How to Add Text to a PDF for Free (No Adobe Needed)

To add text to a PDF free, open it in an online editor like Sejda or Smallpdf, click the “Text” tool, and click where you want to type. On a Mac, the built-in Preview app does the same with no download. You don’t need Adobe Acrobat. This is also called typing on a PDF — same task, same tools.

Method 1: Sejda (free, no watermark)

1. Go to sejda.com/pdf-editor.
2. Upload your PDF.
3. Click the Text tool (the T icon), then click where you want the text.
4. Type, choose font and size, and drag to position.
5. Click Apply changes and download.

Method 2: Smallpdf

1. Go to smallpdf.com/edit-pdf.
2. Upload the file, then click Add text.
3. Click on the document, type, and format.
4. Click Finish and download.

Method 3: Mac Preview (offline)

1. Open the PDF in Preview.
2. Click the markup pencil icon.
3. Click the T text tool, then click on the page and type.

FAQ

How do I add text to a PDF without a watermark?

Sejda’s free tier and Mac Preview both add text with no watermark.

Can I add text to a PDF and save it?

Yes — every method above lets you save the edited PDF with your new text embedded.

Can I edit existing text in a PDF, or only add new text?

Online editors and Preview add new text over the page. To change existing body text, upload to Google Docs (Open with → Google Docs), edit, then re-download as PDF — see how to edit a PDF for the full guide.

Is there a size limit?

Free tiers cap file size and pages per day (Sejda: 3 tasks/day, 200 pages, 50 MB). For larger files, use Mac Preview or Google Docs which have no such limits.