How to sign a PDF without Adobe
Updated 23 September 2026
Adobe Acrobat is the best-known way to sign a PDF, but you don't need it. Here are free options that work on any computer or phone, and what each one is good for.
Option 1: sign in your browser (any device)
The quickest way on any device is a browser-based signer. With SignFree, nothing is installed and your PDF isn't uploaded: it's opened and signed inside your browser.
- 1Go to signfree.org and choose "Sign it yourself".
- 2Pick your PDF, or drag it onto the page.
- 3Click Signature, draw your signature or type your name, then click where it goes on the page.
- 4Add text, a date or checkmarks if the document asks for them.
- 5Click Download PDF. The signed copy is saved to your device.
Option 2: Preview on a Mac
Macs come with Preview, which can sign PDFs. Open the PDF in Preview, show the Markup toolbar, and use the Sign button to create a signature with your trackpad or camera. It works well, but only on a Mac, and filling in text on forms that aren't fillable is fiddly.
Option 3: the Files app on iPhone or iPad
On an iPhone or iPad, open the PDF in the Files app, tap the Markup (pen) button, then the + button and Add Signature. See our step-by-step guide for signing a PDF on iPhone.
What about Windows?
Windows doesn't have a built-in signature tool. Microsoft Edge opens PDFs and lets you draw on them, which works in a pinch, but you draw a new signature each time and it's hard to place neatly. A browser signer like SignFree works in Edge or Chrome and remembers your signature if you want it to.
Need someone else to sign?
If the PDF also needs other people's signatures, choose "Send it for signing" on SignFree. They get an email link, sign without an account, and everyone receives the signed PDF. It's free too.