It comes with a monthly subscription charge of $14.99. Adobe Pro 2017, an older, standalone version, is available for a hefty price-tag of $449. These rates are way beyond what a normal user can afford. We believe these reasons are enough for anyone to look for an Adobe Acrobat alternative — or one better PDF editor for Mac. How to choose the. Affinity Designer is what I use as an alternative to Illustrator. Acrobat Pro I have no need for, build in Mac Tools do all I need. Including adding my signature. For proper digital signing, I'd. OK let’s take a look at five of the most popular Adobe Acrobat alternatives out there: 1. Nitro Pro PDF Editor. Nitro Pro is probably the closest PDF editing application to Adobe Acrobat DC Pro. It comes with so many PDF editing tools and functions and ideal if you want a professional PDF application. The interface is great with Nitro Pro. Adobe Acrobat editor is only offered as a paid product (unlike Acrobat Reader which is free but lacks edit options) and can be purchased as a monthly or yearly subscription, or downloaded as a desktop version for a one-time fee. FineReader Pro for Mac might not be as popular as other PDF editors on the market but it is also one of the best alternatives for Adobe Acrobat Pro for Mac. The software can be used for a lot of things like OCR PDF documents and editing images in PDF.
Do you need to read and create PDF documents as part of your business?
PDF documents are very useful. You can distribute your valuable content and keep it secure so that others cannot change it. No matter what operating system the recipient as they can open a PDF document. So it’s a good idea to have a good PDF editor application on your computer.
Most people will naturally gravitate towards Adobe Acrobat because Adobe created the PDF format and they therefore believe that it’s the best software for the job.
If you just want to read PDF documents then the free Adobe Acrobat Reader DC will do everything that you need. But if you want to do more with PDF’s, such as create them and edit them then you’ll need the Adobe Acrobat Pro DC which comes with a pretty heavy price tag.
The good news is that there are some very good alternatives to Adobe Acrobat that are simple to use and will have all of the tools that you need to view, create, edit and protect your PDF documents.
I’ll share my thoughts on five of the best alternatives and what they offer here so that you can make the right decision.
Why you should look for an alternative to Adobe Acrobat?
The first reason is the price of the software. Adobe is a software giant and they charge giant prices for their applications. For the standard version of Adobe Acrobat DC Pro you can expect to pay around $450. You can purchase a subscription to the software but this is going to be in the region of $180 per year.
What kind of features do you need from a PDF editor?
Well, most people are only going to want to use some basic features to create and be able to simply edit PDF documents. The features in Adobe Acrobat DC Pro go far beyond that and this is overkill for most users.
There’ve been a number of security scares with Adobe Acrobat. Yes Adobe have rolled out numerous updates to fix security issues but can you be really sure that it’s totally secure against hacking? Not only that, but with new updates there’s always the possibility that new security vulnerabilities may emerge.
What should a good PDF Editor do?
There are some freeware applications out there that will let you perform simple PDF editing tasks. You need to be careful with these as some will leave a watermark on your document which does not look good. People that receive your PDF documents with watermarks in them are going to think that you are doing things on the cheap!
Best Alternative To Adobe Acrobat Pro For Mac
I use a PDF editor to carry out a number of tasks and I believe that if you are going to spend your hard-earned cash on an application then it should be able to do at least the following:
- Create a PDF document from scratch
- Convert documents of different formats into PDF format (e.g. word processing documents, spreadsheets and presentations)
- Convert a PDF document into other document formats
- Be able to edit a PDF like you would a Word document (e.g. add or delete text and edit existing text, add or delete images, add or edit hyperlinks etc)
- Have tools for checking PDF documents such as spell-check
- Create a PDF document from a scanned image
- Add different levels of security to your PDF document
You may be looking for more advanced features than this. Perhaps you have to deal with sensitive or confidential documents and you need to control who can access what. Or you may need to completely remove certain information for some users for confidentiality and security reasons.
Now some of you may want to carry out your PDF editing using a smartphone or tablet device. I wouldn’t recommend this because the smaller screen sizes can make editing a PDF quite a challenge. But if that’s the way you want to go then you need to check to see if there is a mobile app version of the software that’s compatible with your phone.
OK let’s take a look at five of the most popular Adobe Acrobat alternatives out there:
1. Nitro Pro PDF Editor
Nitro Pro is probably the closest PDF editing application to Adobe Acrobat DC Pro. It comes with so many PDF editing tools and functions and ideal if you want a professional PDF application.
