respectively. Like PDF Candy, these editors have a good selection of tools, such as removing backgrounds, watermarking images, and even generating memes, on the image side of things, or changing speed, adding music or even creating a slideshow, with the video editor. Using them is just as easy as its document management suite.

  • Extra features: 5/5

PDF Candy: Scorecard

Should I buy?

PDF Candy during our review process

If you feel PDF Candy’s one-hour-per-task limit is a hindrance, you'll need to subscribe (Image credit: PDF Candy)

Buy it if...

You’re a casual user who needs a free PDF editor online
If you're unfazed by the one-task-per-hour limit, PDF Candy is ideal. It's totally free, all tools are available, and it's simply a delight to use.

You’re a power-user on Windows
With an upgrade to the lifetime license, PDF Candy unlocks the Windows desktop app and removes restrictions, making it ideal for heavier workloads.

Don't buy it if...

You’re a power-user who needs a free PDF editor
If you're a heavy PDF user on a budget, PDF Candy won't measure up. The hour-long wait just doesn't lend itself to workflow efficiencies.

You’re on Mac and want a desktop app
You can use PDF Candy Web on any device - Windows, Mac, mobiles, and tablets. But the desktop app is only available for PC.

Alternatives

Adobe Acrobat Standard: best overall
Our top choice for best PDF editor is Adobe Acrobat - an incredibly powerful, premium subscription tool. The advanced functions mean the experience can be initially overwhelming. But it's ideal of PDF power-users. After reviewing the software, we noted that "sometimes, the best solution on the market has its reputation for a reason."View Deal

PDF24 Creator: best for free
PDF24 Creator is our choice for best free PDF editor. In our 5-star review, we felt it "gets the job done, and it does so with minimal hassle. The application works fast, and is reliable enough to be your main PDF editor if you need to do this kind of work on a daily basis. It’s also perfect for making small occasional edits here and there."View Deal

Apple Preview: best for Mac
Apple Preview is an excellent free PDF editor - sort of. it's not fully fledged like Acrobat, or even PDF Candy, but it gets the basics of PDF manipulation right. In our review, we found it "should be able to cater to all but the most demanding PDF road warriors." Better still, it comes preinstalled on Macs. View Deal

Nitro PDF Pro 14 review
6:04 pm | August 3, 2022

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro Software & Services | Tags: | Comments: Off

Editor's note

  • Original review date: November 2024
  • Issues with editing PDF content and line-spacing now fixed
  • Prices have risen

Update - November 2025: In re-reviewing Nitro PDF, the latest version addresses one of the biggest issues we had with this software.

Originally, we were underwhelmed by the software's ability to seamlessly edit the content on an original PDF document. We even made a point of mentioning the issue with line spacing when altering the text. We're happy to report that's now been fixed (and we've removed it from the list of Cons above). Editing PDFs now feels much more consistent and intuitive.

Elsewhere, the feature-set and workflow remain the same. But there is one more big change: the price. And it's not an insignificant increase, either. Bumping the monthly cost from $11.24 to $15 is a hefty hike (jumping from $135 a year to a whopping $180), which sends this software to the top end of its market. Ouch.

Original review follows.

Nitro PDF Pro - now there’s a name that packs a powerful punch. The PDF editor is positioned as an essential tool for small businesses and individuals, and includes a mass of must-have features, like PDF conversions, eSignatures, OCR. Ideal, then, for improving workflow efficiencies and productivity within a single tool.

Available for Windows and Mac, there’s also a version of the PDF editor app for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch. But how does the latest version measure up to the best PDF editor software we've used? We put it to the test.

Nitro PDF Pro 14: Pricing & plans

Nitro PDF Pro 14 during our review

Nitro PDF offers both a one-off purchase or a subscription service (Image credit: Nitro)
  • One-time purchase with volume licensing available

There’s been a few changes since the release of version 14 of Nitro PDF Pro, not least of which is its pricing structure. Don’t worry: if you’re not a fan of subscription services (you know you’re in trouble when car manufacturers are starting to get in on the act), and that aversion is driving you to find the best Adobe Acrobat alternatives: this multi-platform PDF editor can still be purchased outright for the one-off fee of $180.

Yes, that’s not cheap, and you have to pay for every device you want to use this software on. Whether you need a PDF editor for Mac or Windows, the price per licence is the same. It's a far cry from the best free PDF editors available, for sure.

However, you now also have the option of subscribing to the service for $11.24 per user, per month. This ends up being roughly $135 for the year for each person.

Whichever path you wish to take, you’re offered a 14-day free trial, no credit card required (although you do need to set up a free account and give Nitro a valid email address, which has been pretty much de rigueur for most online services for a while now). So hop on over to www.gonitro.com, and let’s check it out.

  • Pricing: 4/5

Nitro PDF Pro 14: Interface & experience

Nitro PDF Pro 14 during our review

Nitro PDF Pro’s interface is clean and simple, only taking up space on the edges of the interface, letting you focus on your document (Image credit: Nitro)
  • Clean and doesn’t get in the way

Launch the software, open up an existing PDF, and Nitro PDF Pro’s interface is revealed to you.

The layout is quite clear and simple: all the tools you need are at the top, in a row of large icons showcasing the main tools, with a toolbar underneath, displaying additional ones (which are grayed out if the selected main tool doesn’t support that feature).

There’s a sidebar on the left hand side, which displays by default thumbnails of all your PDFs’ pages, but you can change that to show other useful information, such as your annotations, or any included attachments, among others.

  • Interface & experience: 4/5

Nitro PDF Pro 14: Tools

Nitro PDF Pro 14 during our review

You can edit the actual content of an existing PDF, but keep an eye on the formatting if you rewrite too much (Image credit: Nitro)
  • Pretty much everything you need to annotate and alter a PDF

The purpose of Nitro PDF Pro is to allow you to make alterations to PDF documents, and it comes with all the tools you might expect.

Take online collaboration, for instance. You have at your disposal many ways to leave notes on pages. There’s a highlight tool which allows you to mark text in a variety of colors. You’ll find four default shades, with the ability to create three custom ones should you so wish. You’re also able to underline, strikethrough, or add a squiggle under any part of the PDF you’re working on.

All of this is most useful, but it can be hard to convey exactly what changes you want to see with a bit of a highlighter and some lines over the text. That’s where the Annotate tools come in.

Here, various text boxes reside, from just a plain box, to a comment, a thought bubble, a note (think of it as a collapsible post-it note), and a few others. More than enough for you to populate a PDF with as many comments as you need in order to convey what you need changed to other team members.

Editing the content of an existing PDF is also possible, of course, using the ‘Correct Text’ tool. Select a word, a sentence, or multiple paragraphs, and that tool will transform your selection into a changeable text box.

