PDFCreator icon
PDFCreator icon

PDFCreator

 260 likes

PDFCreator allows you to convert any document into a PDF by acting as a virtual printer. It offers features like merging, digital signatures, password protection, and automation for efficient workflows. Its user-friendly settings help you optimize your PDFs easily.

PDFCreator 6.0.0 interface

License model

  • Free Personal • Open Source

Application type

Country of Origin

  • DE flagGermany
  • European Union flagEU

Platforms

  • Windows
PDFCreator 6.0.0 interface
PDFCreator 6.0.0 interface
+3
PDFCreator 6.0.0 interface
PDFCreator alternatives  
Bundleware

The installer contains adwares. Be careful during the installation: https://alternativeto.net/discussions/applications/11718/be-careful-in-the-installation/

2.1 / 5 Avg rating (11)
260likes
17comments
99alternatives
0news articles

Features

Suggest and vote on features

Properties

  1.  Lightweight

Features

  1.  PDF encryption
  2.  Combine PDF
  3.  Split PDF files
  4.  No registration required
  5.  Print to PDF
  6.  Create PDF files
  7.  Multiple languages
  8.  JPG to PDF Conversion
  9.  Convert images to PDF

 Tags

  • pdf-sign
  • free-pdf-creator
  • pdf-conversion
  • add-watermarks
  • virtual-printer
  • ftp-upload
  • pdf
  • add-pdf-password

PDFCreator News & Activities

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PDFCreator information

  • Developed by

    DE flagPdfForge

  • Licensing

    Open Source and Free Personal product.

  • Pricing

    Subscription that costs $0 per month.

  • Written in

  • Rating

    Average rating of 2.1 (11 ratings)

  • Alternatives

    99 alternatives listed

  • Supported Languages

    • English
    • French
    • Spanish
    • Portuguese
    • German
    • Italian
    • Polish
    • Chinese
    • Japanese

AlternativeTo Categories

Office & Productivity, Photos & Graphics

GitHub repository

  •  301 Stars
  •  131 Forks
  •  1 Open Issues
  •   Updated Apr 15, 2025 
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Our users have written 17 comments and reviews about PDFCreator, and it has gotten 260 likes

PDFCreator was added to AlternativeTo by corfy on Apr 14, 2009 and this page was last updated Apr 16, 2025.

Comments and Reviews

   
 Post comment/review
Comment summary: PDFCreator, initially praised for its simplicity, has faced significant criticism for bundling unwanted toolbars and applications. Users report issues with adware and malware associations, including browser hijacking and unwanted installations. Despite some positive feedback on features like PDFarchitect, the negative comments, particularly about bundled software, have led many users to seek alternatives.
Top Positive Comment
Thelle Christensen
★
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•Mar 17, 2011
-1

The toolbar which is mentioned as adware/malware, is no longer a part of the program as of version 1.2.0.

And by the way the PDFarchitect feature is great for editing existing PDF-documents, but it is a bit unstable as now (November 2012)!

I love PDFcreator :)

tabakis
•Jan 20, 2014

Last known version without the added crapware (for the sake of good order.) is 0.9.6 , download at Filehippo page - You will miss a lot of the functionality added in later versions ofcourse...

Top Negative Comment
StormChild
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★
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•Jul 20, 2018
3

It was great, now it's a pile of $h17. It saves empty .PDFs from time to time, and the update wanted to install a lot of unwanted bloatware - I hate this type of behaviour! I liked it, now I uninstalled it, there are better apps.

pino76
★
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•Jan 22, 2022
0

One of the worst pieces of adware you can get.

alter1608
•Oct 18, 2015
7

Hi,

Windows 10 have a lot of flaws, but a lot of little improvements too.

Windows 10 have integrated a PDF virtual printer. When you print a document select: Microsoft Print to PDF.

Nonon
•Jan 9, 2019

I feel lucky to find your comment here! It actually worked when I tried "printing" one page of a PDF file from Adobe Acrobat Reader DC. I was trying to find a way to cut out a page from a PDF file so I could date and sign a document and send out the specific page I've placed my signature on. Adobe support and FAQ pages on their their site were hardly helpful. Thanks for this useful info!

smudge85
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•Mar 11, 2015
0

Avira flagged C:%user%\AppData\Local\Temp\nsr3942.tmp\InstallManager.exe as a virus (APPL/Downloader.Gen (Cloud)) during install.

triplegold
★
★
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•Mar 17, 2013
1

This has become malware. You can not install this software without it hijacking your browser and search engine settings.

s0me0ne
★
★
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•Dec 2, 2012
0

now i use doPDF, its much better, without any crapware

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7 of 17 comments

What is PDFCreator?

PDFCreator is a versatile application for converting documents into PDF format on Microsoft Windows operating systems. It functions as a virtual printer, allowing users to create PDFs from any application that supports printing. Here's a concise description of PDFCreator and its key features:

Document conversion: Convert various file formats (e.g., Microsoft Office documents, images, web pages) to PDF, JPG, PNG, and other formats.

Merge and split: Combine multiple PDFs into one document or split large PDFs into smaller files.

PDF compression: Optimize PDF file sizes without compromising quality.

Security features: Protect documents with password encryption, digital signatures, and permission controls.

Batch processing: Automate repetitive tasks by applying actions to multiple PDF files simultaneously.

Automation: Use tokens to automatically fill in preset values like file names or target directories.

Customization: Create profiles to access frequently used settings quickly.

Integration: COM-enabled applications can utilize PDFCreator's functionality.

PDFCreator offers a range of editions, including a free version and business editions with additional features such as centralized settings, multi-threading, and custom scripting capabilities.

It offers both free and paid versions, catering to individual users and businesses alike. The software is compatible with various Windows versions, including Windows 11. PDFCreator supports a wide range of languages, making it accessible to users worldwide.

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