If you asked most people what the most popular PDF editor is, the majority of them will say “It’s the Adobe PDF editor,” right? The problem is that, although the Acrobat PDF editor family is certainly a well-known set of PDF tools, they’re not necessarily the best. In this article, we show you the 10 best Adobe PDF editor alternatives for desktop and online use, and we’ll also cover the best options for Adobe PDF editor free users, for whom the trial period has expired.
An affordable upgrade to access advanced capabilities such as batch processing
A comprehensive suite of PDF management tools
Cons:
Low file processing limits for free users
Requires a fast and stable Internet connection to process large workflows
Price: Starts at $4 a month for the annual plan or $6 monthly
If you’re looking for an alternative to using the Adobe PDF editor online or doing an Adobe Acrobat PDF editor free download for trial purposes, HiPDF is it. It’s not only super-convenient as a web-based utility, but it brings some serious PDF firepower to the table with advanced tools such as OCR, extensive file conversion options, PDF compression, annotations, PDF protection, page management, and comprehensive PDF creation and editing. HiPDF also acts as a gateway to the PDFelement family of PDF editors for Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android, as well as Wondershare Document Cloud, a dedicated PDF cloud storage and comprehensive electronic signature platform.
A professional set of PDF tools designed for heavy and on-the-go workflows
Comprehensive feature set - create, edit, secure, annotate, sign, fill, organize, convert, perform OCR, and more
The intuitive user interface provides smooth navigation and easy operations
Ongoing development with frequent feature additions
Available for multiple platforms - Win/Mac/iOS/Android
Cons:
The free version adds watermarks to output files
The Android version is missing some key features that the iOS version has
Price：Starts at $79/year, and $129 for a perpetual license
As mentioned in the previous HiPDF section, PDFelement comprises a collection of basic and advanced PDF editing tools with rich features, easy usability, and the option to work securely offline. As an affordable alternative to the ubiquitous Adobe Acrobat PDF editor, it is unrivaled, offering advanced features such as OCR, form data extraction, image manipulation, and more. If you’re looking for features that are similar to those of the Adobe PDF editor, this is your final destination.
Advanced and basic PDF editing and document management tools
Windows-friendly interface with easy navigation
UI will be familiar to users of the former Nuance PDF editor
An affordable alternative to the Adobe PDF editor
15-day free trial with no credit card requirement
Cons:
Limited options to convert PDFs to other formats
No Kofax SignDoc integration in the Standard and Mac versions
No Advanced version for Mac
Price：Starts at $129 for the Standard Windows and Mac versions
Kofax Power PDF is a powerful PDF editor that lets you create, edit, and convert PDF files. It has all the features of Adobe Acrobat but with a more intuitive interface and a considerably lower price point. It also has a built-in PDF reader that lets you read and annotate PDFs. The conversion accuracy is quite good, and Kofax Power PDF also brings advanced tools to the table, such as text redaction, object embedding, interactive form creation and conversion, and much more.
Office-like interface makes it easy for Windows users to switch from Adobe PDF editor and other PDF products
A comprehensive collection of PDF tools to edit, protect, annotate, convert, create, fill, organize, etc.
Powerful conversion engine
Accurate rendering of formats, alignment, font attributes, and so on during conversion
Cons:
No macOS version (The Mac product is sold under the PDFpen branding)
Nitro Productivity Platform with cloud and eSignature tools costs extra
Fairly expensive compared to most other PDF editors
Price：One-time perpetual license fee of $179.99 for Nitro PDF Pro
Nitro PDF Pro Editor has many benefits over other software in its category, including the Adobe Acrobat PDF editor. Its MS Office-like interface makes it perfect for beginners as well as professionals who need an efficient tool for their workflows. Nitro PDF Pro also offers a free trial version - similar to the Adobe PDF editor free download - that can be downloaded from their website so you can try it before you buy a licensed copy.
Convenient access on any modern browser on a connected desktop or mobile device
An expansive collection of conversion tools
Nearly organized menus - easy to find the tool you need
Simple and intuitive web interface
Cons:
Many key features are locked behind the Pro paywall
Limited file conversion options compared to HiPDF
Relatively expensive
Price：$12 a month or $108 annually
Smallpdf is a freemium online alternative to the Adobe PDF editor that lets you edit, sign, and share PDFs, among other things. It is one of the top web-based alternatives to the Adobe Acrobat PDF editor and Adobe Acrobat Reader DC. You can use it to create new PDFs from scratch or open existing ones for editing. Convert any document into a PDF file with just one click of the mouse button, or perform a number of advanced actions by upgrading to a Pro account.
