BEST TOOL
TO SHARE PDFS ONLINE

PDF sharing has not been easy for me recently, which complicates collaboration with my retouchers’ team decreasing its productivity. So, I was looking for a more effective way to share PDF files with colleagues and clients without using an email to send large attachments.

This is the reason why I decided to try out the best tools to share PDFs online to make this process easier and distribute files effortlessly. They are ideal for teams who work distantly.

With the tools to share PDFs online, my document-sharing process has become much faster, and efficient, simpler, and more secure. In addition, they come with handy options like permission control and analytics.

When selecting the programs, I paid attention to the availability of the following options: a user-friendly interface for intuitive uploading, sharing, and managing PDFs, reliable security measures like encryption and permission control, the ability to protect files with a password, collaboration in real-time, integration with cloud storage and email services, analytics options.

All the programs listed here offer a free plan or an affordable subscription that starts from $7/mo.

Pricing: Free, Standard for $12.99/mo, Pro for $19.99/mo.

Adobe Acrobat comes with a vast selection of tools for creating, editing, and sharing PDF files. The program enables users to distribute files as email attachments, and shareable links, thanks to integration with cloud services like Adobe Document Cloud, Google Drive, and Dropbox. Also functioning as a highly capable PDF converter, Adobe Acrobat can easily turn any file type into a PDF and vice versa.

• I uploaded my 10-page PDF document and hit the Share with Others icon in the upper toolbar section.
• I allowed the members of my team to view and comment but not edit the file.
• After clicking "Create Link," the program generates a unique URL.
• This link should be shared via email with the team to let its members access the document.

The "Shared" tab shows who viewed the doc, updated permissions, and stopped sharing the link when the work was done. There is also a handy @ mention option to specify a person who needs to leave feedback. This is an excellent workflow-moving feature. The most recent comments appear in one place, in real-time without the need to perform some manual operations.

Pricing: Free plan, Pro for $12.5/mo, Platinum for $25/mo

FlipHTML5 is a functional online PDF sharing platform designed to convert PDFs into HTML5 page flip eBooks. The best thing about this site is that it is absolutely intuitive, so sharing and embedding the docs turned out to be a trouble-free process.

Using this free PDF editor, you can select different customization options for a more efficient conversion. It is possible to change the mode page range, quality, and size, and even add watermarks to ensure that my content is safe.

• The file I uploaded was a 20-page product catalog. I managed to do it in no time.
• As for settings for my product catalog, I decided to include a company watermark and also specified the numbers of the most relevant pages.
• Moreover, I added animations for the product descriptions to make them more eye-grabbing.
• Once the flipbook was created, I got an auto-generated URL and a QR code for sharing on Facebook or Twitter.

Another benefit of FlipHTML is the ability to track PDF views, likes, and even better, stats granular to the page. After my catalog appeared on the web, I could monitor the views to check the number of people who accessed it. This provides me with valuable insight into the results of my marketing efforts.

Pricing: Free trial, from $19/mo

FlippingBook is a great solution for sharing PDF documents online, as well as generating PDFs with a stunning page flip effect. This option stands out among the competitors with its intuitive UI, a great variety of customization options, and trouble-free integration capabilities allowing users to refine PDF content with ease.

• I needed to share a 30-page company PDF brochure. The process of transforming the content into an interactive flipbook becomes a speedy procedure.
• I imported a welcome video to the first page and the company’s logo.
• Once all the blemishes were removed and ready, I could share it with ease. I added the flipbook to our company’s product page. Integrating perfectly into the site, I managed to make the page more appealing and functional.

However, the list of FlippingBook’s integration is much more extensive and includes Google Analytics, WordPress, Zapier, and other platforms, which allow analyzing readers’s interaction with the published content. This amazing file sharing service can turn standard PDF files into eye-grabbing flipbooks, which are great for business brochures, reports, or marketing materials. Besides, this program can be also installed on a desktop.

Pricing: 14-day trial or from $79.99 /yr

PDFelement from Wondershare is a versatile tool, with which your PDFs sharing routine will become easy and enjoyable. The major benefits of this program are versatility and user-friendly UI, which make sharing docs via multiple channels a breeze. The whole process was a no-brainer, so I only needed a minute to distribute files effectively.

• I launched PDFelement and hit the ‘Open PDF’ option to import the marketing proposal.
• Once the proposal was uploaded, I clicked on the ‘Share’ button, selected the ‘Link’ tab, and clicked ‘Create’ to generate a shareable link.
• Once the previous step was completed, I selected the ‘Share’ option, headed to the ‘Link’ tab, and clicked ‘Create’ to generate a shareable link.
• I sent the copied link in an e-letter to my marketing team. Besides, I also posted it on our company’s Facebook page to get comments from a wider audience.

For me, this is one of the best tools to share PDFs online because of its rich variety of sharing options, which include cloud services, email, and social media platforms. Besides, it is possible to share PDFs as email attachments through Email Client and Outlook, which is a great advantage as well.

Pricing: Free, Business Standard for $12/mo

Although Google Drive is primarily designed as a web storage, it also works as a photo sharing site and a convenient file-sharing solution. Google Drive appeals to users with the ability to share files across both mobile and desktop devices. This free PDF reader offered efficient performance, letting my team view and comment on the doc in no time.

• I added a PDF with my marketing strategy to Google Drive.
• I chose the needed file, clicked ‘Share,’ provided emails of my team members, and allowed them to comment on the file and hit the ‘Send’ button.
• For a wider audience, I also created a view-only link and shared it via a project management tool used in our team’s workflow.

