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Comparing WPS PDF and PDFPen: Features, Performance, and User Experience

July 31, 2023 837 views

The world is swiftly moving toward digitalization and the modern business world is at the lead. Many businesses now handle documents that are digitized and transferred over digital media. And this is where the PDF files and editors come into play. Through PDF editors’ users and businesses alike are able to transfer information ensuring the safety and security of the documentation.

Printable documents are now relatively obsolete as PDF editors are rising and evolving to enable users to edit documents through various premium features, including annotations, adding comments, and conversion of files. PDFPen and WPS PDF both offer advanced features in their applications that allow users to make their work more efficient and productive. Both PDF tools are recognized in the business communities however they both share their own sets of advantages and disadvantages. In this article, a WPS PDF comparison with PDFpen is studied to deduce if one PDF editor in fact outperforms the other.

1. User Interface

The user interface of PDFpen is especially incredibly interactive for Mac users. mainly, because it is the only operating system it is compatible with. Users can download the software into their computers as the software only provides the application that needs to be installed. Its interface is somewhat cluttered with a lot of menus and a toolbar that may take up some time for users to get used to it. Regardless, it offers an extensive range of editing tools than most PDF software.

However, WPS PDF not only offers a versatile range of features but has a pretty simple and straightforward interface to it. Users are easily able to access the editing tools they need since they are neatly organized at the toolbar located at the top of the page. Its simplicity offers the convenience to the new users to be able to adjust to the PDF editor. Besides that, the PDF editor can be accessed through a browser as well making it more accessible. However, users who want to be able to use the software even when offline can download the application, which is available for the majority of operating systems, including Windows, Mac, iOS, and Linux.

2. Features

WPS PDF and PDFpen24 offer an extensive range of editing features that meet the needs of their users. PDFpen offers a great spectrum of features which includes adding and removing texts, adding images, deleting pages, adding annotations, and adding links to the PDF document as well.  The features also include extensive and advanced redaction features as well as various annotating and scanning features as well. When it comes to providing the most advanced editing features, PDFpen is at the forefront. However, despite offering an extensive range of editing features, its usability is a little compromised considering the performance is not very strong as the formatting and structure of the text don’t always come out as expected.

WPS PDF, on the other hand, also offers an extensive range of features. Users are able to edit, transfer, and secure their documents with ease as the tools provided by WPS PDF are compatible with all software and operating system versions. The quality of the features are far more precise, allowing users to be able to use the application confidently.

3. Plans and Pricing

PDFpenPro comes with a simple and transparent pricing model. Users can purchase a lifetime license for a one-time fee of $129.95 without any additional costs. While this price may seem high compared to other PDF editors, it's important to note that PDFpen for Mac is also available at $79.95 and PDFpen for iPad and iPhone at $6.99. If users want to try PDFpenPro before buying it, you can use the free trial option to test it out.

In comparison, WPS PDF has a completely free version which suffices for all the basic features provided by a PDF tool. However, it also offers a paid premium version for $29.99 per year that provides additional features like OCR and batch conversion. For a lifetime subscription users can opt for the WPS business plan which offers many advanced features for only $79.99. thus, overall, WPS PDF is not only more cost-effective but is compatible with many devices.

4. Customer Support

PDFPen is owned by the Australian company, Nitro. Nitro mainly handles all the customer care services of PDFpen. Users are able to contact their services by reaching them on the telephone or emailing. The customer support is satisfactory granted that they provide users with a response to their query within 24 hours. Besides this, they also have elaborate tutorials and FAQs on their website.

WPS PDF also has a range of tutorial videos on its webpage where they provide users with many explanatory videos on how to operate the software. The FAQs are also of great assistance. However, for immediate service, customers can reach out to them by calling on their number or emailing them and they generally respond within 24 hours.

5. File Management

When it comes to managing PDF files, WPS PDF outshines PDFPen. Unlike PDFpen, WPS PDF offers a built-in file manager that users can use to easily organize their PDFs into different folders and categories. This feature is particularly helpful for users who work with a large number of PDF files on a regular basis and need an efficient way to keep them organized.