The interface is great with Nitro Pro. Nitro Pro’s interface resembles the Microsoft Word ribbon menu structure which other PDF editors use. If you’ve used Word before then using this application will be easy for you and you won’t have to go through a big learning curve.
Professional PDF editing of this quality doesn’t come cheap but it’s less expensive than Adobe Acrobat Pro. You can purchase Nitro Pro with 10 user licenses directly from their website.
If you want to use a mobile device for your PDF editing then this is not the software for you because there are no mobile apps available. In fact you can only use Nitro Pro on a Windows computer at the time of writing this.
These are some of the things that you can do with Nitro Pro:
- Create new PDF documents
- Import documents from other applications such as Word, PowerPoint and Excel
- Integrate your emails
- Convert to PDF/A
- Add, edit or delete text
- Add edit or delete images
- Convert PDF’s to other formats such as Word and Excel
- Drag and drop functionality
- Electronically sign documents
- Review tracking features
- Optical Character Recognition for scanning
- Redaction and whiteout
- Implement different levels of security
One of the disadvantages of Nitro Pro is that it supports fewer formats than Adobe Acrobat. This will probably not be an issue for most people but if you need a specific format then check before purchasing.
2. Foxit Phantom PDF Editor
The Foxit Phantom range of PDF editor applications is another good alternative to Adobe Acrobat. For Windows users, there is the choice of the Standard or Business version and there is a version for the Mac OS too. You can also get a version for Linux as well.
There is also a mobile app available from Foxit if you really want to edit PDF’s with a mobile device. Again the Foxit Phantom product is for professional PDF editors who require a lot of functionality.
The interface is intuitive with Foxit Phantom based on the Word ribbon menu structure. It will not take you long to get used to it. You can see the pricing of the Foxit Phantom series and you can also download a free trial of the software.
Some of the features of the Foxit Phantom PDF editor include:
- Create new PDF documents
- Import documents from other applications such as Word, PowerPoint and Excel
- Add, edit or delete text
- Add edit or delete images
- Convert PDF’s to other formats such as Word and Excel
- Create tagged PDF documents
- Confidential information black out
- Electronically sign documents
- Review tracking features
- Implement different levels of security
There are not many drawbacks with the Foxit Phantom software, to be honest. The only language available is English at the time of writing, and if you need telephone support you will have to call a number in the USA which is not great if you live in another part of the world.
3. PDF XChange Pro Editor
If you use a Windows PC and are looking for a lot of functionality at a low price then the PDF XChange Pro Editor is a good option. A single-user license for this application is usually less than $60 which is a very good value for money. Go here for the latest pricing information.
One of the really good things about the PDF XChange Editor is that the free version has around 60% of the functionality of the full version. So the smart move is to download it first and see if it meets all of your PDF editing needs before you purchase a license.
There is no version of the PDF XChange Editor for the Mac user nor are there any apps available for mobile users. The application supports a number of formats such as the commonly used Microsoft Office formats.
If you want all of the functionality it’s best to go for the PDF Xchange Pro package as it contains all of the features provided by the standard version and the PDF tools package. With the PDF XChange Pro Editor, you will get features such as:
- Create new PDF documents
- Import documents from other applications such as Word, PowerPoint and Excel
- Add, edit or delete text
- Add edit or delete images
- Convert PDF’s into image or text format
- Use markup for commenting
- Confidential information black out
- Implement different levels of security
Although the PDF XChange Pro interface is pretty intuitive and you’ll be able to jump into editing tasks pretty quickly, editing a lot of text in a PDF can be a bit tiresome. Also, be aware that in the trial version of this application it will leave watermarks on PDF’s you create.
4. Qoppa PDF Studio
This is more expensive than the PDF XChange Pro but it does more. You can use the software on Windows PC’s, a Mac and Linux. There are also apps for mobile users but these are fairly limited in functionality.
There is a Standard version of Ooppa PDF Studio but for around $40 more you get everything in the Pro version. There is a free trial version you can download and you can find out more on the official website.
The user interface for the Qoppa PDF Studio is not as straight forward as some of the other alternative PDF editors. I’d say that it looks pretty cluttered. You’re fairly limited with image editing but apart from that, the Pro version is a solid PDF editor.