We did encounter an issue with the PDFs we experimented with: turning a section into editable text affected the line spacing, often making the paragraph overlap the following one. We tried with multiple PDFs. We encountered the same problem with each of them.

Although there are many tools available to modify text, like changing its color, italicizing it, changing its alignment, etc, we couldn’t find one that altered the line spacing. There are other competing software that do a better job at preserving the look of a document, like EaseUS PDF Editor.

  • Tools: 4/5

Nitro PDF Pro 14: Document creation

Nitro PDF Pro 14 during our review

Converting a PDF to another format offers you numerous options (Image credit: Nitro)
  • Start from scratch and convert into other formats

Altering PDFs is one thing, but like so many others, Nitro PDF Pro lets you create documents from scratch, using all the tools mentioned above, and more besides. This even includes form building, something Adobe Acrobat can struggle to present. This is a useful addition as it allows you to stay within a single app when working on all things PDF.

But people don’t always work within one PDF editor app, and that’s where Nitro’s format conversion comes into its own.

Like similar PDF editing software - think Foxit PDF Editor or Readdle PDF Expert - Nitro PDF Pro can convert PDFs into other formats, and vice versa.

However, it doesn’t do this via a dedicated ‘Convert’ command. Instead, the process is a lot more intuitive: need to convert Word to PDF? Go to File > Open, locate it, and Nitro will convert it automatically for you as it opens up in the software.

Nitro PDF Pro is compatible with a wide variety of file formats, including images. When it encounters a file with no selectable text within it, it will offer to initiate the OCR (Optical Character Recognition) process. Select the language the document is in, and Nitro will get to work. We found the results very acceptable, and of course, they are editable.

Should you need to convert a PDF into a different format, just go to File > Export. You have a few options at your disposal, such as Microsoft Office files - Nitro is a easily one of the best PDF to Excel converters and PDF to PowerPoint converters on the market. There’s also RTF, TXT, a handful of image formats, and PDF/A - which is used for archival purposes.

This is not all you can do with Nitro PDF Pro of course: there are other features, which include being able to merge PDFs together from emails to text files to spreadsheets, condensing them into a single, searchable PDF), digitally eSign documents, and create tables of content.

  • Document creation: 4/5

Nitro PDF Pro 14: Scorecard

Pricing

No subscriptions - just a one-off perpetual license

4/5

Interface & experience

Clean, modern, and simple to use

4/5

Tools

Has just about everything you need to edit and annotate documents

4/5

PDF creation

Excellent creation and conversion tools

4/5

Should I buy Nitro PDF Pro 14?

Nitro PDF

(Image credit: Nitro)

Buy it if...

You need a feature-rich PDF editor
Nitro PDF Pro offers you many tools you would need to edit, annotate or even create a PDF document from scratch. You can bring in documents straight from your scanner, and its OCR capabilities are excellent. If you or your business often need to alter and annotate PDF documents, it might be worth downloading the free trial version and check it out.

Don't buy it if...

You're a casual user or your needs are simple
If your needs are simpler, and you only want to browse through a PDF, then Nitro PDF Pro risks being overkill. It might also not be ideal with you like to edit the content of a PDF without altering its formatting, especially the line spacing.

Alternatives

Adobe Acrobat Standard
The original remains, in our opinion, the top choice for best PDF editor out there. It's rich with features and tools for editing, converting, and organizing all your PDF documents. The workflow and user experience is sublime once you get past the initially overwhelming interface. In our review, we couldn't help but not that "sometimes, the best solution on the market has its reputation for a reason."View Deal

Foxit PDF Editor
"Manipulate PDFs in style with a great multi-platform PDF editor" was how we kicked off our review of Foxit's excellent PDF editor. It's packed full of powerful tools, including an outstanding data redaction tool. Ultimately, we found it to be "a great app for businesses who need to manipulate, edit, redact and otherwise alter PDFs on a regular basis."View Deal

EaseUS PDF Editor
EaseUS PDF Editor offers much of what Nitro does, although you have the choice of a perpetual license or taking out a subscription. When we tested the product, we found "a powerful, PC-only PDF editing software tool that allows you to manipulate and alter documents with relative ease. It also comes with more standard features, such as a converter, and has good OCR capabilities."View Deal

For additional PDF editing software, we reviewed the best Adobe Acrobat alternatives you can download right now.

Foxit PDF Editor review
3:52 pm | July 29, 2022

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro Software & Services | Tags: , , | Comments: Off

Editor's note

  • Original review date: November 2024
  • No major changes
  • Prices have slightly risen

Update - November 2025: Every time we go back to Foxit PDF Editor, we're reminded just how good it is, especially when it comes to editing a PDF’s existing text. Being able to link text boxes together so your writing flows from one to the other as you write brings PDF editing as close to working with a word processor as you can get. It's so good, it's worth repeating and praising here once more.

After a re-review, we haven’t noticed any major changes. The app remains smooth and responsive, and is still one of the best out there.

As for its cost, well, inflation affects everything, and you can now subscribe to PDF Editor for $130 a year ($10.83 a month), or Editor+ for $160 ($13.33 a month).

Original review follows.

Editing PDFs can be very important for businesses - and a limited PDF editor will stifle productivity and slam the brakes on otherwise efficient workflows. 

Foxit’s PDF Editor sidesteps all of that, and more besides, making it easier to tweak an existing document. No more going back to the software where the file was originally created, performing the changes, exporting it as a PDF, only to discover another problem and go through the whole process again.  

We took the latest version of this software out for testing, to see how it compares to the best PDF editors we've reviewed.

Foxit PDF Editor: Pricing

Foxit PDF Editor during our review process

You can choose from two subscription services - ‘+’ is aimed more at businesses (Image credit: Foxit)
  • Flexible pricing with free trials, monthly & annual subscription, and perpetual licenses

Foxit’s PDF editing software comes in two editions: PDF Editor, and PDF Editor+. 

PDF Editor is the cheapest option. It’s designed to work on the web and on Desktop computers (be they Mac or Windows), includes an AI assistant, advanced editing capabilities, the ability to  convert PDFs to Microsoft formats, it can scans files and OCR them, it can compare two versions of a document to review all differences, and offers the ability to password protect PDFs. You can have this for $110 a year, or $11 when billed monthly.

PDF Editor+ is aimed more at professionals and businesses and as such includes more advanced features, including the ability to sign documents (which includes legally binding signatures), request signatures, and track responses in real time, allows you to redact sensitive information, and grants you access to Foxit on your iOS or Android device. This will cost you $140 a year or $14 a month.

