Adding headers and footers to a PDF sounds like it should be simple. It’s not. Most PDF tools bury this feature behind a paywall or make you jump through hoops. I spent two weeks testing every free option I could find – online tools, desktop apps, open-source editors – to figure out which ones actually let you add custom headers and footers without paying.
If you’re working with PDFs regularly, you probably already know about the best free PDF editors out there. But header/footer support is a specific feature that not every editor handles well. Some tools only let you add page numbers (which is technically a footer), while others give you full control over text placement, fonts, and formatting across every page.
Here’s what I found after testing 14 tools and narrowing it down to 7 that actually work.
Quick Comparison: Best Free Tools to Add Headers and Footers to PDF
| Tool | Type | Free Limit | Custom Text | Page Numbers | Date Stamp | Font Control | Batch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sejda PDF | Online + Desktop | 3 tasks/day, 200 pages | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No (free) |
| PDF24 Tools | Online + Desktop | Unlimited | Yes | Yes | Yes | Limited | Yes |
| iLovePDF | Online | 1 task, 25 MB | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| PDFgear | Desktop | Unlimited | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| LibreOffice Draw | Desktop | Unlimited | Yes | Yes | Yes | Full | No |
| Smallpdf | Online | 2 tasks/day | Yes | Yes | No | Limited | No |
| Adobe Acrobat Online | Online | 1 task, account req. | Limited | Yes | Yes | No | No |
1. Sejda PDF – Best Overall for Quick Header/Footer Jobs
Sejda has a dedicated “Header & Footer” tool that’s easy to find from their homepage. You upload your PDF, pick where you want text (left, center, or right for both header and footer zones), type your content, and download. The whole process takes maybe 90 seconds.
What I like about Sejda is the variable system. You can insert {pageNumber}, {totalPages}, or {date} as dynamic placeholders. So typing “Page {pageNumber} of {totalPages}” in the footer gives you automatic pagination across every page. You also get font size, color, and margin controls.
The free tier caps you at 3 tasks per day and 200 pages per document. For most people doing occasional PDF work, that’s plenty. Files are deleted from their servers after 2 hours.
Pros
- Dedicated header/footer feature (not buried in a general editor)
- Dynamic variables for page numbers, dates, total pages
- Font customization including size and color
- Works in browser, no install needed
Cons
- 3 tasks/day limit on free tier
- 200-page document cap
- Desktop version requires Java
2. PDF24 Tools – Completely Free, No Limits
PDF24 is the tool I keep coming back to when I need something done fast without worrying about daily limits or file size restrictions. Their header/footer tool is part of a massive suite of 30+ PDF tools, all free.
The interface is straightforward. Upload, choose header or footer position, type your text, pick font size (8pt to 24pt), and process. PDF24 supports page number insertion and date stamps. Font choice is limited compared to Sejda – you get a handful of standard fonts rather than dozens.
The desktop version (PDF24 Creator, Windows only) gives you even more control. You can set different headers for odd and even pages, which is useful for book-style documents or reports meant for double-sided printing.
Pros
- Zero cost, zero limits – genuinely free
- No account registration required
- Desktop app adds odd/even page differentiation
- Batch processing available
Cons
- Limited font selection online
- Desktop app is Windows-only
- Interface looks dated
3. iLovePDF – Cleanest Interface
iLovePDF does this feature well, honestly. Their “Add page numbers” tool actually supports full custom headers and footers, not just page numbers despite the name. You can put any text in header or footer positions and combine it with automatic numbering.
The layout picker is visual – you see a page thumbnail with clickable zones where you can place text. Six positions: top-left, top-center, top-right, bottom-left, bottom-center, bottom-right. Each zone gets its own text input.
Free tier is restrictive though. You get 1 file processing before it asks you to wait or upgrade. The 25 MB file size limit is also tight if you’re working with image-heavy PDFs. For a single document every now and then, it works fine.
