Like a red pen on a printout
Annotate a PDF: highlight, strike through, comment
Highlight what matters, cross out what’s wrong, add an arrow or a note in the margin, then download the annotated PDF.
Annotate my PDFFree · no sign-up · the file stays on your device
In 3 steps
- Open your PDFDrop it on the Rature page or click “Choose a file”. It opens in your browser: nothing is uploaded.
- Pick your tool“Highlight” (H), “Draw” (D) to write freehand, “Line” (L), “Arrow” (A), or “Note” (N) for a sticky note. Colour and thickness are set in the options bar.
- Annotate and downloadDrag on the page, then click “Download”: your annotations are in the PDF.
Strike through or cross out a word
For a clean strikethrough, the “Line” tool draws a perfectly straight line over the word; for a real hand-drawn cross-out, use “Draw”. And if the word really has to change, “Edit text” rewrites the PDF’s own text, in its original font.
Erase an annotation or a smudge
Every annotation can be selected and removed with the Delete key. The “Eraser” (B) paints with the background colour to make a stroke or a smudge disappear. Note: erased text can still be read by copy-pasting; to really remove it from the file, use “Redact”.
Mark a paper, review a document
Sticky notes, arrows, circles, ticks ✓ and crosses ✗: everything you need to review a thesis, mark homework or comment on a contract. On a tablet, write directly with a stylus.
Questions
Does it work on a tablet with a stylus?
Yes: your palm resting on the screen is ignored while you write with the stylus, and controls are larger on touch screens.
I made a mistake, how do I go back?
Ctrl+Z undoes, Ctrl+Y redoes. The edit history also lets you jump back to any step in one click.
Is my document sent over the Internet?
No. Everything happens in your browser: the file never leaves your device, and Rature even works offline once opened.
Is it really free?
Yes: no sign-up, no document limit, and no watermark added.