Whenever it comes to editing PDFs, Adobe Acrobat is the first-stop solution for many users. Due to its unique features and excellent services, Adobe Acrobat has been around for years. However, most of the users are often discouraged by its high prices. So, if you are the one who is in need of a PDF editor but finding Adobe Acrobat an expensive option, then we have got you covered with a handful of free Adobe Acrobat alternatives that will deliver you the same excellence whenever you will get your hands onto them!
This guide will walk you through the 8 best PDF editing software! Get an insight into the detailed information about each of them and make a correct decision based on your needs and requirements.
1. EaseUS PDF Editor
- PDFElement is one of the best alternatives to Adobe Acrobat DC. It has nearly all features offered by Adobe Acrobat DC. It has nearly all features offered by Adobe Acrobat DC. You can use it to edit the content of your PDF file by replacing a certain word, adding a new word, inserting an image, correcting a typo, and so on.
- Other important factors to consider when researching alternatives to Adobe Acrobat DC include user interface. We have compiled a list of solutions that reviewers voted as the best overall alternatives and competitors to Adobe Acrobat DC, including Google Docs, Microsoft Word, Foxit PDF Editor, and PDFelement.
- We have picked 12 most popular Acrobat alternatives in view of features, running speed, user reviews, and price. Best Alternative to Adobe ® Acrobat ® 1. PDFelement (Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android) PDFelement is a premium Adobe Acrobat alternative that offers multiple features in one simple platform. Apart from being multi-featured.
- The best alternative to Adobe Acrobat is Wondershare PDFelement because it has powerful features that let you create, edit, and convert PDF files easily at a more affordable cost. It also has a complete set of commenting tools so you can collaborate with others and review comments or markups on a single, unified platform.
Supported OS: Windows 10/8.1/8/7
Best Alternative To Adobe Acrobat For Mac
The foremost PDF Editor in the list that can excellently replace Adobe Acrobat is EaseUS PDF Editor. It is an all-in-one solution that allows users to make, read, edit and convert PDF files flawlessly.
A free adobe acrobat alternative such as an online PDF editor is a considerable adobe pdf alternative but not the best for specific reasons. A lot of these online editors also come with watermarks. It allows you to add text and comments, merge and split documents but rarely gives you access to edit existing files.
With this tool, you can easily edit, OCR, merge, create, sign, annotate and split PDF files in just a couple of minutes. No matter which device you are using, the original fonts, pictures, and layout of the document will look the same everywhere. With unique features, you can customize PDFs painlessly.
Pros：
- 100% secure
- Support for various file formats
- Free customer support service
Cons:
- Support for Windows only
Now click the below button to get this excellent alternative for Adobe Acrobat.
2. Smallpdf
Supported OS: Windows, Mac, Android and iOS
Smallpdf is another alternative for Adobe Acrobat that allows you to edit PDFs in just a few simple steps. With Smallpdf's PDF tool, you will get a user-friendly and straightforward interface that will let you add image to PDF files easily.
Along with a free PDF editor tool, Smallpdf contains many other PDF tools that can help you convert PDFs into other formats quickly. Apart from all this, the best thing about Smallpdf is that it offers both a cloud-based solution and desktop software to edit PDFs as you want.
Pros：
- Excellent range of helpful PDF tools
- It is a cloud-based as well as a desktop tool
Cons:
- The free version of this tool comes with a limited time offer
3. PDF X-Change Editor
Supported OS: Windows
PDF X-Change Editor is a free Windows PDF editor. Talking about the interface, it is pretty complex than that of the other PDF editors in the list. The main thing that has made PDF X-Change Editor one of the top 8 free Adobe alternatives is that it comes with Optical Character Recognition feature, which means that if your original PDF file is a photocopy, then this tool will still be able to recognize the text included in it and will allow you to edit it.
In addition to this, you can even reformat text and convert it into fonts that are not already loaded on your computer.
Pros：
- Supports Optical Character Recognition
- Allows users to edit the text
- Splits and extracts pages
Cons:
- It adds a watermark on the documents edited through it
4. PDFescape
Supported OS: Windows 10/8/7
PDFescape allows the users to edit the PDF files online or through a desktop application. If we talk about the desktop application, it is influential because it supports editing to the pre-existing PDF content. Moreover, it allows the users to scan the paper documents. But one crucial thing to note here is that only the online version of this tool is free to use.
With PDFescape, you will get a handful of PDF editing options like the ability to make freehand notes, tools to add clickable URL links to your document, and much more.
Pros：
- It allows easy merging of the documents
- No account creation is necessary to edit the PDFs
Cons:
- It involves a file size limit
- The desktop editor is a paid version
5. Sejda PDF Editor
Supported OS: Windows, Linux and Mac
Another option is Sejda. It is a free PDF editor that offers excellent PDF editing results along with top-notch features. It is an entirely full-feature-fledged PDF editing tool that can give a tough competition to Adobe Acrobat.