Another positive aspect that should be mentioned is an integration with Gmail and Google Docs, which makes the file-sharing process more intuitive and more productive. Besides, it is possible to set different permission levels for each specific user, which provides better control of who and how manipulated the content.

Pricing: Free, Pro for $19/mo

Another effective way to share a PDF online is to use DocDroid, which is a user-friendly and intuitive tool for distributing docs via an auto-generated shareable link. You are free to send this link in an email or embed it into a web page as an iFrame. PDF, DOCX, DOC, ODT, RTF, XLS, XLSX, etc. are among the formats supported by DocDroid and its handy browser preview option is also very appealing.

• I headed to the DocDroid website to upload the project proposal PDF by hitting the "Select Files" button.
• Once the file appeared on the website, I got an auto-generated link for sharing.

Twitter and Facebook are two alternative ways for sharing PDFs with this program. I benefited from the ability to protect my document with a password. Moreover, I tweaked the privacy settings to make the doc disappear from the list. In addition, if a receiver does not view the file for 60 days, it is removed by the system automatically.

Pricing: Free, Pro for $9/mo, Team for $7/mo

Smallpdf has a diverse toolkit that makes it an all-in-one and straightforward solution for managing and sharing PDF docs. I can use this tool to add text, shapes, pics, and annotations to PDFs, and as a user-friendly and cross-platform free PDF to Word converter.

• I needed to share the project update report, so I uploaded it to Smallpdf.
• I typed in the email addresses of every member of my team.
• I also asked them to comment on specific sections of the report.
• After hitting the send button, each member of my team an email with a download link and my instructions
• In addition, I created a separate shareable link and uploaded it to our team’s Viber for more convenient access.

I liked that it is possible to distribute the generated link via WhatsApp, Viber, or Gmail. All the transfers are protected with SSL encryption, so I can be sure that they are safe. Note, that all files in the Smallpdf system vanish after 14 days, so check whether the recipient succeeded in downloading the file within this period.

Pricing: Free, Plus for $8.25/mo, Business for $12.50/mo

Jumpshare does not require registration or installation of the software, which makes it one of the most convenient options for sharing PDF documents online. Besides, this tool allows viewing who accessed or downloaded the file to make data-driven decisions and follow up with potential leads.

• I headed to Jumpshare's website to upload the project proposal in PDF format by choosing the needed file from my PC.
• Once the upload was over, I copied the auto-generated link and sent it in an electronic letter to my client.
• I was able to see when my client viewed and downloaded the file to get to know the right time when I should follow up.

My client also benefited from the commenting feature to ask me something or leave feedback on the proposal. Moreover, I can be sure that my files are absolutely safe, as the tool uses HTTPS connection, which is protected with AES-256 military-grade encryption.

In addition, the system deletes files automatically after 24 hours, which also contributes to overall security. I also like that Jumpshare is available as a mobile and desktop app, which makes my workflow more flexible.

Pricing: Free or from $10/mo.

Soda PDF is a functional tool for processing PDF online that allows sharing, editing, merging, converting, compressing, signing, and securing documents. This PDF editor for Mac stands out among the competitors with intuitive performance and seamless integration with different providers like OneDrive, DropBox, Google Drive, Box, and SharePoint.

• I uploaded the marketing strategy in PDF format from my OneDrive account.
• I highlighted the most essential parts of the doc, added comments, and brought the focus on specific aspects that require special attention.
• I hit the envelope icon and selected the email option to create a new Outlook message with the attached file. I inserted the team's email addresses and sent the docs directly to the needed person.

This tool also works as a PDF splitter and combines several PDF files into a single document. Soda PDF also boasts a batch tool that allows converting multiple files simultaneously.

Pricing: Free, Basic for $19.99/year, Personal for $69.99/year

Microsoft OneDrive is not just a storage solution but also an excellent platform for sharing and collaborating on documents. With OneDrive, I can upload and share PDFs and other file types hassle-free, enabling more productive collaboration. OneDrive also offers a seamless integration with Microsoft Office applications, so you can easily edit and manage docs right within the cloud platform.

• I imported the marketing strategy in PDF format from my PC to my OneDrive account.
• In OneDrive, I chose the marketing strategy doc and clicked on the "Share" button.
• By selecting the "Can view" option, I allowed my team members to access the doc without editing it.
• I chose “Copy link” to generate a sharable link and then inserted it into an email to send to my colleagues.

This is also an amazing solution for interacting with teammates. When meeting to discuss some issues, we used a shared link to analyze the doc together, reviewing it in real-time. OneDrive provides 5GB of storage for free, which is more than many OneDrive alternatives can offer.

Pricing: Free, Plus for $9.99, Essentials for $16.58

Dropbox allows sharing PDF online effortlessly and is also a handy assistant for managing tasks and files. Other goodies offered by this tool include various personalization features that enhance collaboration with team members and make it more efficient. With Dropbox, you do not need to send large attachments via email, so the sharing process becomes a breeze.

• First, I logged into my Dropbox account on a web browser.
• My PDF was already uploaded into Dropbox, so I hovered over the document, hit "Share," and typed in the email addresses of my teammates.
• I used the "Can view" option to allow the colleagues to read but not edit the file.
• I provided some notes making a summary of the most important points of my document.
• I hit the "Share file" button and my colleagues were notified about getting access to the document.

In addition, the platform boasts excellent security measures such as 256-bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), remote device cleaning, and two-factor authentication (2FA). Besides, users can enjoy 2GB of free storage, which is much more than provided by many Dropbox alternatives.