Over the years, Adobe has carved its spot as the number-one provider of expert PDF solutions. Thanks to this, Acrobat is still the preferred choice for many individual users and big corporations due to the product’s general reliability and seamless integration with a wide range of popular software products, like Microsoft’s Office 365 suite and Google Workplace.
But with the rise of more affordable alternatives that pack virtually the same punch, Adobe’s throne is growing increasingly shaky. Join us as we take a look at some of the more notable players in the Acrobat alternative market and pit them against the current PDF heavyweight champion to determine if your business is still getting its money’s worth from Acrobat or if it’s time for a change.
Features
Today’s dynamic business environment calls for accessible PDF solutions with a wide range of tools. Here is how Acrobat compares to three popular Adobe alternatives: PDF Extra, PDFElement, and Nitro PDF.
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Markup tools (comment, highlight, strikethrough, underline, stamp, free draw)
Create blank PDFs and PDFs from multiple file types
PDF to Microsoft Office and back
PDF to image and back (JPEG, PNG)
Add, rotate, and edit images
Page manager: Insert, reorder, delete, rotate, extract pages
Merge multiple PDFs into one file
PDF compression (lower file size with preserved quality)
Automatic form field recognition
Recognize text from printed documents, images, IDs, written notes
Convert scanned document into searchable PDF
Add multiple signatures to a PDF
Passwords and 256-bit encryption
Digital signatures and time stamps
Set custom user permissions
Cross-platform license (Windows, Android, iOS)
Cloud integrations: OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox, Box
Beginner-friendly user interface
Pricing plans
When it comes to pricing, Adobe offers lots of options targeted at individuals, businesses, and the education sector. However, its main competitors are not that far behind either - in fact, some are noticeably more affordable. For instance, let’s compare the pricing of Acrobat to that of PDF Extra:
- Individual plan (subscription). The yearly Acrobat Standard plan comes out at $155.88 ($12.99/month), while PDF Extra Premium costs $49.99 ($4.16/month), resulting in a price difference of $105.89. The current yearly Acrobat Pro plan is priced at $239.88 ($19.99/month), while PDF Extra Ultimate costs $79.99 ($6.66/month), resulting in a price difference of $159.89.
- Individual plan (perpetual license). Starting February 12, 2022, Adobe no longer sells perpetual (lifetime) licenses for any of its products and has moved to a subscription-based model. PDF Extra’s perpetual license plan (PDF Extra 2023) costs $99.99 and offers users lifetime access to nearly all of the currently released features, as well as a year of free maintenance updates.
- Business (subscription). Adobe Acrobat offers two business tiers: Standard and Pro. Standard for Teams is priced at $179.88 for a single license. PDF Extra’s equivalent - Team Premium - costs $149.99 and includes 6 licenses. Acrobat for Teams Pro is priced at $287.88, while PDF Extra Team Ultimate is offered at $219.99 per year and also includes 6 licenses.
See the below table for a full price comparison between Adobe Acrobat and PDF Extra, PDFElement, and Nitro PDF.
7-day free trial with a registered account.
14-day free trial, no account required.
14-day free trial, no account required.
14-day free trial, no account or credit card required.
Billing is automatically renewed upon expiration.
Billing is automatically renewed upon expiration.
Billing is automatically renewed upon expiration.
Can cancel manually to avoid getting billed.
Can cancel manually to avoid getting billed.
Can cancel manually to avoid getting billed.
Individual, Business, Perpetual license
Individual, Business, Perpetual license
Individual, Business, Perpetual license
ANNUAL & PERPETUAL LICENSE COSTS
Standard (individual): $155.88
Pro (individual): $239.88
Lifetime (individual): N/A
Premium (individual): $49.99
Ultimate (individual): $79.99
Lifetime (individual): $99
Yearly plan (individual): $79.99
2 year-plan (individual): $109.99
Lifetime (individual): $129.99
Nitro Pro / Cloud 11: $234.72
Lifetime (individual): $179.99
Standard (business): $179.88
Pro (business): $287.88
Premium (business): $149.99 for 6 licenses, $24.99 per license
Ultimate (business): $219.99 for 6 licenses, $36 per license
For Teams (business): $139 for a single license, $834 for 6 licenses
Public reception
All four PDF solutions are generally well received by their respective user base. In the case of Adobe, however, regular users have occasionally reported performance slowdowns after an update, while new users generally find Acrobat’s user interface to be cluttered and unintuitive, particularly since some of the more common functions, such as commenting on a PDF, seem to always be several clicks away.
In contrast, here is how one AppSumo user reviews PDF Extra:
“The user interface is pleasant and clear. The icons are crisp and the menu contents are logical. So the app is quite easy to navigate.”
Why choose PDF Extra for your business
Developed by the San Diego-based MobiSystems, PDF Extra is an all-in-one suite of tools that offers you:
- Good value: get a subscription plan at half the price of Acrobat or buy once and use forever
- Familiar interface: work quickly and efficiently with the Microsoft Office style ribbon user interface
- Offline mode: the app is installed locally which allows you to do all your work even offline
- Progressive volume discounts: get great license deals for teams of six and above
Grab your copy of PDF Extra today or start a free 14-day trial, no strings attached.