Microsoft Edge's PDF reader is genuinely the best built into any browser in 2026. Annotation, highlights, drawing, signing, form filling, read aloud — all built in. For lots of jobs, Edge alone is enough.
Where it stops is editing existing text. Flint fills that gap in the same browser.
Edge's PDF feature list
Open any PDF in Edge: highlight (4 colours), draw freehand (mouse, pen, touch), add text overlays, sign with mouse or Surface pen, fill standard form fields, read aloud (with synthesised voices). Saves back to the file.
For reviewing, marking up, signing once, and filling forms, Edge is the complete tool.
Adding Flint for text edits
Where Edge stops: changing existing text in the PDF (typo, wrong date, name update). Flint in another Edge tab handles those. Click text, type new text, save.
For users who use Edge as their default browser, this is the most native PDF workflow possible — both tools in one app.
Surface and pen workflows
Edge plus Surface pen is excellent for review markup. Pen pressure comes through. Flint's signature pad also accepts pen input for reusable signatures across multiple documents.
FAQ
Will Edge replace Acrobat for me?
For everyday tasks — annotation, signing, form filling — yes. Combined with Flint for text edits, you cover 95% of Acrobat workflows. Heavy professional users may still need Acrobat for niche features.
Does Edge work the same on Mac?
Edge for Mac has the same PDF features as Edge for Windows. Some users prefer it on Mac over Safari for PDF work specifically — Edge's tools are richer.
Are there Edge PDF extensions worth installing?
Most Edge PDF extensions duplicate built-in features or redirect to web apps. Going direct to Flint is usually faster and adds no extension footprint.
Edge plus Flint covers Windows PDF work without paying anyone. Edit text in Flint, annotate in Edge.