Got a static PDF that needs form fields? Maybe it’s an application, a client intake sheet, or some internal document that everyone keeps printing, filling by hand, and scanning back. That workflow is broken, and you can fix it in about five minutes without paying for Adobe Acrobat.
I spent two weeks testing every free tool I could find that claims to add fillable fields to PDFs. Most of them are fine for filling existing forms, but actually creating fillable fields from scratch is a different problem. Here’s what worked and what didn’t.
If you’re looking for a broader overview of free PDF editing, check out our list of the best free PDF editors – that covers general editing, while this guide focuses specifically on making PDFs fillable.
Quick Comparison Table
| Tool | Platform | Field Types | Free Limit | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LibreOffice Draw | Windows, Mac, Linux | Text, checkbox, dropdown, radio, list | Unlimited | Full control, offline use |
| DocHub | Web | Text, checkbox, dropdown, signature, date | 5 docs/month | Quick online forms |
| PDFescape | Web | Text, checkbox, radio, dropdown | 10 MB / 100 pages | Simple forms without signup |
| Sejda | Web + Desktop | Text, checkbox, radio, dropdown, date | 3 tasks/day, 50 MB | Polished web experience |
| JotForm | Web | Text, checkbox, dropdown, signature, payment | 5 forms, 100 submissions/mo | Forms that collect responses |
| PDF-XChange Editor | Windows | Text, checkbox, radio, dropdown, button, list | Unlimited (watermark on some features) | Power users on Windows |
| Google Docs (workaround) | Web | Text, checkbox, dropdown | Unlimited | Quick-and-dirty fillable PDF |
What “Fillable PDF” Actually Means
A fillable PDF contains interactive form fields – text boxes, checkboxes, dropdowns, radio buttons – that someone can click on and type into directly. The data stays digital. No printing, no scanning, no illegible handwriting.
This is different from just editing a PDF or adding text annotations on top. Real form fields have defined boundaries, can be tabbed through, and let you export the collected data.
Two common scenarios where you need this:
- You have an existing static PDF (like a government form or company template) and want to add fields on top of it
- You’re creating a new form from scratch and want to distribute it as a fillable PDF
Both scenarios are covered below.
1. LibreOffice Draw – Best Free Option Overall
LibreOffice Draw can open PDFs and let you add form controls directly onto them. It’s the closest thing to Adobe Acrobat’s form editor that doesn’t cost anything.
How to do it
- Open your PDF in LibreOffice Draw (File > Open, select the PDF)
- Go to View > Toolbars > Form Controls
- Select the field type you want (text box, check box, list box, combo box, etc.)
- Draw the field where you want it on the page
- Right-click the field to set properties like name, default value, font size
- Export as PDF: File > Export as PDF, make sure “Create PDF form” is checked and the format is set to PDF
The form fields export correctly and work in every major PDF reader I tested – Adobe Reader, Foxit, Chrome’s built-in viewer, even Preview on Mac.
What I liked
- Completely free, no account needed, no file limits
- Full set of form controls including list boxes and formatted fields
- Works offline
- You can set tab order, validation rules, and default values
What’s annoying
- The PDF import isn’t perfect – complex layouts sometimes shift slightly
- The form controls toolbar looks like it was designed in 2004 (because it was)
- Learning curve is real if you’ve never used form design mode before
Honestly, for anything beyond a simple two-field form, LibreOffice Draw is the move. I used it to convert a 4-page rental application into a fillable PDF with 28 fields, and it took about 20 minutes.
2. DocHub – Best Web-Based Option
DocHub runs entirely in the browser and has a dedicated form field editor. Upload your PDF, drag fields onto it, send it out. The free plan gives you 5 documents per month.
How to do it
- Go to dochub.com and sign up (Google account works)
- Upload your PDF or import from Google Drive
- Click the form field icon in the toolbar
- Choose field type: text field, checkbox, dropdown, signature, or date
- Click where you want the field – drag to resize
- Download the fillable PDF or share a link
What I liked
- The drag-and-drop field placement is genuinely smooth
- Signature fields work well – recipients can draw or type their signature
- Google Drive integration saves steps if that’s where your files live
- The resulting PDF works correctly in most readers
What’s annoying
- 5 documents per month on free is tight if you do this regularly
- No radio button support on the free plan
- You need an account – no anonymous uploads
For occasional use – converting one or two documents a month – DocHub is hard to beat. The interface is cleaner than any desktop tool, and the results are reliable.
