Want to turn a static PDF into a fillable form for data collection purposes? You don’t need a pricey subscription to Adobe Acrobat for that – just read through this guide to learn how to convert your PDF to a fillable form for free.
Good to know: learn how to remove a password from a PDF file on your Mac.
1. Jotform
Price: Free
With Jotform, you can either convert an existing PDF to a fillable form, or create one from scratch. It’s up to you.
Just upload your file, and allow Jetform to process it. The tool will extract all fillable fields from the original PDF, and create an online form for you to share with others. Jotform offers a variety of tools for customizing your forms. You can also add additional form elements.
You can further edit the form by switching to the Settings tab, where, for instance, you can name it. Also, don’t forget to set an email for where you’d like to receive the replies. Moving on to Publish, you can copy the link to the new form, and share it with others via social apps, email, and more.
Tip: learn how to make a Google Form public to share it with others.
2. Sejda
Price: Free
If you don’t want your PDF to get converted into a form, and you’d like to retain its original format, you can do that with Sejda. The tool detects fillable fields in a PDF and allows you to fill them up with your own information.
With Sedja, you can further edit your PDF by adding elements such as radio buttons and checkboxes, or even delete text or parts of the document. Once all this is done, you can conveniently save the edited PDF and send it on its way.
The only problem with this approach is that if you need to send it to others to add their personal details, you’ll have to instruct them to use Sejda too. That may seem a bit complicated, but fortunately, there are other options you can try, as seen in this article.
3. pdfFiller
Price: Free with premium options
Another free alternative for transforming your PDF into a fillable form is pdfFiller. It works in the same vein as Sedja. Upload your document, and it becomes editable for you. You can use the Text feature to start filling in the fields in the PDF that need your information.
pdfFiller also offers a wide range of editing tools in the menu at the top to further allow you to modify the document according to your needs and preferences. For instance, you can draw on the document, insert images, and even add a watermark.
Once you’re satisfied, send it via email or link or save it as a Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or, of course, PDF. You’ll need to sign up with a free account with pdfFiller to export the result.
FYI: if you need to delete select pages from a PDF, these tools can help.
4. UPDF
Price: Free with premium options
UPDF is a freemium PDF editing solution with a comprehensive list of options that include the ability to convert a PDF into a fillable form. In the free version of UPDF, it will add a watermark to the resulting PDF. If you’re okay with that, this tool does a swell job.
Download the free version to your device, and open the PDF. On the left side of the display, click on the button that says Prepare Form, then at the top, click the tools icon, and select Form Field Recognition.
The program will recognize all the fillable fields in your PDF. Next, press File -> Save as to save your PDF with fillable fields. The great thing about this approach is that you can share this PDF with anyone else, and they will be able to input their info too.
5. Firefox/Edge PDF Viewer
Price: Free
If you’re a Firefox or Microsoft Edge user, the good news is that you can instantly convert your PDFs into fillable forms. Just open your PDF with Firefox or Edge. This advantage to this method is that you don’t need to download a new program on your device or even have a working Internet connection to edit your PDF quickly.
In Firefox, look in the upper-right corner for a few editing tools. Click on the T icon, then click where you want to add text to your PDF. It’s as simple as that. On Edge, the T icon is in the upper left.
Once you’ve made the necessary modifications, press the Save icon to save the document to your machine. You can then send it on its way.
Tip: if your Firefox browser is filling up its memory or CPU usage, check these tips on how to reduce it.
6. LibreOffice
Price: Free
While LibreOffice doesn’t have the option that allows you to convert a PDF directly into a fillable form, you can use this open-source Word alternative to build a fillable form from scratch.
Access LibreOffice Writer to start building your form, Then click on View -> Toolbars -> Form Controls to make the tools needed visible in Writer. The menu will appear on the left side of the display. Start adding your text fields to the document, including name, date, etc.
When you’re done building your form, export the document as a PDF document. You can easily share this editable PDF with others. While it might be a bit tedious to create this fillable format from scratch, LibreOffice allows you to get creative. It also comes preinstalled in most Linux distros, so you don’t need to download anything else on your device.
7. GoFormz
Price: Free with premium options
GoFormz is a freemium option that can help you turn your PDFs into fillable PDF forms. It comes with a 14-day free trial, and you’ll need to pay a subscription fee to keep using the service. But if you’re looking to fill out a quick PDF with your information, this solution may be just what you’re looking for.
Start by creating a free account with GoFormz, then upload your PDF. You’ll be taken to the Templates Field screen, where you can add editable boxes for the different fields in your PDF, such as text, date, and signature.
Publish your form, then fill it out and share it with others or save it to your device. Use GoFormz to create forms from scratch as well.
Good to know: check out these great alternatives to Google Forms.
If you are working with a PDF, you can easily transform it into various other formats. Check out our guide on how to convert a PDF to a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. If you’re having issues opening a PDF in Chrome, we can help.
Image credit: Freepik. All screenshots by Alexandra Arici.
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