Adobe Acrobat Reader vs. PDF Studio

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Adobe Acrobat Reader
Score 8.6 out of 10
N/A
Acrobat Reader is a PDF viewer and converter, available as a free download from Adobe. Users can view, sign, collaborate on and annotate PDF files, or edit and convert PDFs into file formats like Excel and Word.N/A
PDF Studio
Score 9.1 out of 10
N/A
PDF Studio is a PDF editor that aims to provides all PDF features needed at a low cost. PDF Studio maintains full compatibility with the PDF Standard. Users can: Create PDFs from Scan, MS Word, Text and Images Annotate PDFs with Comments & Text Markups Create, Fill In & Save PDF Forms Secure Documents with Passwords and Permissions Merge, Split & Assemble Documents Apply Watermarks, Headers and Footers Create Bookmarks / Table…N/A
Pricing
Adobe Acrobat ReaderPDF Studio
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Adobe Acrobat ReaderPDF Studio
Free Trial
NoYes
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional DetailsEach user license key can be used on 2 computers (for the same user) on any of the supported operating system (Windows, Mac, Linux). Each user license is perpetual and allows to continue using this major version of our software (version 2018) as long as it works on your operating system. Payment is a one-time fee, with no monthly or yearly subscription or commitment. Any upgrade to future major versions is optional.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Adobe Acrobat ReaderPDF Studio
Best Alternatives
Adobe Acrobat ReaderPDF Studio
Small Businesses
Tungsten Power PDF
Tungsten Power PDF
Score 9.4 out of 10
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Score 9.4 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
pdfFiller
pdfFiller
Score 9.0 out of 10
pdfFiller
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Score 9.0 out of 10
Enterprises
Bluebeam
Bluebeam
Score 9.1 out of 10
Bluebeam
Bluebeam
Score 9.1 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Adobe Acrobat ReaderPDF Studio
Likelihood to Recommend
9.2
(0 ratings)
9.1
(0 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
7.2
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Usability
9.0
(0 ratings)
8.2
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
-
(0 ratings)
8.5
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
10.0
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
Adobe Acrobat ReaderPDF Studio
Likelihood to Recommend
After creating a document, converting it into Adobe Acrobat Reader is usually very easy for storage in my computer, sending/sharing via emails, etc. This also saves a significant amount of unnecessary printing and paper waste, which is great for reducing waste. I don't have to worry about not having the right software/app to view, edit, and share with anyone.
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PDF Studio is great for slimming down documents when a customer sends a large PDF (RFQ). Often time when performing a task at my job customers will send a request for quotes and the document sent will not be sorted and will just have all of the information they have been given by their customer with no particular order. Being able to easily search PDFs for certain words helps in speeding up my response time to the customer.
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Pros
  • Edit PDFs. One of the biggest challenges faced in document heavy workflows is editing a PDF. Adobe Reader DC does a fantastic job of allowing you to edit pdfs on the fly without having to go back to the original form and reconverting it.
  • Sign PDFs. I spend a lot of time signing contracts and approval forms. Adobe Reader DC allows me to do that quickly without having to use my mouse or another third party platform. I can do all I need right in the Adobe Reader DC workflow.
  • Merge PDFs. I find quite often that I need to put two or more documents together in one form. I can do that with just a few clicks in the Adobe Reader DC merge workflow.
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  • Digital signatures
  • Page organization
  • Stamps
  • Review and comments
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Cons
  • Accurately exporting all fields correctly (including UI design) of a PDF into various formats. There tend to be quirks with some exports.
  • Choosing the right encryption type. This can get a little tricky.
  • Getting picky with Acrobat custom fields when you're trying to do something out-of-the-box (during PDF creation).
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  • Boot Time is inconsistent (very rare).
  • Different color schemes.
  • Keyboard shortcut adjustments in preferences.
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Likelihood to Renew
To be honest, I do not have any say in the renewal of Adobe Acrobat Reader DC. It is managed at an enterprise level, and the decision to renew or not renew is handled well above my pay grade as an external consultant.
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No answers on this topic
Usability
Again, Adobe Creative Suite is widely used and backed by an industry leader, making the experience very familiar and common for anyone who has used a PDF and wants more features to interact with it. It also makes copy text a lot easier than just previewing the file.
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As I answered before, the graphical interface is the best developed of the options that exist for Linux.
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Support Rating
No answers on this topic
Anytime I have had questions they have been able to be found in the forums of PDF Studio.
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Implementation Rating
The application is pretty much "plug and play"
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No answers on this topic
Alternatives Considered
The Word app included with Office 365 offers similar collaboration functionality when compared to Adobe reader but with the option to fully change the original document while reviewing. This is both an advantage and disadvantage when compared with the Adobe reader app. Documents left in the Microsoft Word format also have a tendency to appear different depending on screen size and device used and this can be frustrating for some users. Basically, if you need what you have created and formatted to stay put and to appear as you intended and be printed as you intended if needed, use the Adobe PDF format.
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For Linux, the user interface and its tools are very well developed and it is the most complete option.
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Return on Investment
  • It has had positive impact in that it has save considerable costs vs. investing in cloud-based/subscription based software.
  • In terms of security, it also has had a positive impact, in that it doesn't really require IT staff to take the time to patch the software or work on issues with the software.
  • It has also had a positive impact in that it has not required formal training for users to be able to use the software.
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  • Not having to move the files to a windows PC and have to edit a PDF.
  • Have access to a simple way to generate and edit PDF files.
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ScreenShots

PDF Studio Screenshots

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