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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Adobe Acrobat

    Score8.8 out of 10
    N/AAdobe Acrobat DC is the current version of the well-established document / PDF management solution, part of the Adobe Document Cloud (the other part being Adobe's eSign services based on technology acquired with EchoSign in 2011).

    $29.99

    per month per seat

    Adobe Acrobat Reader

    Score8.8 out of 10
    N/AAcrobat 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
    Pricing
    Adobe AcrobatAdobe Acrobat Reader
    Editions & Modules
    Acrobat Pro for Individuals
    $19.99
    per month
    Acrobat Pro for Teams
    $23.99
    per month per user
    Acrobat Studio for Individuals
    $24.99
    per month
    No answers on this topic
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    Adobe AcrobatAdobe Acrobat Reader
    Free Trial
    YesNo
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    YesNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeOptionalNo setup fee
    Additional Details——
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    Adobe AcrobatAdobe Acrobat Reader
    Considered Both Products
    Adobe
    Chose Adobe Acrobat
    Adobe Acrobat Reader DC is the younger brother to Adobe Acrobat DC and acts purely as a PDF reader. Although Acrobat Reader DC does its job well as a PDF reader, Acrobat has a clear advantage over it with the extra features it has on top of just being able to view PDFs.
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe Acrobat
    I feel like Adobe Acrobat does it all from converting files to and from PDFs while it preserves the formatting. although Adobe Acrobat Sign and Adobe Acrobat Reader are pretty self explanatory i just feel that Adobe Acrobat has and does it all. This is what i love the most.
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe Acrobat
    Both read documents through Adobe, which is better for security and because the service is more optimized.
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe Acrobat
    PDF readers allow you to access PDF files, but that is a bare minimum in my work and not sufficient for my needs when preparing content, adapting it, or even combining content into new PDF files. I've not encountered any application that works as well or intuitively as Adobe …
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe Acrobat
    I found Adobe to be richer in features than Foxit or Soda, more intuitive to learn and more reliable when in use. Both alternatives were more prone to crashes or had needed features missing, which is how i made my decision to go with Adobe
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe Acrobat
    Not as friendly to use. Not many are familiar with this software.
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe Acrobat
    Acrobat still stands head and shoulders above because of the robust features combined with a user-friendly interface.
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe Acrobat
    Acrobat allows files to be edited, and works very well at doing so.
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe Acrobat
    Adobe helps aid in keeping financial records in order when you organize documents digitally, which helps make it easy to search for items such as spreadsheets, receipts, payments, expense reports, and other documents for tax or billing information. Plus there is much more …
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe Acrobat
    I have used other PDF editors through the years to test them against Acrobat, but Acrobat always wins due to the amount of usable features that it offers, as well as ease of use. Aside from Reader, I don't remember the names of the other software unfortunately.
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe Acrobat
    Adobe Acrobat Reader is an amazing product as well. I like Acrobat DC better because of the functionality of the product. I believe it's easier to edit documents and create documents in general.
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe Acrobat
    This is another great product!
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe Acrobat
    All of Adobes products work cohesively together making projects seamless. Adobe Acrobat DC is my go-to software to share files and documents with others that I know don't have access to more involved Adobe platforms such as InDesign or Illustrator. I know that users will be …
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe Acrobat
    DC able to edit.. Reader can't
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe Acrobat
    We do use Microsoft Office for document creation, but documents are always concerted to PDF prior to being distributed outside of our organization. We find PDF to be a better file format for sharing as opposed to docx files.
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe Acrobat
    I tried to find the other .pdf software that I've used in the past but it was not all in the drop-down menu for selection (i.e. CutePDF writer). They've all been reasonably competent at creating and editing .pdf documents but Adobe is still the top dog in features and security.
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe Acrobat
    There are many pdf viewers and editors in the market but none of them can compete with Adobe Acrobat DC. This software also gives good services but many of them are not for only pdf like Acrobat. In many applications, you can view or edit but can not sign and secure documents.
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe Acrobat
    Adobe Reader and Microsoft Edge (default Windows PDF file reader app) offer limited functionality compared to Adobe Standard DC. For colleagues that do not need extended the functionality of Adobe Standard DC Adobe Reader has been installed on their computers. Adobe Reader …
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe Acrobat
    I did not evaluate any other pdf management programs other than Adobe Acrobat DC. I was familiar with other Adobe pdf products and never thought to explore any others. I have been very pleased with Adobe Acrobat DC and have not seen the need to look at other pdf management …
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe Acrobat
