Adobe Acrobat DC AlternativesOnly apps categorised as PDF Readers

The best PDF Reader alternative to Adobe Acrobat DC is PDF-XChange Editor, which is free. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 100 alternatives to Adobe Acrobat DC and loads of them are PDF Readers so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting PDF Reader alternatives to Adobe Acrobat DC are PDF24 Creator, Nitro PDF , PDFgear and Master PDF Editor.

filter to find the best alternatives

Adobe Acrobat DC alternatives are mainly PDF Readers, but if you're looking for PDF Editors or E-signature Tools you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Open Source, Free, Linux, Windows + Open Source, Windows + Free, Windows + PDF Editor and Mac. 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.

More about Adobe Acrobat DC

Adobe Acrobat DC alternatives page was last updated Jun 12, 2026

PDF-XChange Editor
176 likes
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.
167 PDF-XChange Editor alternatives
Cost / License
Freemium
Proprietary
Application types
PDF Editor
PDF Reader
Origin
Canada
Platforms
Windows
PortableApps.com
Wine
+3
Is PDF-XChange Editor a good alternative to Adobe Acrobat DC?

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15comments
PDF-XChange Editor vs Adobe Acrobat DC Comments

Top Positive Comment
munteanzeno
May 13, 2020
3
Can make small edits for free (comments, extra text). Search bar is simple and works well.
Top Negative Comment
Guest
Jul 9, 2024
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 commentOct 27, 2024
0
Adding signature and adding text is available for free.
Review by a new / low-activity user.
3 of 15 comments
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
PDF24 Creator
152 likes
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.
194 PDF24 Creator alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Proprietary
Application types
PDF Editor
PDF Reader
Origin
Germany
EU
Platforms
Windows
Is PDF24 Creator a good alternative to Adobe Acrobat DC?

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3comments
PDF24 Creator vs Adobe Acrobat DC Comments

zlelmefs
Positive commentJul 1, 2025
0
It's actually free and has done everything I've needed it to do.
G Downs
Positive commentMar 23, 2025
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 commentJan 15, 2020
3
PDF editing features also available!
Review by a new / low-activity user.
PDF24 Creator is Free and ProprietaryAdobe Acrobat DC is Paid and Proprietary
PDF24 Creator is LightweightAdobe Acrobat DC is not according to our users
Nitro PDF
72 likes
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.
181 Nitro PDF alternatives
Cost / License
Paid
Proprietary
Application types
PDF Editor
PDF Reader
Origin
United States
Platforms
Mac
Windows
iPhone
iPad
+1
Is Nitro PDF a good alternative to Adobe Acrobat DC?

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2comments
Nitro PDF vs Adobe Acrobat DC Comments

Bob Henry
Negative commentSep 27, 2022
-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 commentDec 10, 2022
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.
Nitro PDF is Paid and ProprietaryAdobe Acrobat DC is also Paid and Proprietary
Ad
Icecream PDF Editor
Excellent powerful tool to edit PDF, annotate PDF, redact, protect and more.

PRO Version includes: Remove default watermark Combine PDF files Lifetime license - Windows Commercial use Priority Support.

https://icecreamapps.com
Learn More
PDFgear
65 likes
Read, edit, convert, merge, and sign PDF files across devices, for completely free and without signing up.
74 PDFgear alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Proprietary
Application types
PDF Reader
PDF Editor
Origin
Singapore
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Online
Android
iPhone
Android Tablet
iPad
+2
Is PDFgear a good alternative to Adobe Acrobat DC?

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4comments
PDFgear vs Adobe Acrobat DC Comments

Shaz Shah
Positive commentDec 10, 2024
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 commentMay 13, 2025
0
The app does not support the Arabic language.
Review by a new / low-activity user.
Guest
Positive commentJun 12, 2026
0
Professional standard pdf editors & tools.
Review by a new / low-activity user.
3 of 4 comments
PDFgear is Free and ProprietaryAdobe Acrobat DC is Paid and Proprietary
PDFgear is LightweightAdobe Acrobat DC is not according to our users
Master PDF Editor
73 likes
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...
152 Master PDF Editor alternatives
Cost / License
Freemium
Proprietary
Application types
PDF Editor
PDF Reader
Origin
Russia
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Flathub
Is Master PDF Editor a good alternative to Adobe Acrobat DC?

