Rotate PDF: Top 5 Free PDF Rotators with Step-by-Step Guide (2024 Updated)

Many people have the need to rotate PDF. If you receive a PDF file in an incorrect orientation that is hard to view and read, you must use a powerful tool to correct the orientation into readable form. Finding such versatile software is a challenging task and that is why we have brought you the best PDF Rotator that you can find in the market.

Part 1: Why PDF Software Is Better than Rotate PDF Online?

Using dedicated software to rotate PDFs is far better than an online source, as it has many benefits. Some of them are listed below. You can consider WPS Office.

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WPS Office- Free All-in-One Office Suite

• Use Word, Excel, and PPT for FREE, No Ads.

• Edit PDF files with the powerful PDF toolkit.

• Microsoft-like interface. Easy to learn. 100% Compatibility.

• Boost your productivity with WPS's abundant free Word, Excel, PPT, and CV templates.

Free Download

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Security

These softwares with pdf rotators are generally more secure as installed on your device ensures that your sensitive PDF files are not uploaded to a third-party server.

Convenience

With the PDF tool installed on your PC, you can conveniently use it anytime without internet connectivity allowing you to rotate PDF files anytime and anywhere Speed

PDF software typically performs PDF rotations faster since the entire process is done locally on your computer, saving you time, especially when dealing with large PDF files

Customization

These advanced customization options allow you to specify the exact degree of pdf rotation, choose specific pages to rotate, and even rotate multiple pages simultaneously.

Limits

Online PDF rotators often restrict the size or number of PDF files you can rotate because you can upload a certain size while with PDF software, you can rotate PDFs of any size and quantity

Part 2: Top 5 Free PDF Rotators

Here are the Top 5 best free PDF rotators to rotate PDFs permanently. You can install these softwares on your PC to rotate your PDF files.

1. WPS Office - All-in-One Tool

WPS Office serves as a convenient and user-friendly PDF rotator, allowing you to easily adjust the orientation of PDF pages. It allows you to rotate a single page or PDF document at a desired angle, such as 90 degrees clockwise or counterclockwise.  Whether you need to correct the orientation of scanned documents, adjust landscape and portrait layouts, or align PDF content as needed, WPS Office's PDF rotation functionality can efficiently cater to your needs.

Main Features

• Using its Selective page rotation feature, you can choose specific pages or ranges to rotate while leaving others unchanged.

• It supports Batch PDF rotation allowing you to rotate multiple PDF files simultaneously, saving time and effort.

• You can also adjust the orientation of PDF pages with precision, ensuring accurate alignment and readability.

• It lets you specify the rotation angle, such as 90 degrees clockwise or counterclockwise, to suit your needs.

• WPS Office is available for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS devices, providing flexibility and convenience across different platforms.

Supported Devices: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS.

Pros

• Enhanced customization

• Multi-platform support

• Straightforward to use

• Available for multiple platforms

Cons

• Performance issues in large PDF files

• Limited Advanced Editing options

Free Download Steps

Go to the WPS website > Free Download > Offline Downloader will start downloading.

Once downloaded > Run it > Wait for it to complete.

Steps for Rotating PDF files with WPS PDF

Follow the below-mentioned steps to rotate PDF using WPS Office.

Step 1: Open the WPS Office and choose a PDF you want to rotate.

Step 2: Once PDF Document is opened, click on the Page tab. There you can see the clockwise and counterclockwise rotation options. Click on your desired orientation.

Step 3: You can also rotate all pages at once by clicking on Rotate All Pages.

Step 4: Once you are done with changing the orientation of your PDF, click on file and save it.

2. Adobe

Adobe Acrobat is the gold-standard software for PDF creation, editing, and PDF rotation. It offers a range of rotation options, allowing you to specify custom angles, rotates multiple pages simultaneously, or selectively rotate specific pages. With Acrobart, you can specify rotation angles, such as 90 degrees clockwise or counterclockwise, ensuring precise alignment of your PDF content. Alongside PDF Rotator, it has additional PDF services, including advanced page manipulation to annotations, digital signatures, and document security features.

Main Features

• You can easily navigate through pages using the thumbnail view and rotate pages directly from the thumbnail pane.

• It allows you to choose specific pages or page ranges to rotate while leaving others unchanged, and you can specify the rotation angle.

• In addition to rotation, Adobe Acrobat offers features for rearranging, inserting, and deleting pages within a PDF document.

• You can also set automatic rotation preferences for pages based on their content, such as landscape or portrait orientation detection.