Pros
- Visual position picker makes placement intuitive
- Clean, modern UI
- Margin and starting page controls
- Google Drive and Dropbox integration
Cons
- Only 1 free task before throttling
- 25 MB max file size on free tier
- Custom text is limited to basic formatting
4. PDFgear – Best Free Desktop Option
PDFgear caught me off guard. It’s a completely free desktop PDF editor (Windows, Mac, iOS) with no watermarks, no trial periods, and no feature gates. The header/footer tool is under Edit > Header & Footer > Add.
You get granular control here. Set different content for header-left, header-center, header-right, and the same for footers. Insert page numbers, date, file name, or author automatically. Choose from system fonts, set size, color, and opacity. You can even set a page range so headers only appear on specific pages – handy when you want to skip a cover page.
I tested it on a 450-page technical manual. Processing took about 8 seconds, and the output was clean. No quality loss, no layout shifts. This is the tool I’d recommend if you do this regularly and don’t want to rely on a browser.
Pros
- Fully free with no watermarks or feature limits
- Page range selection (skip cover pages, appendices)
- System font access – use any installed font
- Fast processing even on large files
- Available on Windows, Mac, and iOS
Cons
- Requires installation (no browser version)
- AI features push upsells (but header/footer is free)
- No Linux support
5. LibreOffice Draw – Open Source and Full Control
LibreOffice Draw can open PDFs and gives you complete editing freedom, including headers and footers. The catch? It’s not a one-click “add header” operation. You import the PDF, add text frames in header/footer positions manually, then export back to PDF.
This approach is slower but gives you total control. Any font, any size, any color, any position. You can add images to headers (like a company logo), which none of the online tools above support for free. For branded documents, this matters.
The downside is real though: LibreOffice sometimes shifts text positioning or changes fonts when importing complex PDFs. I tested it on 10 different PDFs and saw layout issues in 3 of them. Simple text-based documents import perfectly. Heavily formatted ones can get messy.
If you need to add text to a PDF in other ways too, LibreOffice handles that in the same workflow.
Pros
- Completely free and open source
- Add logos/images to headers (unique among free tools)
- Full font and formatting control
- Works on Windows, Mac, and Linux
Cons
- Manual process – no dedicated header/footer wizard
- Can break layouts on complex PDFs
- Slower workflow compared to online tools
- Learning curve for new users
6. Smallpdf – Good for Simple Page Numbers
Smallpdf’s “Page Numbers” tool does exactly what the name suggests, but you can customize the format enough to function as a basic footer tool. Position options include top or bottom of page, with left/center/right alignment.
Here’s the thing – Smallpdf doesn’t support arbitrary custom text in headers. You can add page numbers with some format variations (plain number, “Page X”, “X of Y”), but you can’t type “Confidential” or “Draft” as a header. For page numbering specifically, it works well. For anything else, look elsewhere.
Free tier gives you 2 tasks per day. Files up to 5 GB are supported, which is generous compared to iLovePDF’s 25 MB cap.
Pros
- Dead simple for page numbering
- Multiple number format options
- Generous 5 GB file size limit
Cons
- No custom text headers – page numbers only
- No date stamps
- 2 tasks/day free limit
- Pushes Pro subscription aggressively
7. Adobe Acrobat Online – Limited but Familiar
Adobe’s free online tools include a basic header/footer option, though it’s less capable than their desktop Acrobat Pro. You need a free Adobe account to use it. Upload your PDF, and you can add page numbers in various positions.
Custom text support is limited in the free tier. You can insert page numbers and dates, but full custom header text is a Pro feature. Still, if you already have an Adobe account and just need page numbering, it works. The output quality is predictably good – it’s Adobe, after all.
The free online version processes one file at a time and has a 100 MB limit. Not bad for occasional use.
