This lifetime PDF editor saves you hundreds a year in fees

Jun 6

TL;DR: This PDF editor for Mac or Windows is only $29.97 (reg. $59.99) for life through June 17. Read my full review below.

I’m not usually an angry person, but after I was almost done filling out my passport application form and my browser crashed — erasing absolutely everything — I felt like Adam Sandler in Anger Management. I was already procrastinating on filling out that form, but heck no was I about to just start over!

But I also wasn’t going to cave and get Adobe Acrobat, because that’s $29.99 for just one month and that’s bonkers! I wanted something I can keep for the next time I have to fill out mind-numbing government forms, because there will be more.

Enter: PDF Reader Pro. Instead of those, excuse me, crazy monthly fees, I only paid $29.97 (reg. $59.99) for a lifetime download to my Mac! You can also get this deal for Windows. Just don’t wait because I hear this 50% price drop ends on June 17.

Take a vacation from frustrating programs

I’m so used to janky online editors that opening PDF Reader Pro was like walking into the Four Seasons Orlando (like the viral baby!). Just like luxury valet service, I was working on my passport form in less than five minutes!

After purchasing, all I had to do was click the redemption link, wait a minute for it to download, open the app, and enter my license key. PDF Reader Pro also asked me if I wanted to update to the latest version, which felt like a quick spa treatment.

Check off boring tasks in minutes

Filling out my passport form the second time around was a little quicker since I could just click to check boxes and type directly into the fields like ordering room service. Check out my form (I know, it’s super interesting):

Don’t go looking into those details because they’re fake. But you can see where I used the pen to circle that weird blank section so I could ask a friend (okay, my mom!) if that needs to be filled out, and the redact feature to blur out my made-up social security number.

If I was able to sign the passport form online (the government doesn’t let you do that), I could also easily add my digital signature from an image or sign with my trackpad! It’s a shame we have to apply in person, but I guess there’s a rule about national security.

Pro-level tools for beginners and aspiring professionals

I consider myself pretty darn tech-savvy (I know how “the cloud” works), but I did feel pretty intimidated by the amount of tools PDF Reader Pro has at first. Here’s my recommendation:

Decide what you’re doing: Filling out a form? Converting a file? Editing a PDF? Making a new document?
Open an existing file or create a new one.
If you’re modifying an existing file, stick to “Tools” under the menu bar.
If you’re creating a new one or making a ton of changes to an old file, you can look at other options on the menu.

Otherwise, you might get a bit lost in all of the features. But, I will say, on a rainy day when you don’t have a critical form to fill out or a contract to sign, just play around with the tools! That’s how I got familiar with them, and now I feel like a pro…a PDF Reader Pro (get it? I’ll stop).

Keep this PDF tool for life, no strings (or fees) attached

Now that I have PDF Reader Pro, I totally understand the hype around Adobe Acrobat and others like it. Nobody tells you how much paperwork comes with adulthood, unless you’re booking a resort vacation, but that’s something I’ve been discovering after graduating college a few years ago.

I plan on filling out a leasing, mortgage, or purchase agreement soon (as soon as I can make up my mind on where I want to live), tax forms come along every year, employment contracts are handed to me every time I switch jobs, and who knows else will pop up in the coming years.

Plus, let’s not forget that entering sensitive information — like our social security numbers — into browsers or downright sketchy websites is probably a bad idea these days. I can’t promise that PDF Reader Pro is incredibly safe in this department, but at least the tool is downloaded to your computer.

Seven dozen verified buyers seem to think PDF Reader Pro is also pretty great, so it’s not just me. One even writes this, which I cannot confirm, but it’s an interesting claim: “Very good product, runs faster and has more features than Adobe Acrobat.” I guess you’ll have to see for yourself.

Ready to give it a try? Get it while it’s 50% off through June 17 at 11:59 p.m. PT. No coupon is needed: