Can I fill in a PDF in Google Drive on my computer?

Not properly. Freehand annotation is documented for the Drive app on Android, and opening the file with Google Docs converts it, which breaks the layout of most forms.

What about Google eSignature?

It is designed for requesting signatures on a document, for eligible Workspace accounts — a different job from filling in a form that has been sent to you.

PDFpad vs Google Drive and Docs

Prices and features checked 20 September 2026

If a PDF is already in your Drive it is tempting to finish it there. Drive does have freehand annotation, but Google documents it as a feature of the Android app rather than the web viewer, and eSignature is a Workspace feature aimed at sending documents out for signature.

Opening the PDF with Google Docs converts it, so a form's layout does not survive the trip.

PDFpad and Google Drive and Docs, feature by feature
Feature	PDFpad	Google Drive and Docs
Type on a flat (non-form) PDF	Yes	Partly
Fill existing form fields	Yes	No
Typed signature	Yes	Partly
Drawn signature (touch/mouse)	Yes	Partly
Upload signature image	Yes	No
Save and reuse signature	Yes	No
Date and tick fields	Yes	No
Flatten so fills can't be moved	Yes	No
Save as PDF	Yes	Yes
Save as Word (DOCX)	Paid only	Yes
Reorder / delete / merge pages	No	No
Works on a phone browser	Yes	Partly
File never uploaded	Yes	No
No watermark on free tier	No	Yes
No account needed to start	Yes	No

Pricing, as published by each vendor
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
Google Drive and DocsChecked 20 Sept 2026	Free with a Google account; eSignature is a Workspace feature	—	—

Choose Google Drive and Docs if…

The document already lives in your Drive and you want to keep everything in one place
You need to send a document to someone else to sign and you have a Workspace plan

Choose PDFpad if…

You want to keep the form's layout exactly as it is
You are on a laptop, where Drive's annotation tools are not available
You would rather the document was not copied to a cloud account at all

What each vendor says

Google Drive and Docs

Freehand annotation of a PDF is an Android feature of the Drive app, not something the web viewer offers. [source]
Google's eSignature lives in Docs and Drive for eligible Workspace accounts, and is aimed at sending documents for signature rather than filling in a form you already have. [source]
Opening a PDF with Google Docs converts it, so the layout of a form does not survive. [source]

Questions

Can I fill in a PDF in Google Drive on my computer?: Not properly. Freehand annotation is documented for the Drive app on Android, and opening the file with Google Docs converts it, which breaks the layout of most forms.
What about Google eSignature?: It is designed for requesting signatures on a document, for eligible Workspace accounts — a different job from filling in a form that has been sent to you.

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

How to sign a PDF in Google Drive

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.