There are no free versions of Foxit PDF Editor, although you can try Editor+ free for 14 days. For alternatives, we reviewed the best free PDF editors

You can check out Foxit PDF editor by clicking here

  • Pricing: 4/5

Foxit PDF Editor: Interface & experience

Foxit PDF Editor during our review process

The interface is easy to understand, only revealing the tools you need as you require them (Image credit: Foxit)
  • A clean, easy to understand interface

The interface is quite simple, with a row of commands at the top, representing different aspects of the work you wish to carry out, such as ‘Edit’, ‘Convert’, ‘Protect’ and ‘Share’. 

Click on any of them and the row of icons beneath it changes to display the tools suited for the selected action. The interface is well organized, only showing you the tools you need when you require them. If you're looking for a less overwhelming alternative to Adobe's Acrobat software, Foxit may serve you very well. 

If you just opened the app, you’ll also see some ‘Tool Wizards’ in the middle of the interface, which allow you to quickly access frequently performed actions, namely ‘Edit PDF’ and ‘Merge PDF’.

  • Interface & experience: 5/5

Foxit PDF Editor: Editing

Foxit PDF Editor during our review process

Connect the various text boxes together to create a seamless flow when editing their content (Image credit: Foxit)
  • Almost as easy as using a regular word processor

Should you need to make changes to an existing PDF, you need to take a trip to the ‘Edit’ section - which is actually automatically selected once you open a document.

You’ll find your PDF is divided into text boxes, which can be selected, moved around and resized at will. The text contained within one will automatically reflow as you alter its size. This also happens when you alter the content of these boxes.

You might notice that the main body of the document will likely be split up into multiple such text boxes, making editing a bit of a pain, as words won’t automatically flow from one box to another. However, Foxit has solved that problem with its ‘Link & Join Text’ feature.

Select it, then click (in order) the boxes you wish to connect together. Once done, go back to your editing, and you’ll be able to write seamlessly through the boxes.

When it comes to text tools, you have the basics you’d expect from any word processor. You’re able to change the font, its size, color and alignment. Bold, italics, underline, strikethrough, and so on, are also available, as are options to alter character, line and paragraph spacing, and character scale.

Foxit PDF editor pretty much covers most, if not all, the functions you’d need to make your necessary changes. There’s even a built-in spellchecker. It is the most versatile, flexible and extensive PDF editor we’ve yet come across. 

  • Editing: 5/5

Foxit PDF Editor: Conversions

Foxit PDF Editor during our review process

The conversion process from a webpage to PDF sounds great, but it failed for complex webpages (Image credit: Foxit)
  • Convert data from one file format to another

Foxit PDF Editor can also help you convert documents into other file formats, such as Office docs like PDF to Word, PDF to PowerPoint, and PDF to Excel. You can also convert RTF, plain text, HTML and even various image formats. This level of flexibility is great should you need to extract the content of the PDF to create something new based on it.

This conversion process works in the opposite direction too, allowing you to convert files like Word to PDF. You have options to convert from an existing file, from your scanner, based on copied data stored in your computer’s clipboard, or even convert HTML to PDF.

The latter sounded interesting but we encountered some problems: we tried converting www.techradar.com, www.apple.com, and even www.microsoft.com, but we only got various errors for our troubles. It seems it might only work for less complex, less animation heavy, less processing-in-the-background pages.

Regarding the scanner option, it’s great that Foxit PDF Editor can connect directly to your device. You can even choose for the software to automatically perform an OCR pass automatically, enabling you to edit as soon as the process is done.

This OCR software functionality isn’t restricted to the scanning process, meaning that you can use it to convert any scanned PDF in your possession. You’re given two main options: turn the scanned image into a searchable one (meaning you can use the search field to find specific text only), or convert the file to make the text editable. We found the results to be pretty good.

  • Conversions: 4/5

Foxit PDF Editor: Online collaboration

Foxit PDF Editor during our review process

Foxit PDF Editor has many useful annotation tools for collaborative work (Image credit: Foxit)
  • Work as a team, thanks to a long list of annotating tools

As Foxit PDF Editor is aimed at businesses, it stands to reason that you’ll find online collaboration tools. These are located in the ‘Comment’ section. 

From there, you and your team are able to highlight text (with multiple colour choices), link said highlighted section to a note, add a free floating note, strikeout, replace, or insert text, draw shapes, and more. There are many options here to make sure other members of your team know exactly which changes need to happen.

  • Online collaboration: 4/5

Foxit PDF Editor: Data redaction

Foxit PDF Editor during our review process

Foxit PDF Editor comes with many powerful redacting tools (Image credit: Foxit)
  • Keep sensitive information away from prying eyes

Businesses need to protect their information. In certain industries, it’s absolutely imperative to stay compliant with global data laws - with the threat of operational, financial, and reputational damage hanging over any firm that doesn’t treat data security seriously. 

There are basic ways to redact information, usually by placing a black box over sensitive data, but if it’s not done right, you can still select, copy and paste what was supposed to be restricted. 

Foxit PDF Editor doesn’t work like that. 

The tools for this job reside in the ‘Protect’ section. From there. You could use ‘Whiteout’, for instance. This is a simple one: click and drag the section you wish to delete, and it’s permanently removed from the document. You can’t even undo this. It’s also not possible to see if any info was there in the first place.

Another option is the ‘Mark for Redaction’ tool. This allows you to select text to be blacked out. You have more control than the Whiteout tool, although you don’t appear to have the ability to edit your selection (undoing your action is possible though). Once you’re ready, click on ‘Apply Redaction’, and after confirming this, the chosen content is no longer selectable or editable (or undoable).

It’s a powerful tool which also allows you to perform search and redact options, automatically looking through the document for a specific word for instance, or instructing Foxit PDF Editor to redact all phone numbers or emails in the file.

  • Redactions: 5/5

Foxit PDF Editor: AI

Foxit PDF Editor during our review process

Is Foxit’s AI genie an ideal addition to your workflow, or just another gimmick? (Image credit: Foxit)
  • AI is one of those features you need to try to see if it’ll work for you… or if it’ll be as useful as a MacBook Pro’s Touch Bar

It seems software isn’t software these days without some kind of AI creeping into the code, and Foxit PDF Editor is no exception. The latest version comes with an AI-Assistant, which can help you in various ways, such as being able to summarise a document, rewrite it, translate it into over 30 languages, and if you’re not sure how to do something, ask it a question, and it will come up with instructions on how to perform the action you’re struggling to perform. 

However, interestingly enough, when we tried that feature, the AI replied to us in French, even though we asked it in English and the document in question was written in English. This glitch only happened once, mind. Maybe the AI got confused by the reviewer’s surname! 