3. PDFescape – No Signup Required
PDFescape’s online editor lets you add form fields without creating an account. That alone makes it worth mentioning. The catch: your PDF needs to be under 10 MB and 100 pages.
How to do it
- Go to pdfescape.com and click “Free Online”
- Upload your PDF
- Switch to the “Insert” tab
- Select Form Field, then choose the type (text, checkbox, radio, dropdown)
- Click and drag on the document to place the field
- Use the field properties panel to set name, font, and behavior
- Click the green download arrow to save
What I liked
- No account needed – just upload and start adding fields
- Supports text fields, checkboxes, radio buttons, and dropdowns
- The field placement is precise enough for most forms
What’s annoying
- The interface feels outdated
- 10 MB limit rules out scanned documents
- No undo for field placement – if you mess up, you delete and redo
- Occasional rendering issues with embedded fonts
PDFescape is fine for a one-off job. If you need to add a few text fields to a simple PDF and don’t want to make an account anywhere, this does the job.
4. Sejda – Cleanest Web Interface
Sejda has the most polished web-based form editor I tested. The free tier gives you 3 tasks per day with a 50 MB file size cap and up to 200 pages.
How to do it
- Go to sejda.com and select “PDF Forms” from the menu
- Choose “Make PDF Fillable” or “Create PDF Form”
- Upload your file
- Use the toolbar to add text fields, checkboxes, radio groups, dropdowns, or date fields
- Click each field to set properties (label, required/optional, validation)
- Download the result
What I liked
- Modern, responsive interface that works on tablets too
- Date picker fields are a nice touch – not many free tools offer this
- Field alignment guides help you keep things neat
- Also available as a desktop app (same free limits apply)
What’s annoying
- 3 tasks per day means you can’t iterate much on a complex form
- Files are deleted after 2 hours – no saving drafts
- The desktop version is 200+ MB for what it does
If you want a web tool that doesn’t feel like a web tool, Sejda is it. The 3-task daily limit is the main friction point.
5. JotForm – Best for Collecting Responses
JotForm approaches this differently. Instead of making an existing PDF fillable, you upload a PDF as a background template and overlay form fields. Recipients fill it out through JotForm, and responses get collected automatically.
This is better if you actually need to collect and manage form submissions – not just create a standalone fillable file.
How to do it
- Sign up at jotform.com (free)
- Create a new form and select “PDF Form”
- Upload your PDF template
- Drag form elements onto the template – text inputs, checkboxes, signature pads, even payment fields
- Share the form link with recipients, or download as a fillable PDF
What I liked
- Automatic response collection with email notifications
- Conditional logic – show/hide fields based on answers
- Signature capture works great on mobile
- Can generate filled PDFs automatically from submissions
What’s annoying
- Free plan caps at 5 forms and 100 submissions per month
- The PDF you download has JotForm branding on free
- Overkill if you just want a simple fillable PDF file
6. PDF-XChange Editor – Windows Power Tool
PDF-XChange Editor is a free Windows PDF editor with a surprisingly complete form creation toolkit. The free version adds a small watermark to some advanced features, but basic form fields are watermark-free.
How to do it
- Download and install from tracker-software.com
- Open your PDF
- Go to Form > Add Form Field, then choose the type
- Draw the field on the document
- Right-click to set properties (name, tooltip, format, validation, calculation)
- Save the PDF
What I liked
- The most complete form field editor in any free tool – including calculated fields and JavaScript actions
- No file size or page limits
- Tab order management, field duplication, alignment tools
- Can import/export form data (FDF/XFDF)
What’s annoying
- Windows only
- Some features (like push buttons with custom icons) add a watermark in the free version
- The toolbar layout is dense – takes time to find what you need
For Windows users who make fillable PDFs regularly, PDF-XChange Editor is the best free option. It’s close to what Adobe Acrobat Pro offers for forms, minus the subscription.