Pros
- Trusted brand, reliable output quality
- 100 MB file size limit
- Clean page number insertion
Cons
- Account required (free)
- Custom text headers locked behind Pro
- One file at a time
- Slow upload/processing compared to competitors
How to Add Headers and Footers: Step-by-Step (Using Sejda)
Here’s the quickest method I’ve found, using Sejda since it balances ease and features:
- Go to Sejda’s Header & Footer tool (search “sejda header footer” – it’s the first result)
- Upload your PDF or drag it into the browser window
- You’ll see a preview of your first page with six text zones – three across the top (header) and three across the bottom (footer)
- Click any zone and type your text. Use {pageNumber} for automatic page numbers, {date} for today’s date
- Adjust font size (default is 12pt), pick a color if needed, and set margins from the edge
- Hit “Add header & footer” and download your modified PDF
Total time: under 2 minutes for most files.
Tips for Better PDF Headers and Footers
A few things I learned while testing these tools that saved me from redoing work:
Skip the first page. Most documents have a cover page or title page that shouldn’t have a header. Sejda, PDFgear, and iLovePDF all let you set a “start from page” number. Set it to 2.
Match your font size to the document. I see people slapping 14pt headers on documents with 10pt body text. It looks wrong. Match your header/footer to 8-10pt for standard documents. Smaller text in margins looks professional.
Use “Page X of Y” format. Just a page number (“3”) is less useful than “Page 3 of 47”. Most tools support this through variables. Sejda uses {pageNumber} of {totalPages}, PDF24 uses [page]/[pages].
Test on one page first. Before processing a 200-page document, test your header/footer settings on a single page. Export, check positioning, then do the full document. This saves a lot of re-processing time.
For more PDF editing options beyond headers and footers, check our guide to the best free PDF editors – several of them include header/footer tools alongside other editing features. You might also want to look at adding page numbers to PDF if that’s your main goal, since dedicated page number tools are sometimes simpler to use.
Which Tool Should You Pick?
For most people: Sejda if you need it done once or twice. The interface is fast, the variables work, and 3 free tasks per day covers casual use.
If you do this regularly: PDFgear. Install it once and you’ve got unlimited header/footer editing with no daily limits. The page range feature alone makes it worth the download.
If you need logo headers: LibreOffice Draw. It’s the only free option that lets you place images in header positions. More work, but more capability.
If you just need page numbers: PDF24. No limits, no registration, gets the job done in 30 seconds.
FAQ
Can I add different headers to odd and even pages for free?
Yes, but only with desktop tools. PDF24 Creator (Windows) and LibreOffice Draw both support odd/even page differentiation. None of the online tools offer this in their free tiers. PDFgear supports page range selection, which you can use as a workaround by processing odd and even pages separately.
Will adding headers change the content layout of my PDF?
No. All the tools listed here add headers and footers as an overlay – they don’t reflow the existing content. Your text, images, and formatting stay exactly where they are. The header/footer sits in the margin area. If your PDF has very small margins (under 0.5 inches), the header might overlap with existing content. Adjust the margin offset in the tool settings if that happens.
Can I add a company logo to a PDF header for free?
LibreOffice Draw is the only free tool that supports image-based headers. You import the PDF, place an image frame in the header area, insert your logo, and export back to PDF. Online tools like Sejda, PDF24, and iLovePDF only support text in their free tiers – logo insertion is typically a paid feature.
What’s the difference between adding headers and adding page numbers to a PDF?
Page numbers are a specific type of footer content – just sequential numbers at the bottom of each page. Headers and footers are broader: they can include any text (document title, author name, date, “Confidential” stamps), images (logos), and page numbers combined. If you only need page numbers, a simpler tool like PDF24 or Smallpdf is enough. For custom text in multiple positions, use Sejda or PDFgear.
Is there a way to batch add headers to multiple PDFs at once for free?
PDF24 Creator (desktop version) and PDFgear both support batch processing. Upload multiple files, set your header/footer template once, and apply to all. Online tools generally don’t support batch processing in free tiers. For large batches (50+ files), PDFgear is the faster option since it processes locally without upload/download time.