  • AI: 3/5

Foxit PDF Editor: Scorecard

Pricing

Monthly & annual subscriptions and perpetual licenses available (software dependent)

4

Interface & experience

Clean UI, simple to find what you need

5

Editing

Incredibly simple with some clever touches

5

Conversions

Plenty of conversion tools and OCR functionality

4

Online collaboration

Good remote collaboration integration

4

Redactions

Excellent way to remove sensitive data in documents

5

Should I Buy?

Buy it if...

You need to regularly and quickly edit PDFs
Foxit PDF editor is a great tool for businesses, with flexible and fair prices - especially the perpetual license, where available, when you need to modify or edit PDFs on a regular basis. The PDF editing software even comes with a outstanding OCR capability, and being multi-platform is just icing on the cake.

Don't buy it if...

You’re a casual user
Foxit PDF Editor might be overkill though. Most people don’t need to edit the content of a PDF. And combining or splitting PDFs are functions that many traditional PDF readers even include, so shouldn’t be considered ‘Pro’ features.

Alternatives

Adobe Acrobat Standard is our top recommendation PDF editor for most people - though Foxit PDF Editor certainly gives it a run for its money, in our experience. View Deal

Apple Preview is a free PDF reader and manipulator for Macs. Coming preinstalled on Apple machines, in our review we hailed its powerful editing tools.View Deal

EaseUS PDF Editor is an impressively powerful PDF editor with plenty of tools up its sleeves. We recently re-reviewed this outstanding tool and it's still just as good as it's been for a long time. View Deal

For additional PDF editing tools, we tested out the best alternatives to Adobe Acrobat you can get right now. 

I Love PDF review
11:17 am |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro Software & Services | Tags: | Comments: Off

Editing PDFs is something you can’t easily do - most free tools just let you read the content and search for keywords. There are some services that broaden the capabilities of what you can achieve with no down payment required, and I Love PDF is one such option.  But is it still one of the best free PDF editors out there? We put it to the test. 

I Love PDF: Pricing

  • A free service with added functionality for those who subscribe 

Your first point of call is I Love PDF’s website. From there you get access to its 26 online tools, displayed in a grid-like pattern, from merging PDFs, to converting to and from Microsoft Office documents, to signing and redacting files, and more besides.

You’ll find login and signup options top right of the interface, but you don’t actually need to register to start using I Love PDF.

Although the service is free, there is a subscription option of $4 / £4 per month (billed annually at $48 / £48). You’ll find that there are some restrictions with the free service compared to the subscription one, like batch processing for instance, forcing you to convert files one at a time if you’d rather not pay. 

If your needs are modest, you’ll find the free service more than sufficient. However, the option to expand your capabilities, even downloading software so you can work offline, on a PC, Mac, Android or iOS device, enable OCR software functionality, remove adverts, and gain access to customer support, can prove valuable to those who would rather subscribe. 

You can check out I Love PDF by clicking here.

  • Pricing: 4/5

I Love PDF: Interface and experience

I Love PDF during our review process

Each tool is easy to understand, simple to use, and versatile (Image credit: I Love PDF)
  •  The interface is simple to understand and consistent throughout 

 Using I Love PDF’s available tools is pretty straightforward: you click on an icon, and add the file(s) you need to work on - whether stored on your computer or through either the Google Drive or Dropbox online storage services.

What happens next depends on your chosen tool of course: ‘Split’ for instance will display large thumbnails of the PDF’s pages on the left of the interface. You’ll find contextual options in the sidebar to the right. In this case you either get to select a range of pages, at which point I Love PDF will cut the document for you, or, more interestingly, you get to set multiple ‘Ranges’. This is where you can select any page - contiguous or not - to combine them into a separate document, or save them as individual pages.

You’ll find all tools work in that way: large icons, easy-to-understand features, and thumbnails big enough to just about make out which page you need to keep and which to discard.

Any option that isn’t available to the free service will have a yellow ‘Premium’ label next to it, making it easy to see what’s off limits.

To get out of a selected tool and return to the main menu, either select a new one from the menu bar at the top of the page, or click on the large ‘I Love PDF’ title, top left.

  • Interface & experience: 5/5

I Love PDF: Tools

I Love PDF during our review process

Signing a document has a very cool feature, as it effortlessly allows you to do so using your smartphone’s screen (Image credit: I Love PDF)
  • Some tools are implemented in a very clever way 

Out of the usual suspects for a service of this type, there were a few implementations that we quite liked.

For instance, ‘Sign PDF’. The eSign software allows you to add a signature somewhere on a PDF page. You’re given a few options on how to do this - type your name using a script font, use your laptop’s trackpad to create a digital signature, or, and this is the part we liked, choose ‘Draw from your mobile device’. 

When you select that feature, a QR code appears. Use your phone’s camera to hover over it to reveal a URL. This takes you to a special page where you can draw your signature straight on your mobile device. Once you’re done, tap on ‘Apply’, and that squiggle will be sent back to the page you’re working on on your computer, ready to use.

This is a great blending of technologies, which works seamlessly.

This feature is also used with the ‘Scan to PDF’ tool. You might find that your phone already has the capability of scanning documents with its camera, but here, once the document is scanned, it is sent right back to your I Love PDF page on your computer, ready for you to continue working from there. It’s a great feature which we enjoyed using very much.

Another one we appreciated, although somewhat lacking the wow factor of the previous one, is ‘Page Numbers’. If you need to add them to a PDF, this is a fantastic and quick way to do so: load the PDF, and you’ll be presented with a series of thumbnails for each page. Choose where the number will be displayed on the pages, and you’re done.

Yes there are other options, such as changing the number of the first page to a value other than 1, selecting how the number is displayed, its font, style, and other options, and so on. All this is an added bonus, but if you need to number the pages of a PDF document quickly and easily, this is an ideal tool.

  • Tools: 5/5

I Love PDF: PDF editing

I Love PDF during our review process

You even have the ability of editing a PDF’s existing content, moving text and images around, and even replacing them - for paying customers only (Image credit: I Love PDF)
  • From adding new text boxes, to editing a PDF’s existing content, I Love PDF can do it all

I Love PDF’s ‘Edit PDF’ tool comes in two flavours: Annotate, and Edit. Annotate is part of the tools available for free, and lets you add new text boxes, images, shapes, and even draw on the PDF document you’ve uploaded. It’s a great way to make notes, but not entirely ideal if you wanted to use the service to alter the original content, like fixing a typo for instance. 

This is where ‘Edit’ comes in. Now as you can see from its yellow premium label, this one’s only available to paying customers, but I Love PDF does let you explore its features. When a PDF is created it segregates paragraphs, images, and anything else into boxes. I Love PDF lets you manipulate these, resize them, move them around and delete them. You’re even able to alter the very words that were written, and once done, download the modified document back to your computer (you definitely have to be subscribed for that last part).