With WPS PDF, users can easily move, rename, copy, and delete files without having to leave the program. The file manager is also user-friendly, with a clean and intuitive interface that makes it easy to navigate through different folders and locate the files you need. It also has a built-in converter that allows users to easily convert their PDF files into other formats, such as Word, Excel, or PowerPoint.  This is particularly useful for those who need to edit or collaborate on a document with others who may not have PDF editing capabilities.

PDFpen, on the other hand, does not offer a file manager, which can make it more difficult for users to manage their files. While it does provide some basic organizational features, such as the ability to sort files by name or date modified, it lacks the advanced sorting and conversion capabilities that WPS PDF provides.

6. Security and Privacy

WPS PDF and PDFpen both take the security and privacy of their users seriously, but there are some differences in their approaches. WPS PDF offers a number of security features, including password protection for your PDF files, so that only authorized users can view or modify them. users can also apply permissions to your PDFs, they can specify what actions users are allowed to perform, such as printing, copying, and editing. Additionally, WPS PDF provides a digital signature feature, which allows users to sign PDF documents with a certificate-based signature, providing a high level of assurance that the document has not been tampered with.

PDFpen, on the other hand, offers similar security features, including the ability to add password protection to your PDFs, where users can also redact sensitive information, preventing it from being viewed by unauthorized users. PDFpen also provides a feature for adding digital signatures, but it requires a separate digital certificate, which can be an extra expense.

In terms of privacy, WPS PDF has a strict privacy policy that states how they handle user data. They collect only necessary data to provide their services, and they do not share this data with third parties. They also use SSL encryption to secure their website and their application, so that users' data is protected in transit.

PDFpen also has a clear privacy policy that explains how they handle user data. They collect only necessary data to provide their services, and they do not sell or share this data with third parties. However, PDFpen does not use SSL encryption for their website or their application, which can leave users' data vulnerable to interception. Both WPS PDF and PDFpen offer good security and privacy features for their users, but WPS PDF offers a more comprehensive set of features, including a digital signature feature, while also providing SSL encryption to protect users' data in transit.

WPS PDF VS. PDFPEN

Features

WPS PDF

PDFPEN

User Interface

  • User Friendly

  • Clean Design

  • Simple

  • Easy to use

Mobile apps

Available for both android and iOS

Available only for Mac OS, iPad and iPhone

Price

Free and paid version

Paid version only

Pros

  • Supports more file formats

  • No file size limit

Cons

  • File size

  • Free version is also available

  • Does not support TXT

  • Only available for iPad and iPhone

File size limit

200 MB

No limit

File formats

PDF, Writer, Presentations, Excel, Images and TXT

PDF, Writer, Presentations, Excel, Images

Security

  • Password Protection

  • Digital Signature

  • Password Protection

  • Encryption

Customer Support

  • Online

  • Help centers

  • Tutorials and guides

  • Help centers

  • Tutorials and guides

Reviews


Why WPS is the Superior Choice Over PDFPEN

After covering different features provided by both WPF PDF and PDFPen, in comparison, WPS PDF offers a more straightforward and user-friendly interface allowing users to interact with their work smoothly along with advanced features at a very cost-effective pricing plan for different operating system versions such as Linux, Windows and Mac. The major feature that differentiates is the built-in manager provided by WPS PDF that allows users to organize their work, helpful to users that have to manage and work with several PDFs everyday. However, the advanced reduction features, a cluttered interface and satisfactory customer support provided by PDFPen are compromised by weak performance. Users need advanced features for their work and working with different PDFs at the same time could be frustrating, with WPS PDF, users can manage their work, compress, edit PDF’s and also merge all within the same software and can also avail cloud services to save their work online and share it with others. To access the quality features provided by WPS PDF, users can simply click here and make sure their work is saved, secure and accessible from anywhere.

15 years of office industry experience, tech lover and copywriter. Follow me for product reviews, comparisons, and recommendations for new apps and software.