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Guide

How to sign a PDF without Adobe

Short answer

You can sign a PDF without any Adobe software: Preview on a Mac, Markup on an iPhone or iPad, the Draw tool in Microsoft Edge on Windows, and the pen in Google Drive on Android all add your signature for free. If you need other people to sign, Sign PDF sends the document from your browser for $5 a month, with no Adobe account and no annual contract.

Updated 25 October 2026

Step by step

  1. 1

    Check what is on your device

    Mac has Preview, iPhone has Markup, Windows has Edge, Android has Google Drive. No Adobe download is needed.

  2. 2

    Open the PDF in that tool

    Right-click and choose Open With (or Open with) to pick Preview or Edge, or open the file from the Files or Drive app on a phone.

  3. 3

    Add your signature

    Use Sign in Preview, Add Signature in Markup, Draw in Edge or the pen in Drive.

  4. 4

    Save and return it

    Save the signed file and send it back. To collect someone else's signature, upload it to Sign PDF and send it from there instead.

Why people look for a way around Adobe

Adobe Acrobat Reader is free, but it is a large install, it nudges you towards a paid Acrobat plan, and the online version asks you to sign in to an Adobe account. Sending a document for someone else to sign needs a paid Acrobat subscription, and our comparison research found Adobe's annual plans charge a fee if you cancel after 14 days. Plenty of people just want to sign one lease and get on with their day.

The good news is that every major operating system already ships with something that can do it.

Built-in tools by device

None of these need an Adobe account or a download.

  • Mac: Preview. Click the Sign button in the Markup toolbar or choose Tools > Annotate > Signature, then create a signature with the trackpad, camera or your iPhone.
  • iPhone and iPad: Markup in the Files app or Mail. Tap the Markup button, the Add button (+), then Add Signature.
  • Windows 10 and 11: Microsoft Edge. Open the PDF, click Draw, sign with the mouse or a pen, click Save.
  • Android: the Google Drive app's annotate pen, or your phone maker's own PDF viewer if it has drawing tools.
  • Chromebook and Chrome: Chrome's PDF viewer has an annotation pen on ChromeOS; on other systems, Edge or a web tool is easier.

Web tools that are not Adobe

Many websites will let you upload a PDF, draw a signature and download it. Most free tiers are limited: Smallpdf's free plan allows 2 documents a month and Dropbox Sign's free plan allows 3 signature requests a month, according to their own pricing pages when we checked in October 2026. Before uploading a contract to any free site, check who runs it and how long they keep your file.

Google Docs and Drive also have an eSignature feature, but Google offers it on Workspace Individual and certain business plans rather than free personal Gmail accounts.

Collecting signatures without Acrobat Sign

The built-in tools only cover your own signature. If you were using Acrobat to send contracts to clients, you need a sending service. Sign PDF runs in any browser. Upload a PDF or Word file and we place the signature, initials and date boxes for each person by reading the labels on the page, such as Client, Contractor or Witness. Signers confirm a six-digit code from their email and sign without an account.

The result is a PDF sealed with a digital signature and a DigiCert timestamp, with a certificate of completion listing each signer's email, IP address, device and signing time. It opens in Acrobat Reader, Preview or any other viewer, and anyone can check it at signpdf.ai/verify.

Pricing is $5 a month for two documents or $10 a month for unlimited documents, paid monthly and cancellable at any time. We do not offer a free plan, an API or bulk sending, so if you need those, a larger provider will suit you better.

Questions people ask

Can I sign a PDF without Adobe Acrobat?

Yes. Preview on Mac, Markup on iPhone, Microsoft Edge on Windows and Google Drive on Android all let you add a signature to a PDF without any Adobe software.

Is a PDF signed in Preview or Edge as valid as one signed in Acrobat?

For an ordinary contract, a drawn signature counts as an electronic signature whichever app placed it. Acrobat Reader's Fill & Sign also adds a simple image. What changes the evidence is whether the signing was recorded, which needs a signing service.

What is the cheapest alternative to Adobe Acrobat Sign?

For your own signature, the free tools on your device. For sending, Sign PDF costs $5 a month for two documents with no annual contract. Some services have small free tiers if you send only occasionally.

Will a PDF signed with Sign PDF open in Adobe Reader?

Yes. It is a standard PDF. Adobe Reader will also show the digital seal in its signature panel.

Upload a document and watch the boxes land

See every signature, initial and date box placed before you sign up. Sending starts at $5 a month, monthly, cancel any time.

Upload a document