PDF24 Creator review

PDF24 Creator is the free toolkit to install when a whole office needs PDF tools and nobody wants to manage licenses. PDF24 states it can be used without charge or restrictions, including by companies and public bodies, and that it runs offline so files stay on the PC. The drag and drop creator merges and splits files and adds, removes, extracts, rotates and sorts pages. A virtual PDF printer turns anything printable into a PDF, with multiple printers and saved profiles for repeated jobs. Separate tools handle compression, OCR, overlaying a document onto digital letter paper, screen capture to PDF and scanner import. Format options cover PDF/A and PDF/X, passwords, watermarks, page numbers and signatures, and a File Explorer context menu brings batch jobs to the right click. It is Windows only, and its feature list focuses on assembling and converting PDFs rather than rewriting text inside them, so pair it with PDFgear for text edits.

Who it is for

offices that need free PDF tools for business use

Price

Free for private and commercial use, no paid tier.

PDF24 Creator can be used completely free of charge and without any restrictions.
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 11, 2026.

Key features

• Merges and splits PDFs and adds, removes, extracts, rotates and sorts pages
• Virtual PDF printer that turns any printable file into a PDF
• OCR that adds a text layer to scanned PDFs and images
• PDF compression tool for oversized files
• Options for password security, watermarks, page numbers and signatures

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Free for companies, authorities and agencies as well as home users
• Strength: Works offline, so files are not uploaded to the internet
• Strength: Can be installed via the Microsoft Store and used under Citrix
• Weakness: Windows only; PDF24 says Linux and Mac are not supported
• Weakness: The download page shows advertisements
• Weakness: The feature list centers on pages, conversion and printing rather than editing existing text

Key facts

• Price: Free, including commercial use
• Platforms: Windows only
• Latest version: 11.33.0 (2026-11-06)
• Works offline: Yes

Where it ranks

PDF24 Creator is No. 2 in our Best Free PDF Editors for Windows verdict.