HearthPDF

The free PDF editor that stays on your PC.

View, edit, comment, organise, combine and create PDFs on Windows. No account, no cloud, no adverts and no tracking. Your documents never leave your computer.

Download for Windows free See what it does
  • 100% free, for home and work
  • Works offline
  • Nothing is uploaded
  • Windows 10 & 11
HearthPDF showing a four-page report with page thumbnails on the left and the tools pane on the right

Your files are your business

Many “free” PDF tools upload your documents to a website to work on them. HearthPDF does everything on your own computer.

Stays on your PCYour PDFs are opened and saved on your computer. They are never uploaded anywhere.
Works offlineThe app never connects to the internet. Unplug the network and it works the same.
No trackingNo account, no sign-up, no analytics, no adverts in the app. We don’t know who you are.
Free foreverNo trial, no watermark on your files, no “pro” version. If it helps you, you can buy us a coffee.

Everything you need for everyday PDFs

The things people actually do with PDFs, in one simple window.

View

  • Tabs for several documents
  • Smooth scrolling, zoom, fit to width or page
  • Page thumbnails and bookmarks
  • Search the text, even on rotated pages
  • Print, copy page text

Edit

  • Add text anywhere, e.g. to fill in a form
  • Add images and logos
  • Whiteout to cover something up
  • Undo and redo every change
  • Document title, author and keywords

Comment & mark up

  • Sticky notes
  • Highlight, underline, strike through
  • Rectangles, ellipses, lines, arrows
  • Freehand drawing
  • Stamps: DRAFT, APPROVED, CONFIDENTIAL…
  • Move, resize or delete any of it later

Organise pages

  • Drag thumbnails to reorder
  • Rotate, delete, duplicate
  • Insert blank pages or pages from another PDF
  • Extract pages, split a document
  • Reverse the order

Create & combine

  • Blank PDFs in A4, A3, Letter and more
  • Turn photos and scans into a PDF
  • Combine several PDFs into one, with bookmarks
  • Drop files on the window to open them

Finishing touches

  • Watermarks (text, colour, angle, opacity)
  • Headers and footers with dates and file name
  • Page numbers (“Page 3 of 12”)
  • Bates numbering for legal bundles

Mark it up, then send it back

Highlight a paragraph, circle a figure, draw an arrow, add a stamp or leave a sticky note. Changed your mind? Click any mark-up to move it, resize it or delete it. Everything is saved as standard PDF annotations, so other PDF readers show it too.

Every comment is listed in the Comments panel. Double-click one to jump to it.

A page with a highlighted paragraph, a sticky note, a red box around a table and an arrow

Fill in forms without printing them

Got a form that isn’t fillable? Click Add text, click on the page and type. Put an X in a tick box, then save and email it.

A plot booking form filled in with typed text

Find anything, fast

Search the whole document and see every match in context. Use the arrows to step through them on the page.

Search results for the word compost, highlighted on the page

Screenshots

Click any picture to see it full size.

Start screen
Start screen
Page thumbnails
Page thumbnails
A DRAFT watermark
Watermark
Combine files window
Combine files
Header and footer options
Header & footer
Create a blank PDF
New blank PDF

Questions

Is it really free?

Yes. There is no trial, no time limit, no watermark added to your files and no paid upgrade. You can use it at home and at work. Donations are entirely optional.

Does it upload my files?

No. HearthPDF has no online features at all. It opens and saves files on your computer only. The only time anything opens on the internet is when you choose a link in the Help menu (this website or the user guide), and that opens in your own browser.

What does it store on my PC?

Only its own settings: your recent files list (which you can switch off) and your name for comments. Help ▸ Privacy and your data shows exactly what is stored and deletes it in one click. See the privacy page.

Windows says “Windows protected your PC”. Is it safe?

That message appears for new apps that Windows hasn’t seen many times yet. Click More info, then Run anyway. You can check that your download is genuine on the download page.

Can I fill in forms?

Yes: use Add text to type anywhere on the page, which works on any form, including scanned ones.

Does it work on Mac or Linux?

Not at the moment. HearthPDF runs on Windows 10 and Windows 11 (64-bit).

Something doesn’t work. How do I report it?

Please open an issue on GitHub and describe what happened. Please don’t attach private documents.