Reviewed by Thomas & Øyvind — NorwegianSpark
Last updated: April 2026
PDFs are everywhere — contracts, invoices, reports, tax forms, design briefs. Yet editing them has traditionally been a nightmare involving expensive Adobe subscriptions or clunky online converters that mangle your formatting. PDF Expert solves this by giving you a native, fast, and intuitive PDF editor for Mac and iOS with AI-powered features that make even complex edits trivial.
In this ten-minute tutorial you will download PDF Expert, open a PDF, edit text and images directly, fill and sign a form, use the AI summary feature to digest a long document, and export or share the result. Whether you are tweaking a client contract or annotating a research paper, you will be done before your coffee gets cold.
Step 1 — Download PDF Expert
Visit PDF Expert and download the app for your Mac. It is also available on the App Store for iPhone and iPad. Installation is straightforward — drag the app to your Applications folder on Mac, or tap Get on iOS.
PDF Expert offers a free version with basic reading, annotation, and form-filling capabilities. The paid version (available as a yearly subscription or a one-time purchase, depending on your region) unlocks text editing, page management, OCR for scanned documents, and the AI summary feature. For this tutorial, the free version covers Steps 1 through 4; you will need the paid version for the AI features in Step 5.
Launch the app and you will see a clean home screen with options to open a file, scan a document using your camera, or browse recent files. PDF Expert also integrates with iCloud, Dropbox, Google Drive, and OneDrive, so you can open cloud-stored PDFs without downloading them first.
Step 2 — Open Your PDF
Click Open File and select a PDF from your computer. For practice, use any multi-page document: a contract, a report, or even a restaurant menu. The file opens instantly in the reading view, which features smooth scrolling, quick-jump page thumbnails on the left sidebar, and a search bar at the top.
Take a moment to explore the toolbar. The main tools are arranged left to right: Annotate (highlighter, pen, shapes, sticky notes), Edit (text, images, links), Page (reorder, insert, extract, rotate pages), and Form (fill fields, add checkboxes, create signatures). You will use most of these in the next few steps.
If you need to compare two PDFs side by side — for example, an original contract and a revised version — PDF Expert supports split-view on Mac and iPad. Drag a second file into the app and select View > Split.
Step 3 — Edit Text Directly
Click the Edit button in the toolbar and then click on any text block in the PDF. A cursor appears and you can type, delete, or restyle the text just like in a word processor. PDF Expert auto-detects the font, size, and colour of the existing text, so your edits blend seamlessly.
Common editing tasks that take seconds:
- Fix a typo in a contract: Click the word, delete the error, type the correction.
- Update a date or price: Select the old value, type the new one.
- Add a paragraph: Click at the end of an existing text block and keep typing, or use Add Text to place a new text box anywhere on the page.
- Change formatting: Select text and use the floating toolbar to change font, size, colour, bold, italic, or alignment.
For images, click on an image in Edit mode and you can resize, reposition, replace, or delete it. You can also drag a new image from Finder directly onto the page. This is handy for swapping out logos, updating headshots on a resume, or adding screenshots to a report.
Step 4 — Fill and Sign Forms
PDF Expert automatically detects form fields in any PDF. Open a form-based document (insurance claim, tax form, application) and you will see the fillable fields highlighted in blue. Click any field and start typing. Tab moves you to the next field, just like a web form.
For signatures, click the Form tool and select Signature. You have three options:
- Draw: Use your mouse or trackpad to draw your signature. On iPad, use the Apple Pencil for a more natural result.
- Type: Type your name and PDF Expert renders it in a handwriting-style font.
- Image: Upload a photo of your real signature. PDF Expert removes the background automatically.
Once created, your signature is saved in the app for reuse. To sign a document, simply drag the signature onto the signature line and resize it. The signed PDF can be shared directly via email or saved to your cloud storage.
Tip: if you regularly sign the same type of document (e.g., NDAs or freelance contracts), create a template. Fill in your standard fields, add your signature, and save it. Next time, you only need to update the variable fields like date and client name.
Step 5 — Use AI Summary
This feature is a game-changer for anyone who deals with long documents. Open a lengthy PDF — a 40-page research paper, a legal agreement, or a financial report — and click the AI Assistant button in the toolbar. Select Summarise Document.
PDF Expert's AI reads the entire document and generates a concise summary covering the key points, conclusions, and action items. For a legal contract, the summary might highlight: payment terms, termination clauses, liability limitations, and renewal conditions. For a research paper, it extracts the hypothesis, methodology, key findings, and limitations.
You can also ask the AI specific questions about the document: “What is the payment schedule?” or “Does this contract include a non-compete clause?” The AI responds with the relevant passage and a page reference so you can jump directly to the source text.
The AI summary is generated locally on your device (for Apple Silicon Macs) or via a secure cloud call, depending on your version. Summaries are not stored on external servers, which is reassuring if you work with confidential documents.
Step 6 — Export or Share
When your edits are complete, hit File > Save (or Command+S) to save in place. If you want to keep the original intact, use File > Save As to create a new copy.
Export options include:
- PDF: The default. Your edits, signatures, and annotations are embedded in the file.
- Word (.docx): Converts the PDF to an editable Word document. Useful for extensive restructuring.
- Image (PNG/JPEG): Exports each page as an image. Handy for presentations or social media.
- Flattened PDF: Locks all annotations and form fields so they cannot be edited further. Use this for final versions sent to clients.
For sharing, use the built-in Share button to send via email, AirDrop, Messages, or any cloud service linked to your Mac. On iOS, the share sheet gives you even more options including WhatsApp, Slack, and Telegram.
Edit, sign, and summarise PDFs effortlessly
Get PDF Expert →For a detailed comparison of PDF Expert vs. Adobe Acrobat, Preview, and Nitro, read our PDF Expert Review (2026). Find more tools in our AI Productivity category.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is PDF Expert free?
The reading, annotation, and form-filling features are free. Text editing, page management, OCR, and AI features require a paid licence. Pricing varies by region but is typically around $80 per year or a one-time purchase option. There is usually a 7-day free trial for the full feature set.
Can PDF Expert edit scanned PDFs?
Yes, with the OCR (Optical Character Recognition) feature in the paid version. OCR converts scanned images of text into editable text. The accuracy is high for clean scans and printed documents. Handwritten text is partially supported but less reliable.
Does PDF Expert work on iPhone?
Yes. PDF Expert is a universal app for Mac, iPhone, and iPad. Your purchases sync across devices if you use the same Apple ID. The iOS version is especially useful for signing documents on the go, as you can use your finger or Apple Pencil to draw signatures.
How does PDF Expert compare to Adobe Acrobat?
PDF Expert is faster, simpler, and significantly cheaper. Adobe Acrobat offers more advanced features like complex form creation, redaction, and Preflight for print production. For 90% of users who need to edit text, sign forms, annotate, and summarise documents, PDF Expert is more than sufficient and far less bloated.
Can I use PDF Expert on Windows?
Currently, PDF Expert is macOS and iOS only. Windows users may want to look at alternatives such as Nitro PDF or Foxit, or use the web-based editing features of Adobe Acrobat online.