PDF-Equilibrist logo — local open-source PDF editor PDF-Equilibrist

PDF-Equilibrist

Free, open-source desktop PDF editor built in Python with PyQt6 and PyMuPDF. Runs entirely locally — no cloud, no telemetry, no account required.

PDF‑Equilibrist is available for Windows, Arch Linux (AUR), Ubuntu (PPA) and Fedora (COPR).

🌍 Please note: the application itself is still French-only for now — an English translation is planned soon.

GitHub Release Downloads AUR PPA Ubuntu COPR Fedora
CI License Bandit Dependencies Privacy
Download (Windows) 
yay -S pdf-equilibrist
View package on AUR 
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:paulwoisard/pdf-equilibrist
sudo apt update
sudo apt install pdf-equilibrist
View PPA on Launchpad 
sudo dnf copr enable paullux/PDF-Equilibrist
sudo dnf install pdf-equilibrist
View project on COPR
Documentation
PDF-Equilibrist screenshot: dark interface with tabs Display, Edit, Convert, Annotate, Pages, Protect

Why PDF‑Equilibrist?

Online PDF tools are convenient, but they require uploading your documents to third-party servers — sometimes sensitive, always outside your control. PDF‑Equilibrist takes the opposite approach: all processing stays on your machine.

Designed for environments where data confidentiality is non-negotiable — medical practices, law firms, SMEs, public administrations — it requires no Internet connection, no user account, and no subscription.

Built on proven libraries (PyMuPDF, PyQt6), it delivers the essential features of a professional PDF editor in a modern, responsive interface.

Features

Everything you need to read, edit, convert, annotate and protect your PDF documents.

Display feature: zoom, rotation, multi-tab navigation in PDF-Equilibrist

Display

Zoom, rotation, multi-tab and multi-page navigation.

Edit feature: text editing, watermark and stamp in PDF-Equilibrist

Edit

Text editing, watermarks, signatures and stamps.

Annotation feature: highlight, strikethrough, underline in PDF-Equilibrist

Annotate

Highlight, strikethrough, underline, text boxes.

Pages feature: insert, split, merge PDF pages in PDF-Equilibrist

Pages

Insert, split, merge, reverse.

Convert feature: export to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, image from PDF-Equilibrist

Convert

Word, Excel, PowerPoint, images, Office → PDF, image → PDF, local OCR, batch processing.

Protect feature: AES-256 encryption and decryption in PDF-Equilibrist

Protect

AES-256 encryption and decryption.

Security & Privacy

Unlike online PDF tools that send your files to third-party servers, PDF-Equilibrist runs all processing 100% locally.

  • SAST analysis of the source code via Bandit.
  • Dependency checking against known vulnerabilities via the OSV API.
  • The audit tool is built into the application, accessible in one click.
Security analysis tool built into PDF-Equilibrist: Bandit audit and OSV dependency check

Installation

📦 To install the Windows executable (.exe) without installing Python, download the latest installer from the Releases.

🐧 On Arch Linux and derivatives, available on the AUR:

yay -S pdf-equilibrist

🐧 On Ubuntu and derivatives, available via a PPA:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:paulwoisard/pdf-equilibrist
sudo apt update
sudo apt install pdf-equilibrist

🐧 On Fedora and derivatives, available via COPR:

sudo dnf copr enable paullux/PDF-Equilibrist
sudo dnf install pdf-equilibrist

Install from source (developers)

1. Create a compatible Python environment (>=3.12).
2. Install dependencies:

python -m pip install -r requirements.txt

3. Run the application:

python src/pdf_equilibrist/main.py

Frequently Asked Questions

Does PDF‑Equilibrist send my files to the Internet?

No. All processing is performed locally on your machine. No file ever leaves your workstation.

Is PDF‑Equilibrist free?

Yes, completely free and open source, distributed under the GNU GPL v3 license.

Does PDF‑Equilibrist replace Adobe Acrobat?

For many common uses — editing, annotation, conversion, protection — yes. It requires no subscription or account.

Which operating systems are supported?

Windows (.exe installer), Arch Linux (AUR), Ubuntu (PPA) and Fedora (COPR).

Are administrator rights required to install it?

No. The Windows installer installs in the user profile without UAC elevation.

Is the source code auditable?

Yes. The code is published on GitHub and dependencies are automatically checked against known vulnerabilities.