    Not used any other product
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe Acrobat
    Adobe Acrobat is more robust and does much more than Reader. Reader is basic but, I think Adobe Acrobat is a huge step up.
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe Acrobat
    Not enough flexibility for editing
    Incentivized
    Adobe
    No answer on this topic
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    98%
    Would buy again
    487 Answers
    95%
    Would buy again
    69 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    95%
    Delivers good value for the price
    423 Answers
    97%
    Delivers good value for the price
    65 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    98%
    Happy with the feature set
    486 Answers
    97%
    Happy with the feature set
    71 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    98%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    341 Answers
    98%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    44 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    99%
    Implementation went as expected
    372 Answers
    96%
    Implementation went as expected
    47 Answers
    Best Alternatives
    Adobe AcrobatAdobe Acrobat Reader
    Small Businesses
    M‑Files
    Score8.9 out of 10
    Foxit PDF Editor
    Score8.7 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    Esker
    Score10 out of 10
    Foxit PDF Editor
    Score8.7 out of 10
    Enterprises
    Tungsten Capture
    Score8 out of 10
    Email to PDF for Outlook
    Score8.1 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    Adobe AcrobatAdobe Acrobat Reader
    Likelihood to Recommend
    9.1
    (481 ratings)
    9.2
    (74 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    9.7
    (26 ratings)
    7.2
    (2 ratings)
    Usability
    9.3
    (237 ratings)
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    Availability
    10.0
    (2 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Performance
    8.1
    (8 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Support Rating
    7.8
    (56 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Online Training
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    9.6
    (9 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    Configurability
    8.5
    (2 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Contract Terms and Pricing Model
    6.0
    (3 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Ease of integration
    9.0
    (8 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    10.0
    (2 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Vendor post-sale
    4.0
    (3 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Vendor pre-sale
    5.5
    (2 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    Adobe AcrobatAdobe Acrobat Reader
    Likelihood to Recommend
    Adobe
    The 12 primary users represent our core Human Resources, Payroll, and Finance operations teams. Within this group, HR managers use the platform to oversee employee lifecycle events, handle benefits administration, and process new-hire onboarding. The payroll specialists and finance staff manage bi-weekly payroll runs, direct deposits, tax compliance, and general ledger reporting. Additionally, a couple of operational team leads use administrative access to approve timesheets, track attendance, and monitor departmental PTO accruals.
    Read full review
    Adobe
    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.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Pros
    Adobe
    • For the business account, the Adobe Acrobat rep assigned to your account will actively look for ways to save you money.
    • We have found that our rep from Adobe Acrobat Business Account reviews our usage and related apps and has offered helpful tips on better ways to complete tasks we historically undertake with their software. They have saved us a great deal of time and money. They make us efficient.
    • The apps they offer that combine with the primary program are relevant to the tasks our business performs, and they function at a high level and never fail. It's really quite remarkable.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Adobe
    • It has all the tools that individuals need for reading/doing light editing of PDF files.
    • It is the most secure PDF reader on the market, and it tends to get patched with timely updates on a regular basis.
    • It usually works very well, as far as the software itself. It doesn't crash a lot, or is particularly an error prone software platform.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cons
    Adobe
    • Fonts can default (but not always) if the designer doesn't perform due diligence before generating PDFs.
    • The one area Adobe Acrobat is not good at: generating PDFs straight from a website. The results are touch-and-go.
    • The basic nav controls take a little getting used to. What I initially expected to be in one spot could only be found elsewhere.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Adobe
    • Being able to add image "stamps" to a document is a little tricky as the stamp has to already be in PDF format (at least on Mac) to work. This mean you have to convert the image to PDF before you can use it as a stamp.
    • Being only able to save one signature and one set of initials is a bit of a pain but you can actually use stamps if you need different versions frequently used scribbles for various reasons. The stamp won't secure the document and prevent future changes the same way the signature would though.
    • All of the other features you might want to use are only included with Acrobat Pro but the options are all displayed in the Reader app. When clicked they will offer the free trial that leads to a paid subscription. This is more of an annoyance but you can't fault Adobe for trying to make a sale.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Likelihood to Renew
    Adobe
