How to Make a Fillable PDF Form without Acrobat | 5 Ways [2023]

It’s costly to subscribe to Acrobat on $19.99/ Mon. Luckily, emerging Adobe alternatives provide a greater possibility of making a PDF form fillable without Acrobat. And the post will deal with how to make a fillable PDF form without Acrobat, ranging from Windows/Mac PDF creators to an online program.
🤩 1. JotForm Online [Automatically create and add different fillable fields online free.]
🧐 2. WorkinTool PDF Converter on Win/Online [Quickly add customized text, fields, shapes, signatures, and more for free.]
🥰 3. Microsoft Word [Easy to insert tables and words to make a fillable document.]
😆 4. Cisdem PDFMaster on Mac/Win [Cross-platform PDF creator to automatically make pdf fillable but with watermarks.]
😉 5. Preview on Mac [Meet the basic meets on creating a fillable PDF form without Acrobat on Mac.]
————————– Enjoy Your Reading ————————–

Last updated on May 24, 2023 by Betty Written by Betty
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How to Make a Fillable PDF Form without Acrobat | 5 Ways [2023]

Windows/Mac/Online Solutions – 4 Min Reading

When we talk about creating and editing a fillable PDF form, Adobe Acrobat might always be the first software name that comes to our mind because PDF origins from Adobe, and Adobe is one of the most professional and famous PDF makers and editors across platforms. However, it’s costly to subscribe to Acrobat at $19.99/ Mon. Luckily, emerging Adobe alternatives provide a greater possibility of making a PDF form fillable without Acrobat.

And this post is ready to elaborate on how to make a fillable PDF form without Acrobat, from default software (Word/Preview) to third-party software (JotForm/WorkinTool/Cisdem). Moreover, cross-platform solutions, including Windows, Mac, and online are also available in this post. Let’s start our reading together.

👀 Quick Look >>

How to Make a PDF Form Fillable without Acrobat?

1. JotForm Online [Automatically create and add different fillable fields online free.]
2. WorkinTool PDF Converter on Win/Online 🏆 [Quickly add customized text, fields, shapes, signatures, and more for free.]
3. Microsoft Word [Easy to insert tables and words to make a fillable document.]
4. Cisdem PDFMaster on Mac/Win [Cross-platform PDF creator to automatically make pdf form fillable but with watermarks.]
5. Preview on Mac [Meet the basic meets on creating a fillable PDF form without Acrobat on Mac.]

 


Words before Starting

😎 What is a fillable PDF?

A fillable PDF form contains some fillable fields and tables that allow others to fill in, sign, and edit without PDF editors. Moreover, they can be compatible with all mainstream PDF readers and editors like Adobe, Preview, etc.

😆 Can I create a fillable PDF in Word?

Yes, you can create a fillable PDF in Word. Just use the Insert Table function or Design tool to add fillable fields in your Word. And save the document in PDF format at last.

how to make a fillable pdf form without acrobat


How to Make a Fillable PDF Form without Acrobat

🚀 #1. Make a PDF Form Fillable with JotForm Online Free

If you don’t want to download large software to make a fillable PDF form and collect members’ data, online PDF tools will work out and help you make it. JotForm is one of your best online PDF editors for free. And as its name suggest, you can create and fill in a PDF form online together with joint members. Moreover, you can one-click to insert preset fillable fields and basic elements, like header, full name, email, phone, etc., without installing. Furthermore, you can make a personal PDF form with customized page background, font size, style, and formatting. 

🎨 How to Add Fillable Fields in PDF with JotForm Online

  • Step 1. Go to the Jotform Fillable PDF Form Creator online page and then click Create a fillable PDF form. Then you select either CREATE NEW PDF FORM or IMPORT PDF FORM as needed.

create new pdf form in jotform

  • Step 2. Click BASIC ELEMENTS or FIELDS to add the wanted fillable boxes to your PDF form, such as time, full name, submission data, etc.

make a fillable pdf form without acrobat in jotform

  • Step 3. Make a flexible PDF form in Layout Settings by changing the PDF background color, question style, and line spacing. After finishing, touch the export button to save the fillable PDF form on your device.

save the fillable pdf form in jotform

🚀 #2. Create a Fillable PDF Form with WorkinTool

WorkinTool PDF Converter is one of the top PDF creators and editors to help you make PDF forms fillable and editable. Using WorkinTool’s PDF Edit tool allows you to easily add text, fillable fields, lines, and shapes on Windows without cost or size limits. Moreover, you can markup your simple PDF form by highlighting, commenting, drawing, and inserting images/signatures.

Besides editing PDF, you can convert PDF to a fillable form, like PDF to Word, PDF to Excel, PDF to PPT, etc. More surprisingly, WorkinTool launches an online version for you to make PDF editable and fillable online without downloading software. However, you can only upload each PDF within 2 MB online for free.

📌 The Easily Way to Make a Fillable PDF Form with WorkinTool Online/Offline
  • 🥇100% free to add fillable fields in PDF with WorkinTool’s PDF Edit feature.
  • 🥈 Unlimited to create fillable PDF without Acrobat using WorkinTool.
  • 🥉 Offer 10+ markup tools and 20+ PDF features to help you fill in and edit PDF files.
  • 🏅 Export edited PDF files without watermarks or any quality loss.
  • 🏅 Have both ad-free Windows and online versions.
workintool pdf converter functional page

workintool pdf converter download icon

🎨 #Method 1. Using WorkinTool’s PDF Edit to Add Fillable Files in PDF

  • Step 1. After the installation, open WorkinTool and click PDF Edit in the View & Edit drop-down menu. Then click Select PDF file or drag your PDF file.

click pdf edit button in workintool

  • Step 2. Press the Text button to add the wanted text. Moreover, you can change the text color, filling color, font, and formatting as you like.

add text to pdf in workintool windows

  • Step 3. Tap the drop-down menu of Line to select the Rectangle shape or other shapes you want. Then draw a box next to the added text. And you can alter the rectangle’s color, filling color, thickness, and stroke styles.

make a fillable pdf form without acrobat in workintool

🐰 Notes: If you wrongly add a fillable field or text in WorkinTool, click the trash button in your upper right corner to delete it easily. Moreover, you still need a PDF editor to fill in the fillable boxes.

🎨 #Method 2. By Converting Fillable Word/Excel to PDF in WorkinTool

Of course, you can make a fillable Word or Excel form at first. Then change them to PDF without losing formatting or quality.

  • Step 1. You can insert text, box, and fillable fields in Word or Excel in advance.
  • Step 2. Go to Convert to/from PDF > Word to PDF/Excel to PDF to upload the fillable Word/Excel file to WorkinTool. [No restriction to the uploaded file quantity.]
  • Step 3. Alter the saving folder if necessary. Then hit the Convert button to create a fillable PDF form from Word or Excel.

convert fillable file to pdf with workintool

🚀 #3. How to Make a Fillable PDF in Word

Microsft Word is not merely a document creator. And you can also draw tables, type text, make documents fillable and export them as PDF format as well in Microsoft Word. Moreover, you can change the table properties, text formatting, color, and font to make it unify with your demands. And the guide is straightforward, and let’s check it together.

🎨 How to Make a Fillable PDF Form without Acrobat in Word

  • Step 1. Open a new document in Microsoft Word. Then click Insert > Table or Design button to add a fillable table. 

make a fillable pdf form without acrobat in word

  • Step 2. Type the wanted text in the table cell and change the font, color, and formatting to make it look more formal.

type on pdf and change color in word

  • Step 3. Click File > Save as… > Browser. Then select PDF (*.pdf) in Save as type and hit the Save button to export the fillable form in PDF.

save word as pdf in microsoft word

🚀 #4. Using Cisdem PDFMaster on Mac and Windows

Want to easily make a fillable PDF file on Mac or Windows without Acrobat? Cisdem PDFMaster is the one you are looking for. With Cisdem, you can effortlessly insert a checkbox, radio, list box, and combo box field to make your PDF form more professional and accessible. Besides as a PDF creator, Cisdem can make your scanned PDF into a searchable file, change to/from PDF, compress PDF, lock/unlock PDF, etc. However, the trial period is only 14 days, and the edited PDF files are watermarked.

🎨 How to Make a Fillable PDF Form without Acrobat Using Cisdem

  • Step 1. Download and open Cisdem PDFMaster. Then choose Open Files, or PDF Create to open or make a new PDF file. 

open file in cisdem pdfmaster

  • Step 2. Tap the Form button. Then you can choose Text Field, Checkbox Filed, Radio Button Field, List Box Field, Combo Box Field, or Signature Field as needed. Next, enter the detailed info and click the OK button to confirm.

make a fillable pdf form without acrobat in cisdem

  • Step 3. Once you complete, press the save button to keep the fillable fields on your PDF form.

save the fillable pdf form in cisdem

🚀 #5. Create Fillable PDF Mac Preview

If you plan to make a fillable PDF form on Mac, Preview is the best free PDF creator and editor for every Mac user. You can easily read PDFs, fill in PDFs, insert shapes/boxes and add images to PDFs. And you can create a custom PDF creating by adjusting the color, thickness, and styles. However, it has less powerful PDF tools and a less excellent interface than other third-party PDF editors. Anyway, it can meet your basic demands for creating a fillable PDF file. 

🎨 How to Make a Fillable PDF Form without Acrobat in Preview Mac

  • Step 1. Open your PDF file with Preview. Then click Show Toolbar if the tool ribbon is hidden.
  • Step 2. Click the A icon to add text and tap the shape icon to insert fillable boxes or shapes. Moreover, you can change the stroke style, color, filling color, and text font to your preference.
  • Step 3. Click File > Save to keep the fillable changes to your PDF form.

make a fillable pdf form without acrobat in preview


 FAQs

🙋‍♀️ How do I fill out a PDF without Adobe?

If you intend to fill out a PDF without Adobe, various Adobe alternatives can greatly help you. For example, you can edit, write, fill in, and sign a PDF on Windows and online for free in WorkinTool PDF Converter, on Mac in Preview, online with JotForm, etc. 

🔮 How do I make a fillable PDF in Google Docs?

Suppose you plan to create a fillable PDF in Google Docs. In this case, you can achieve it by taking the following steps.

  • Firstly, open your PDF with Google Docs in Google Drive.
  • Secondly, you can tap Insert > Table > Table templates to choose different templates, like product roadmap, review tracker, project assets, etc. Optionally, you can make a drop-down list by selecting the Insert > Drop-down.
  • Thirdly, enter the words in the fillable fields. Finally, navigate to File > Download > PDF document (.pdf) to keep the fillable files in PDF format.

🙋‍♀️ How do you make a pdf fillable?

If you plan to make a PDF fillable, the easiest method is to exert third-party PDF creators and editors, like WorkinTool PDF Converter. You can easily add text boxes, fields, signatures, shapes, and stamps to make your PDF fillable with minimal effort. Moreover, you can convert fillable documents to PDF as well.

workintool pdf converter download icon


Conclusion

As a must-learning issue for modern people in this digital-office age, making a fillable PDF form help save much of your energy and time. Luckily, this post deals with how to make a fillable PDF form without Acrobat, ranging from Windows/Mac PDF creators to an online program. And WorkinTool PDF Converter is our top choice for adding text, inserting fillable boxes, and filling in PDF forms. Just download it and see that magic from now on.

workintool pdf converter download icon


✨ More Functions of WorkinTool

Insert PDF into Word >> Add Text to PDF >> Edit a Scanned PDF >>
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Write on a PDF >> Edit a Secure PDF >> AutoCAD Higher Version to Lower Version >>
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