7. Google Docs Workaround
This isn’t a proper form tool, but it works in a pinch. Google Docs can create documents with fill-in fields using the “Chips” and “Dropdown” features, which you then export as PDF.
How to do it
- Open Google Docs and create a new document (or open an existing one)
- Use Insert > Dropdown to add dropdown menus
- Use Insert > Table for structured field layouts
- Add placeholder text like “____________” for text entry areas
- Download as PDF (File > Download > PDF)
The resulting PDF won’t have true interactive form fields – recipients will need to edit the PDF or print and fill by hand. But if you’re creating a new form template and your recipients have basic PDF editing tools, this gets you 80% of the way there.
When to use this
- You’re creating a form from scratch (not modifying an existing PDF)
- Recipients will use the form digitally with a PDF editor
- You want quick formatting with familiar tools
Which Tool Should You Pick?
Here’s my honest take after testing all of these:
For a one-time job: DocHub or PDFescape. Upload, add fields, download. Done in five minutes.
For regular form creation: LibreOffice Draw. Free, unlimited, works offline. The learning curve pays off fast.
For Windows power users: PDF-XChange Editor. Closest to Adobe Acrobat’s form tools without spending $240/year.
For collecting form submissions: JotForm. It handles the whole workflow – form creation, distribution, response collection.
Look, Adobe Acrobat Pro is still the gold standard for PDF forms. It has auto-detect for form fields, better alignment tools, and more reliable rendering across readers. But at $19.99/month, it’s hard to justify for occasional use. The tools above handle 90% of what most people need.
Tips for Better Fillable PDFs
A few things I learned from creating probably 40+ fillable PDFs during testing:
Set tab order. Nothing frustrates people more than pressing Tab and jumping to a random field across the page. Most tools let you reorder the tab sequence – take two minutes to set it up.
Use consistent field sizes. A form with text boxes of five different heights looks sloppy. Pick one size for single-line inputs and stick with it.
Add tooltips. A short description that appears on hover helps when field labels are ambiguous. “Enter date in MM/DD/YYYY format” saves back-and-forth.
Test in multiple readers. A form that works in Adobe Reader might break in Chrome’s PDF viewer or Preview on Mac. Test in at least two readers before distributing.
Name your fields. Default names like “Text1” and “Text2” make it impossible to work with the data later. Use descriptive names: “first_name”, “email”, “agree_to_terms”.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make a PDF fillable without Adobe Acrobat?
Yes. LibreOffice Draw, DocHub, PDFescape, Sejda, and PDF-XChange Editor all let you add interactive form fields to PDFs for free. LibreOffice Draw has no limits on file size or number of fields and works on Windows, Mac, and Linux. For a full list of free editors, see our best free PDF editors guide.
What’s the difference between filling a PDF form and making a PDF fillable?
Filling a form means entering data into existing fields – the fields are already there, you just type. Making a PDF fillable means creating those fields from scratch on a document that doesn’t have them. It’s the difference between answering a questionnaire and designing one.
Will my fillable PDF work on phones and tablets?
Most fillable PDFs work on mobile if opened in Adobe Reader (free on iOS/Android) or Foxit Reader. Chrome’s mobile PDF viewer has limited form support. Avoid complex fields like multi-line text boxes or calculated fields if mobile compatibility matters.
How do I make a scanned PDF fillable?
First, run OCR on the scanned PDF to convert it from an image to actual text. You can use free PDF OCR software for this. Then open the OCR’d PDF in a tool like LibreOffice Draw or PDF-XChange Editor and add form fields on top. The OCR step is important – without it, you’re just placing fields over a flat image with no text layer.
Can I add a digital signature field to a fillable PDF for free?
DocHub and JotForm both support signature fields on their free plans. LibreOffice Draw doesn’t have a native signature field, but you can add a text field or image placeholder where recipients paste their signature. For dedicated signing, check our guide on how to sign PDF documents for free.