PDF Editify vs Xodo: The Complete 2026 Comparison
Xodo spent years as one of the best-loved free PDF apps on the web. Under Apryse it is now a subscription product, and as of August 2026 the free web plan allows 1 free action per day with limited tool access. Here is how PDF Editify compares on pricing, the tools both products share, and lifetime plans.
Overview
Xodo is a polished PDF suite from Apryse, the company formerly known as PDFTron, with more than 40 web tools plus mobile apps and a desktop app. The tools themselves are well-regarded, and reviewers consistently praise the editing and annotation features. The catch is the pricing model. Xodo built its reputation as a fully free app, and after the Apryse acquisition it moved to subscriptions: as of August 2026 the free web plan allows 1 free action per day, premium tools sit behind the paywall, Xodo Web costs $7.99 per month billed yearly, about $96 per year, or $10.99 month-to-month, the Document Suite runs up to $24.99 per month, and every subscription auto-renews.
PDF Editify is a browser-based PDF editor built around purchases with a clear end. PDF Editify is not free either, but nobody doing occasional PDF work should be on a subscription: the $3 one-time week pass expires on its own, there is nothing to cancel and no card needed to try, and lifetime licenses start at $99. Editing, form filling, form creation, e-signatures with signature requests, OCR, redaction, and team collaboration are included in every plan.
Xodo
- Well-regarded PDF suite with web, mobile, and desktop apps
- Moved from fully free to subscriptions after the Apryse acquisition
- Free web plan allows 1 free action per day
- Xodo Web $7.99 per month billed yearly, or $10.99 month-to-month
- Document Suite up to $24.99 per month, all subscriptions auto-renew
- No web lifetime plan, only a $240 desktop perpetual license
PDF Editify
- Fully browser-based, no install needed
- Price shown before you start working, no card to try
- Nothing to cancel: the week pass expires on its own
- Form creation, signature requests, and teams in every plan
- Lifetime plans from $99
- One Week Plan from $3, one-time, no renewal
Pricing Comparison
Xodo Web costs $7.99 per month billed yearly, which is about $96 per year, or $10.99 on month-to-month billing. The Document Suite, which adds the desktop and mobile apps, is $14.99 per month billed yearly or $24.99 month-to-month. The free plan allows 1 free action per day, the 3-day trial requires a payment method and converts into a subscription unless cancelled, and all subscriptions auto-renew. PDF Editify is not free either, but its cheapest option is a $3 one-time week pass that expires on its own, the Standard plan is $10 per month, and lifetime licenses start at $99.
The pricing pivot is what long-time users talk about. Xodo was free for years, and after the Apryse acquisition it moved to a subscription model with the free tier cut back to 1 free action per day. On Capterra in February 2025, a data compliance manager at a nonprofit wrote that the price point was no longer working for a small organization, and a Capterra reviewer in May 2024 called the full subscription a bit pricey. GetApp's 2026 summary likewise notes that some users find the paid version expensive and wish more were included for free, while still rating the tools highly. PDF Editify's answer is not a free plan, it is a purchase with an end: a $3 week pass that expires on its own instead of a subscription that renews until cancelled.
Prices verified August 2026. Xodo plan prices and free-tier limits sourced from xodo.com's pricing and plans pages. Pricing reports are attributed, dated third-party reviews from Capterra and GetApp and reflect those reviewers' experiences.
Ease of Use
Xodo's tools are genuinely good, and that deserves saying plainly: the editor is fast, annotation is strong, and the suite covers more than 40 web tools plus mobile and desktop apps. The friction is the meter, not the tools. On the free web plan, 1 free action per day means a merge-then-edit job stops halfway, premium tools are locked, and the 3-day trial asks for a payment method up front.
PDF Editify is built around one editing session instead of a metered toolbox. Open your document, edit, fill, sign, redact, and protect it in one place, and export when you are done, with no daily action cap on any plan.
Xodo
- Polished, well-reviewed editing and annotation tools
- Free web plan allows 1 free action per day
- Premium tools locked behind the subscription
- 3-day trial requires a payment method and converts unless cancelled
- Mobile and desktop apps for working on the go
PDF Editify
- One editing session for the whole job
- Upload and start editing in seconds
- No daily action caps on any plan
- Single unified editing interface
- Works on any device with a modern browser
Security & Privacy
Xodo is built by Apryse, an established PDF technology company whose SDK powers document features in many other products. Documents are processed over encrypted connections on Xodo's servers, and the company states GDPR compliance. There is no serious question about Xodo's document handling; the complaints long-time users raised were about pricing, not security.
