Is it free to edit a PDF (add text, highlights and shapes) on Mac?

Yes. Every core FernPDF tool is free, with no account, no watermark, and no trial limits.

Can I move something after I place it?

Yes, until you save. After that it is part of the page.

Edit PDF · Mac

How to edit a PDF (add text, highlights and shapes) on Mac

You don't need special software to edit a PDF (add text, highlights and shapes) on Mac. FernPDF runs entirely in Safari or Chrome on macOS: open the tool, drop your file, download the result. The whole editor runs in your browser: rendering, editing and saving all happen on your device.

On Mac, you drag it straight into the drop zone from Finder, or click to open Safari's or Chrome's native file picker. Once the edited PDF is ready, it downloads to your Downloads folder in Finder, the same place Safari and Chrome always save to, Command-Option-L (Safari) or the downloads tray (Chrome) gets you there fast.

Gatekeeper never gets involved, because nothing is installed: no unidentified-developer warning to click through, no .dmg to mount, no permission prompt to grant.

There's nothing to install: no Preview workarounds, no App Store downloads, no Rosetta questions. If your Mac runs a modern browser, it runs FernPDF, on Apple Silicon or Intel.

Step by step

1Open the Edit PDF tool in Safari or Chrome on macOS. No install, no account.
2Add the PDF you want to change: drag it straight into the drop zone from Finder, or click to open Safari's or Chrome's native file picker.
3Add text boxes, highlights, shapes, images or whiteout, or switch to Edit text mode to rewrite existing lines.
4Click “Save” and download the edited PDF. It lands in your Downloads folder in Finder, the same place Safari and Chrome always save to, Command-Option-L (Safari) or the downloads tray (Chrome) gets you there fast.

No upload · no account · no watermark

FAQ

Common questions

Yes, FernPDF is a web app, so it runs in Safari or Chrome on macOS with no installation. All processing happens on your device, in this browser tab.

Switch to Edit text mode and click any outlined block. The original line is painted out and your replacement is redrawn at a matching size when you save. It works line by line rather than as a reflowing document, because a PDF stores positioned glyphs and not paragraphs, there is no way to make the rest of the page shuffle down to make room for a longer sentence. Short corrections come out clean. Rewriting a whole page does not.

Every FernPDF tool processes files in your browser: read how the privacy model works, or verify it yourself in your network tab.