# What's the best PDF editor for avoiding constant, expensive tool switching between editing and viewing?

<p class="elv-tracking-normal elv-text-default elv-font-figtree elv-text-base elv-leading-base elv-font-normal" elv="true">I'm trying to find a <a class="a a--md" elv="true" href="https://www.g2.com/categories/pdf-editor">PDF editor</a> that stops the constant switching between a free viewer and a separate paid editor, since that's usually where the "expensive tool switching" complaint actually comes from — not from paying for one PDF tool, but from paying for two because the free one can't edit and the editing one is a hassle to open for a quick look.</p><p class="elv-tracking-normal elv-text-default elv-font-figtree elv-text-base elv-leading-base elv-font-normal" elv="true">Products built to be the only tool you need:</p><ol>
<li>
<a class="a a--md" elv="true" href="https://www.g2.com/products/foxit-pdf-editor/reviews"><strong>Foxit PDF Editor</strong></a>: Combines desktop software, mobile apps, and cloud services into one solution, with document storage and organization included rather than farmed out to a separate system, which directly targets the switching problem this question describes.</li>
<li>
<a class="a a--md" elv="true" href="https://www.g2.com/products/updf/reviews"><strong>UPDF</strong></a>: One license spans Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android, so the same tool follows you between viewing on a phone and editing on a desktop rather than requiring different apps per device.</li>
<li>
<a class="a a--md" elv="true" href="https://www.g2.com/products/smallpdf/reviews"><strong>Smallpdf</strong></a>: Works across web, Windows desktop, and mobile with no separate onboarding, and integrates natively with Google Drive, OneDrive, and Dropbox so files don't need to be moved between apps to be edited.</li>
<li>
<a class="a a--md" elv="true" href="https://www.g2.com/products/pdfgear/reviews"><strong>PDFgear</strong></a>: Free with a full feature set rather than a stripped-down viewer, which removes the economic reason for keeping a second paid tool around. </li>
<li>
<a class="a a--md" elv="true" href="https://www.g2.com/products/nitro-pdf/reviews"><strong>Nitro PDF</strong></a>: A cloud hub called Nitro Workspace centralizes PDF and eSign tools, AI assistants, and administration in one place across devices.</li>
</ol><p class="elv-tracking-normal elv-text-default elv-font-figtree elv-text-base elv-leading-base elv-font-normal" elv="true">What actually triggered your switching between tools — a missing feature, a paywall, or just habit from before you found something that did both?</p>

##### Post Metadata
- Posted at: 1 day ago
- Author title: Marketing Executive
- Net upvotes: 1


## Comments
### Comment 1

For me, the trigger would usually be a missing feature or paywall. If I can view, annotate, edit, and sign in one tool without hitting a “paid plan required” wall for basic tasks, there’s very little reason to keep switching.

##### Comment Metadata
- Posted at: 1 day ago
- Author title: Marketer





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