No advanced tools such as OCR or comprehensive form-handling
Batch processing is limited to 10 files for most file conversion processes even in the Premium and Business plans
Price：Starts from $4 per month
iLovePDF is a well-known online PDF editing and document management service with all the essential features that users need to handle daily business workflows. With tools for conversion, protection, annotations, editing, compression, and organizing of PDFs, it offers a user-friendly platform on an attractive interface. Though it lacks some advanced features such as OCR and forms management, it’s a handy Adobe Acrobat PDF editor alternative in a pinch.
Extensive collection of online and offline PDF tools
OCR and other advanced features
Slick interface - easy usability
Multiple file splitting options
Desktop options for Mac, Win, and Linux
Cons:
Not suitable for heavy PDF workflows
Compression quality could be better
Limited PDF creation options in terms of source file types - only HTML, JPG, and Word files can be converted to PDF
Price: Starts at $7.50 a month
Sejda PDF Editor is a hybrid platform with online and desktop utilities for PDF management. It includes diverse features such as PDF editing, image extraction, PDF flattening, file conversion, PDF security, and numerous other tools. The OCR engine is pretty accurate but you can further enhance the output by first modifying the file with deskewing and other actions to make the results more accurate. The desktop version is bundled with the web edition in an affordable package but the online PDF editor is slightly on the expensive side compared to many similar services.
Two versions suited to different workflows - Office and Corporate
Popular as a budget PDF editor
Easy PDF page management
Cons:
No macOS version
No PDF editing or advanced features in the Corporate edition
Corporate version is $49.95 | Office version is $129.95
PDF Complete is promoted as an affordable PDF solution for businesses that don’t require advanced document processing. Features include PDF creation, document assembly (merging), web to PDF conversion, scan to PDF, form filling, PDF to email, PDF compression, etc. In the Corporate version, there’s no OCR to convert image PDFs or scanned PDFs, and there’s also no PDF editing feature. The Office edition comes with PDF editing, OCR scanning, digital signatures, annotations, and other useful tools. PDF Complete is reasonably priced, but the only downside is that there’s no Mac version.
A well-organized website with easy access to all features
Multiple compression levels for PDF optimization
Good selection of PDF conversion tools
Complemented by a desktop version
Useful Repair PDF tool to fix corrupt or damaged files
Cons:
No advanced functionality - forms management, OCR, etc.
The desktop version is very basic and still in the beta testing stage
Price：$8.50 per month | $78 annual subscription
PDF2Go is a freemium online PDF editor and a great alternative to the Adobe Acrobat PDF editor. There are also add-ons and extensions for browsers and a desktop edition as well, but the online version covers all the bases when it comes to normal PDF workflows. Features include editing, file conversion, protection, organizing, creation, compression, etc. The service is easy to use and there are helpful tutorials on each page to describe the feature and show users how to process files. The premium version is quite affordable considering the broad spectrum of features it covers.
100% free utility - no in-app purchases or intrusive ads
Good conversion quality in terms of format consistency
Cons:
No PDF editing in the desktop version
Desktop edition is Windows-only
Price：Free
Formerly known as Xodo PDF, PDF.online is a comprehensive tool for online PDF tasks such as document editing, PDF/A creation and validation, conversion to and from PDF, page management, file merging, file splitting, and so on. The desktop version is Windows-exclusive but there are apps for iOS and Android, and Mac users can take advantage of the online editor without installing anything on their computer. Since this utility is essentially free, don’t expect advanced capabilities. This is a basic PDF management tool sans the complex tools for pro users.
The Final Word
MThe Adobe PDF editor may be one of the oldest and most feature-rich applications in its category, but the product and the overall experience leave a lot to be desired. The pricing is a major pain point for a lot of users seeking value for money - the Acrobat PDF editor is certainly solid value for money, but only if you’re going to be using its extensive feature set on a regular basis. If not, you’re better off with an alternative such as HiPDF or PDFelement, both of which support advanced features, offer free usage, and are very affordable to upgrade to a paid plan.
Mavin Hiram
chief Editor
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