Can it edit the actual text in a PDF, or just add text on top?

It edits the real text. PageSmith rewrites the PDF's content stream and reuses the document's embedded font, so the change becomes part of the page rather than a note placed over it.

Private PDF editor for macOS

Edit the actual text in any PDF.

Q: Is PageSmith really free?

Yes. PageSmith is free to download and use. There is no account, no subscription, and no watermark on your files.

Q: Can I edit scanned PDFs?

Scanned pages are images with no text layer, so there is nothing to retype. You can still white out areas and add your own text, highlights, and images on top.

PageSmith is a fast, private PDF editor for Mac. It rewrites the real text inside your document — then saves it straight back to the file. Nothing is ever uploaded.

Download for macOS See it edit text

Free macOS 12+ · Apple Silicon & Intel ~7 MB · No account

statement.pdf — PageSmith

OpenSaveMetadata Edit textHighlightBoxWhiteout

Amount dueAED 4,200.00

The text itself changes — not a box drawn on top.

Why it's different

Other PDF editors upload your file. PageSmith never does.

Everything stays on your Mac

Files are opened, edited, and saved locally. No server, no upload, no copy left in a web service.

Works with Wi-Fi off

No network is used for anything. Unplug from the internet and every feature still works.

No account, no tracking

Nothing to sign up for. No analytics, no telemetry, no ads — there's nowhere for your data to go.

The real thing

It edits the words, not a box over them.

Most "editors" drop an opaque rectangle over the old text and print new text on top. Search still finds the original underneath. PageSmith rewrites the page's content stream and reuses the document's own embedded font, so the change becomes part of the PDF.

Missing a glyph? It re-sets the line in the same typeface from your installed fonts.

Other editors

PageSmith

Everything you'd expect

A full desktop editor.

Markup toolkit

Add text, highlight, draw, box, white out content, and insert images.

Rearrange & merge

Rotate, delete, duplicate, reorder pages, insert blanks, append another PDF.

Metadata & dates

Edit Title, Author, Subject, Keywords, Producer — and the Created / Modified dates.

Save in place

Writes straight back to the original file. No "export", no copy (3) in Downloads.

Side by side

PageSmith vs. a web editor.

	PageSmith	Typical web editor
Edits the real text in the PDF	Yes	Often fakes it with overlays
Works fully offline	Yes	No
Your file is uploaded to a server	Never	Always
Account required	None	Usually
Watermarks or page limits	None	Common on free tiers
Price	Free	Subscription

Questions

Frequently asked

Is PageSmith really free?

Yes. PageSmith is free to download and use. There's no account, no subscription, and no watermark on your files.

Do my files get uploaded anywhere?

No. PageSmith opens and edits PDFs entirely on your Mac. There is no server, no upload, and no internet connection required.

Can it edit the actual text, or just add text on top?

It edits the real text. PageSmith rewrites the PDF's content stream and reuses the document's embedded font, so your change becomes part of the page rather than a note placed over it.

Which macOS versions are supported?

macOS 12 Monterey and later, on both Apple Silicon and Intel Macs. The app is about 7 MB.

Can I edit scanned PDFs?

Scanned pages are images with no text layer, so there's nothing to retype. You can still white out areas and add your own text, highlights, and images on top.

Does it work with Arabic or other right-to-left text?

Latin text edits in place today. Right-to-left scripts such as Arabic and Hebrew aren't retyped in place yet because they need text shaping; you can white them out and add replacement text.

Get PageSmith

Free to download. Nothing to sign up for. The files you open never leave your Mac.

Download for macOS

Version 1.0 macOS 12+ ~7 MB

First time opening it? Right-click (or Control-click) PageSmith in Finder and choose Open, then confirm once. If macOS still blocks it, run xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/PageSmith.app in Terminal.