What's the difference between Personal and Studio?

Personal ($39) is for one person — unlimited use on one active device at a time. Activate on a new device and the old one signs out. Studio ($199) is for teams and commercial client work — unlimited team members, early access to new tools, and a commercial license.

Do I need an account?

No. Use any tool free up to 5 times per day on compute-heavier tools, and unlimited on lightweight ones. No card, no account, no signup required.

Where are my files processed?

Right on your device. Files never upload to any server. Everything runs in your browser — you can verify in DevTools → Network.

What happens if I use my Personal license on a second device?

The new device activates and the old device signs out. Your license key stays the same — you just move it between devices as needed. No limit on how often you switch.

Does this work on my phone?

Yes. Every tool works on iPhone, Android, tablet, and desktop.

What if I want a refund?

30-day money-back guarantee on both tiers. No questions asked. Email sales@cipherforces.com.

Will you add more tools?

Yes. New tools ship regularly. Your license includes every tool we ever release — Studio members get early access.

Pdf

Annotate PDF

Highlight text, draw on pages, and add inline text notes to any PDF.

By Daniel BeglaryanUpdated August 2026

PrivateWorks OfflineNo Account

100% Private Works Offline Instant

Drop your PDF here

or click to browse

PDF

Max 100MB

Highlight, draw, and add notes. Your marks are baked right into the PDF so every viewer renders them identically.

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Deep dive

About Annotate PDF.

Highlight, Draw, and Annotate Any PDF

Upload a PDF and CipherForces PDF Annotator lets you mark it up with three tools: highlight (colored rectangles over any region of a page), freehand draw (pen-style strokes in any color), and text note (inline text typed directly onto the page). Your edits are baked into the output PDF with pdf-lib so every viewer renders them identically. Private, free, no subscription.

Common Use Cases

Legal review: Highlight key clauses and add inline comments for your client.
Academic research: Mark up papers with insights and citations.
Contract negotiation: Flag disagreements with colored highlights and notes.
Book review: Annotate an ebook PDF with your reading notes.

Key Features

Three tools: Highlight, freehand draw, and text note. Each supports multiple colors.
Baked into the output: Annotations are drawn into the page content, not layered as removable overlays, so they render the same in every viewer.
Undo support: Step back through recent edits before saving.
Batch page navigation: Move through every page without losing annotations in progress.

Note: Underline, strikethrough, stamp, rectangle, and arrow tools are not currently offered — the tool focuses on highlight, draw, and text-note. If you need standards-compliant markup annotation objects (rather than baked-in content), use Adobe Acrobat or Preview on macOS.

Privacy: Runs locally via pdf-lib. Your document is never uploaded.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions.

How do I highlight text and draw on a PDF for free?

Open the Annotate PDF tool, then select your PDF file. Pick the highlight tool to mark text, use the pen tool to draw freely on any page, or add inline text notes where you need them. When finished, download the annotated PDF. No signup is required.

Does my PDF get uploaded to a server when I annotate it?

No. The Annotate PDF tool runs entirely in your browser using JavaScript, so your file never leaves your device or uploads to any server. All highlighting, drawing, and note-taking happens locally on your computer, which keeps private or sensitive documents fully under your control.

Can I add typed text notes directly onto a PDF page?

Yes. Besides highlighting and drawing, you can place inline text notes anywhere on a page. Click the spot where you want a note, type your comment, and it stays embedded in the PDF when you save. This is useful for feedback, instructions, or labeling sections.

Is the Annotate PDF tool really free with no account needed?

Yes, it is completely free and requires no account, email, or login. You can highlight, draw on, and annotate as many PDFs as you want without restrictions. Because everything runs in your browser, there are no uploads to manage and nothing is stored on a server.

Three steps