Kitsmith / Compare / PDFgear vs Nitro PDF Pro
MacPDFgear vs Nitro PDF Pro
PDFgear vs Nitro PDF Pro: verdict, pricing, and specs compared, so you can pick the right one for your Mac.
At a glance
PDFgear
FreeA completely free PDF editor for Mac — edit text, merge, convert, and sign PDFs with no sign-up and no paywalled features.
Nitro PDF Pro
$14.99/mo via Setapp membership (7-day free trial); no standalone purchase foundA full PDF editor for Mac — edit text, merge files, add signatures, and convert PDFs, sold only through Setapp.
Spec comparison
PDFgear
- Price
- Free
- Pricing model
- Free
- License
- Proprietary
- Placement
- Screen
- Channels
- Mac App Store · Direct
- Category
- Utilities
Nitro PDF Pro
- Price
- $14.99/mo via Setapp membership (7-day free trial); no standalone purchase found
- Pricing model
- Paid
- License
- Proprietary
- Placement
- Screen
- Channels
- Setapp
- Category
- Utilities
The verdict
PDFgear costs nothing — real text and image editing, conversion, and merging with no paid tier at all — though it’s from a newer company with less track record than an established PDF vendor. Nitro PDF Pro comes from Nitro Software (GoNitro), a long-running dedicated PDF company, and one reviewer called it "a solid replacement for Adobe Acrobat" — but on Mac it’s Setapp-exclusive, so the real cost is a $14.99/mo membership, not a one-time fee. If you want a free editor and can live with a newer developer, start with PDFgear; if you already pay for Setapp or want an established PDF company behind the app, Nitro PDF Pro is the safer pick.
Which one should you pick?
Pick PDFgear if…
- Pick PDFgear if you want real PDF editing — text, images, forms — for $0, with no paid tier at all
- Pick PDFgear if you want AI chat over your PDF’s content built in
- Pick PDFgear if you don’t already have a Setapp membership and don’t want to start paying for one
- Pick PDFgear if merging, splitting, and converting formats covers what you need
Pick Nitro PDF Pro if…
- Pick Nitro PDF Pro if you want a long-established PDF company behind the app, not a newer one
- Pick Nitro PDF Pro if you already have a Setapp membership and want it bundled in at no extra cost
- Pick Nitro PDF Pro if signing and securing documents (encryption, passwords) matters as much as editing
- Pick Nitro PDF Pro if you’re fine paying $14.99/mo through Setapp rather than using a free tool
PDFgear vs Nitro PDF Pro — questions people ask
Is PDFgear really free?
Yes — editing, converting, merging, and signing are all free with no sign-up required, and no paid tier was found on the developer’s site at verification time.
Can I buy Nitro PDF Pro on Mac without Setapp?
Not as far as this listing could verify — it’s bundled into a Setapp membership (from $14.99/mo) rather than sold as a standalone Mac app.
Which company has been making PDF software longer?
Nitro Software (GoNitro), which makes Nitro PDF Pro, is a long-established PDF company. PDFgear’s maker, PDF Gear Tech Pte. Ltd., is younger and has less of a track record.