SwifDoo PDF for Mac review: A PDF viewer with more cons than pros

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PDF editors are essential for Mac users living the paperless lifestyle. While macOS can view, annotate, and sign PDFs natively, the OS provides little control over the files’ core content. So, those wishing to tweak the text or images of a certain PDF document will have to rely on third-party solutions. With so many apps out there, however, finding the right pick may be tricky. SwifDoo PDF for Mac is one of the options you may come across when hunting for an editor. Is it any good, though?

Pricing and availability

SwifDoo PDF supports macOS, iOS, iPadOS, Windows, and Android. Notably, however, the feature sets differ depending on the platform you’re using. So, for example, the Windows app packs distinct capabilities unavailable on macOS or the mobile clients. Similarly, the price differs based on the OS you’re running it on. In this review, we will be evaluating SwifDoo PDF for macOS specifically. The rating, pros, cons, and overall specifications only apply to this particular client.

SwifDoo PDF for the Mac is available to install and use for free, and there’s no premium tier to unlock additional features. To get started, you can head to the company’s website, where you can download the installer.

See our round-ups of of the best PDF editors for Mac and our best free PDF editors for Mac.

First impressions

Before installing SwifDoo PDF on my Mac, I checked the iOS/iPadOS client’s listing on Apple’s App Store. I was shocked to find in the privacy disclosure section that the app collects users’ location data and uses it to track them. There’s absolutely no excuse for a PDF editing app to collect and use this kind of information, especially when iPhone and iPad users have to pay recurring fees to unlock all features.

I then had ChatGPT read and analyze the privacy policy on its website and compare it to those of some reputable PDF editors. Unsurprisingly, SwifDoo PDF seems to collect a broader range of data than some other solid options out there. In short, I wouldn’t trust this PDF editor with my data, especially highly sensitive documents. Whether you do depends on your personal preferences, though.

Features

While SwifDoo PDF was designed for Intel Macs and seemingly hasn’t been optimized for Apple silicon chips, it runs pretty smoothly on my MacBook Air M2. It features a clutter-free main page where you can interact with recently viewed files or open a different PDF via Finder.

Once you load a document, you can tweak it using the standard annotation tools. These include highlighting, inserting notes, underlining, striking through, drawing, adding text boxes and shapes, stamping, and more. While the UI is generally modern and the app performs fluidly, using the annotation tools can be a bit wonky. For example, I’d have to tap the highlight tool and select the text multiple times to get it to work. Otherwise, SwifDoo PDF for Mac doesn’t typically lag or misbehave.

Other SwifDoo PDF perks include page rotation, printing, and an auto-generated index that lets you quickly jump between document sections based on their headings. While these utilities are all great, the Mac client doesn’t offer text or image editing. So, you can’t add or remove sentences or manipulate the actual document beyond basic annotation.

Should you use SwifDoo?

Apple’s built-in Preview app performs most of the tasks offered by SwifDoo PDF for macOS. While the third-party Mac software is free to download and use, it doesn’t support proper PDF editing. So, if you’re unhappy with Apple Preview, SwifDoo PDF likely won’t cater to your needs, either. For basic annotation, I recommend using the native tools provided by the operating system. To actually edit your PDF files, consider relying on a premium offering from a reputable company. Regardless, I advise you to stay away from SwifDoo PDF for Mac.