13 alternatives to Adobe Acrobat for editing, signing and managing your PDFs like a pro

You've probably experienced that frustrating moment: an urgent PDF to modify, but Adobe Acrobat charging you €215.86 per year for the privilege. Rest assured, you're not alone in your predicament, and more importantly, there are alternatives. And they do exist, whether you're a student looking to mark up courses or a professional needing to sign contracts remotely.

👉 This guide brings together our selection of 13 software applications that will do the job for a reasonable cost, tested and approved by thousands of users.

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What is Adobe Acrobat?

Adobe Acrobat has been the undisputed king of PDF software for almost 30 years. It was created by the company that also gave us Photoshop, Lightroom, Illustrator and others. This software has transformed the PDF format, which was originally very basic, into a genuine collaborative working tool.

In concrete terms, it lets you edit any PDF document as if it were a Word file. From the most basic (correcting a typo in a contract) to the most elaborate (adding your signature to an estimate, or even completely reorganising the pages of a report). It's the digital Swiss Army Knife for professionals who handle documents on a daily basis.

⚒️ Its flagship features include :

• complete editing of text and images in PDFs, as in a conventional word processor;

• creation and management of interactive forms, such as checkboxes, drop-down menus and input fields;

• electronic signatures with legal force, the digital equivalent of your handwritten signature;

• OCR (optical character recognition), which easily converts your scans into editable text;

• conversion to and from a multitude of formats (transform a PDF into an editable Word in two clicks);

• real-time collaboration and commenting tools, so you can annotate with others, just like with Google Docs;

• password protection and encryption for sensitive documents.

Adobe Acrobat DC

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Why consider an alternative to Adobe Acrobat?

Overpriced for many budgets

With a minimum price of €215.86 per year, Adobe Acrobat Pro represents a substantial investment. Especially for freelancers and small businesses. That's the equivalent of a year's subscription to ChatGPT or Perplexity, just to edit PDFs! For occasional use, this is clearly hard to justify.

Its level of complexity

Adobe Acrobat's interface can be intimidating with its hundreds of functions. To simply add a signature, you sometimes find yourself navigating through labyrinthine, extremely rich menus. This wealth of functions becomes a handicap when you're simply trying to do basic tasks in a minute.

Its greed for system resources

Adobe Acrobat requires a relatively powerful machine and a lot of disk space. If your computer starts to show its age, the software can become slow and frustrating to use. You have to contend with slow loading times to open a simple PDF.

Its compulsory subscription

Gone are the days of buying software once and for all. Adobe now imposes a subscription model that can start to cost money in the long run, especially if you only use the software a few times a month.

Comparison table of the 13 best alternatives to Adobe Acrobat

Our top 13 alternatives to Adobe Acrobat

Bluebeam

Bluebeam has established itself as THE PDF reference for construction and architecture professionals. If you work in the construction industry, this is probably the most relevant alternative for you, designed specifically for your business needs.

🎯 Who is it for? Architects, engineers, site managers, design offices.

Key features:

• calibrated measurement tools: accurately measure surfaces and distances directly on your plans, with automatic conversion according to scale ;

• construction-specific annotations: library of standardised symbols (electrical, plumbing, structural) for professional annotation;

• collaboration via Studio: work with others on the same plan in real time, and see who's modifying what

• takeoff" function: automatically calculate the quantities of materials required from your plans;

• AI plan comparison: artificial intelligence instantly detects changes between two versions;

• layer management: display/hide the different technical layers of a complex plan.

💸 Price: from €240/year (for the Basics version).

Foxit PDF Editor

Foxit is positioned more as a direct challenger to Adobe than an industry PDF software like Bluebeam. It has the advantage of offering a familiar interface and almost identical functionality, but at a lower price. It's the 'no-surprise' alternative that will suit many professionals.