For more advanced editing, we reviewed the best PDF editors and best Adobe Acrobat alternatives.

  • PDF editing: 4/5

I Love PDF: Scorecard

Should I try?

I Love PDF during our review process

Even basic tools such as numbering a document offers you more options than you’d expect (Image credit: I Love PDF)

Try it if...

You want to see why we rated it as one of the best free PDF readers out there. I Love PDF's interface is easy to navigate, and the capabilities on offer are often only available to paying customers with competing services. 

There is a lot of clicking around though to get from one tool to another, but the proof’s in the pudding: the tools are good, they are easy to use, and you get your modified PDF in seconds. 

Don't try it if...

You don’t like the concept of working in your browser, nor of paying a subscription to get the software you can download to your computer, and would rather just use what’s available for free elsewhere.

Alternatives

Adobe Acrobat Standard is the original PDF editor - but it offers just about every tool a PDF power-user could ever need. We hailed the PDF editor app in our 5-star review, stating that "sometimes, the best solution on the market has its reputation for a reason." 

If you only need to read PDF files, Adobe Acrobat Reader is a free PDF viewer dedicated to this task. View Deal

Apple Preview is a stellar PDF reader with editing functionality. And it's totally free, coming pre-installed on all Macs. In our review, we called it "a remarkably powerful tool, offering you the basics, while also allowing you to perform what could be considered pretty powerful editing and note taking functions."View Deal

PDF24 Creator is our top choice for best free PDF editor online. When we reviewed the service, we said it "comes with everything you might need to create and edit a PDF document. PDF24 Creator is also very light on system resource usage, and can run easily on weaker machines without slowing them down."View Deal

EaseUS PDF editor review
3:28 pm | July 27, 2022

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro Software & Services | Tags: | Comments: Off

Editor's note

  • Original review date: November 2024
  • No major changes to features and workflow
  • Still not multi-platform
  • Prices the same as last year

Update - November 2025: When re-reviewing the EaseUS package, we were hoping it would see the error of its ways and make the PDF software multi-platform, like so many other apps in their portfolio. But no: it’s still PC only.

That's ok, though. It’s still as good as it was - even if it’s just for Windows users. And there have been no noticeable changes since the last time we reviewed EaseUS PDF Editor.

What was surprising was that inflation doesn’t appear to be something EaseUs believe in: the prices it charged last year are the same this year, putting the competition to shame: $50 for the year, or $19.50 on a month-by-month basis. Even the lifetime one-off cost option is the same at $80. That’s something to be congratulated.

Original review follows.

EaseUS provides a vast array of tools for both Macs and PCs from backups and data recovery to multimedia capabilities like its video editor and screen recorder. Each tool to roll out has reviewed exceptionally well on TechRadar Pro, thanks to exceptional utility and a relaxed, intuitive user experience. But how does the firm’s fare compared to the best PDF editor software available for download? We re-reviewed the latest version to find out.

EaseUS PDF Editor: Pricing and plans

  • Free but limited, monthly subscriptions, and one-off lifetime purchase available

EaseUS PDF editor offers plenty to to work with, and this obviously comes at a price. But there are actually a few options available to you on that front.

You could choose to pay nothing, but you’ll only gain access to some basic tools in what might otherwise be one of the best free PDF editors, and your exported files will be watermarked. Still it’s a great way to get a feel of the software and see if it’s right for you.

Then, you’ve got a couple of subscription options: pay monthly ($20) or yearly ($50). Both unlock all features, including unlimited file conversion, 24/7 technical support, free upgrades (as long as you keep on paying), and no watermark.

It’s obvious that paying for a year is a lot cheaper, but if you plan on using this PDF editing software regularly for the foreseeable future, then the one-off price of $80 for the ‘Lifetime’ option is incredibly attractive. It’s cheaper than 2 years on subscription (4 months if you pay monthly), and the impressive cherry on top is: you also get free upgrades for life. What’s not to like?

You can check out EaseUS by clicking here.

  • Score: 4/5

EaseUS PDF Editor: Getting started

EaseUS PDF editor during our review

Open a PDF to be taken instantly to the ‘Read’ section, but editing options are merely a top menu away (Image credit: EaseUS)
  • Simple interface for easily navigating to editing features

Launch the PDF editor app for the first time and you’ll be graced with a very sparse interface. Most of it is empty, save for a row of icons offering you various options at the top, along with a sidebar on the right. Click on the ‘Tools’ button there to have the currently empty homepage replaced with rows upon rows of icons showcasing the app’s multiple functionalities.

As it stands, the interface does exactly what you expect it to do: offer you what you need, when you need it, while getting out of the way as you work on your document.

Open an existing PDF and you’ll be brought instantly into the ‘Read’ mode, but check the top of the interface to activate any functionality you’re after, from ‘Comment’, ‘Edit’, ‘Protect’, ‘Convert’, and more. Click on any of them for a secondary menu to appear just beneath the first, giving you all the toolset for your selected action.

Take ‘Edit’ mode, for instance: click on any paragraph for it to be entirely selected. This bounding box mechanism works for any object currently on the page. You’re able to resize these boxes, move them around, and even delete them. With an entire paragraph selected by default, it’s incredibly easy to make changes to a PDF’s existing text. When you consider that many of the competition restrict your editing to a line by line basis, EaseUS PDF’s approach is much more flexible and user friendly.

You can insert and modify links into the body of your text, and even include headers and footers (a great place to add page numbers for instance). All in all, we found EaseUS PDF Editor’s interface to be surprisingly competent.

  • Score: 4/5

EaseUS PDF Editor: Editing

EaseUS PDF editor during our review

EaseUS’s PDF editing features are powerful and more versatile than most of its competition (Image credit: EaseUS)
  • Good selection of tools to convert formats or turn images into editable text

Editing PDFs might be this software’s bread and butter, but you can do so much more with it. For one thing, you’re able to convert PDFs to Excel, PDF to Word, and PDF to PowerPoint. There are even options to convert various image formats.

In the ‘Protect’ section, you’ll find various options to secure your PDF document, such as setting up a password for it, or redacting information you’d rather not divulge, but this is also where you can set up signatures, making it easy to fill in forms and sign documents digitally.

One tool we quite liked is its OCR functionality (we reviewed the best OCR software before), although we were disappointed to see that in order for it to work, you still need to convert an image to a PDF. It’s not a difficult process and EaseUS PDF Editor does allow you to convert images, like JPG or PNG to PDF, but it feels like a totally unnecessary step.