• Adobe Acrobat provides seamless integration with a wide range of PDF editing tools, allowing you to combine rotation with other document manipulation features.

Supported Devices: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS.

Pros

• Comprehensive Editing Features

• Control over rotation angles

• High-Quality Output

• Seamless integration with Adobe products

Cons

• The full version is Expensive

• It may be hard to use for beginners

Free Download Steps

Visit Adobe's website > Click Download Acrobat Reader > Run the Offline downloader > Install on your PC

Steps for Rotating PDF Files with Adobe

Step 1: Open Adobe Acrobat on your PC and open the desired PDF.

Step 2: Click on View tab and hover your mouse cursor on Rotate View.

Step 3: Here you can see Clockwise rotation and counterclockwise rotation.

Step 4: Click on your desired orientation, and the whole document will rotate.

Step 5: To save a PDF document in the desired orientation, click on File > Save As > Rename your file and click Save.

PRO TIP: To change the document’s orientation clockwise use the shortcut “CTRL + Shift + Plus”. In contrast, to alter the document’s orientation counterclockwise use the shortcut “CTRL + Shift + Minus.”

3. Sejda

Sejda is an online platform offering various PDF editing tools, including a PDF rotator feature. It has an intuitive interface allows you to select the desired rotation angle, such as 90 degrees clockwise or counterclockwise, ensuring precise alignment of your PDF content. It has free and paid versions, and you can choose the one that suits your needs. Other than rotating PDFs online, it also offers a range of other PDF editing tools, such as merging, splitting, compressing, and more.

Main Features

• Sejda offers additional PDF editing tools alongside rotation, such as merging, splitting, and compressing.

• It has a selective page rotation feature, letting you choose specific pages or ranges to rotate.

• You can specify rotation angles, such as 90 degrees clockwise or counterclockwise, as required.

• If you make any editing online, you can download the PDF file directly from the platform.

• Sejda is available in multiple languages, ensuring accessibility for users worldwide.

Supported Devices: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS and works on almost any browser.

Pros

• Supports rotation of individual pages

• Additional features alongside a rotation

• Easy to use and clean interface

• Available free and paid

Cons

• Compromised performance with large PDF Files

• Some features are limited to paid version only

Free Download Steps

Visit Sejda Official website > Click on Desktop in the upper right corner > Select Free Download > Wait for the download to finish > Install on PC

Steps for Rotating PDF files with WPS Sejda

Step 1: Open the Sejda tool on your PC and open the PDF file as well.

Step 2: In the Others tab, scroll down and click on Rotate.

Step 3: It will ask you to upload your PDF file, upload it.

Step 4: Once the PDF file is uploaded, you have plenty of options. You can either select an individual file and rotate it or select even or odd files to rotate in bulk.

Step 5: Once you are done with rotating, click on Apply Changes.

4. SmallPDF

SmallPDF is a hybrid software, available online and offline, with amazing PDF editing features, including PDF rotation. It allows you to easily adjust the orientation of individual pages or entire PDF documents to your desired angle. The best part about SmallPDF is its online tools that you can access from any device with an internet connection, whether a computer, tablet, or smartphone. Using it online is easy; you can upload your PDF file directly to its website, select the pages you want to rotate, and choose the desired rotation angle.

Main Features

• With the SmallPDF tool, you can rotate individual pages or PDF documents in one go.

• You can specify the rotation angle to adjust page orientation, such as 90 degrees clockwise or counterclockwise.

• It supports cloud storage integration and allows you to import PDF files from cloud storage services like Google Drive and Dropbox for easy access and rotation.

• Smallpdf prioritizes the security of your documents and ensures that your files are securely processed and deleted after use.

• Suppose you are uncomfortable with the online tool or have no access to the internet. You can download the offline application to access PDF rotation and other editing features in that case.

Supported Devices: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS and works on almost any browser.

Pros

• Seamless integration with cloud storage services

• Supports rotation of individual pages

• Simple and easy to use

Cons

• Limited to basic PDF rotation

Free Download Steps

Visit the SmallPDF website > Select your platform > Click free download.

Steps for Rotating PDF files with SmallPDF

Step 1: Download and install the offline desktop application on your PC.

Step 2: Open the PDF file to be rotated. Click on the Page View to have access to individual pages.

Step 3: You can select a single, multiple, and all pages there. Click on the Clockwise rotation symbol to rotate it this way and vice versa

Step 4: After changing the orientation of PDF pages, click on the Save icon in the right of the screen to save changes to your PDF.

