A Hands-On Sejda PDF Editor Review 2025

Part 1: Who Is Sejda PDF Editor For?

Before diving into the hands-on testing, it helps to know who this tool is really for. Here’s a quick breakdown of who will benefit most from Sejda PDF Editor—and who might want to look elsewhere.

Sejda PDF Editor is best suited for:

• Students, freelancers, and SMB professionals who need to edit, annotate, merge/split PDFs, fill forms, or add signatures.
• Anyone wanting a simple, intuitive PDF editor that works online or offline with essential security features.

Sejda PDF Editor might not be ideal for:

• Large enterprises needing advanced collaboration or cloud integration.
• Users expecting unlimited free use.
• Professionals handling highly sensitive data under GDPR/HIPAA.
• Users needing complex, design-heavy PDF layouts.

Key Takeaway: Sejda strikes a balance between ease-of-use and essential PDF editing capabilities, making it perfect for moderate daily use, but it has limitations for large-scale or compliance-sensitive workflows.

Next, I’ll walk you through exactly how I tested and evaluated it in real-world use.

Part 2: How I Tested and Evaluated Sejda PDF Editor?

The following Sejda PDF Editor review is based on real hands-on use of the app. My goal was to give readers a clear understanding of its features, performance, and limitations. Here’s the criteria of my testing:

• Evaluation Dimensions: I evaluated key areas including installation, interface, text and form editing, OCR accuracy, speed and stability, security, usage limits, and overall value.
• Time Invested: Testing was done over several hours and multiple days on documents of varying sizes, from small PDFs to large files with hundreds of pages.
• Reference Points: To ascertain accuracy, I cross-checked my findings with trusted tech sites like PCWorld, CNET, and TechRadar, as well as user feedback from Reddit and Trustpilot.
• Trust Assurance: All screenshots and examples come from actual use, guaranteeing the review reflects real-world performance rather than promotional claims.

Part 3: Sejda PDF Editor Overview

Now that we’ve covered the key testing criteria, it makes sense to first look at an overview of Sejda PDF Editor—its versions, features, and general capabilities—before diving into the detailed results.

Sejda PDF Editor is a tool created by Sejda BV in the Netherlands. It operates both online and as a desktop app, making it easy for individuals and businesses to manage PDF files. With its simple interface and wide range of features, users can edit text, merge or split files, add signatures, compress documents, and secure their PDFs.

2.1 Web Version vs Desktop Version

Sejda PDF Editor offers a web and desktop version to fit different user needs. Here’s what each version offers and its limitations:

Sejda Web Version (Online):

Operates in any web browser, no installation is needed, and it can be used on any device with internet.

• Features: Let you PDF edit text for free , edit images and links, convert PDFs to/from Word, Excel, and more. You can also merge/split/compress files, scan with OCR, fill and sign forms, add notes, create custom forms, and automate workflows. It also supports 20+ languages.
• Limitations: Needs internet, free use is limited to 3 tasks per hour with a 50 MB or 200-page cap, and doesn’t support real-time collaboration.

Sejda Desktop Version (Offline):

The Sejda desktop version is installed on Windows, macOS, or Linux, and operates offline.

• Features: Offers most web features but runs locally for better privacy, and supports batch processing for multiple files at once.
• Limitations: With the free version, you can do up to 3 tasks a day. Files are limited to 50MB or 200 pages, and compression works for files up to 100MB. OCR is also capped at 10 pages, images must be under 5MB, and you can merge up to 30 files or 50 pages. While PDF conversion is limited to one file at a time. There is no cloud sync or collaboration, and only 7 languages are supported.

2.3 Safety and Security

When considering a PDF editor, security is a key factor. Sejda places great importance on security, though its web and desktop versions handle it differently.

The next big question is, “Is Sejda PDF Editor safe to use?” The answer is that Sejda PDF Editor takes security seriously, but it functions differently on the web and desktop versions. In the web version, files are uploaded with encryption and deleted from Sejda’s servers after 2 hours, though cloud processing may carry some risk for sensitive data. Whereas the desktop version processes everything locally on your device, keeping files private and making it a safer option for confidential documents.

The next important question is, “Is Sejda PDF secure, like does it use encryption?” The answer is yes, Sejda PDF Editor offers several security tools, including password protection with strong encryption like AES for files, and redaction to permanently remove sensitive data. It also offers watermarking to prevent misuse, digital signatures for document authentication, and permissions to limit printing, copying, or editing. While these features improve security, Sejda doesn’t fully meet strict standards like GDPR or HIPAA without extra safeguards.

Part 4: Sejda PDF Editor Core Features

After reviewing the tool’s versions and security aspects, let’s take a closer look at its core features.

Below is a detailed overview of Sejda PDF’s main functions:

3.1. PDF Text Editing & Annotation

You edit PDFs by adding, changing, or deleting text with different fonts, sizes, colors, and styles. Images can be inserted, moved, resized, or rotated. The editor also lets you highlight, strikethrough, or draw freely, as well as fill or create forms with fields like text boxes, checkboxes, radio buttons, and dropdowns. You can add links, insert shapes with custom styles, and use a whiteout tool to hide content (though it’s not secure for sensitive data).

