CutePDF Writer Alternative: Best Free Options in 2026

CutePDF Writer was one of those classic tools that a lot of people used back in the day. It was simple — you "printed" to it from any application, and it saved the output as a PDF. No frills, no cost, just worked.

But here's the thing: CutePDF Writer hasn't really been updated in years. It still works, more or less, but it's starting to show its age. The interface feels dated, there are better options available now, and honestly, most people don't even need a desktop PDF printer anymore because the operating systems have caught up.

So if you're looking for a CutePDF Writer alternative, let me walk you through what I think are the best options. I've tried a bunch, and these are the ones I actually use.

Why People Loved CutePDF Writer

To understand what makes a good alternative, it's helpful to know what CutePDF did well:

• It acted as a "virtual printer" — you could print to PDF from any application
• It was free (for the basic version)
• It was simple — no learning curve
• It was lightweight — didn't bog down your system

A good CutePDF alternative should check these same boxes. Let me tell you about the options.

Option 1: Your Operating System (Probably the Best Choice)

Here's something that might surprise you: you probably already have a CutePDF alternative installed and you don't even know it.

Windows 10 and 11 have a built-in "Microsoft Print to PDF" printer. Just open any document, press Ctrl+P, select "Microsoft Print to PDF" as your printer, and click Print. It saves as a PDF. Done.

macOS has had "Save as PDF" built into the print dialog for over a decade. Same deal — File > Print > Save as PDF. It's been there forever.

Why is this the best option? It's already installed, it's always available, it works with any application that can print, and it's maintained by Microsoft/Apple so it actually works with modern systems.

The downside? It's pretty basic. You can't do advanced things like merge PDFs or add encryption from within the print dialog. But for simple "print to PDF" tasks, it works great and you can't beat the price (free, obviously).

I use the built-in option probably 80% of the time when I need to create a PDF from something. It's just so convenient.

Option 2: PeacefulPDF (Browser-Based, Free)

If you need more features than the basic operating system printer, PeacefulPDF is my go-to recommendation. It's a collection of browser-based PDF tools that handle all the common tasks — creating PDFs is just one of them.

The way it works for creating PDFs is a bit different from CutePDF. Instead of "printing" from an application, you upload documents (Word, Excel, images, etc.) and it converts them to PDF. It's not exactly the same workflow, but the end result is the same.

What I like about PeacefulPDF:

• Everything happens in your browser — no software to install
• Your documents aren't uploaded to any server (they're processed locally)
• It's free for basic use
• Has other PDF tools if you need them (merge, split, compress, etc.)

The main difference from CutePDF is the workflow. Instead of going File > Print > CutePDF, you go to PeacefulPDF > upload file > download PDF. Takes a bit of getting used to, but it's pretty intuitive.

Option 3: PDFCreator (Windows)

PDFCreator is probably the closest thing to CutePDF that's actively maintained. It's a virtual printer for Windows that installs just like CutePDF did — you print to it and it creates a PDF.

Here's why PDFCreator is worth considering:

• It's free and open source
• It works exactly like CutePDF did — print to PDF from any app
• It has more features than CutePDF (merge files, encryption, etc.)
• It's actively maintained

There is a paid version (PDFCreator Premium) that adds more features, but the free version does everything most people need. I've used it on and off over the years and it's solid.

One thing to watch out for: during installation, PDFCreator tries to install some optional software (like a PDF architect upsell). Just click through carefully and decline the extras if you don't want them. Classic free software tactic, but still annoying.

Option 4: BullZip PDF Printer

Another solid Windows option. BullZip works similarly to PDFCreator — it's a virtual printer that creates PDFs. It's been around for a while and has a good reputation.

BullZip has both a free version and a paid version. The free version does everything most people need:

• Print to PDF from any application
• Merge multiple documents into one PDF
• Add basic metadata (title, author, etc.)
• Set quality/compression options

I haven't used BullZip as much as PDFCreator, but I've heard good things from people who prefer it. It's worth trying if you're looking for that old-school "virtual printer" experience.

Option 5: Google Chrome's Built-In PDF

If you spend most of your time in Chrome (which, let's be honest, is most of us), you can use it to create PDFs from web pages and many web-based documents.

Just press Ctrl+P (or Cmd+P on Mac), choose "Save as PDF" as your printer, and you're done. This is built right into Chrome — no extensions needed.

This is super handy for things like:

• Saving web articles as PDFs
• Converting Google Docs to PDF
• Saving online receipts/invoices
• Any web-based document you want to archive

The quality is generally good, though complex web layouts might not render perfectly. For most purposes, it's perfectly adequate.

Option 6: Microsoft Edge

Speaking of browsers, Microsoft Edge also has a built-in "Save as PDF" option. Same idea as Chrome — Ctrl+P, select "Microsoft Print to PDF" or "Save as PDF," and you're done.

Edge is actually pretty good at this. If you're already using Edge (maybe because it's your default Windows browser), there's no reason to switch to Chrome just for PDF creation.

Which Should You Choose?

Here's my honest recommendation, based on what you need:

Just need to create PDFs occasionally? Use your operating system's built-in option. Windows has Microsoft Print to PDF, Mac has Save as PDF. Both are free, both work, both require zero extra software.

Need more features? Try PDFCreator (Windows) for that classic virtual printer experience, or PeacefulPDF for browser-based convenience.

Want the simplest setup? Honestly, the operating system option is probably all you need. I've been using it for years and rarely need anything else.

What About CutePDF Itself?

Let me address the elephant in the room: does CutePDF Writer still work?

Yes, it does. You can still download it from various sites (though be careful — the official site has a lot of ads and bundled software). It still creates PDFs, and for basic use, it still works.

But here's my take: there's no reason to use it in 2026. The alternatives are either built into your operating system (free, convenient) or actively maintained (PDFCreator). CutePDF hasn't been updated in years, and at some point, it'll stop working with newer Windows versions.

Time to move on, honestly.

Quick Comparison

Final Thoughts

The truth is, CutePDF Writer filled an important gap back when creating PDFs was difficult and expensive. Today, that gap is gone. Your computer already has everything you need built in.

I get that change can be annoying. CutePDF was simple and familiar, and switching to something new takes effort. But honestly, the built-in options are just as good for most people, and they're already there.

Give the operating system option a try. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.