Adobe Acrobat Pro Alternative 2024

When you think of PDF files, you instinctively see yourself opening one with Adobe Acrobat software. This program has been around for years and it has gradually become a users’ favorite when it comes to PDF editors. However, there is at least one Adobe Acrobat pro alternative more out there, and you might be surprised to discover how effective these applications are for home use or small businesses. Here are some of them

Adobe Acrobat Pro Alternative in 2024

1. Nitro PDF Pro 13

Nitro Productivity Suite is one of the top alternatives to Adobe Acrobat. This software is easy to set up and has numerous user-friendly features. Creating and converting PDFs with this editor is simple and quick, which is why the program has risen to worldwide popularity and today numbers over 700,000 users in the business industry alone.

With Nitro PDF Pro 13, you get an elegant editor with a stylish, intuitive design. This software uses an interface that is reminiscent to Microsoft Word, and which allows for easy task organization. You can easily convert documents from more than 300 different formats into PDFs. Among the formats that you can transform are Word documents, Excel data sheets, and even PowerPoint presentations.

Few editing software has the broad range of features that Nitro Pro has. This program allows you to review documents, change their style, appearance, and readability with multiple editing tools, and to protect them with several security options. In this regard, you can set up passwords for important documents or limit permission for the files that you share and use with your peers.

Probably the best feature of Nitro Pro is its “Sign & Review” option that allows one user to create a document and share it through Nitro Cloud with another user who can review it, sign it, and share it back. This feature comes in handy especially for companies who need to get a lot of paperwork signed, and who can save some funds as printing enormous stacks of paper becomes unnecessary.

Nitro Pro is a reliable Adobe Acrobat pro alternative. Its Nitro Cloud feature easily improves the activity and productivity of small businesses by allowing office workers to combine, organize and share documents in the same working environment.

2. Foxit PhantomPDF

If you are in the market for a reliable Acrobat Pro Alternative, you cannot go wrong with Foxit PhantomPDF. This software is a common 3rd choice to Adobe and Nitro for numerous users out there, but a good, and capable choice nonetheless.

Foxit PhantomPDF is a highly-efficient editor with multiple tools that allow you to create, convert and modify documents from a wider range of formats. The program's design is easy on the eye and simple to navigate. Even new users can discover its intuitive commands and shortcuts if they have used Microsoft Office before, to which PhantomPDF bears a significant resemblance.

With Foxit PhantomPDF you can easily convert documents from Word, Excel, PowerPoint or Rich Text to PDF in a matter of seconds. It can do the same for files that contain photographs and data charts without altering formatting or page-on display.

If you are worried about keeping your PDF files safe, you should use the document protection feature from Foxit PhantomPDF, which enables password protection, permission control, and electronic signatures. Additionally, it also provides a free mobile app that works on iOS, Android and Windows, and which you can use to convert and modify PDFs when you are away from your working station.

You get the best out of Foxit PhantomPDF when you upgrade it to PhantomPDF Business 9. This improvement provides access to ConnectedPDF, which is Foxit’s cloud service. Here, you can improve the collaboration between you and your co-workers by editing, sharing and distributing documents easily and quickly. Also, you can see the history of a multi-user document and repair any of the editing mistakes by reverting to a previous version of the file.

Foxit PhantomPDF Business 9 is available for $159, but you can benefit from discounts if you choose to purchase more than 5 licenses.

3. PDF Architect

There aren't many alternatives to Adobe Acrobat that match the budget-friendly price of PDF Architect. This editor provides a great collection of customizing tools and conversion possibilities, making it one of the most cost-effective and reliable backup options to Adobe's trademarks software.

PDF Architect 6 is available to download for three, but it also has three very attractive paid modules that you can purchase to increase the program’s efficiency and the productivity in your workplace at the same time. The package that includes the most options is the Professional version, which is ideal for businesses and people who work with PDFs regularly.

The interface of PDF Architect strongly resembles that of Microsoft Office and it contains standard tool tabs as well as a customizable tab where you can place all your favorite or most-used tools and features. This program allows for one-click conversions from Word, Excel, PowerPoint, HTML and over 300 other formats to PDF without damaging the style or appearance.

You can use PDF Architect to track the historical changes of a document and discover errors in its editing. It also enables you to protect your files through password customization, data encryption, permission control, and digital signatures.

If you opt for the Premium module of PDF Architect you get access to the “e-sign” feature, which allows you to prepare a document, share it with another user who signs it electronically, and sends it back to you without printing it. This option saves a lot of time and paper on both parts, and it enhances work productivity.

The basic package of Architect PDF will cost just $69, while for the Business Professional module you will have to pay $40 more. For a total of $109, you get most of the features and capability of Adobe Acrobat Pro at a significantly lower price.

4. Nuance Power PDF Advanced

When it comes to PDF editors that work as a trustworthy alternative to Adobe Acrobat Pro, there are few programs that rival the abilities of Nuance Power PDF Advanced. This software offers complete control over editing, converting and sharing PDFs from a significant number of formats.

Working in Nuance Power PDF is very similar to working in a Word document since the program mimics most of its interface. The editor lets you open several documents in the same window and work simultaneously on them without having too many open frames.

With Power PDF you can share a document with other co-workers and modify it at the same time. This feature makes email sharing and other services like Dropbox obsolete as it drastically reduces the number of actions per user.

You can invite other people to view and edit a document through the Collaboration Panel and enable real-time modifications that anyone working on the file can observe. The only issue with this otherwise very helpful feature is the requirement that all users be in the same network, which makes it great for business offices and useless for remote workers.

Additional features include support for the new generation of PDFs, the ISO PDF 2.0 released in 2017, and DocuSign eSignature support, which allows users to sign documents electronically. Nuance Power PDF Advanced is available in its standard package for $130. However, if you want to use most of the features presented above, you will need to pay $180.

5. iSkysoft PDF Editor

This editing software proves that you can use a stable and reliable Adobe Acrobat pro alternative successfully and stay within your budget.

The iSkysoft PDF Editor is ideal for Mac users even if its basic nature is that of a cross-platform program. It features everything you need for basic editing, converting, organizing and reviewing documents. It has a user-friendly design with slick panes and windows, which are far more presentable than the interfaces of other PDF editors from the same price category.

In the standard package of iSkysoft PDF Editor, you get to create and modify PDFs from various document formats. You can crop, select and move the text as you wish, and even highlight it with sticky notes, stamps, and free handwriting options.

The Professional module of iSkysoft PDF Editor provides multiple additional features like password protection, electronic signatures, and data encryption. You can easily convert documents from all the Microsoft Office tools along with Rich Text, plain text, and HTML.

While you can test iSkysoft PDF Editor with their free trial option, you can just as well pay $60 for the standard package. The complete, Professional module will cost you $100, regardless of your version of use (Microsoft or Mac).

Adobe is still the reigning superpower on the market of PDF editors. However, if you are looking for reliable, cost-effective solutions, an Acrobat pro alternative like the programs we presented in this article will surely provide you with high-quality results.

Most of these editors provide cloud sharing, electronic signatures, and multiple tools that allow you to modify the PDFs as you wish. Depending on your volume of work and the nature of your business, you can opt for one of these alternative programs to Adobe Acrobat and get the job done at a significantly lower price.