How to Fill in Forms in PDF on Desktop

Knowing how to fill in forms in PDF is something that people need when applying for jobs, school, or foreign country visas. However, it can be quite challenging to find a convenient and functional PDF editor with the capacity to fill in PDF forms.

To pick a good program to accomplish this task, you need to search according to your needs and user experience. This article describes some of the best software to fill out PDF forms. Read on to find one for you!

1. Icecream PDF Editor - the best software to fill in PDF forms

This is a fairly simple and capable PDF editor that allows you to fill out PDF forms of your documents. There are 4 modes in this program and the "Fill in forms" is one of them.

The other 3 are "Edit", "Annotate" and "Manage pages". Use them to edit the existing content of your files and create new, annotate documents using various tools. Delete, rotate, and add new pages to your files.

In addition, the PDF form filler does not take up much space on your PC and is installed in seconds.

Fill in PDF forms mode of Icecream PDF Editor

Pros

  • Easy to work with even for beginners.
  • PDF editor with user-friendly interface.
  • Fast form filling even on low-performance computers and laptops.
  • Extensive functionality when users edit PDF documents.
  • Forms filling software with flexible settings.
  • Ability to delete and insert PDF pages, stamp PDF, and more.
  • High speed of converting and saving files to your hard drive.

Cons

  • Doesn't have the feature to create fillable PDF forms from scratch yet.

2. Foxit PDF Reader - reader with a feature to fill in PDF forms

This is quite a simple program for creating and filling out a form in PDF format. There is also functionality to sign and annotate PDF documents. A standard set of options and a clear interface makes it easy to operate even for users with minimal experience in working with documents.

All in all, it is a pretty handy PDF form filler if you do not need extended functionality. For a more functional updated version of this PDF reader with editing capabilities, you will have to sign up for an annual subscription.

Foxit PDF Reader

Pros

  • User-friendly and intuitive interface to fill out PDF forms.
  • Does not require high performance of a personal computer or laptop.
  • Annotate, sign, and protect besides PDF form filling.

Cons

  • Does not include the full-featured PDF editor.
  • The installation of separate additional plug-ins may be needed.

Foxit PDF Editor

3. PDF Studio - app to fill in PDF forms for Windows, Mac, and Linux

This PDF editor offers plenty of features for working with PDF, including work on fillable PDF forms. It allows you to create and fill out PDF forms that are already in the file. Additionally, you can import them from scans of documents, DOC files, and images.

Another notable feature of this PDF form filler is the built-in OCR, which is so handy for working with scanned files. You can also protect PDF documents, create them from scratch, annotate, split, and merge files, and more.

Pros

  • Easy to use PDF forms filling software and editor.
  • Ability to share PDF documents via Google Drive.
  • Fast performance.
  • Simple interface.
  • Compatible with Windows, Linux, and macOS.

Cons

  • The free version of the formfill software puts a watermark on the final document.

PDF Studio website

4. Nitro PDF PRO - how to fill in forms in PDF in a professional way

Quite a well-known PDF editor in particular communities with the feature to fill in PDF forms and create them, too. Compatible with cloud storage, where you can upload documents for more convenient work. This PDF form filler has a fairly large set of features, including the ability to create PDF files, sign digital papers, edit, convert PDFs, etc.

There is a 14-day free trial version of the PDF formfill software, so you can see what it can do. However, if your work requires dealing with fillable PDF forms regularly, you will need the PRO version, which is quite expensive.

Pros

  • Software to fill out PDF forms with a user-friendly interface.
  • Compatible with various cloud services.
  • Flexible work settings for form filling.
  • An impressive number of PDF editing tools.

Cons

  • Working with large PDF documents may cause some crashes in the program.
  • Requires signing up even for filling out PDF forms with the trial access.
  • Lifetime license is pricey compared to other programs on the list.

Nitro PDF PRO

5. PDFescape - both software and web-based PDF form filler

This is a fairly easy-to-use PDF editor that also allows you to fill out PDF forms. It works on Windows as an app to fill in PDF forms and has an online version, too. The utility has the ability to share data over the Internet by URL and via cloud storage.

Apart from being one of the solutions how to fill out a form on PDF, the program includes other instruments like page rearrangement, printing, saving, and form publishing. However, certain features are only available with the premium subscription.

Pros

  • Great functionality in both desktop and online PDF form-filling versions.
  • Built-in PDF editing tools.
  • Easy to populate fillable PDF forms in a few steps.

Cons

  • Cluttered interface of the formfill software can cause difficulties.
  • The free version only works with small PDF files (up to 10 MB).

PDFescape official website

Why you may need to know how to fill in forms in PDF?

Understanding how to fill out PDF forms is a useful skill for many people. This knowledge can help streamline processes, save time, and reduce errors.

  • Fillable PDF forms are used in a variety of contexts, from submitting job applications to completing medical forms. Having a reliable PDF form filler will ensure efficiency and can make a big difference when it comes to making sure information is accurate.
  • Understanding the process of PDF form filling equips users to quickly and easily enter data. Users do not have to print out the form, fill it out with a pen or pencil, and then scan it back into the computer. Instead, they can simply write on PDF forms, which saves time and effort.
  • Furthermore, knowing how to fill out a form on PDF enables users to save work progress and come back later. As a result, after taking a break, they can return to it without any worry of losing the information they have already put with the PDF formfill software.
  • Additionally, fillable PDF forms are so common because it is the universal format that can be opened on virtually any device or platform with no compatibility issues at all. This means that regardless of what device users have, they can easily access and fill in a PDF form.

Overall, getting a program or familiarizing yourself with services for filling out PDF forms is an important skill for professionals across different industries. Learning how to fill in forms in PDF enables them to quickly and accurately complete forms without wasting time or risking data loss.

Why can't I fill in a PDF form?

If you received a form, it does not automatically mean that it is one of the many fillable PDF forms that you can easily complete. Some documents are not designed to be edited or protected from changes. Moreover, not all editors allow filling out PDF forms, and even if they do, you may find that certain fields are unresponsive.

Sometimes you may have an outdated version of the PDF forms filling software that prevents you from using the program to its fullest capacity. Other times, your struggling how to fill out a form on PDF is caused by an error in the software you use.

To fill in forms in the PDF format properly, you need a simple yet well-functioning PDF editor, such as Icecream PDF Editor that will give you more control over how you edit and save your forms.

How to fill in forms in PDF: conclusion

In this article, we have shared the top choices of PDF form fillers. Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages based on the tasks at hand, additional functionality, ease of use, cost, and so on.

Which software for filling out PDF forms to choose and use is up to you to decide. Explore the suggested options and pick the one that works best for you!

Alexandra Meyer
by Alexandra Meyer
4,961 views
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