Best PDF Tools for Students: Enhance Your Study Sessions

The right study tools are essential for students to succeed in their careers. A good tool can dramatically improve study sessions and streamline academic tasks.

For students, PDF editors like Lumin offer the perfect solution. They provide a comprehensive platform to organize, annotate, and collaborate on study materials. In this blog, we will highlight more PDF tools to enhance student study sessions and discover their features. Read on to learn more.

Criteria for selecting the best PDF tools

Establishing selection criteria is essential before exploring specific PDF tools. The following factors play a key role in determining the best tools for students.

Interface

Look for software with an easy-to-understand interface to minimize the learning curve and maximize productivity. Make sure the tool can be operated by users with minimal technical knowledge.

Functionality

Evaluate the tool’s ability to convert documents from various formats to PDF and vice versa. Evaluate its editing features. Include features such as:

• Text modification
• Inserting an image
• Page manipulation.

You may also want to consider having the following annotation features for taking notes:

• Backlighting
• Commenting
• Drawing tools

Compatibility

Choose tools that work across devices and operating systems to ensure accessibility and flexibility. Also look for software that integrates well with other productivity tools and platforms commonly used by students, such as:

• Cloud storage services
• Note-taking apps

Affordability

Consider the balance between the price of the tool and the scope of its features to make sure it fits within your budget constraints. Explore free or open-source PDF tools like Lumin. They offer basic functionality without requiring a subscription fee.

Reliability

Read reviews and opinions from other users to examine the tool’s performance and reliability. Assess the availability and quality of customer support services to quickly address any issues or concerns.

Comprehensive PDF editors

There are many PDF editors available on the market. They are essential for students who want to customize their study materials. They often include various features such as text editing, image insertion, page manipulation, and document formatting. The best PDF editors on the market are:

Bright

Lumin offers comprehensive editing tools such as:

• Text modification
• Inserting an image
• Page manipulation.

Pricing: The free version has basic features. The advanced version with a premium subscription costs $6 per month. Lumin offers custom pricing for enterprise solutions tailored to the specific needs of an organization.

Adobe Acrobat DC

It is a widely acclaimed PDF editor with advanced features such as OCR and PDF optimization.

Pricing: A free version with basic features is available. Individual subscription plans start at $14.99 per month.

PDF Annotation Tools

Annotation tools are essential for learning. Lumin excels in this area. It offers intuitive annotation features that enhance understanding and facilitate retention of information during study sessions. Students with Lumin annotation tools can directly annotate their study materials.

Foxit Reader

Foxit Reader also supports collaborative annotations. It also includes robust annotation capabilities such as:

• Text highlighting
• Taking notes
• Drawing
• File attachments.

Pricing: Basic features are free. Individual advanced plans require an annual subscription of $12 per month, and professional advanced plans require a subscription of $18 per month.

PDF Expert

PDF Expert is designed for macOS and iOS. It supports document merging and form filling. It offers features such as:

• Backlighting
• Commenting
• Drawing
• Marking.

Pricing: This tool is primarily designed for Apple devices. Individual plans cost $12.49 per month. A perpetual license costs $139.99.

PDF Conversion Tools

Apps with such features allow students to convert documents from various file formats to PDFs and vice versa. Lumin provides conversion capabilities that allow students to convert other formats to PDFs with just a few clicks.

Littlepdf

Smallpdf is a popular PDF conversion app. It is primarily a cloud-based platform accessible via web browsers. It also offers desktop apps for Windows and mobile apps for iOS and Android. It supports file formats such as:

• Word
• Exceed
• Power Point presentation
• JPG file.

Pricing: Free version has limited features. Pro plan costs $9/month. Team plan costs $7/month/user. Business plan is subject to individual pricing.

Wondershare PDF Converter (PDFelement)

PDFelement by Wondershare has powerful conversion capabilities. PDFelement offers batch conversion that saves students time in handling large amounts of documents. Supports conversion of:

• PDF to Word
• Exceed
• Power Point presentation
• Epub
• HTML
• Image formats.

Pricing: Quarterly plan costs $29.99. Annual plan costs $79.99. Perpetual plan costs $129.99.

Tools for combining and splitting PDF files

Merge and split features allow students to combine multiple documents into one document or extract specific pages from a larger file. Lumin offers intuitive merge and split features that simplify the management and organization of study materials.

PDFsam Basic

PDFsam Basic is a free and open-source PDF merging and splitting tool. It allows users to merge entire documents or select specific pages to merge. It also provides options to split PDFs by:

• Page numbers
• Bookmarks
• Size.

Pricing: This tool is free and open source. The PDFsam advanced standard plan costs $69 per year.

I lovePDF

iLovePDF is a web-based program that offers simple merging and splitting features. Users can drag and drop files to combine PDF files or split them into multiple parts by page ranges or individual pages.

Pricing: Free plan gives you access to 18 basic features. Premium plan costs $4 per user per month. Business plan costs $15 per user per month.

PDF Tools with Cloud Integration

Cloud editing allows students to sync learning materials across devices and collaborate seamlessly with classmates. Lumin integrates with cloud storage services.

Adobe Acrobat DC

This solution offers document management on leading cloud platforms. It has features such as:

• Creating PDFs
• Editing
• Electronic signatures
• Collaboration Tools

Pricing: Adobe Acrobat offers pricing plans for individuals, teams, and enterprises, ranging from $14.99 per month for individuals to $14.99 per month for enterprise solutions.

Littlepdf

This document management solution offers secure file sharing integrated with Google Drive and Dropbox. Users can easily manage documents across platforms.

Pricing: Smallpdf offers a free plan for those with limited features. The Pro plan starts at around $6 per month. Business and Enterprise plans offer additional features with custom pricing.

Free and Open PDF Tools

For students on a tight budget, free and open-source programs provide an affordable solution without compromising on functionality. Lumin offers a premium subscription with advanced features and a free version with basic functionality.

PDFsam Basic

This is a free PDF merger and splitter app. It allows users to combine multiple files or split them into single pages. Other features include rotating pages and extracting specific page ranges.

Pricing: Free and open source.

PDF-XChange Editor

It is a free document viewer and editor with various functions for editing and filling out forms. It also includes OCR to convert scanned documents into editable text.

Pricing: Options vary depending on number of users and maintenance period.

Application

The right apps can greatly enhance student learning sessions by providing comprehensive editing capabilities. With tools like Lumin, students can optimize their learning processes, increase productivity, and achieve academic success.