Serious demand case for a native Linux PDF‑XChange Editor

[Loek]

I know this has been asked before, but the context has changed a lot since those older threads:

– Linux desktop adoption is growing fast in Europe, both with individuals and in public institutions that explicitly avoid US and Russian vendors for geopolitical and data‑sovereignty reasons.
– Many of us are willing to pay for a professional PDF editor, but avoiding US‑based cloud ecosystems and DRM is now a hard requirement, not a preference.
– Wine is useful, but it is not a sustainable long‑term solution in regulated environments (public sector, legal, finance) where official platform support and predictable maintenance matter more than hobby‑grade workarounds.

My own situation:
– I run a translation/localization business on Linux in the EU.
– I need to edit third‑party PDFs directly: text, text color, images, watermarks, password protection and permissions.
– No EU/UK vendor offers an Acrobat‑class editor on Linux today, and PDF‑XChange Editor is by far the best fit in terms of features and non‑US/non‑Russian ownership.

I would happily:
– Pay for a Linux license (even at a premium over Windows), and
– Migrate colleagues and clients to your product if there were an officially supported Linux build (AppImage, Flatpak, deb, whatever you consider viable).

Could you please re‑evaluate the business case for:
– A native Linux version, or
– At least an officially supported Wine target with documented “known‑good” versions and a clear commitment not to break that setup?

The combination of Big Tech concentration, geopolitical risk, and public‑sector Linux adoption in Europe creates a very real niche that PDF‑XChange could own. Many of us would prefer to avoid US cloud tools, but we need a professional solution that we can standardize on and support.

[Sean - PDF-XChange]

Hi Loek,

Thanks for your inquiry - we appreciate your situation and views on this, but I'm afraid we are unlikely to have any Linux-compatible version any time soon. Our developers are very busy working on other areas of the software. Sorry we couldn't assist you here.

Kind regards,

[fbimitch]

I'd like to add my support, I think it's the right time to develop a Linux PDF-Xchange.

I chose PDF-Xchange many year ago because it has offices in Canada; to make insure that my privacy was respected.

Today, around the world individual and companies are looking for alternative, more secure, private software and that's why I have moved away from Microsoft Windows to only Linux system. I believe France, other European countries and northern countries governments are moving away from Microsoft software in favor of open-source alternatives.

For those reasons, please reconsider making a Linux version available.

[Daniel - PDF-XChange]

Hello, fbimitch

Thank you for the support, but the facts behind this decision remain unchanged. We have a very small team (both Development and Support), and need to dedicate our resources to the locations they are best suited - as well as the environment we are all the most familiar with.

Splitting our attention between two operating systems, would only make the already long waits between reports/requests and implementation, longer. And this is while ignoring the plethora of linux distributions available which further complicates the process for some users - and the expertise required to investigate each unique one.

Support responses would be slower, as we would all need to learn the environment to offer support for it as well - or product costs would need to increase considerably - to offset the new hires we would need to maintain both development and support in a new environment.

Neither are solutions we want to enact at this point - so no Development is Windows focused at this point in time - those who wish to use the software in a linux environment have methods to do so - and they are quite functional, without too many issues.
You simply need to ensure you have any requisite items installed to your environment, such as the latest VCredist (which has been confirmed as functional as well): https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/cpp/w ... w=msvc-170

In effect, the Windows version can indeed be used on a linux system, we simply do not offer any extended/official support for problems you may encounter with it. And we ask that if you do have an issue, you check to see if it is reproducible in a windows environment before reporting it here. https://www.pdf-xchange.com/knowledgeba ... d-to-Linux

Kind regards,

[bugra]

I’d like to add that there is a clear and growing demand in Europe and other jurisdictions for a professionally supported native Linux build of PDF‑XChange Editor, not just a community Wine wrapper, because public-sector procurement, legal and financial institutions, and privacy-conscious companies increasingly require vendor-supported, auditable software on Linux for long-term stability and compliance. A native Linux release would expand your market (education, government, engineering firms using Linux workstations), reduce support load caused by Wine compatibility issues, and improve security posture by allowing you to follow Linux packaging and update best practices (signed packages, distribution-specific repos, Flatpak/Snap/AppImage options) rather than relying on third‑party compatibility layers. For a low-effort, high-impact roadmap, consider: 1) publishing a clear statement of interest and commercial licensing options for Linux (perpetual + maintenance), 2) releasing an official, actively-maintained Wine-based package in parallel to demonstrate commitment while native development proceeds, and 3) prioritizing features that differentiate PDF‑XChange for Linux users (robust PDF/A, advanced form and redaction tooling, CLI automation, and integration into Linux/BIM toolchains) to win institutional customers who need predictable support and long-term availability.

I also want to acknowledge that I understand this is not a simple request, and that supporting a native Linux version means significant development, testing, and long-term maintenance effort on your side. That said, from the perspective of users who rely on Linux for professional and privacy reasons, there is a real and growing need for an officially supported solution, and I hope you can see that this is not just a niche preference but a practical requirement for many of us.

[Stefan - PDF-XChange]

Hello bugra,

Welcome to our forums!
I fully understand your post and position, and will make the relevant people aware!
However - just like Dan above - we can not at this time make any promises for a native Linux version any time soon!

Kind regards,
Stefan