3.2. Merge, Split & Compress PDFs

You can merge PDFs or images into one file, reorder pages, add bookmarks, footers, a table of contents, and manage form fields. Splitting options include by page range, every page, text content, or custom points like every X pages. While the compression feature reduces file size by optimizing images, removing unused fonts, converting to grayscale, or skipping small images.

3.3. OCR & Scanned PDF Support

The OCR feature lets you turn scanned documents into searchable or editable text, with language options for better accuracy. Results can be saved as searchable PDFs or plain text. Accuracy depends on scan quality, and on Linux, OCR requires Tesseract and language files.

3.4. Other Core Features

Sejda offers security tools like passwords, encryption, permissions, and digital signatures. You can also manage pages by deleting, rotating, reordering, or adding new ones, and convert PDFs to and from Word, Excel, PowerPoint, JPG, PNG, and TIFF. In addition, the desktop version supports batch processing, custom fonts, and dynamic file naming with placeholders.

Part 5: Sejda PDF Editor Pricing and Free Options

If you’re wondering, “Is Sejda completely free to use,” the answer is no, as free usage comes with certain limitations. Here’s what the free and paid plans for Sejda PDF Editor web and desktop versions include:

Free Plan

• Task limits: 3/hour on web, 3/day on desktop.
• File size: Up to 50 MB or 200 pages, and compression up to 100 MB.
• OCR: 10 pages per document.
• Merging: Up to 30 files or 50 pages.
• Images: Max 5 MB each.
• Conversions: One file at a time (no batch processing).

Paid Plans

• Web Week Pass – $5 (7 days)

  Full access to web tools only.

  Best for short-term projects.

• Web Monthly – $7.50/month

  Unlimited access to web tools.

  No desktop access.

  Best for regular online users.

• Desktop + Web Annual – $63/year

  Full access to both web + desktop.

  Unlimited tasks, no file/page limits.

  OCR up to 100 pages, files up to 500 MB, email support.

  Best for power users and businesses.

• Volume Discounts

  20% off for teams of 10+.

  Enterprise options with pre-activated licenses and Citrix/Terminal Services support.

Part 6: Sejda PDF Editor User Experience and Performance

After reviewing Sejda’s pricing and usage limitations, let’s now take a look at how it performs in real-world use.

I’ve gathered feedback from external users, such as TechRadar and Trustpilot , to better understand different user experiences and its potential limitations.

• Ease of Use and Accessibility: Users praise Sejda PDF Editor for its ease of use, clean design, and simple tools that make tasks like merging, splitting, compressing, and basic editing quick to do. Many like that it works on both web and desktop, supports multiple operating systems, and doesn’t require an account for quick edits.
• Text Editing & Form Filling: Some user Sejda reviews indicate disappointment with text editing since it only functions line by line, often destroying formatting. The free version also has strict limits on tasks, file size, and pages, which interrupt larger projects. Also, filling forms is smooth, but creating new ones isn’t as intuitive.
• OCR Accuracy: Users say Sejda’s OCR is helpful and supports many languages, but accuracy depends on scan quality. The free version has limitations and often struggles with low-resolution or complex layouts. Paid plans increase the limit to 100 pages and improve results. But users note that it still falls short regarding skewed text, handwriting, or unusual fonts, which often need manual fixes.
• Advanced Features & Progress: Some users also report losing progress due to session timeouts and note the lack of advanced features like proper redaction or detailed image editing.
• Web and Desktop Performance: In terms of performance, the web version depends on internet speed and can slow down with big files. While the desktop version is faster and more reliable, especially for paid users. But it still struggles with batch processing gigabyte-sized files and large OCR files.
• Cost-Effectiveness & Collaboration: Many users appreciate Sejda’s cost-effectiveness, but some also lament the lack of collaboration features in Sejda PDF Editor

Part 7: My Experience With Sejda PDF Editor

After reviewing external evaluations, I personally tested the desktop version of Sejda PDF Editor to verify its functionality and user experience.

The first thing that caught me off guard was that the desktop version of Sejda PDF Editor is not available for 32-bit systems. Luckily, I have a 64-bit system, so I could easily get the Sejda PDF Editor download for free. Once I installed it on my system, I set out to test its PDF editing features. Here’s my hands-on Sejda Desktop review:

• When I opened the tool, I found that it allows automated error reporting in case of errors and crashes. It’s a small thing, but it means the technical support is really on it.

• You get a simple interface with numerous tools neatly grouped together. I chose “PDF Editor,” and it asked me to upload the document. However, I could only use one function at a time. For example, if I wanted to compress the document, I had to choose the “Compress” function from the menu and then upload the document again.

• I also didn’t like the fact that I couldn’t magnify or reduce the page size, nor could I see the entire page, and had to edit the document line by line.

