We’ve all used Adobe Acrobat at one point in our life on one of our computers. There’s no doubt that Adobe Acrobat was the best PDF viewing & editing tool.
However, there have been so many competitors sprouting up over the last decade which make great competitors.
In case you weren’t happy with Adobe Acrobat anymore, or if you’ve been looking for a slightly different (or even better) change, this post is for you.
Down below, I’ll show you why choosing an Adobe might make sense and even the top 10 alternatives to make your choice easy so keep on reading!
1. PDF Agile
PDF Agile is a full-featured PDF editor and converter with a powerful full-text OCR engine. PDF Agile combines all PDF editor advantages to provide you with an all-in-one solution. It’s fast speed, easy-to-use, secure, and affordable to let you effortlessly complete literally any PDF task.
Features
Edit
Quickly and easily edit PDF documents, including scans without going back to the source files.
Convert
Transform any PDF to word and from Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint without losing fonts and formatting.
Create
Convert or scan to PDF a wide range of file formats that anyone can view, with any PDF reader, on virtually any device.
Read
Apply and switch between reading Mode, Full-Screen Mode, and Slideshow as you need.
Comment
Freely mark up the texts with full-featured commenting tools, helping creators conveniently review the PDF documents.
Annotate
Use highlighters, underlines, strikethroughs, texts, shapes, and freehand drawings to communicate easier and better with PDFs.
Password Protection
Protect your PDF with a password to prevent unauthorized access to the file content, especially for file-sharing or archiving.
Redact Information
Permanently deletes sensitive information, including specific text and illustrations from your PDF documents.
Apply Electronic Signatures
Get your contracts or other documents signed electronically in 3 ways, helping you save both time and paper.
Compatible
- Cloud
- SaaS
- Web-based
- Windows (Desktop)
- Mac ( Coming Soon)
Price:
US$4.92/month
- Yes, has a free trial PDF Agile offers a free trial.
- PDF Agile paid version starts at US$4.92/month.
2. Nitro PDF Reader
The Nitro PDF reader is a great alternative to Adobe Acrobat as it packs plenty of features that you probably use on a daily basis, and yet it still features plenty of tools that improve the way you work with PDF documents.
However, the biggest advantage of Nitro PDF Reader is that it supports touchscreen devices so you will be able to work directly on your PDF files with the help of touch. In combination with built-in tools such as annotation, you’ll save time and get work done quicker or even collaborate better with others.
Unfortunately, the Nitro PDF reader doesn’t offer the ability to digitally sign your PDF documents (which would be a great feature considering the touchscreen capability).
3. Sumatra PDF
Sumatra PDF is a lightweight and free PDF viewer and light editor that is very portable yet powerful.
It’s so light that you can put Sumatra PDF on USB and use it without any installation at all. However, you can also get the dedicated version and install it on your computer too.
What’s so great about Sumatra PDF is that it’s not overpacked with features that ensure it runs quickly and is reliable throughout its use.
4. ARender
ARender is one of the most versatile readers on the market as it is a cross-over between file readers and PDF readers.
It’s a great Adobe Acrobat alternative because it doesn’t only focus on PDFs but also focuses on providing a great viewing experience for any other file type.
With ARender, you’ll never have issues viewing or opening documents no matter where you are. On top of that, ARender is pretty lightweight and compact which means portability so you can take it and use it across multiple devices.
5. Google PDF Reader
Almost everyone uses Gmail and it’s most likely that Gmail users use other services available from the Google Suite of tools.
However, not everyone knows that Google offers its own PDF reader that you can use directly in your Chrome browser.
All you need to do to use Google PDF reader is add it as an extension to your Chrome browser by typing “chrome://flags” in your address bar to enable it (don’t forget to restart your browser after enabling it).
6. React PDF Viewer
If you’re looking for a great Adobe Acrobat alternative as a React user, React PDF viewer is a great option.
The React PDF viewer is powered by a React web platform that can be easily installed on any device by typing in “npm install react-pdf”.
From there, you can open any existing PDF via the command “import (document) from ‘react-pdf’”.
Other than viewing PDF documents, you can also put pages inside your existing PDF document, or even create PDF documents.
7. Foxit Reader
The greatest advantage of Foxit Reader in comparison to Adobe Acrobat is that Foxit Reader is made for professionals in mind. On top of that, Foxit Reader is free to use with the ability to upgrade to a paid version (which is steeply-priced).
Foxit Reader can benefit professionals who use CRM software or work as a part of a remote team as Foxit Reader can be integrated and used within the most popular CRM software. This means that you can open PDFs directly in tools such as iManage WorkSite.
8. Liquid Text PDF Reader
If you’re the type of person who uses a PDF viewer to read eBooks, sort PDF files, learn or study and you always try to mark or underline paragraphs, the Liquid Text PDF reader is the solution you need.
Liquid Text is a PDF reader that makes sifting through dozens (or even hundreds) of PDF pages simple and effortless.
The biggest advantages of the Liquid Text PDF reader are the search functionality that allows you to find almost anything within your PDFs, but also the ability to stay organized and have a clear view of your PDF pages.
9. PDFelement
When you need the most comprehensive alternative to Adobe Acrobat, PDFelement is a solution that is a very good competitor.
PDFelement is an all-in-one PDF viewer and editor that allows you to make any changes you need to your PDF documents.
Along with great stability, functionality, and security, PDFelement runs on the latest technology that includes OCR technology (in 20 different languages), automated spelling error detection (just like when you’re using text documents), and more.
10. SlimPDF Reader
If you’re a Mac user and you like the integrated Apple Preview that allows you to check out any type of document, including PDFs, and yet you want something similar with a bit more advanced features, SlimPDF reader is what you’re after.
SlimPDF is a reader that works very similarly to the Preview, and yet it comes with integrated tools that allow easy editing without taking up too much space on your Mac or imposing security issues.
Verdict
If you want to do anything at all with your PDFs, you will need a full-fledged application like Adobe Acrobat. However, not everyone has the financial means to purchase it. Additionally, it’s possible that you won’t use all of the capabilities that it provides. Because of this, it is important to constantly have a few different options available to you.
Although all of the aforementioned options are quite good and should be taken into consideration, PDF Agile and PDFelements are particularly recommended to give a go.
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