🎯 Who is it for? SMEs, administrative departments, multi-skilled professionals

Key features:

• intuitive editing: edit text and images as easily as in Word, with real-time preview ;

• High-performance OCR: converts your scans into editable text in a matter of seconds, even on older documents;

• built-in AI assistant: summarise a 50-page contract in 5 key points, translate instantly ;

• signatures included: create your signature once, reuse it anywhere, legally valid;

• Microsoft integration: open and edit PDFs directly from Word or Outlook;

• multi-platform: start on PC, continue on smartphone, everything syncs up.

💸 Price: from €129.67/year.

Foxit Reader

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LibreOffice Draw

Draw is a 100% free, open-source option that's part of the LibreOffice office suite. Perfect for tight budgets and basic needs, with no commercial ulterior motives.

🎯 Who is it for? Students, associations, occasional users.

Key features:

• basic editing: correct typos and add simple text ;

• free annotations: highlight, frame and add arrows for comment;

• universal export: create PDFs from any LibreOffice document;

• multi-OS: works identically on Windows, Mac and Linux;

• active community: thousands of free online tutorials;

• privacy guaranteed: no data is sent to external servers.

💸 Price: it's 100% free!

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Master PDF Editor 4

The champion of all Linux categories! Its main strength lies in its perpetual licence, which means you don't have to keep subscribing. This is the preferred solution for developers and system administrators.

🎯 Who's it for? Developers, system administrators, multi-OS businesses.

Key features:

• truly multi-platform: same interface and functionality on Linux, Windows and macOS ;

• Advanced JavaScript: create complex forms with automatic calculations and validations ;

• Multilingual OCR: recognises 29 languages including Chinese, Arabic and Cyrillic;

• Certified signatures: compatible with all digital certificate standards;

• professional management: handle layers, bookmarks and metadata like a pro;

• definitive purchase: pay once, use forever, updates included.

💸 Price: licence from €68.

Nitro PDF Pro

Nitro focuses on performance and simplicity. It is estimated to process large files up to 30% faster than Adobe, according to numerous user feedbacks. The Microsoft Office-style interface puts everyone at ease straight away.

🎯 Who is it for? Windows SMEs, sales departments, project teams

Key features :

• lightning conversions: turn 100 Word pages into PDFs in under 10 seconds ;

• Intelligent OCR: automatically detects language and preserves page layout;

• Nitro AI: automates repetitive tasks, suggests improvements;

• unlimited signatures: send as many documents as you need to sign;

• familiar interface: find your Office bearings with the customisable ribbon;

• full trial: 14 days to test everything, with no commitment or credit card required.

💸 Price: from €16.80/month.

Nitro PDF

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PDF Expert

PDF Expert is the best PDF editor for Apple users, with perfect integration of the Apple Pencil on the iPad. If you (and your colleagues) only work in the Apple ecosystem, it's the obvious choice.

🎯 Who's it for? Exclusive Mac/iOS users, creatives, Apple students.

Key features:

• Native Apple Pencil: annotate by hand just like on paper, handwriting recognition included ;

• Apple Vision OCR: Apple technology turns your photos into editable PDFs;

• iCloud transparent: your PDFs sync automatically between all your devices;

• PDF Copilot AI: ask questions about your documents and get instant answers;

• Apple design: clean interface that shows only what you need.

💸 Price: €7.08/year, or €149.99 perpetual licence.

PDF-XChange Editor

PDF-XChange Editor is the king of freemium, with most of its features available free of charge. The only downside is that it is Windows-only, but what generosity for PC users!

🎯 Who is it for? Windows users, engineers, technicians.

Key features:

• expert annotations: add 3D models, audio/video comments, custom stamps ;

• technical measurements: precise dimensioning tools for technical drawings and diagrams;

• high-performance: opens a 1000-page PDF in 2 seconds flat;

• generous for free: most essential functions without paying (discreet watermark);

• Integrated DocuSign: sign and have signed electronically without leaving the software;

• portable: USB version so you can take it anywhere, no installation required.

💸 Price: from €52.73 as a one-off purchase.

PDFescape

PDFescape is the web solution that works everywhere, without installation. Ideal for one-off editions from any computer, even the library!

🎯 Who is it for? Mobile users, occasional needs, multi-site businesses.

