The Best Adobe Acrobat DC AlternativesTop PDF Readers & PDF Editors like Adobe Acrobat DC

Adobe Acrobat DC is described as 'Create and edit PDFs. Collaborate with ease. E-sign documents and collect signatures. Get everything done in one app, wherever you work. Acrobat’s got it. Stay on top of your documents with powerful features for desktop, mobile, and web' and is a very popular PDF Reader in the office & productivity category. There are more than 100 alternatives to Adobe Acrobat DC for a variety of platforms, including Windows, Web-based, Mac, Linux and iPhone apps. The best Adobe Acrobat DC alternative is PDF-XChange Editor, which is free. Other great apps like Adobe Acrobat DC are PDF24 Creator, Nitro PDF , Master PDF Editor and PDFgear.

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Adobe Acrobat DC alternatives are mainly PDF Editors, but if you're looking for PDF Readers or PDF Printers you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Open Source, Free, Linux, Windows + Free, Windows + Open Source, Windows and Mac + Free. You can also filter by region, for example EU-based alternatives if you prefer software developed in the European Union. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to Adobe Acrobat DC.
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Alternatives list

  1. PDF-XChange Editor icon

    PDF-XChange Editor

     170 likes
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    Feature-rich PDF editor offering direct content editing, ABBYY OCR, viewing, annotation, form filling, PDF merging, compression, and encryption. Operates efficiently offline, requiring no registration and no ads, while providing privacy-focused features and convenient portability.

    140 PDF-XChange Editor alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Pay once)
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • PortableApps.com
    • Wine
    Version 10 (2024)
     
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    15
    118
    Comments about PDF-XChange Editor as an Alternative to Adobe Acrobat DC
    Comment summary: PDF-XChange Editor is praised for its customizable interface, speed, affordability, and extensive features, often compared favorably to Adobe Acrobat DC. Users appreciate its lifetime license and lower cost, but some find its OCR capabilities lacking, and a few struggle with features like text editing that Adobe handles better.
    Top Positive Comment
    munteanzeno
    3

    Can make small edits for free (comments, extra text). Search bar is simple and works well.

    Top Negative Comment
    Guest
    0

    A lot of things that you can't do. Didn't worked well enough for me at all.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Alternative User
    Positive
    0

    Adding signature and adding text is available for free.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Show more comments
    3 of 15 comments
    Adobe Acrobat DC Icon
    PDF-XChange Editor icon

    • Most users think PDF-XChange Editor is a great Adobe Acrobat DC alternative.

    • PDF-XChange Editor is the most popular Windows alternative to Adobe Acrobat DC.

    • PDF-XChange Editor is the most popular free alternative to Adobe Acrobat DC.

    • PDF-XChange Editor is Freemium and ProprietaryAdobe Acrobat DC is Paid and Proprietary
    • PDF-XChange Editor is Customizable, Lightweight and Privacy focusedAdobe Acrobat DC is not according to our users
  2. PDF24 Creator icon

    PDF24 Creator

     144 likes
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    PDF24 Creator is free and feature-filled PDF creation, merging and conversion tool for Windows. Its unique feature among the free PDF printer tools is an editor, which allows to easily assemble, create and modify PDF files with Drag & Drop.

    166 PDF24 Creator alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
    Main window
     
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    3
    36
    Comments about PDF24 Creator as an Alternative to Adobe Acrobat DC
    zlelmefs
    Positive
    0

    It's actually free and has done everything I've needed it to do.

    G Downs
    Positive
    0

    PDF Creator is a great alternative to Adobe Acrobat DC. It has all the tools that the Adobe has but does it without trying to put a hole in your head! A great piece of work!

    Guest
    Positive
    3

    PDF editing features also available!

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Adobe Acrobat DC Icon
    PDF24 Creator icon

    • Most users think PDF24 Creator is a great Adobe Acrobat DC alternative.

