Annotate PDF online free

Highlight, add notes and draw on any PDF — right in your browser.

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How to annotate a PDF

To annotate a PDF, open it in the editor above and use Highlight to mark passages, Add text for margin notes, and Draw to circle or underline freehand. Nothing is uploaded — the file is annotated in your browser, and the marks are flattened into the download so they appear in Adobe Reader, Preview and phone apps. Three documents a day are free, with no sign-up and no watermark.

  1. 1

    Open your PDF

    Drop it into the box above — it opens instantly, nothing is uploaded.

  2. 2

    Mark it up

    Use “Highlight” to mark passages, “Add text” for margin notes, and “Draw” to circle or underline freehand. Drag any annotation to reposition it.

  3. 3

    Download the annotated PDF

    Click Download — your annotations are baked into the file so they show up in every PDF reader.

What people use a PDF annotator for

Contract review

Highlight clauses and drop margin notes before the next negotiation round.

Marking student work

Comment and highlight submissions without printing a single page.

Study notes

Mark up lecture slides and papers the way you would with a highlighter.

Design and proof feedback

Circle issues and note changes directly on the PDF proof.

A PDF annotator that keeps your documents private

DoceasePDF annotates your PDF entirely in your browser. Contracts under review, papers you're grading and study notes never touch a server — annotation happens on your device from start to finish.

Highlights, text notes and freehand drawing cover the marks most people need for review and study. Annotations are flattened into the downloaded file, so they display identically in Adobe Reader, Preview, browsers and phones.

Need more than markup? The same editor lets you white out text, sign, rotate pages, and merge or split documents before you download.

Continue your PDF workflow: Draw on PDF Freehand circles, arrows and sketches., Add Text to PDF Type notes and fill in blanks. or White Out PDF Cover mistakes with a clean white box.

Annotate PDFs for study, work and review

Students highlight readings and scribble margin notes; lawyers and managers flag clauses and leave comments for the next round; designers circle what needs to change on a proof. One annotator covers all of it — highlight, text notes and freehand drawing on any PDF, with every annotation movable and deletable until you download.

Annotations that show up in every PDF reader

Some annotation apps store marks in a proprietary layer that vanishes when the file is opened elsewhere. DoceasePDF flattens annotations into the page content on download, so your highlights and notes look identical in Adobe Reader, macOS Preview, browsers and phone apps — no special software needed on the other end.

DoceasePDF vs. upload-based PDF tools

DoceasePDFUpload-based tools
Where your file is processedOn your device, in your browserUploaded to their servers
Account requiredNo — open a file and startOften required after 1–2 uses
PriceFree — 3 documents a dayCredits, trials or subscriptions
Waiting for uploadsNone — files open instantlyUpload + queue + download again
Tools per sessionEvery tool on one documentOne tool, then re-upload

Why people switch to DoceasePDF

Private by design

Editing happens in your browser with WebAssembly. Your file is never uploaded, so nobody — including us — can see it.

Genuinely free

3 documents a day with every tool included — no sign-up, no page limits, no watermarks. Pro lifts the daily cap.

Works everywhere

Any modern browser on Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone or Android. Nothing to download or install.

One editor, every tool

Edit, sign, organize and compress in a single session — no re-uploading between tools like on other sites.

Frequently asked questions

How do I annotate a PDF for free?

Open the PDF in the tool above, then use Highlight, Add text or Draw from the toolbar. Click Download to save the annotated file — 3 free documents a day, no sign-up.

Will my annotations show in other PDF readers?

Yes. Downloads flatten annotations into the page content itself, so highlights, notes and drawings display identically in Adobe Reader, Preview, browsers and mobile apps.

Can I move or delete an annotation?

Yes — before downloading, click any annotation to select it, drag to move, use the corner handle to resize, or hit the X to delete it.

Is my PDF uploaded to a server?

No. Annotation happens in your browser — your file never leaves your device, which makes DoceasePDF safer than upload-based annotators.

Can I annotate a PDF on my phone or tablet?

Yes. The annotator runs in any mobile browser — tap to place highlights and notes, and draw with your finger or a stylus.

How do I highlight text in a PDF?

Click Highlight, then drag across the passage you want marked. The highlight is a translucent block placed over the page, so it also works on scanned PDFs — where text-selection highlighters in other readers fail because there is no text layer to select.

Can the recipient remove my annotations?

Not with normal tools — annotations are flattened into the page itself on download, so they behave like printed content rather than a removable layer.

Try the free PDF editor now