• Other than that, the highlight tool displayed an error many times until it could work. The other tools performed excellently, though. But for a free tool, I disliked its size limitations.

• The things I liked were that you could add or delete new pages, and the menu pops up when you click a text box for editing. Also, the navigation pane on the right allowed me to go to my desired page for editing.

• I also uploaded an OCR document to check Sejda’s OCR accuracy. To my amazement, the accuracy really surprised me. It was quite good, and I could choose a tool from the menu to modify it easily and apply changes.

Part 7: Wrap-Up - Sejda PDF Editor Review

To give a clearer overview of my overall experience with Sejda PDF Editor, I have compiled the following table of pros and cons:

My experience with Sejda PDF Editor was positive, though not without drawbacks. I liked its simple interface, easy navigation, and reliable tools for editing PDFs and OCR with surprisingly good accuracy. However, limitations like file size restrictions, editing line by line, occasional tool errors, and the lack of professional-grade features make it better suited for basic PDF editing. So, the next question is, what is the alternative to Sejda PDF editor for professional work?

Note:

If you want professional PDF editing for free without file size limits, Tenorshare PDNob is a better alternative.

Part 8: Sejda PDF Editor Alternative

There are many good web-based and desktop alternatives to Sejda PDF Editor that you can try out, for instance:

• PDF Candy
• PDFgear
• Tenorshare PDNob
• PDF24 Creator
• Adobe Acrobat Pro DC

However, if you want a professional yet free and user-friendly tool, Tenorshare PDNob is a powerful alternative. It offers fully featured PDF editing and management features, with no file size restrictions. It provides OCR, PDF editing & conversion, splitting and merging, and annotation tools. Besides, it offers additional tools like an AI Summarizer and doesn’t lag with complex OCR or lengthy documents. The following details will tell you what this tool’s benefits are:

• 99% OCR Accuracy: Having an accuracy of 99 percent, it transforms scanned PDF documents so they can be edited and searched.
• 30+ Formats Convert: You can convert your PDF text into dozens of formats like Word, Excel, PPT, images, EPUB, and PDF/A.
• 100+ Edits: PDFs can be edited with 100+ tools for text, image, watermark, and background.
• 200+ Annotations: Users have access to 200+ tools for adding highlights, shapes, stamps, and notes.
• PDF Management: Users can compress, divide, and recombine their PDF files easily and manage Bates numbering.
• Image Editing: You can edit or replace an image with a different one.
• Security: These services comprise passwords, encryption, and digital signatures.
• AI Support: The site utilizes GPT-4 to summarize, provide insight, and answer huge documents.
• Screenshot Faculty: During the editing process, the user can take screenshots to save all their editing activity
• Batch processing: Up to 1 million files can be processed without being limited by size.
• Multilingual Support: This application offers 20+ languages, starting with English, then Chinese, French, and many more.
• Responsive Customer Support: Rapid tech support guarantees that customer concerns can be addressed quickly.
• Platform Compatibility: It is compatible with the latest Windows and Mac platforms.

Here’s an example of using Tenorshare PDNob to modify a PDF document:

• Install and execute Tenorshare PDNob on your computer. Then, choose “Open PDF” to upload the PDF document you wish to edit. For an OCR file, choose “OCR PDF.”

• All the tools will be displayed on the menu, including “Edit,” “Convert,” “Comment,” etc. So you don’t have to upload the file again and again.
• You can open whatever page you want to edit, from “Page” in the menu. Also, the tool allows you to magnify and reduce the page size.

• Choose “Edit” if you want to edit text or an image on the PDF. If you want to annotate, highlight, or add comments in the PDF, then pick “Comment” from the menu.

• Once the document is edited, head to “File.” Then, tap “Save as” to save and export the edited PDF to your computer.

Why You Can Trust Our Reviews

Our reviews are based on real hands-on testing of tools, not promotions. We assess software on installation, interface, features, performance, security, and limits. Moreover, we cross-check findings with trusted sources like PCWorld, CNET, TechRadar, and user feedback from Reddit and Trustpilot.

All examples come from actual use, reflecting true performance. Like in our Sejda PDF Editor review, we found the tool to be well for basic PDF tasks. However, users needing advanced editing, larger file support, or stronger OCR may prefer alternatives like Tenorshare PDNob .

FAQs About Sejda PDF Editor

How to use Sejda Unlimited Free?

Sejda’s free plan isn’t unlimited. It only allows 3 tasks per hour online or 3 per day on desktop, with 50 MB and 200-page limits. Though teachers can unlock premium features for free by verifying with a school email. However, regular users must upgrade to paid plans like the Week Pass ($7.95) or Annual Plan ($63/year) to remove limits.

How to download and use Sejda?

You can download Sejda from its official site. Just run the installer and follow the steps. For quick tasks, use the web version by uploading files directly. The free plan has strict limits, and for safer offline use or advanced features like batch processing and unlimited tasks, a paid plan is required.

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