Sejda PDF Editor allows the users to edit the PDF files easily in just a few minutes. In addition to editing the PDFs, you can also add signatures on the PDF files, add links and comments on PDFs, and create fill-able PDF forms in just a few simple steps.
Pros：
- Easy to use interface
- No account required
- Involves excellent and unique PDF editing features
Cons:
- Premium version is expensive
- File size limitations.
6. PDFSam Basic
Supported OS: Windows, Linux, and Mac
If you are hunting for the Adobe Acrobat alternative free that can edit PDF files in a simple and easy way, then PDFSam Basic is the perfect option for you!
PDFSam Basic is a lightweight and easy-to-use desktop application that is well worth keeping downloaded for all the situations that require quick PDF editing. Unlike the other PDF tools mentioned in the list, PDFSam Basic won't let you modify the actual content of the PDF files, but it will make dividing and combining them an easy task. With PDFSam Basic, you can always be stress-free because it involves no watermarks to worry about.
Pros：
- No need to upload files
- Simple and easy to use
- Involves no ads in between
Cons:
- It involves a limited feature set
7. PDF Buddy
Supported OS: Windows and Mac
PDF Buddy is another free Adobe Acrobat alternative that can help you edit PDF files in just a couple of minutes. It is free to use PDF editing tool that allows you to edit the PDF files without requiring any installation or download. Yes, you read it correctly! You don't need to install or download PDF on your PC because it is also a cloud-based platform that can be used just by visiting its official website.
With PDF Buddy, you will get all the necessary features that are a must to have in a PDF editing tool. This free PDF editor works on all Windows systems like XP, 7, 8, and 10.
Pros：
- Uploading and editing files are easy
- All the instructions are easy to understand, and tasks can be completed quickly
- Signing up takes few minutes
Cons:
- Involve limited features
- Privacy and security are a concern because all the editing is done over the internet
8. AbleWorld PDF Editor
Supported OS: Windows 10/8/7/XP
Last but not least, the final option in our list is AbleWorld PDF Editor. AbleWorld PDF Editor is not a very well-known software, but it works flawlessly when it comes to editing PDFs on your PC.
In addition to a PDF Editor, it is also a word processor that helps you edit the files easily and quickly as you would do with a word document. This PDF Editing tool supports reformat images, adds and edits headers and footers, and performs several other essential functions. Apart from all this, AbleWorld PDF Editor also involves spell check and other similar functions.
Pros：
- It is easy and straightforward to use
- It excellently supports some of the top Microsoft Word features
Cons:
- It involves limited features
- The output generated is not as perfect as some of the other PDF editing tools
Conclusion
From EaseUS PDF Editor to AbleWorld PDF Editor, all the top 8 Adobe Acrobat alternative free mentioned above will definitely prove to be a great choice for editing the PDF files affordably! Each of the above-mentioned tools has its relative pros and cons, so you can compare each of the tools based on all the aspects. This, in turn, will help you choose the one that perfectly fits all your needs.
Talk of PDF (portable document files) software and the first name that crosses our mind is Adobe Acrobat. This is one of the many software that is a must-have for all desktop and laptops these days. Creating PDFs, editing, and even sharing them is a breeze with this software. While this software is undoubtedly one of the best PDF software around, it is still not affordable for many due to it’s high price tag. Moreover, it’s quite complex for the first timers.
Read More:Top 15 Best Free software to Watermark your PDF File
Considering the high price and complexity, there are many who look for easy and cheaper alternatives to Adobe Acrobat. Fortunately, there are many alternatives available for the Acrobat that helps people edit PDFs at a much cheaper price. There are umpteen such PDF software available online and each of one of them claim to be the best. So, to clear your confusion, we have created this list of the best Adobe Acrobat alternative for PDF that can will help you to choose the one that suits you the best.
Sumatra PDF
Sumatra PDF is a trimmed down, open source and free software that supports a whole lot of other formats also along with PDF such as DjVu, EPUB, XPS, CHM, CBR, CBZ, MOBI for Windows. It emphasizes on simplicity and minimalistic design more than having a lot of features. Designed for portable use, it comes with just a single file with no external support that helps it to work via the external USB drive.
Supported Platforms: Windows XP and later
Price: Free
Get it here: https://www.sumatrapdfreader.org/
iSkysoft PDF Editor 6 Professional for Mac
iSkysoft helps you to convert PDF files into Word files, Excel, HTML, PPT, EPUB, photos and more. What we like about this software is the interface which is easy to use making it effortless even for the beginners. Within a few minutes, you will be an expert in editing and altering PDFs.