Still, once that’s done, you’ll be offered a long list of languages to choose from (English is selected by default in our version), along with a chosen format to save the output as (Word is your default option, but you can also choose TXT, Excel, Powerpoint, and PDF). Click on ‘Recognise’ and EaseUS PDF will get to work. The process doesn’t take too long - but that would obviously depend on the length of the document and your computer’s processing power.

  • Score: 5/5

EaseUS PDF Editor: Tools

EaseUS PDF editor during our review

The OCR tool works well, although you must convert your image to PDF for it to work (Image credit: EaseUS)
  • Need to trim a PDF? Expect plenty of the usual tools for that

You’ll also find the usual features here that you typically see in PDF editing software, such as PDF merger tools to combine multiple documents into one, or split a PDF, turning it into several different ones. Deleting a page is also a handful of clicks away. This is actually pretty standard fare.

One of these we enjoyed using was the crop feature, which was very well implemented. Click on the ‘Page’ menu, and select ‘Crop’ from the available list of tools. You then click and drag on the document to create a marquee selection. If you’d rather type in values, you have ‘Top’, ‘Bottom’, ‘Left’ and ‘Right’ fields for that. You also have options to crop only the selected page, a range of pages, or the whole document. Click on the ‘Crop’ button, and you’re done. This is a great way to remove unwanted sidebars for instance, letting you focus on, and keep just the essentials.

  • Score: 5/5

EaseUS PDF Editor: Note-taking

  • Various tools for when you need to work with others on a particular document

Online collaboration is important when working with a team, and EaseUS PDF Editor has you covered on that front, by allowing you to annotate your PDFs.

It’s also easy to add comments, including boxes, arrows and lines to bring attention to a particular section of the document. You’re even able to send a copy of the PDF to other team members using email.

  • Score: 4/5

EaseUS PDF editor scorecard

Pricing

Flexible range of buying options

4

Easy start

A simple interface, an occasionally convoluted experience

4

Editing tools

Impressive selection of tools for editing PDFs

5

Formatting tools

Equally impressive toolkit for formatting PDFs

5

Note-taking

Easy to add notes, comments, and annotations

4

Should I Buy?

EaseUS PDF editor during our review

The crop tool is simple, intuitive, and effective (Image credit: EaseUS)

Buy it if...

You need to regularly edit and manipulate PDF files in lots of different ways

EaseUS PDF Editor is packed full of tools allowing you total control of PDF documents, whether you're working on your own or as part of a team.

Don't buy it if...

You only need to view PDF files

EaseUS is a full PDF editor, and if you only need to view them, a PDF reader will hit the mark instead. There are many on the market - some, like Adobe Acrobat Reader DC and Apple Preview, even have minor editing capabilities, such as merging and splitting.

Also consider...

Adobe Acrobat Standard is our top choice PDF editor overall. Full of tools, features, and everything you'll ever need to manage, organize, create, and edit documents and files. But then, Adobe did create the PDF filetype. View Deal

Apple Preview is our favorite free PDF reader for Mac, and packs in a handful of editing functions for manipulating files. Best of all, it comes pre-installed on Mac computers. Earning 4 stars in our review, we said it "should be able to cater to all but the most demanding PDF road warriors."View Deal

pdfFiller is an excellent PDF editor for online collaboration, and a great choice if remote teamwork is essential. We recently re-reviewed this software, and it's still as good as it's always been. View Deal

For more PDF apps, we reviewed the best Adobe Acrobat alternatives you can get right now.

I tested Things 3 and found it a cost-effective, practical task management app for the Apple ecosystem
9:45 am | July 21, 2022

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro Software & Services | Comments: Off

Task management apps are valuable tools that boost productivity. They help individuals and teams organize and prioritize tasks. They offer a centralized hub to monitor and get reminded about crucial daily duties.

I’ve tested numerous task management apps to help readers make informed decisions. Today’s candidate is Things 3, which I rigorously tested to evaluate its pros and cons. This to-do list app offers a practical platform for organizing and prioritizing your tasks. Read on to learn about its features, customer support, user-friendliness, and how it compares to competitors.

Things 3: Plans and pricing

Things 3 has a unique pricing system. While most competitors charge annual or monthly subscriptions, Things 3 charges a one-time fee. But, you’ll have to pay separate fees to download the app on macOS, an iPhone, an iPad, and an Apple Watch.

It’s worth noting that Things 3 is only compatible with Apple’s software ecosystem. It doesn’t have a Windows desktop app or an Android mobile app, which I consider a disadvantage.

The iPhone and Apple Watch app costs $9.99. The iPad app costs $19.99, and the macOS app costs $49.99.

A roughly $10 payment for the iPhone app is fair by my standards. A $20 payment for the iPad app or $50 for the macOS app can feel expensive, but consider that it’s a one-time payment rather than a subscription.

If you use Things 3 for an extended period, the one-time fee will save you a considerable amount of money compared to paying subscription fees for a competitor. Understandably, you’ll want to test the app before paying the one-time fee; you can sign up for the 15-day free trial with all premium features unlocked.

Things 3: Features

Things 3 is a straightforward app with a wide range of features, including to-do lists, calendars, reminders, and more. However, it doesn’t offer many collaborative features, unlike some of its rivals. Let’s dive deeper into its functionalities below.

You can easily create and manage to-do lists. First, you’ll hit the “+ New List” button to name your new list. Then, clicking the “+” button in your list allows you to add a new task.

Your to-do lists on Things 3 feel like using a piece of paper with checklists. You can add details to every item, including a start date, tags, and a deadline. Of course, the app allows you to set a reminder for the task; you'll receive a push notification on the due date. You can drag and drop tasks across your dashboard, making them easy to organize and manage.

Things 3 image 1

(Image credit: Things 3)

Your reminders sync automatically on all your devices. For instance, if you have Things 3 installed on your iPhone, iPad, and MacBook, a reminder set on your iPhone will be pushed to all devices.

I also liked Things 3’s integration with Siri, which enabled me to set reminders via voice command. This feature makes the app seamless to use, as I didn’t need to type each time I wanted to add a new task. It’s one of the main highlights of using Things 3.

This app stands out by providing functionalities to sort your to-do lists. You can create headings to break up large tasks into smaller ones. You can use checklists to achieve a similar purpose. There’s a search bar that allows you to navigate to any task you’ve previously created, a valuable feature for users managing extensive lists.

Things 3

(Image credit: Things 3)

Another standout feature is Things 3’s integration with the Touch Bar on macOS. It enabled me to create new tasks by clicking a button on the Touch Bar, rather than manually opening the app and taking additional steps.

Overall, Things 3 is a feature-rich app that I enjoyed using. My main complaint, feature-wise, is its exclusivity to the Apple ecosystem. I’d appreciate it if it became compatible with Windows and Android, but I doubt that’ll happen.