PDF Editify handles documents the same way and keeps payments simple too: files are encrypted in transit and during processing, deleted automatically after your session unless you choose to save them, and never shared with third parties. Prices are shown before you pay and no card is needed to try.
Xodo
- Encrypted connections for document processing
- Built by Apryse, an established PDF technology company
- States GDPR compliance
- Documents processed on Xodo's servers
PDF Editify
- GDPR compliant
- Files deleted automatically after processing
- No third-party data sharing
- Password protection and redaction included
Lifetime Plan
Xodo has no lifetime plan for its web product. Xodo Web renews at about $96 per year, the Document Suite at up to $24.99 per month, and the closest thing to a one-time purchase is the $240 PDF Studio perpetual license, which covers the desktop app only and is sold with 1 to 3 year support periods. Users who remember the free years now face a subscription with no end date.
PDF Editify offers a one-time lifetime license for its full browser-based editor. Pay once from $99, use it forever, all future updates included. There is nothing to cancel because nothing renews, and the $3 One Week Plan expires on its own instead of converting into a subscription.
$99
one-time payment
- 1 user
- All future updates included
$149
one-time payment
- Up to 3 team members
- All future updates included
$199
one-time payment
- Up to 5 team members
- All future updates included
Full Feature Comparison
Side-by-side breakdown of every major feature
Partial means the capability is limited, metered, or only available in some Xodo products. For example, the free web plan allows 1 free action per day, creating fillable forms is a desktop PDF Studio feature rather than a web tool, signature requests run through Xodo Sign, a separate product whose free tier covers 3 documents per month, and the one-time license is the $240 desktop-only PDF Studio perpetual license. Where Xodo does not publish plan details, such as per-document access control and file retention, markings favor Xodo. Verified against xodo.com in August 2026.
Verdict: Which One Should You Choose?
Choose PDF Editify if you:
- Do occasional PDF work and want a $3 one-time week pass instead of a roughly $96 per year subscription
- Want to see the price before you work, with no card required to try
- Were priced out when Xodo's free tier shrank to 1 free action per day
- Need to create fillable forms and track submissions from a shared link, all in the browser
- Use PDFs regularly and want a lifetime plan instead of monthly or yearly renewals
Stick with Xodo if you:
- Want strong mobile apps for Android and iOS or a desktop app, which PDF Editify does not offer
- Need file conversion or PDF compression, which PDF Editify does not offer
- Use PDFs heavily across devices and get full value from the Document Suite subscription
The support team is very responsive and fast to fix issues.
Krissie C.
Legal Assistant • Law Practice
Pay once, edit for a week.
Nothing renews, nothing to cancel.
Edit, sign, and fill PDFs in your browser for a single $3 payment that expires on its own. No card to try, no subscription without an end date, and lifetime plans from $99.
No credit card required · No subscription needed
Frequently Asked Questions
Can PDF Editify replace Xodo?
For browser-based PDF work, editing, merging, splitting, filling, signing, redacting, protecting, and OCR, yes, and PDF Editify adds form creation, submission tracking, and team features in every plan. Xodo keeps the edge if you need mobile or desktop apps, or file conversion and compression, which PDF Editify does not offer.
Is Xodo still free?
Xodo started as a fully free PDF app, but after being acquired by Apryse, the company formerly known as PDFTron, it moved to a subscription model. As of August 2026, xodo.com describes the free web plan as 1 free action per day with limited tool access, and premium tools require a subscription. Xodo Web costs $7.99 per month billed yearly or $10.99 month-to-month.
Is PDF Editify free to use?
PDF Editify requires a plan to download edited documents. The One Week Plan at $3 one-time is the most affordable entry point, with no subscription or renewal. You get full access to all tools for one week for a single payment.
Does PDF Editify have a lifetime plan?
Yes. PDF Editify offers one-time lifetime licenses from $99 with no recurring fees. Xodo has no lifetime plan for its web product; the closest option is the $240 PDF Studio perpetual license, which covers the desktop app only.
Is PDF Editify safe for sensitive documents?
Yes. Files are encrypted in transit, automatically deleted after processing, and never shared with third parties. PDF Editify is GDPR compliant and does not use your documents to train AI models.
How does PDF Editify pricing compare to Xodo?
Xodo Web costs $7.99 per month billed yearly, about $96 per year, or $10.99 month-to-month, the Document Suite runs up to $24.99 per month, and every subscription auto-renews. PDF Editify starts at $3 one-time for a full week with every feature included, the Standard plan is $10 per month, and lifetime plans start from $99.