    Option 1: Cross-Departmental MixThe 12 Adobe Acrobat users in our organization represent several key business functions across operations:Legal & Compliance (3 users): Redact confidential information, review terms, and handle legally binding e-signatures for contracts.Finance (3 users): Consolidate financial statements, convert spreadsheets into secure PDFs, and process vendor invoices.Human Resources (2 users): Manage fillable onboarding paperwork, store confidential employee records, and distribute company policies.Sales (2 users): Send out client proposals, track service agreements, and capture executive signatures.Marketing (2 users): Review collateral proofs, combine media packages, and optimize PDF sizes for web distribution.
    Read full review
    Adobe
    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.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Usability
    Adobe
    The features on the desktop version are all toolbar based, which makes it a little more cumbersome on a smaller device (and much simpler on a large screen). The web forms adjust well to different screen size so work well on mobile, tablet and computer
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Adobe
    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.
    Read full review
    Reliability and Availability
    Adobe
    We have not had availability issues with Adobe Acrobat, or at least none that I am personally aware of. Some may encounter crashes of the software during outages of electricity in their city or neighborhood, which no one can plan for, but with generators in our organization, we have been lucky not to have outages
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Adobe
    No answers on this topic
    Performance
    Adobe
    One of the best features of Adobe Acrobat is its speed and stability. When dealing with massive multi-page files, having to reload a crashed program over and over again would slow down progress unnecessarily. And expanding on that, having the table of contents generated allows me to skip to different pages with ease, a necessary feature with exceptionally long files. word searches are even more helpful with text recognition.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Adobe
    No answers on this topic
    Support Rating
    Adobe
    For a while, Acrobat DC crashed pretty frequently. I contacted Adobe Acrobat support about the problem. At first support was unable to provide a solution. After about a month Adobe's software engineers provided a fix. I just wish it had taken less than a month to solve the problem.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Adobe
    No answers on this topic
    Online Training
    Adobe
    Easy to follow and understand
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Adobe
    No answers on this topic
    Implementation Rating
    Adobe
    I was not involved with the implementation process, so I cannot answer this question. However, when it was installed on my computer system, they did so virtually. I just sat there while they took control of my computer over the network and watch them install it, lickety split
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Adobe
    The application is pretty much "plug and play"
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Alternatives Considered
    Adobe
    In my opinion, both complement each other. Microsoft clearly has with Copilot the AI Edge. However, the visual dynamics of Adobe Creative are Outstanding and provide a balanced approach to creativity, utilizing both Excellent, user-friendly Tools.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Adobe
    We have reviewed DocuSign in comparison to [Adobe] Acrobat Reader [DC's] e-sign capabilities. We found that DocuSign has more robust options when creating contracts and consent capabilities. DocuSign's online UI is much more suited to this type of task as well. However, we decided to stick with [Adobe] Acrobat Reader DC because of the price (DocuSign is more expensive) and we felt we didn't need all of the bells and whistles for contract signature and consent.
    Read full review
    Contract Terms and Pricing Model
    Adobe
    The only thing I can think of that may be helpful would be a more flexible tiered pricing options based on usage or document volume.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Adobe
    No answers on this topic
    Scalability
    Adobe
    I find that many users aren't aware of many features of the software they use, nor may they be comfortable with learning multiple-step processes. For the simplest of PDF purposes (scanning, downloading, exporting), it gets a thumbs-up. For anything involving electronic signatures, meh--causes eyes to glaze over, or forgetting what all is involved.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Adobe
    No answers on this topic
    Return on Investment
    Adobe
    • Automation of contract offer generation enabled the HR team to reduce the time to process contracts by 97%.
    • The automated workflow is more accurate and decreased document errors by up to 90 percent.
    • The signature collecting process was cut from a minimum of 30 minutes to only 2 minutes.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Adobe
    • It's available for free, so there is no excuse to not install
    • Contains features that you would normally have to pay for in competitor software, so it has a positive impact on ROI
    • Reduces the amount of printing
    • Decreases the amount of time spent on regulatory and governance documentation
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    ScreenShots

    Adobe Acrobat Screenshots

    Screenshot of where to create, edit, convert, and share PDF files all from within Microsoft Teams – as part of Acrobat integrations with Microsoft 365 apps.Screenshot of Liquid Mode in Adobe Acrobat Reader mobile app, where users can read PDFs on phones and tablets without having to pinch and zoom. Navigate lengthy documents with intelligent outline and search tools, while maximizing readability and comfort with font size and line spacing that are adjustable.Screenshot of where to fill and sign PDF forms from anywhere and on any device. Here, users can collect signatures, digitally track progress, and automatically archive the signed document.Screenshot of the Adobe Scan mobile app, used to capture and convert documents into high-quality, interactive PDF documents that can be filled out, signed, and shared. This eliminates the hassle of finding a printer, filling a form by hand, and scanning it again.