It also comes with a bonus feature named Redaction. This helps redact/edit texts and images in PDF files and can even allow you to limit access. Using this feature, you can block private information on PDF files from unwanted access.
Supported Platforms: Windows and Mac OS
Price: Free trial available; Upgrade starts at $89.95
Get it here: https://pdf.iskysoft.com/pdf-editor-6-pro-mac.html
Foxit Pjantom Pdf
Also known as the PhantomPDF, it’s available in business, standard, and education versions. It’s a free and lightweight, cross platform PDF document viewer that suits the need for business, consumer, government agencies and even educational organizations. It’s a compact yet super-fast software that helps you to open, view, sign and get a print of any PDF file. What’s interesting is that it’s the only PDF reader that offers a full creation solution in high volume while offering the PDF creation facility for all desktops. What’s more? It also comes with a complete protection against any security concerns, helping to keep your system safe.
Supported Platforms: Mac OS X, Windows, Linux, Android iPhone, iOS
Price: Free
Get it here: https://www.foxitsoftware.com/
Nitro Pro 9 (Windows)
Nitro PDF is a lot similar to the Acrobat PDF reader and is perhaps one of the best alternatives to Adobe Acrobat. It allows you not just to create PDF, but also to add, shuffle, and delete pages. You can also create bookmarks and links helping you fill forms. Bonus – it allows you to add comments and different other markup options to the documents. You can even secure your PDF using a digital id.
Once installed, this software adds a PDF printer to the printers list in the PC automatically thereby, making the PDF creation as easy as printing a file. Nitro comes equipped with some of the pro features that are available only in the paid version of Acrobat. It’s an easy to use and easy to understand software especially for the people familiar with MS Office.
Supported Platforms: Windows 10, 8.1, 7, XP.
Price: Free version available; pro version starts at $$159/user
Get it here: https://www.gonitro.com/pdf-reader
Evince
Evince document viewer is especially targeted for GNOME, however, it’s also available for Windows 10. While it allows to create PDF, it also supports multiple document formats like DVI, PostScript, djvu, TIFF, XPS, cbr, cbz, and more. The aim is to change the document viewers on the GNOME desktop to only one application. Some of its great features are the capability of displaying, adding, and editing PDF annotations.
The software is primarily written in C++ and it’s USP is its interface which is clean and clutter-free. Bonus – you can also customize the toolbar with individual tools.
Best Alternative To Adobe Acrobat Pro
Supported Platforms: Windows 10, 8.1, 7, XP
Price: Free (Open Source)
Get it here: https://wiki.gnome.org/Apps/Evince/Downloads
Wondershare PDFelement
If you are a looking for aa premium alternative to Acrobat reader then, Wondershare PDFelement can be your choice. It’s a feature packed software boasting multiple features on a single platform. PDF viewing, editing, and printing are some of the usual features to name a few. What’s interesting is that it these features are integrated with advanced features like PDF creation, conversion, and making the documents searchable using OCR. It also allows you to work on forms and templates within the software.
Among its many advantages are, different editing modes helping you to edit PDF documents easily, offering OCR function in over 20 languages enabling edit scanned PDF, and getting data from multiple duplicate PDF forms into one Excel sheet and making it accessible in seconds.
Supported Platforms: Windows and Mac
Price: Free Trial available; Pro version starts at $79.95
Get it here: https://pdf.wondershare.com/
ApowerPDF
ApowerPDF is equipped with all the must-have features of a reliable PDF editor. You can use this software to create or modify any already existing PDF files or forms. It also allows you to manage PDF pages and so, you can remove, extract, crop, or even rotate a certain section of the PDF document.
Bonus – it allows users to add passwords and signature PDF file thus, securing the document. Moreover, it comes with OCR technology that allows each user to edit any PDF that’s been scanned and is photo based. Not just that, it also allows you to change a document into an editable version in formats like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
Supported Platforms: All versions of Windows
Price: Free Trial available; Upgrade starts at $39.95
Get it here: https://www.apowersoft.com/pdf-editor
PDF Architect
If you are looking for an affordable alternative to Acrobat Adobe then PDF Architect can be your best bet. Although it lacks the user-friendly approach and some advanced features, it’s still a good option for those with a budget. This helps you create PDF, edit and even convert the files. Given that it’s an economical software, you can purchase the products that you would use most often.
You have to download and install the software on your desktop. It can then combine with multiple cloud services that allows you to access files from different location over the cloud.
Supported Platforms: Windows 10 (Desktop App), Windows 8 (Desktop App), Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP
Price: Free version available; Upgrade starts from $49
Get it here: https://www.pdfforge.org/pdfarchitect
PDF-Xchange Viewer
Also known as PDF-Xchange Editor, it allows you to view PDFs and even annotate them. best part is, you can also add text to your PDF file, sticky notes and other types of annotations and then save them to the file. This saved file works with the standard version of Adobe Acrobat Reader.