Things 3: Interface and use

Things 3 offers a smooth, stellar user interface. It felt noticeably easy to navigate, thanks to a minimalist interface with features neatly arranged. The white background and a few contrasting colors make finding and navigating features a breeze.

Things 3 image 3

(Image credit: Things 3)

I’ve mentioned that Things 3 is only compatible with the Apple ecosystem. Another related complaint is its lack of a web interface, unlike most competitors I’ve tested. You can only use it as a native app, not in a web browser.

Things 3: Customer Support

Things 3 offers decent customer support. If you encounter any problems, you can visit the official support center and refer to the user guides for assistance. Things 3’s team created detailed manuals regarding all features; these manuals provide valuable help when troubleshooting problems.

If the support center isn’t satisfactory, you can contact Things 3’s support team via a contact form. There’s no live chat or telephone support, which I didn’t appreciate.

Things 3: The Competition

The task management app niche is an intensely competitive one. Things 3 has no shortage of competitors offering similar functions and additional features, all packaged into a single platform.

Superlist is the primary competitor I would like to highlight. It has one of the most intuitive interfaces, giving Things 3 a run for its money. Although they offer similar task management features, Superlist differentiates itself with collaborative and project management features that you won’t find in Things 3.

The drawback is that Superlist is subscription-based, costing $10 per month for premium features, whereas Things 3’s one-time fee is more cost-effective.

Any.do is another competitor I’d like to highlight. It offers broad task management features and is compatible with Windows and Android devices, unlike Things 3 that is locked into the Apple ecosystem. Yet, at $8 per month, Any.do is more expensive in the long term than Things 3.

Things 3: Final Verdict

Things 3 is an excellent task management app, but with a catch: it's only compatible with Apple devices. It’s a cost-effective tool for organizing and prioritizing your personal tasks, but it’s not designed for collaborative use. I’ll recommend it to Apple device owners seeking a reliable task management solution.

We've featured the best note-taking apps.

Navigating remote access with AnyDesk: An in-Depth look
11:30 am | July 20, 2022

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro Software & Services | Comments: Off

Accessibility and flexibility in our professional and personal lives have become more crucial than ever, pushing remote desktop solutions to the forefront of technological needs. AnyDesk, a relatively new player in this field, offers a unique combination of performance and accessibility that makes it an intriguing option for many users. 

In this post, we'll explore the features that make AnyDesk stand out, assess its advantages and disadvantages, determine its ideal user base, and discuss the considerations to keep in mind when choosing a remote desktop application.

AnyDesk is a comprehensive remote desktop software that permits users to access and interact with their computers from any location with an internet connection. Boasting a lightweight design and impressive speed, AnyDesk is intended for both individual users and businesses that require efficient remote access solutions.

AnyDesk review: plans and pricing

(Image credit: AnyDesk)

AnyDesk review: plans and pricing

There’s a free plan from AnyDesk that lets you provide remote support for an unlimited number of computers, although this is purely for personal use. In that respect, AnyDesk is one of the best remote desktop software solutions for casual users who don't need to connect too frequently. 

Meanwhile, for anyone wanting unattended access there’s the Essentials package, which costs $9.90 per month, although this is limited to one user being allowed to manage one remote device. 

A more substantial option if you're running a business and need a beefier array of connectivity is the Performance plan. This currently costs $19.90 per user, per month. For that, you get three remotely-managed devices per user. The good thing with this one is that users aren't restricted to only accessing the devices they add but can actually access any of the devices on a license. 

If this isn't quite substantial enough, there’s an Enterprise plan, which AnyDesk quotes for on an as-needed basis. While all plans are paid for annually, there are also 14-day trial options for the Essentials and Performance packages.

AnyDesk review: Features and utilities

(Image credit: AnyDesk)

AnyDesk review: Features and utilities

AnyDesk has been around since 2015 and had a revamp during 2021, with version 7 being the current edition. This latest iteration features a much more streamlined user experience, with a wonderfully sensible desktop layout that boasts session tools that are tucked away in a toolbar, rather than being individually laid out in the workspace. 

The software has always been of use to individual users, as well as IT teams who can use to to offer remote technical support. The software works by offering access to Windows and Mac computers, as well as iOS and Android mobile devices. There’s a built-in file manager for easy transfer of content between host ad remote machines, although there is no provision for the drag-and-drop processing of files. 

Organizational duties are covered by an address book system to track all computers that are being accessed remotely. There are also plenty of tools for easy collaboration, with a text chat box, for example, that can assist with remote support duties. There’s also a virtual whiteboard and the ability to invite another users onto your network, which is similarly handy for support scenarios.

AnyDesk: Setup

(Image credit: AnyDesk)

AnyDesk: Setup

Much like any other remote desktop access package, AnyDesk isn’t particularly difficult to setup. You’ll need to install the software on your computer and during this AnyDesk displays your unique connection address. 

Connecting to a remote support session using your computer as the host machine will necessitate this unique address being given to a remote user. This can also be done using an email invite. 

Usefully, it’s possible to select a list of permission presets, which controls how much a user can do once they’re on your shared machine.

AnyDesk: Interface and performance

(Image credit: AnyDesk)

AnyDesk: Interface and performance

You can use AnyDesk to access and manage remote connections on Windows, Mac, iOS and Android devices too, in both an attended and unattended capacity. The good news is that, in order to do this, the AnyDesk interface is one of the best there is in terms of plain and simple usability. 

There are plenty of tools that help to speed up your workflow, with the address book being integrated into the address entry bar. This makes it a doddle when you want to connect to machines that are regular connection points. Another bonus is the way AnyDesk can automatically detect other enabled devices in your local network. That really cuts down on the amount of manual intervention needed for business users. 

Stability-wise, we have found AnyDesk to be a very able performer. Along with the easy to use interface, making use of the software is a quick and simple exercise, which is always a plus if you’re a time-poor worker or business owner.

AnyDesk: Security

(Image credit: AnyDesk)

AnyDesk: Security

You’ll find that AnyDesk comes with end-to-end encryption, which covers all of your remote sessions. Having this means that it can help to prevent unauthorized access to your network. 

At the same time, there is also support for two-factor authentication, which adds another level of security with the added option for creating a whitelist, so that only specific devices can access your computer. 

On top of that, AnyDesk lets you set a limit as to what control features are available to any remote users.

AnyDesk: Support

(Image credit: AnyDesk)

AnyDesk: Support

AnyDesk comes with a solid level of support services, although presently this only seems to extend to contact via email, rather than phone. Support includes plenty of online resources, which can be accessed via the website. 

