Alternatives to Adobe Acrobat
The PDF standard-bearer
Adobe Acrobat ranks #6 of 13 in PDF tools, with an Alt Score of 82. It is proprietary, sold by subscription from $12.99/month and available on Windows, macOS, Web, iOS and Android. 9 of 10 checklist rows are verified against a public source.
Office workers, legal/admin staff, and anyone who regularly creates, reviews, or signs PDF documents. Used across businesses and by individuals who need to edit or convert PDFs beyond basic viewing.
A PDF editor for changing text, images, and page layout directly in a document. Tools to convert PDFs to/from Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, plus merge, split, compress, and organize pages. Built-in e-signature (via Acrobat Sign) for requesting and adding legally binding signatures. Includes commenting, redaction, form creation/filling, and OCR for scanned documents.
Open or import a file (upload, scan, or drag-and-drop) in the desktop app, browser, or mobile app, then use the relevant tool panel to edit, convert, sign, or organize it. Changes save back to the PDF and can be shared or exported directly from the app, with edits syncing across devices via Adobe Document Cloud.
Why people leave Adobe Acrobat
Dashed reasons are sourced facts; the rest are opinions. Vendors can dispute.
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Ranked alternatives
Ordered by Alt Score. Click any score to see the breakdown.
Feature comparison
Rows come from the PDF tools checklist (14 rows). Human-verified cells only. ? means the value has not been verified.
| PDF tools checklist | Adobe Acrobat | Foxit PDF Editor | Nitro PDF | UPDF | PDF-XChange | PDF Expert |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | ||||||
| Starts at | ||||||
| License | ||||||
| Platforms | ||||||
| Edit text & images | ||||||
| Annotate & comment | ||||||
| Fill & sign forms | ||||||
| OCR | ||||||
| Merge / split / compress | ||||||
| Redaction | ||||||
| Batch processing | ||||||
| One-time purchase option | ||||||
| Runs offline | ||||||
| Self-hostable |
Every fact and feature listed for Adobe Acrobat is verified against its own pages. Each alternative is sourced on its own page.
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License Proprietary verified 2026-07-11
© 2011-2026 Adobe. All rights reserved.
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/adobe-acrobat-reader-edit-pdf/id469337564 -
Pricing model Subscription verified 2026-07-11
Acrobat Premium - Monthly $12.99
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/adobe-acrobat-reader-edit-pdf/id469337564 -
Starts at $12.99/month verified 2026-07-11
Acrobat Premium - Monthly $12.99
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/adobe-acrobat-reader-edit-pdf/id469337564 -
Platforms Windows, macOS, Web, iOS, Android verified 2026-07-11
The user-interface is intuitive and fluid, providing consistent experiences across all surfaces—desktop, web, and mobile.
https://experienceleague.adobe.com/en/docs/document-cloud-learn/acrobat-learning/get-started/basics/new-experience -
Status active verified 2026-07-11
Updated Jun 25
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/adobe-acrobat-reader-edit-pdf/id469337564 -
Edit text & images Yes verified 2026-07-11
With our PDF editor, edit text and images directly in your PDF (mobile only)
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/adobe-acrobat-reader-edit-pdf/id469337564 -
Annotate & comment Yes verified 2026-07-11
Annotate PDFs • Add sticky notes, comments, and highlight text
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/adobe-acrobat-reader-edit-pdf/id469337564 -
Fill & sign forms Yes verified 2026-07-11
PDF signer: Fill & Sign Adobe Fill & Sign is free & available in Acrobat Reader.
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/adobe-acrobat-reader-edit-pdf/id469337564 -
OCR Yes verified 2026-07-11
Recognize text with OCR
https://acrobat.adobe.com/us/en/ocr-pdf -
Merge / split / compress Yes verified 2026-07-11
Split or combine multiple files into one PDF with PDF converter
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/adobe-acrobat-reader-edit-pdf/id469337564 -
Redaction Yes verified 2026-07-11
Permanently removing sensitive content and hidden data is important so the information is not passed along when publishing your PDF.
https://experienceleague.adobe.com/en/docs/document-cloud-learn/acrobat-learning/advanced-tasks/protect/redact -
Batch processing Yes verified 2026-07-11
Learn how to use guided actions to run one or more commands across numerous documents with a single click—saving you time and keystrokes.
https://experienceleague.adobe.com/en/docs/document-cloud-learn/acrobat-learning/advanced-tasks/action -
One-time purchase option No verified 2026-07-11
Acrobat Premium - Yearly $69.99
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/adobe-acrobat-reader-edit-pdf/id469337564 -
Runs offline Yes verified 2026-07-11
Adobe Acrobat Reader DC - Download and install on Windows | Microsoft Store
https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/xpdp273c0xhqh2?hl=en-US&gl=US
FAQ
Yes. PDFgear, Smallpdf and iLovePDF have a free tier or are fully free. Free-tier limits in the comparison table are verified and dated.
Stirling PDF, PDFsam and Sumatra PDF — every license claim links its source.