SwifDoo PDF for Mac review: Basic PDF editor with limited functionality

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PDF editors are essential for Mac users living the paperless lifestyle. While macOS can view, annotate, and sign PDFs natively, the OS provides little control over the files’ core content. So, those wishing to tweak the text or images of a certain PDF document will have to rely on third-party solutions. With so many apps out there, however, finding the right pick may be tricky. SwifDoo PDF for Mac is one of the options you may come across when hunting for an editor. Is it any good, though?

Pricing and availability

SwifDoo PDF supports macOS, iOS, iPadOS, Windows, and Android. Notably, however, the feature sets differ depending on the platform you’re using. So, for example, the Windows app packs distinct capabilities unavailable on macOS or the mobile clients. Similarly, the price differs based on the OS you’re running it on. In this review, we will be evaluating SwifDoo PDF for macOS specifically. The rating, pros, cons, and overall specifications only apply to this particular client.

SwifDoo PDF for macOS is available to install and use as a document viewer for free. However, the paid version is required to unlock its core features, such as editing and annotation. At the time of writing, the monthly plan costs $10, while the annual one goes for $20. Alternatively, you could avoid the recurring subscription by paying a one-time fee of $50 or $70 to own a lifetime license for one or two Macs.

Before committing to the purchase, you can create an account to claim a 7-day free trial and evaluate the service. Unfortunately, if you decide not to proceed, you’ll need to contact the company’s customer support to have them delete your account and its data.

See our round-ups of of the best PDF editors for Mac and our best free PDF editors for Mac.

Features

While SwifDoo PDF was designed for Intel Macs and seemingly hasn’t been optimized for Apple silicon chips, it runs pretty smoothly on my MacBook Air M2. It features a clutter-free main page where you can interact with recently viewed files or open a different PDF via Finder.

Once you load a document, you can tweak it using the standard annotation tools if you’re using the paid version. These include highlighting, inserting notes, underlining, striking through, drawing, adding text boxes and shapes, stamping, and more. Other SwifDoo PDF perks include page rotation, printing, and an auto-generated index that lets you quickly jump between document sections based on their headings.

Beyond the basics, SwifDoo PDF supports simple document manipulation. The software provides full control over PDF files’ core content, letting you intuitively adjust the existing text’s font, alignment, and spacing. Similarly, you get to resize, crop, move, and rotate original images or insert new ones. If you’re handling sensitive files, SwifDoo PDF also enables you to protect documents with a password to prevent unauthorized viewing, editing, or copying.

Notably, unlike the Windows client and other rival Mac apps, SwifDoo PDF for macOS doesn’t include an AI chatbot for assistance, optical character recognition (OCR), batch processing, file format conversion, cloud sync, etc.

Foundry

Should you use SwifDoo PDF?

If you’re planning to use the free version of SwifDoo PDF, then the software is not worth it. Given that even annotation tools are now paywalled (a previous version offered them for free), you may want to rely on the built-in Apple Preview app instead. After all, macOS’ native solution requires no additional app installation and offers both viewing and annotation features for free.

If you have short-term PDF editing needs and plan to subscribe to the service for just a few months, then you may want to look into alternative PDF editors for the Mac. At the steep price of $10/month, you can find more feature-rich solutions that support the excluded tools mentioned in the previous section.

Otherwise, if your PDF editing workflows are limited to basic image and text manipulation, then the software is reliable and may be worth it when opting for the more reasonably priced annual or lifetime licenses.

Update: This review has been revised to reflect the latest features and changes in the SwifDoo PDF app for macOS.