5. iLovePDF

iLOVEPDF is an online platform offering various PDF editing tools, including a PDF rotator feature. You can easily adjust the orientation of individual pages or entire PDF documents to meet your specific requirements. This PDF rotator Online tool is easy to use, just upload the file select the pages you want to rotate, and choose the desired rotation angle. Being an online tool, it doesn’t need any installation, and you can access it from anywhere with the availability of the internet.

Main Features

• It allows you to easily rotate PDF pages individually or rotate entire documents to adjust the orientation as required.

• You can rotate the PDF document in multiple angles, like 90 degrees clockwise or counterclockwise, to customize the orientation of PDF pages.

• iLovePDF ensures the security and privacy of your documents during the rotation process, with secure encryption and automatic file deletion after processing.

• It features cloud storage integration, where you can easily import PDF files from cloud storage services such as Google Drive or Dropbox for seamless access and rotation.

• The best thing about this tool is its availability in multiple languages, catering to users worldwide.

Supported Devices: Android and iOS Apps and works on almost any browser on a desktop.

Pros

• Doesn’t require Installation

• Additional PDF tools

• Support rotation of individual pages

• Easy to use for beginners

Cons

• Lack of Fine-grained rotation controls

• Limited features in the free version

Free Download Steps

Available online as iLOVEPDF.

Steps for Rotating PDF files with iLovePDF

Step 1: Visit the iLOVEPDF website on your browser and scroll down to access Rotate PDF.

Step 2: It will ask you to upload the PDF document.

Step 3: Once your file is uploaded, you will see two options: rotate right or rotate left. There is also the option of adding more files by clicking on “+”.

Step 4: Once the rotation is complete, click on rotate PDF, and it will start the rotating process.

Step 5: Click on the Download button to download the PDF file.

Part 3: How to Choose the Best PDF Rotator?

Different factors are to be considered when looking for the best PDF rotator. These factors include compatibility with the operating system, PDF editing options, security level, PDF organizing tools, and pricing. The below table shows a comprehensive comparison between all the five mentioned tools so that you can choose the one that suits you.

Trustpilot4.8

WPS Office- Free All-in-One Office Suite

• Use Word, Excel, and PPT for FREE, No Ads.

• Edit PDF files with the powerful PDF toolkit.

• Microsoft-like interface. Easy to learn. 100% Compatibility.

• Boost your productivity with WPS's abundant free Word, Excel, PPT, and CV templates.

Free Download

5,820,008 User

Algirdas Jasaitis

FAQs

Q1: How do I permanently rotate a PDF online?

To permanently rotate a PDF online, you can use various web-based PDF editing tools or online platforms specifically designed for PDF manipulation. Simply upload your PDF, select the rotation option, apply the desired rotation angle and save the rotated PDF to your computer.

Q2: How do I rotate a PDF without Acrobat?

If you don't have Adobe Acrobat, you can rotate a PDF using alternative PDF software or online PDF editing tools. Several free PDF readers, such as Foxit Reader and SmallPDF, provide built-in rotation options. Additionally, various web-based PDF editors offer rotation functionality without the need for software installation.

Q3: Can I rotate a PDF in Adobe Reader for free?

No, you can’t rotate PDF pages in Adobe Reader PDF viewer.  However, if you have an active Adobe Acrobat subscription or trial, you can use the full Adobe Acrobat software to rotate PDF pages. Otherwise, you can explore alternative free PDF readers or online PDF tools for rotating PDFs.

Q4: How do I rotate a PDF and save one page?

To rotate a single page in a PDF, you can utilize PDF software like Adobe Acrobat or online PDF editors. Open the PDF, select the page you want to rotate, and choose the rotation option. Save the PDF to preserve the changes after rotating the page to the desired orientation.

Summary

PDF Files are the best-formatted documents available to use and are also secure. If you have a book and want to change the orientation of a few pages, you need to download certain tools to rotate PDFs. For this purpose, you can use any of the above-mentioned tools. Whether you opt for a free or paid tool depends on your requirements and budget.

In the free tools, the best option is WPS Office with exquisite features and stunning user interface. It is an all-in-one Office Software with Writer, Spreadsheets, Presentations and  PDF Toolkit. FOR FREE, WPS PDF tools allow you to convert PDF files to and from Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and image files online. PDF files can be viewed, edited, read, rotate pdf files and collaborated on multiple platforms or devices.