    • PDF24 Creator is Free and ProprietaryAdobe Acrobat DC is Paid and Proprietary
    • PDF24 Creator is LightweightAdobe Acrobat DC is not according to our users
  4. Nitro PDF icon

    Nitro PDF

     71 likes
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    Nitro offers comprehensive PDF solutions for editing, creating, and converting, alongside OCR and e-signature tools. Supports Mac, Windows, and iOS, providing a user-friendly interface with industry-standard security features. Ideal as an Adobe Acrobat alternative.

    167 Nitro PDF alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Subscription
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    Nitro PDF screenshot 1
     
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    2
    44
    Comments about Nitro PDF as an Alternative to Adobe Acrobat DC
    Bob Henry
    Negative
    -1

    This is by far the worst software purchase I can remember making. OCR sucks and is hardly useable. Reorganizing and merging documents are confusing and difficult.

    Stay well away from this one is my advice.

    chrisrosetech
    Positive
    0

    I have been using NitroPDF for several years. I think it is the best alternative to Adobe Acrobat software.

    The software has almost all the features, if not better features than Acrobat itself.

    I can create form fill documents, place stamps, edit and do much more with NitroPDF.

    The OCR function has worked really well for me on a second generation scanned document.

    I highly recommend NitroPDF and feel it's well worth the money.

    Adobe Acrobat DC Icon
    Nitro PDF icon

    • Most users think Nitro PDF is a great Adobe Acrobat DC alternative.

    • Nitro PDF is the most popular Mac, iPhone & iPad alternative to Adobe Acrobat DC.

    • Nitro PDF is the most popular commercial alternative to Adobe Acrobat DC.

    • Nitro PDF is Paid and ProprietaryAdobe Acrobat DC is also Paid and Proprietary
  5. Ad
    Screenshot
    PDF OCR icon
    PDF OCR

    PDF OCR is a software that converts scanned PDF documents into editable text files in just two clicks. Its OCR engine operates 92% faster than other software, giving users the option to select specific pages for OCR.

    http://www.pdfocr.net
    Learn More
  6. Master PDF Editor icon

    Master PDF Editor

     71 likes
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    Master PDF Editor is complete solution for editing PDF and XPS files. You can insert, edit, remove, copy, add images or graphics. Export, import, remove and change page layouts. Also Master PDF Editor provides full functionality for changing PDF information, including author...

    131 Master PDF Editor alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Pay once)
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    Master PDF Editor screenshot 1
     
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    4
    44
    Comments about Master PDF Editor as an Alternative to Adobe Acrobat DC
    Guest
    Negative
    24

    Free version for windows will include watermark on saved documents.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Positive
    4

    Has all the basic features such as merge, split, delete and it is in active development and it is available for LINUX :)

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Positive
    -1

    It has more festures in the payed version and thus suites my usecase and it actually works on linux and does not just say it does and then it doesnt, at least that was the case with pdfsam in the extended version.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
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    3 of 4 comments
    Adobe Acrobat DC Icon
    Master PDF Editor icon

    • Most users think Master PDF Editor is a great Adobe Acrobat DC alternative.

    • Master PDF Editor is the most popular Linux alternative to Adobe Acrobat DC.

    • Master PDF Editor is Freemium and ProprietaryAdobe Acrobat DC is Paid and Proprietary
  7. PDFgear icon

    PDFgear

     54 likes
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    Read, edit, convert, merge, and sign PDF files across devices, for completely free and without signing up.

    44 PDFgear alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    PDFgear screenshot 1
     
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    3
    10
    Comments about PDFgear as an Alternative to Adobe Acrobat DC
    Shaz Shah
    Positive
    0

    It does an excellent job of converting my M$ docs. The OCR capabilities are really good and the ability to arrange pages (including splitting and merging with other PDFs) is another bonus. The install is lightweight in comparison to Adobe Acrobat and I've not had any stability issues... yet

    Ahmed Gamal
    Negative
    0

    The app does not support the Arabic language.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Positive
    0

    Faster. No pop-ups trying to sell add ons.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Adobe Acrobat DC Icon
    PDFgear icon

    • Almost everyone thinks PDFgear is a great Adobe Acrobat DC alternative.

    • PDFgear is the most popular Web-based, Android & Android Tablet alternative to Adobe Acrobat DC.