There is also provision for submitting a ticket should you need to contact AnyDesk about a specific issue or query. AnyDesk also seems to have a pretty good social media setup too, which is always good for lots of general information, tips, tricks and workarounds.

AnyDesk: The competition

(Image credit: AnyDesk)

AnyDesk: Pros and cons

There are several reasons to like AnyDesk, but there are also a few things you should be aware of.  

Pros of AnyDesk:

- Performance: AnyDesk is known for its high-speed performance, ensuring quick and responsive remote access even on slower internet connections.

Lightweight Software: The program is compact and provides quick downloads and installations, which is particularly beneficial for systems with limited resources.

- User Interface: AnyDesk offers an intuitive and uncluttered interface, making it easy for new users to navigate.

- Compatibility: It supports multiple platforms, including Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS, which enhances its versatility.

- Free Version: AnyDesk offers a free version for personal use, which is beneficial for individual users or those who want to test the software before committing financially. 

Cons of AnyDesk:

- Security Concerns: While AnyDesk has good security features, it has been the target of scam operations where users are tricked into granting access to their PCs. Users need to be vigilant.

- Limited Features in Free Version: While the free version is valid, it is limited in features, particularly concerning unattended access, which is essential for many business users.

- Customer Support: Customer service and support can be less comprehensive than those of larger market competitors.

Who should use AnyDesk

AnyDesk is ideally suited for a number of different types of people and groups. 

1. IT Support and Help Desk Teams

For IT professionals, the ability to quickly respond to support tickets and manage multiple systems remotely is crucial. AnyDesk enables **remote troubleshooting** without the need for physical presence, making it an efficient tool for:

*   Resolving issues in real-time

*   Providing back-end support to corporate environments

*   Managing servers remotely

2. Remote Workers and Freelancers

The rise of remote work has necessitated tools that allow employees and freelancers to access workstations from anywhere in the world. AnyDesk facilitates a seamless connection to office computers, maintaining **productivity** with:

*   High-speed connections that minimize latency

*   Secure access controls ensuring data integrity and security

*   Compatibility across multiple operating systems for diverse tech stacks

3. Educators and Online Tutors

With education increasingly moving online, teachers and tutors need effective ways to interact with students' devices for tutorials and technical assistance. AnyDesk assists by:

*   Allowing educators to view and manage student screens during lessons

*   Supporting educational software troubleshooting from a distance

*   Offering an intuitive platform that students can easily navigate

4. Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs)

SME owners often need to manage multiple aspects of business from different locations. AnyDesk offers a **cost-effective and reliable** solution for:

*   Remote management of business operations

*   Accessing files and software from any location

*   Facilitating remote collaboration and meetings

5. Tech Enthusiasts and Personal Users

Individuals who manage multiple devices or need access to their home networks while traveling can benefit from AnyDesk’s:

*   Unattended access feature, for connecting seamlessly without manual acceptance

*   High level of customization and settings to cater to different needs and preferences

6. Developers and Engineers

Software developers and engineers may need to deploy updates, manage version control, or access development servers from remote locations. AnyDesk supports these activities with:

*   Robust file transfer capabilities

*   Ability to connect to multiple screens or servers concurrently for comprehensive control

AnyDesk: The competition

While AnyDesk is certainly more than adequate for everyday use, if you’re a business owner with the need to access multiple machines you’re going to need a slightly more substantial package. 

TeamViewer is perhaps one of the best options in that respect, despite its higher cost factor. Lookout for the powerful option of being able to manage up to 200 devices using one IT worker as a prime example. Add on the likes of mass deployment and command line control options and you've got a beefy package that is more potent than AnyDesk. 

Conversely, Zoho Assist makes a great option if you're looking for better value and also remote support capability. It is great value for money and will meet the needs of many medium-to-larger companies. 

Sandwiched inbetween are numerous other options when it comes to competitor products in the best remote desktop software space.

AnyDesk: Final verdict

We are enthusiastic supporters of AnyDesk, especially for individuals who only occasionally need remote desktop access and don't require advanced features. However, if you run a more significant business and need more robust tools, you may find shortcomings in AnyDesk compared to something like TeamViewer. Nonetheless, AnyDesk is user-friendly and reasonably priced, especially if you only need the accessible version.

AnyDesk offers an impressive array of features that accommodate many users needing fast and dependable remote desktop access. Its focus on performance and multiple platform support makes it a compelling option. However, potential users should consider the limitations of the free version, the security risks associated with remote desktop tools, and the level of customer support. When choosing remote desktop software, it's essential to evaluate your specific needs, such as unattended access, frequency of use, and the significance of customer support, to ensure a smooth and productive remote access experience.

Connect to your computer with one of the best business smartphones.

What to look for when choosing a remote desktop solution

Selecting an appropriate remote desktop solution is essential for businesses and individuals seeking efficient, secure, and convenient access to their desktops from any location. Consider several critical factors to ensure the solution meets your needs when evaluating options.

Security is paramount. As remote access can be a potential entry point for cyberattacks, look for a solution that offers robust authentication methods, such as two-factor authentication and end-to-end encryption for data in transit. This helps protect sensitive information from unauthorized access.

Ease of Use also plays a significant role. The ideal remote desktop software should offer a straightforward, intuitive user interface, making it easy for users of all technical levels to connect and navigate their remote systems without extensive training. Compatibility with various operating systems and devices enhances accessibility, allowing users to connect seamlessly from any computer or mobile device.

Performance directly impacts productivity; thus, selecting software that offers high-speed connections with minimal latency is critical, especially for tasks requiring real-time responsiveness. Look for solutions that optimize the remote access experience, even on slower internet connections, by adjusting the display settings and reducing bandwidth usage.

Features and FuncFunctionality are also essential to consider. Depending on your specific needs, you might require advanced features such as remote printing, file transfer, multi-monitor support, and session recording. Assessing the available features against your needs will help ensure the solution efficiently supports your workflow.

Cost is another consideration. Many remote desktop solutions offer a range of pricing plans, from free versions with basic funcFunctionalitysubscription-based models with advanced features and support. Evaluate the cost against the benefits and features provided to determine the most cost-effective solution for your requirements.

Customer Support and Reliability are crucial, especially for business users relying on remote access for critical operations. Look for providers with a reputation for reliability and customer support, offering assistance through various channels such as live chat, email, or phone support.

Lastly, consider the solution's scalability. As your business grows, your remote desktop needs may evolve. Opt for a solution that can scale up quickly, adding more users or integrating with other tools and services without significant overhauls.

In summary, finding the right remote desktop solution involves carefully assessing security, ease of use, performance, features, cost, customer support, and scalability. By prioritizing these factors, you can select a solution that meets your current needs and supports future growth and change.

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