Everything people hate about PDF readers. Fixed.
A PDF reader for Windows that opens huge files in a blink, never interrupts you with pop-ups, never goes online, and keeps every tool you need in the box. All for free.
Windows 10 and 11 · No account · No ads
Free. The whole thing.
No trial, no subscription, no "Pro" tier, and nothing locked. CrescentPDF is paid for by donations from the people who use it. Tools that usually sit behind a paywall are all in the app you download:
- Edit Text
- Make Searchable (OCR)
- Merge Files
- Split Document
- Arrange Pages
- Compare Documents
- Page Numbering
- Export to Word, Excel and PowerPoint
- PDF/A
- Password Protection
- Measure
- Save a Smaller Copy
- Watermark
- Bates Numbering
- Header & Footer
- Stamps
- Crop Pages
- Straighten Pages
- Images to PDF
Speed
Full test details will be posted with version 1.0.
Everyday problems, solved
I read the forums, the review sites and the Reddit threads. These are the complaints that came up again and again.
Pop-ups
“Sign in. Upgrade. Try our AI assistant.”
Nothing to dismiss
No account, no ads, no upgrade prompts, and no pop-ups that come back after you turn them off.
Converting
“Turning a PDF into Word costs extra.”
Exports to the formats you need
Save as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, HTML or EPUB, or as a PDF/A copy built to last for years.
Clutter
“There are so many icons I can't find anything.”
Only the tools you want
Three ready-made toolbars, a numbered tool rail, and Ctrl+K to find any tool by name.
Memory
“Close it and it forgets where I was.”
Picks up where you left off
Every file reopens on its page and zoom, and your last set of tabs comes back.
Scans
“My scanned documents can't be searched.”
Makes scans searchable
Reads the words on your own PC and hides searchable text underneath. The page looks exactly the same.
Crooked scans
“Every page came out of the scanner slightly tilted.”
Straightens them for you
Straighten Pages finds the tilt on each page and levels it, the whole document in one go.
File size
“This scan is too big to email.”
Shrinks it, or splits it, to send
Save a Smaller Copy makes a lighter file ready to attach. Still too big? Split it into parts that each stay under the size you set. The original is never touched.
Search
“I have to open files one by one to find something.”
Searches them all at once
Search the tabs you pick, every open file, or a whole folder without opening anything.
Notes
“Writing a note means drawing a box and fighting with it.”
Click and type
Margin Notes start where you click and flow around the printed text, every line neatly lined up.
Pen and touch
“My stylus draws wherever my palm rests.”
Writes like a pen should
Pressure-sensitive ink that ignores a resting palm, and pinch to zoom on a touch screen.
Night reading
“Dark mode turns my photos into negatives.”
Dark pages, true pictures
Night Pages darkens the paper and the text but leaves photos and diagrams looking right.
Safety
“It changed my file without asking.”
Your original is safe
Nothing is written until you press Save, and overwriting the original always asks first, by name.
Comments
“I can't move a comment someone else added.”
Every mark is editable
Notes and highlights made in other programs can be moved, resized or deleted, just like yours.
Privacy
“Where are my files being uploaded to?”
Nowhere
Everything stays on your computer. The CrescentPDF app never connects to the internet: no cloud, no sync, and no tracking of what you do in it.
Built for everyday paperwork
Reports, invoices, contracts, manuals, school forms and tax papers: the documents everyone deals with, at the office and at home.
Quoting
“Quoting a report means hunting for the page number.”
Copy with Citation
Copies the passage with its source and page number attached, ready to paste into an email or report.
Copying text
“Pasted text breaks in the middle of every sentence.”
Clean copying
Broken lines and split words are joined, so you paste sentences, not fragments.
Tables
“Tables paste into Excel as one long jumble.”
Copy as Table
Rows and columns land in a spreadsheet as rows and columns.
Typos
“Fixing one word means paying for an editor.”
Edit Text
Change the wording right on the page, and the rest of the line moves to fit.
Two drafts
“Checking two versions means flipping between windows.”
Compare Documents and Split View
Two files side by side, or two places in the same file, each with its own page and zoom.
Long documents
“A 300-page manual with no bookmarks.”
Builds the bookmarks
CrescentPDF makes an outline from the document's own headings, so every section is one click away.
Stamping
“Adding page numbers or a DRAFT watermark means buying another program.”
Already in the box
Page numbers, headers, footers, watermarks and stamps, placed exactly where you want them.
Repetitive work
“Watermarking 200 files, one at a time.”
Batch, with saved presets
Run the same job across a whole folder with exactly the settings you tested on one file.
Lost work
“It crashed and took an hour of highlights with it.”
Crash recovery
Unsaved marks are kept safe as you work and offered back the next time you open the file.
Questions
Is CrescentPDF really free?
Yes. Every feature is in the one free download. CrescentPDF is funded by donations, and donating doesn't unlock anything extra: everyone gets the same app.
Does it work on a Mac, Linux or my phone?
Not right now. CrescentPDF is made for Windows 10 and 11. A mobile app for phones and tablets is planned, and donations help fund it.
Does it need the internet?
No. CrescentPDF never connects to the internet, so it works offline, on a plane, or behind a strict office firewall. Your files never leave your computer.
What can I export a PDF as?
Word (.docx), Excel (.xlsx), PowerPoint (.pptx), a web page (HTML), an e-book (EPUB), PDF/A for long-term archiving, or an image-only PDF. You can also export just your highlights and notes. Every export is a new file, so your original PDF stays exactly as it was.
How do I get updates?
The app never goes online, so it can't tell you about new versions itself. When you want the latest version, download it from the Download page and install it over the one you have. Your settings, recent files and marks stay as they are.
Can it replace the PDF reader I use now?
For reading, marking up, rearranging pages, filling in forms and converting, yes. It doesn't do redaction or certificate-based digital signatures, so keep a tool for those if your work needs them.
Why does Windows warn me when I install it?
CrescentPDF isn't signed with a code-signing certificate yet, so Windows may show "Windows protected your PC". Choose More info, then Run anyway. You can check the file is genuine with the checksum on the Download page. Signing is on the way. Even once it's signed, Windows can still show the warning for a little while after each new version, until enough people have installed it safely.
Get CrescentPDF
Free for Windows, and funded by donations. Install it, open a PDF, and see how quiet a PDF reader can be.
Windows 10 and 11 · Works offline · No account needed