PDFpad vs DocHub
Prices and features checked 20 September 2026
DocHub is a capable editor with a genuinely useful free tier and deep Google Drive integration. It also edits the text already in a PDF, which most tools at this price will not do.
The free tier is metered: DocHub states that all features share a monthly limit of three uses. Paid plans are €8 and €12 a month, with 25% off when billed yearly.
Feature comparison
| Feature | PDFpad | DocHub |
|---|---|---|
| Type on a flat (non-form) PDF | Yes | Yes |
| Fill existing form fields | Yes | Yes |
| Typed signature | Yes | Yes |
| Drawn signature (touch/mouse) | Yes | Yes |
| Upload signature image | Yes | Yes |
| Save and reuse signature | Yes | Yes |
| Date and tick fields | Yes | Yes |
| Flatten so fills can't be moved | Yes | Partly |
| Save as PDF | Yes | Yes |
| Save as Word (DOCX) | Paid only | Partly |
| Reorder / delete / merge pages | No | Yes |
| Works on a phone browser | Yes | Yes |
| File never uploaded | Yes | No |
| No watermark on free tier | No | Yes |
| No account needed to start | Yes | No |
Pricing
| Tool | Free tier | Paid | Billing |
|---|---|---|---|
| PDFpadChecked 20 Sept 2026 | Unlimited filling and signing; 3 PDF exports per 30 days, each with a small footer line | £6 a month, £39 a year, or £2 to unlock one document for 24 hours | Monthly or annualOne click from the account page, any time |
| DocHubChecked 20 Sept 2026 | €0/month, with all core features sharing a limit of "3 uses/mo" | Basic €8/month and Pro €12/month, with "Billed Yearly Save 25%" | Monthly or annualDocHub states you can cancel during the 30-day Pro trial "without any obligations" |
Choose DocHub if…
- You work out of Google Drive and want the editor attached to it
- You need to edit the text already in the document, not just fill it in
Choose PDFpad if…
- You do not work out of Google Drive and do not want another account
- You would rather the document stayed on your device
- Three uses a month across every feature is not enough, and £6 a month is cheaper than €8
What each vendor says
DocHub
Questions
- What are DocHub's free limits?
- DocHub's pricing page says the core features share a monthly limit of three uses — editing, self-signing, sign requests, templates and envelopes all draw on the same allowance.
- Does DocHub edit existing text in a PDF?
- Yes, and PDFpad does not. If you need to change words that are already printed on the page, DocHub or Acrobat is the right tool.
Try it on your PDF
Open your document, fill it in, sign it and save. Nothing is uploaded, and you don’t need an account to start.
or drop a file here · nothing is uploaded
Related
Competitor names are used descriptively to identify their products. Every price and feature above was read from the vendor's own page on the date shown and is re-checked quarterly. If something here is out of date or wrong, tell us and we will correct it.