    • PDFgear is Free and ProprietaryAdobe Acrobat DC is Paid and Proprietary
    • PDFgear is LightweightAdobe Acrobat DC is not according to our users
  8. Stirling-PDF icon

    Stirling-PDF

     48 likes
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    locally hosted web application that allows you to perform various operations on PDF files.

    83 Stirling-PDF alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Online
    • Self-Hosted
    • Docker Hub
    • Cloudron
    Stirling-PDF screenshot 1
     
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    1
    Comments about Stirling-PDF as an Alternative to Adobe Acrobat DC
    KimiBCN
    Negative
    0

    It lacks many features and has bugs. The PDF open button sometimes disappears.

    Adobe Acrobat DC Icon
    Stirling-PDF icon

    • Stirling-PDF is the most popular Self-Hosted alternative to Adobe Acrobat DC.

    • Stirling-PDF is the most popular Open Source alternative to Adobe Acrobat DC.

    • Stirling-PDF is Freemium and Open SourceAdobe Acrobat DC is Paid and Proprietary
    • Stirling-PDF is Privacy focusedAdobe Acrobat DC is not according to our users
  10. PDF Expert icon

    PDF Expert

     37 likes
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    Read, annotate, and highlight PDFs, fill interactive forms with saved input, underline or strike through text, manage bookmarks, sync files from cloud services, and share documents. Compatible with Preview and Adobe Acrobat annotations, supporting extensive iOS features.

    126 PDF Expert alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Pay once or Subscription
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    PDF Expert screenshot 1
     
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    18
  11. Smallpdf icon

    Smallpdf

     58 likes
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    Smallpdf is the first PDF Software you will actually like. The perfect gateway to productive, portable and cost-efficient document management solutions in your everyday life.

    172 Smallpdf alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Subscription)
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Online
    • Android
    • Software as a Service (SaaS)
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    • Android Tablet
    Desktop app home
     
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    16

    • Most users think Smallpdf is a great Adobe Acrobat DC alternative.

    • Smallpdf is the most popular SaaS alternative to Adobe Acrobat DC.

    • Smallpdf is Freemium and ProprietaryAdobe Acrobat DC is Paid and Proprietary
    • Smallpdf is LightweightAdobe Acrobat DC is not according to our users
  12. Sejda icon

    Sejda

     35 likes
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    Sejda helps with your PDF tasks: edit existing text, split, merge, extract, compress, export to other formats and more.

    129 Sejda alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium (Pay once)
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Google Chrome
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
    Sejda screenshot 1
     
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    1
    7
    Comments about Sejda as an Alternative to Adobe Acrobat DC
    Interstellar_1
    Positive
    0

    You get a limited amount of file edits per day, and the app is just an electron wrapper of the website, but it works well.

    Adobe Acrobat DC Icon
    Sejda icon

    • Most users think Sejda is a great Adobe Acrobat DC alternative.

    • Sejda is Freemium and ProprietaryAdobe Acrobat DC is Paid and Proprietary
  13. GImageReader icon

    GImageReader

     74 likes
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    gImageReader is a simple Gtk/Qt front-end to the Tesseract OCR Engine.

    89 GImageReader alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    GImageReader screenshot 1
     
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    1
    9
    Comments about GImageReader as an Alternative to Adobe Acrobat DC
    KimiBCN
    Negative
    1

    It's not an alternative to Acrobat Pro; it lacks many features.

    Adobe Acrobat DC Icon
    GImageReader icon

    • Most users think GImageReader is a great Adobe Acrobat DC alternative.

    • GImageReader is Free and Open SourceAdobe Acrobat DC is Paid and Proprietary
  14. Foxit PDF Editor icon

    Foxit PDF Editor

     6 likes
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    Comprehensive suite offering eSign, OCR, multi-platform editing, cloud integration, and robust security. Ideal for professional or personal use, facilitating collaboration while protecting content.

    51 Foxit PDF Editor alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Subscription
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    Foxit PDF Editor screenshot 1
     
12 of 305 Adobe Acrobat DC alternatives