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4comments
Master PDF Editor vs Adobe Acrobat DC Comments

Guest
Negative commentMar 8, 2017
24
Free version for windows will include watermark on saved documents.
Review by a new / low-activity user.
Guest
Positive commentDec 6, 2018
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 commentMay 1, 2017
-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.
3 of 4 comments
Master PDF Editor is Freemium and ProprietaryAdobe Acrobat DC is Paid and Proprietary
Stirling PDF
59 likes
Locally hosted web application offering an interactive GUI to merge, split, reorganize, convert, compress, watermark, secure, sign, flatten, repair, extract images, detect blanks, apply OCR, set permissions, and enable file processing or API integration for PDFs.
112 Stirling PDF alternatives
Cost / License
Freemium
Open Source
Application types
PDF Editor
PDF Reader
Origin
United States
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Online
Self-Hosted
Cloudron
Docker Hub
+4
Is Stirling PDF a good alternative to Adobe Acrobat DC?

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1comment
Stirling PDF vs Adobe Acrobat DC Comments

KimiBCN
Negative commentOct 16, 2025
0
It lacks many features and has bugs. The PDF open button sometimes disappears.
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
BentoPDF
19 likes
BentoPDF is a PDF Toolkit that works fully offline with no sign ups. It's fast, secure and forever free. In an era where data is a commodity, we take a different approach. All processing for BentoPDF tools happens locally in your browser.
83 BentoPDF alternatives
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (AGPL-3.0)
Application types
PDF Editor
PDF Reader
Origin
India
Platforms
Online
Self-Hosted
Is BentoPDF a good alternative to Adobe Acrobat DC?
PDF Expert
39 likes
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.
153 PDF Expert alternatives
Cost / License
Paid
Proprietary
Application types
PDF Reader
PDF Editor
Origin
Ukraine
Platforms
Mac
iPhone
iPad
+9
Is PDF Expert a good alternative to Adobe Acrobat DC?
Smallpdf
61 likes
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.
202 Smallpdf alternatives
Cost / License
Freemium
Proprietary
Application types
PDF Editor
PDF Reader
Origin
Switzerland
Platforms
Windows
Online
Android
Software as a Service (SaaS)
iPhone
iPad
Android Tablet
+1
Is Smallpdf a good alternative to Adobe Acrobat DC?
LEKTRA
16 likes
High-performance viewer for documents and images offering split tabs, customizable single or book layouts, portals for side-by-side sections, instant search, line highlight, annotation tools, link hints, searchable highlights, session management, and TOML config.
Cost / License
Free
Open Source (AGPL-3.0)
Application types
PDF Reader
Ebook Reader
Origin
Spain
EU
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Is LEKTRA a good alternative to Adobe Acrobat DC?
Qoppa PDF Studio
84 likes
Create, Convert, Review and Edit PDF Documents on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Cost / License
Paid
Proprietary
Application types
PDF Reader
PDF Editor
Origin
United States
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Linux
Chrome OS
+7
Is Qoppa PDF Studio a good alternative to Adobe Acrobat DC?

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2comments
Qoppa PDF Studio vs Adobe Acrobat DC Comments

bunnyhero
Positive commentMar 26, 2022
0
Much easier than Acrobat for advanced features.
Guest
Positive commentNov 23, 2022
0
It does most of the things DC does. It doesn't look good on 4K I'm afraid.
Review by a new / low-activity user.
Qoppa PDF Studio is Paid and ProprietaryAdobe Acrobat DC is also Paid and Proprietary
Qoppa PDF Studio is LightweightAdobe Acrobat DC is not according to our users
Foxit PDF Editor
6 likes
Comprehensive suite offering eSign, OCR, multi-platform editing, cloud integration, and robust security. Ideal for professional or personal use, facilitating collaboration while protecting content.
72 Foxit PDF Editor alternatives
Cost / License
Paid
Proprietary
Application types
PDF Editor
PDF Reader
Origin
United States
Platforms
Mac
Windows
Android
iPhone
Android Tablet
iPad
+7
Is Foxit PDF Editor a good alternative to Adobe Acrobat DC?

12 of 76 Adobe Acrobat DC alternatives

Adobe Acrobat DC AlternativesOnly apps categorised as PDF Readers

Alternatives list

PDF-XChange Editor

Cost / License

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PDF-XChange Editor vs Adobe Acrobat DC Comments

PDF24 Creator

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PDF24 Creator vs Adobe Acrobat DC Comments

Nitro PDF

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Nitro PDF vs Adobe Acrobat DC Comments

PDFgear

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PDFgear vs Adobe Acrobat DC Comments

Master PDF Editor

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Master PDF Editor vs Adobe Acrobat DC Comments

Stirling PDF

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Stirling PDF vs Adobe Acrobat DC Comments

BentoPDF

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PDF Expert

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Smallpdf

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LEKTRA

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Qoppa PDF Studio

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Qoppa PDF Studio vs Adobe Acrobat DC Comments

Foxit PDF Editor

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