Key features:

• 100% browser: works on Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, no download required ;

• generous free plan: edit up to 100 pages and 10 MB without paying a cent;

• simple forms: create fillable PDFs with boxes and text fields;

• quick signatures: draw or type your signature, which can then be reused;

• optional desktop: Windows version available for working offline;

• no obligation: 15-day money-back guarantee for worry-free testing.

💸 Price: free or from €2.54/month.

PDFSam Basic

PDFSam is the specialist in manipulation: in short, the most interesting tool for merging, splitting and reorganising. No content editing, but ultra-efficient for restructuring your PDFs. The essential tool for secretaries.

🎯 Who is it for? Administrative staff, secretaries, document managers.

Key features:

• expert merging: combine 50 PDFs into one, in the order of your choice ;

• precise splitting: extract pages 10 to 25 from a 100-page document;

• batch rotation: straighten 20 scanned documents in one click;

• open source: transparent code, no risk to your confidential data;

• local processing: your documents never leave your computer;

• simple interface: drag and drop, three clicks, done!

💸 Price: free (Enhanced version €63/year).

PDFsam

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Sejda

With Sejda, the balance between functionality and price is very well thought out, with an intelligent hybrid web/desktop approach. The preferred solution for small, pragmatic teams.

🎯 Who is it for? Small businesses, freelancers, dispersed teams.

Key features:

• well thought-out freemium: 3 free tasks per hour, perfect for light use ;

• complete editing: modify text, images, links, anything is possible ;

• Powerful OCR: convert up to 100 scan pages into editable text;

• secure signatures: create and store multiple signatures for different uses;

• confidential mode: desktop version for sensitive documents, nothing is uploaded;

• team rates: automatic discounts from 3 users upwards.

💸 Price: from €5.50/month.

Smallpdf

Smallpdf is the most popular online PDF editor, with an interface so simple that even novices can use it without a problem. Over 50 million users can't go wrong!

🎯 Who is it for? Mobile professionals, marketing teams, occasional users.

Key features:

• magical interface: drag your PDF, choose the action, edit file, done ;

• 20+ tools: compression, conversion, merging, signing, it's all there;

• Smart compression: reduce size with no visible loss of quality;

• OCR included: turn your scans into editable Word documents;

• apps everywhere: web, Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, work wherever you want;

• Swiss security: servers in Switzerland, ISO 27001 certified, RGPD complied with.

💸 Price: free, and pro plans from €7.50/month (annual).

Smallpdf

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SumatraPDF

Please note that SumatraPDF is NOT an editor, but rather a PDF reader, and the fastest on the market! The application weighs just 6 MB and starts up very quickly. An essential free add-on.

🎯 Who's it for? Anyone who just wants to READ PDFs quickly.

Key features:

• lightning start-up: opens in less than a second, even on old PCs ;

• minimalist: only 6 MB, won't clutter up your system;

• multi-format: reads PDF, EPUB, MOBI, CBZ/CBR comics, e-books;

• USB portable: take it with you on a USB stick, no installation required;

• smooth browsing: read 1,000 pages without slowing down;

• total respect: no ads, no tracking, just reading.

💸 Price: 100% free.

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Wondershare PDFelement

Wondershare PDFelement is the champion of artificial intelligence with Lumi, an assistant that understands and analyses your PDFs. It clearly shows the future of PDF editing.

🎯 Who is it for? Innovative companies, tech-savvy professionals, students.

Key features:

• Very interesting Lumi AI: "Summarise this contract", "Translate into Spanish", "Find the important clauses" ;

• 300+ conversions: PDF editing tool to absolutely anything, and vice versa;

• Certified OCR: 99.5% accuracy, even on old or handwritten documents;

• 45% faster: version 2025 literally flies over large files;

• truly universal: Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, web, Linux coming soon.

💸 Price: from €100.50/month on Windows, and from €129/year on Mac.

Wondershare PDFelement

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How do you choose the right alternative to Adobe Acrobat?

