Many modern businesses seem to be completely bailing out on paper documents. Digitized transfer of information is becoming increasingly common. Individuals, programmers, and many businesses alike have started putting their complete trust in PDF viewers and editors to be able to access files securely. The only drawback to opening files on a digitized platform is that no universal PDF editor is suitable for everyone. While some only want to be able to use a PDF converter for opening and viewing pages for free, others want to be able to have access to all the advanced features such as Optical Character Recognition (OCR), collaborations in real-time, or encrypting files.

While everyone has their own preferences on how they are going to be using a PDF editor, there are a number of PDF editors that are continuing to emerge each with their own set of specialties. WPS PDF comparison with Foxit will help people understand the key features to look into when opting for a good PDF editor. This article will also help you learn more about the features of WPS PDF and Foxit to help you decide if any of the PDF editors meet your needs.

While WPS is free PDF editing software that is developed by the WPS office, it mainly offers basic PDF editing features and can convert PDFs to an extensive range of file formats. It has a paid version that includes many advanced features and is compatible with multiple platforms such as windows, mac, and Linux. Foxit on the other hand is a paid PDF editing software, that offers an extensive range of editing and creating features for documents. Its availability on multiple platforms including mac, windows, and Linux is also a plus, also, it can be accessed in handheld devices like iPhone and Android. Meanwhile, Foxit offers an almost similar set of features with certain exceptions. However, it is not free software but will offer free trials if users are willing to give the software a shot.

1. Interface

The user interface of any PDF editor needs to be neat and easy to navigate. For new users, a simple and straightforward interface helps them build the confidence to use PDF editors and eventually rely on them for delivering PDF conversions. Both Foxit and WPS PDFs are designed to be user-friendly since they both have a straightforward layout.

Foxit has a command bar at the top of the interface that provides access to different functions, such as edit, convert, protect, and share. Users can click on any of these options where a new set of icons is below to provide them with the tools they need to perform the selected actions. Besides that, the user interface is well-organized and neat and presents tools that are clear and concise to provide easy access. New users may find the interface a little overwhelming if they are not familiar with certain icons; they might not be able to find the tools they need instantly.

On the other hand, WPS PDF has a minimalistic and modern approach to its interface; the toolbar is divided into various segments. Each segment has the tools that you need to edit your PDF document accordingly. The Home segment allows users to have access to all the basic features for editing including, adding, and deleting text, removing pages, annotating, adding imaging, etc. However, a feature that truly sets WPS PDF apart from the remaining PDF tools is its custom feature. Users are able to customize the layout of the program according to their needs and have the features they need to be more accessible to them.

2. Collaboration

Foxit PDF editor is mainly targeted towards assisting businesses; so, it would be reasonable for the software to provide online collaboration features. These features can be found in the “Comment” section. This allows the team to be able to highlight text, link the highlighted section to a note, add a floating note, strike out, replace, or insert text, draw shapes, and perform other functions.

WPS PDF can be used by any individual as well as businesses alike. WPS PDF is free software so even when it does not allow the collab feature for the free version, users who opt for the premium version are able to make the most out of the feature. The collaboration allows teams to be able to access a file securely and make edits in real time. The other users are able to see and comment making collaborations easier and accessible to all.

3. File Conversions

WPS PDF editor provides an extensive range of file conversion tools that allow users to be able to convert PDF files into other formats including word, PowerPoint, and excel as well as plain text such as TXT, RTF, HTML, and many other image formats as well.

This feature is particularly found useful by users who need to extract content from a certain PDF to create something new. It also helps other file formats to be converted to PDF format with options to convert from an existing file, a scanned document, copied data in the computer’s clipboard, or even a webpage. When converting files through the scanner the users are able to connect directly to their devices and pass it through the OCR allowing quick and easy edits. The OCR functionality is not just limited to the scanning process as it can also be used to convert any scanned PDF into a researchable or editable format.

The Foxit PDF editor also offers similar file conversions where users are able to convert files to PDF formats and the PDF formatted files can be converted over a number of other file formats. However, the conversions are only limited to the basic versions of such formats. For instance, not all documents can be processed and converted to PDF formats which include certain documents passed through OCR, or webpages.

4. Editing

An edit section on the top of the WPS PDF toolbar provides the access to users to edit the document online and offline. WPS PDF Editor is a free product of WPS office, which provides the service of other software tools such as the Writer, Spreadsheet, and Presentation. The latter tools allow the PDF editor to be opened directly via the programs. The PDF editor allows users to conveniently edit the document through the editing features provided in the toolbar. The edit tool also allows users to be able to add annotations to the documents. This is particularly useful for students and businesses who work with printable documents and want to be able to make edits digitally which includes adding comments, highlighting, underlining, strikethrough, etc.

Foxit PDF editor also allows users to be able to make suitable changes to documents through the edit feature. The program has the standard text tools that one could expect from any word processor. The program allows users to adjust the font, size, color, and alignment of the text. Bold, italics, underline, strikethrough, and so on are also available as options. It also provides certain advanced features as well which include character, line, character scale, and paragraph spacing. All the necessary modifications can be made through the software and including spell-check.

5. Security

Businesses are required to protect their information, especially in industries that mandate compliance with global data laws. Failure to take data security seriously can result in operational, financial, and reputational damage. While basic methods of redacting information such as placing a black box over sensitive data exist, these are not foolproof and can still allow restricted information to be selected, copied, and pasted.

Foxit PDF Editor offers a secure way of redacting information through its 'Protect' section. In this section, users can use the 'Whiteout' tool to permanently delete a section of the document that they wish to remove. There is no way to undo this action, and it is not possible to see if there was any information there in the first place. Alternatively, you can use the 'Mark for Redaction' tool to select text to be blacked out. This tool offers more control than the 'Whiteout' tool, although you cannot edit your selection. Once you have made your selection, you can click on 'Apply Redaction' to make the chosen content no longer selectable or editable, and this action cannot be undone. Foxit PDF Editor is an excellent option for businesses looking for a more secure way to redact sensitive information from their documents. However, it does not provide more comprehensive solutions than WPS PDF to secure a document.

WPS PDF also offers security through a number of tools. One of the tools is the Redact feature, which allows you to select an area of text or an image and then black out that area. The redaction is permanent and cannot be undone, so it's important to be careful when using this tool.

Another tool is the Eraser feature, which allows you to remove any content from a PDF document. This is useful for situations where you need to delete entire pages or sections of a document. Like the Redact tool, this action is permanent and cannot be undone.

WPS PDF also has a Search and Redact feature, which allows you to search for specific words or phrases in a document and then redact them. This is useful if you need to redact information like social security numbers or credit card numbers from a large document. This feature can be set up to automatically redact all instances of a particular word or phrase, or you can manually select which instances to redact.

WPS PDF VS. Foxit

Why WPS PDF?

WPS PDF offers a free and easy-to-use PDF editor with basic editing features and extensive file conversion options. It has a minimalistic and customizable interface that makes it accessible to new users, and also offers real-time collaboration features in its paid version.