Install PDFBetter on your Mac
Download the Mac app from pdfbetter.com/download/mac, open the .dmg and drag PDFBetter into Applications. It's signed and notarized by Apple, needs macOS 12 or later, and signs you in through your browser.
Updated 1 min read
Step 1: Pick the right download
On the Mac download page, the main button is for Apple silicon Macs (M1 or later, every Mac since late 2020). Older Macs with an Intel processor need the Intel version. To check, open the Apple menu → About This Mac: it lists either a Chip (Apple M…) or a Processor (Intel).
Step 2: Open the .dmg
Open the downloaded PDFBetter .dmg file.
Step 3: Install
Drag PDFBetter into your Applications folder.
Step 4: Open PDFBetter
Open it from Applications or Launchpad. macOS opens it without warnings because it's signed by AI Generated Inc. and notarized by Apple.
Step 5: Sign in with your browser
Click Sign In with Browser. Your default browser opens, where Google, Apple, email links and passwords all work. When you're done there, you're sent straight back to the app, signed in.
What the Mac app is
The app is PDFBetter itself in its own window, so new tools reach it the day they ship on the web. It uses your PDFBetter account and plan; there's nothing extra to buy. What it adds is what a browser tab can't do: opening PDFs from Finder, dropping files on the Dock icon, native menus and keyboard shortcuts.
- Requires macOS 12 or later.
- Closing the window hides it, so reopening is instant. Quit with PDFBetter → Quit or ⌘ Q.
- Your sign-in is kept between restarts.
- Links to other websites open in your normal browser.
Is the Mac app free?
Yes. The app is free to download and uses your PDFBetter plan. The Free plan works in it, and a paid plan unlocks the same features as on the web.
Why does sign-in open my browser?
Google sign-in and emailed sign-in links don't work inside an embedded app window. Signing in through the browser lets every method work; the browser then hands a single-use code back to the app.
How do I uninstall it?
Quit PDFBetter and drag it from Applications to the Trash. Your documents stay in your account.
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- Open files, use shortcuts and update the desktop appOpen files with File → Open…, by dropping them on the app icon, or with “Open with” in Finder or File Explorer. The app updates itself in the background; to check now, use Check for Updates….
- Install PDFBetter on WindowsDownload the installer from pdfbetter.com/download/windows and run it. If Windows shows “Windows protected your PC”, choose More info, then Run anyway. It runs on Windows 10 and 11, on x64 and ARM.
- Use one PDFBetter account on several devicesSign in with the same account everywhere: pdfbetter.com, the Mac and Windows apps and the iPhone app. Your documents, saved signatures and plan are the same on every device. There's no device limit.
- Can I use PDFBetter offline?Mostly no. Your documents live in your account, so pdfbetter.com and the Mac and Windows apps need an internet connection. When you're offline, the desktop app shows a reconnect screen. The iPhone app keeps edits on the device until it can sync.