Summary table of the best alternatives to Adobe Acrobat

Software	Type of user	Key features	Entry price (in €)
Bluebeam	Building and civil engineering professionals	Construction, measurement and collaboration tools	From €240/year
Foxit PDF Editor	SMEs, multi-purpose	Complete editing, AI, fast OCR	From €129.67/year
LibreOffice Draw	Students, associations	Basic editing, free	Free
Master PDF Editor	Multi-OS, developers	Linux native, perpetual licence	Licence from €68
Nitro PDF Pro	Windows SME	Performance, Office conversions	From €16.80/month
PDF Expert	Apple users	Apple Pencil, iCloud, design	From €7.08/year or 149.99 perpetual licence
PDF-XChange Editor	Windows, engineers	70% free, 3D annotations	From €52.73/year
PDFescape	Nomads, occasional users	100% web, simple	From €2.54/month
PDFSam Basic	Administrative	Merger/division expert	Free
Sejda	Small business	Balanced web/desktop	From €5.50/month
Smallpdf	Mobile professionals	Intuitive interface, cloud	From €240/year
SumatraPDF	Read only	Ultra-fast, lightweight	Free
Wondershare PDFelement	Tech-savvy, students	Advanced AI, 300+ formats	From €100.50/year (Windows) or from €129/year (Mac)

(*): prices at the time of writing, subject to change, please consult the respective websites.

Criteria for selecting an alternative to Adobe Acrobat

Your operating system

If you're on a Mac, PDF Expert offers the smoothest experience with the Apple ecosystem.

For Linux, Master PDF Editor is virtually unrivalled.

Windows offers the most choice, with PDF-XChange Editor leading the way for value for money.

💡A lways check compatibility before embarking on a free trial.

Your budget

Let's calculate together:

• daily use justifies an annual investment: Foxit, Nitro ;
• while monthly use is perfectly fine with a perpetual licence: Master PDF Editor ;
• for occasional use, free options like LibreOffice Draw or freemium options like Smallpdf are more than enough.

☝️ Don't forget to calculate over 2 to 3 years to make a fair comparison between subscription and one-off purchase models.

Your real needs at the time

Let's be honest: do you really need all Adobe's features?

• for annotating and signing PDFs, Smallpdf is perfectly adequate;
• to edit complex documents on a daily basis, invest in Foxit or Wondershare;
• architects will naturally go for Bluebeam.

The classic mistake is to over-equip for your real needs.

Frequency of use

Occasional use (less than once a week) is perfectly fine with a web-based solution such as PDFescape or Sejda.

Daily use deserves a real desktop software solution with all its offline functions.

Between the two, hybrid solutions like Smallpdf offer an interesting compromise.

Confidentiality

For sensitive documents (contracts, personal data, intellectual property, etc.), it is best to choose solutions with local processing: Master PDF Editor, PDFSam, or the desktop version of Sejda.

Cloud solutions are practical, but they involve your documents passing through external servers, even temporarily. A word of caution.

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Is Adobe Acrobat a thing of the past? Perhaps it is... the choice is yours

Adobe Acrobat is still an excellent product, but its monopoly is definitely a thing of the past. Alternatives to Adobe are no longer content to imitate: they are innovating and often surpassing the original on specific points.

👉F or the majority of users, we recommend starting with Foxit PDF Editor (multi-skilled professionals) or Smallpdf (occasional use). These two solutions offer the best balance between functionality, price and ease of use.

👉 Apple users will prefer to invest in PDF Expert, while freeware fans will turn to LibreOffice Draw for basic needs or PDF-XChange Editor for more advanced functions.

👉 Artificial intelligence, much sought after by students and consultants, for example, is already very well integrated into Wondershare PDFelement. If you're looking to save time analysing and understanding large documents, this is the solution to look out for.

Our final piece of advice? Take advantage of free trials. Most solutions offer 7 to 30 days for testing. Start by identifying your three main needs (editing text? signing documents? merging PDFs?), then test one or two corresponding solutions. The era of accessible PDF has finally arrived. Now it's your turn.