As a bonus, it also helps you convert those PDF files that are non-text searchable to text-searchable.
Supported Platforms: Windows XP or later
Price: Free version available; Pro version starts from $93.50
Get it here: https://www.tracker-software.com/product/pdf-xchange-viewer
PDF Studio (Mac, Windows, Linux)
PDF Studio is an easy to use software and a great alternative to Adobe Acrobat that’s priced half of the Adobe PDF. It offers all the required features of a good PDF application, while it meets the compliance standards of the PDF document. Among its features are annotation of PDF, apart from being able to create PDFs out of Word documents, texts and images. It also supports document format in the form of Google Drive SharePoint.
Supported Platforms: Windows, Linux, Mac OS, Unix
Price: Free Trial available; Pro version starts at $89
Get it here: https://www.qoppa.com/pdfstudio/
PDFescape Dektop
PDFescape Desktop is another alternative to Adobe Acrobat that offers some of the features identical to Acrobat. For instance, the ability to add, modify, remove, and crop the PDF pages. As a bonus, it also offers security for your PDF contents by allowing you to password lock the file. You can also change the information tag of the PDF and use scanned signature to sign the PDF files.
If you just want to do some basic modifications within the PDF file, this software is perfect for you. For the desktop version, you need to upgrade to the premium version and then use the services.
Supported Platforms: Windows® 7 / 8 / 10
Price: Free version available; Get quote for premium version and up
Get it here: https://www.pdfescape.com/what/desktop/
Nuance Power PDF Advanced
This is an affordable alternative to Adobe Acrobat and comes with 95% features of the Adobe. Nuance Power PDF Advanced comes at with a user-friendly interface and offer pretty good support for creating, securing, and manipulating PDFs. It also enables to create forms and collect data for analysis. Moreover, you can also add notes from Dragon Notes. But, you cannot convert the PDF to ePubs. However, it allows you to convert scanned files and several other documents to PDF and ice a versa. Additionally, you can also integrate files, add videos conveniently, create interactive PDFs using Javascript and add multiple markups.
Supported Platforms: All versions of Windows
Price: Free trial available; Upgrade starts from $99
Get it here: https://www.nuance.com/
Okular
A universal document viewer, Okular is designed by KDE. This software works with all platforms making it easier for you to convert PDF files on any OS. It features some excellent functionalities while supporting multiple document formats for example, PDF, ePub, CHM, Postscript, XPS, DjVu, and more.
Supported Platforms: Linux, Windows, Mac OS X, *BSD, etc.
Price: Free
Get it here: https://okular.kde.org/
PDFpen Mac
PDFpen is a PDF editor that’s for the Mac OS users. It offers fundamental features of a PDF editor that includes functionalities like modifying typo errors in text documents, adding images, signatures, and texts. It also supports OCR technology that helps users to transform images into editable text document.
Supported Platforms: Mac
Price – Free trial available; upgrade starts at $30
Get it here: https://smilesoftware.com/pdfpen
Mac Preview
This one is again especially for the Mac users. which is a lot identical to Adobe Acrobat. Preview is a PDF editor that’s developed for the convenience of Mac users and is perfect for creating and editing new PDF documents. This program allows you to modify several different sections of a PDF text and even crop at the same time. You can even label different pages together.
The functions are fast and easy to use that makes it an able substitute of Acrobat.
Supported Platforms: OSX
Price: Free]
Firefox PDF Viewer
PDF Viewer by Firefox is the latest ground-breaking tool that utilizes web-based technologies. This allows you to display nearly all PDF files found on the web within Mozilla Firebox web browser without the need of any plugin.
Supported Platforms:
Price: Free (open source)Mac, Windows, Linux, Chrome, Firefox, Opera
Get it here: https://mozilla.github.io/pdf.js/
MuPDF
MuPDF is a light PDF and XPS viewer with no frills. It comes with absolutely no frills means there is no need of editing, skip to pages, or printing, and best of all, there’s not even an interface! All you need to do is to double click the mupdf.exe and search for the file you want to open. You can simply scroll or navigate from page to page using the arrow key. While having no feature usual features of a regular ODF editor is indeed a setback for many, but in a market where the primary focus is on loads of features, MuPDF does stand out with its minimalistic approach.
Supported Platforms: Windows, Linux, Android, iOS
Price: Free (open source)
Get it here: https://mupdf.com/
While there are many more alternatives to Adobe Acrobat out there in the online market with the features like creating, modifying and sharing PDF files, there are only few that stand out in the competition with some distinctive features. So, choose your program based on your requirement and create great PDFs.
I find passion in writing Tech articles around Windows PC and softwares