Here are some of the features of the Qoppa PDF Studio Pro version:
- New PDF creation
- Edit existing PDF’s
- Document conversion
- Markup and annotation
- Append or delete pages
- Form design function
- OCR functionality
- Redaction
- Compare PDF Documents
- Digital signing of PDF’s
- Implement different security levels
5. Nuance Power PDF
The last of my alternative PDF editors is the Nuance Power PDF. It isn’t the cheapest alternative to Adobe Acrobat Pro but it will save you a lot of money of its feature provide what you want from a PDF editor.
There is a Standard and Advanced version for Windows PC’s and a Standard version for the Mac. You can see the latest pricing for the various packages on the official website. The company doesn’t offer any mobile apps for its PDF editors at the time of writing.
The interface with the Nuance Power PDF is pretty user-friendly and when you use the software there are two modes of editing which are comment/check and advanced. This is a very good PDF editor and as you would expect the Advanced package has all of the professional features. That said the Standard version should meet the needs of most.
With the Nuance Power PDF editor, you’ll get features such as:
- New PDF creation
- Edit existing PDF’s
- Document conversion
- Markup and annotation
- Scanner integration
- Redaction (Advanced)
- Digital signing (Advanced)
- Security implementation
Conclusion
Now that you know there are good alternatives to the Adobe Acrobat Pro you can decide which one is right for you and save a lot of money. If you want to create new PDF documents and edit existing ones then it’s unlikely that any freeware will be able to satisfy your requirements so you’ll need to purchase one of the good alternatives.
2020-12-28 17:33:46 • Filed to: macOS 10.15 • Proven solutions
Adobe Acrobat has been round for so many years, that we instinctively think of it when we think of PDF documents. But that mindset has been slowly, but steadily changing in the past few years. The reality is that there is more than one Adobe Acrobat alternative for macOS 10.15.
Dealing with PDF can be a pain at times. And before we get to the best alternative to acrobat for macOS 10.15, we have to stress the fact that PDF has become a necessity. You need PDF to create, share, and edit portable documents. Almost every native Mac operating system application allows you to export content into PDF. As such, PDF is a vital part of your Mac experience.
10 Alternatives to Adobe Acrobat for macOS 10.15
Given that Adobe Acrobat is becoming too pricey and expensive, people are always looking for another alternative. Not to mention, Acrobat is becoming slower, and nowadays, there is even free Adobe Acrobat Pro for macOS 10.15 alternative. With that in mind, we will look at some of the best alternatives you can use, talking about their features, price, and system support.
1. PDFelement for macOS 10.15
One of the more comprehensive tools you will find on the market is PDFelement. You get everything you need for manipulating and using PDF files and documents. With PDFelement, you get control over your PDF documents like never before.
Features:
- Viewing PDF files with 5 comfortable modes.
- Create/convert PDF files from from/to any format.
- Create and fill fillable forms.
- Edit documents like on a Word processor, including photos and text.
- Add annotations to PDF, including notes, strikethrough, stamps, freehand drawing etc.
With the Pro version, you also get the ability to:
- Batch process files
- Archive PDF files
- Add signature
- Support XFA forms
- Bates numbering
- The star of the show, which is the top of the world OCR technology for turning any digital image into fully searchable and fillable PDF document.
Price: $69 yearly for the Standard version, $99 for the Pro version
System support: Windows, iOS, macOS, Android
2. PDF Expert
The two main characteristics of PDF expert are fast and robust PDF editor. The star of the PDF expert is the viewing experience. You can read PDF files better than in a book, thanks to the advanced settings like Day or Night mood that please your eyes.
Features:
- Search indexing for best PDF search.
- Annotations and notes to documents, compatible with Apple Pencil.
- Edit text, images, links, and even reduce file size.
- Manage pages by merging files or adding page numbering.
All of these features make PDF Expert one of the top rated paid apps in the App store. If you need a PDF tool for reading, there are few that offer more features than PDF Expert.
Price: $79.99
System support: iOS, macOS
3. Foxit PhantomPDF for Mac
Looking for a reliable Adobe Acrobat alternative? Foxit PhantomPDF is a software solution many users praise for its highly-efficient editor. There are multiple tools that allow users to take complete control over the PDF document. One of the best things about Foxit PhantomPDF is the interface, which is easy on the eye, easy to use, simple to navigate, and loaded with intuitive commands. If you have ever used Microsoft Office before, Foxit Phantom will look very familiar. Here are some of the main features:
Features:
- Add headers footers, and watermarks to organize your PDF document.
- Create files by converting any file format or exporting images and HTML to PDF.
- Compress images and clear our objects or user data to reduce file size.
- Insert and merge PDF documents together, or split PDF documents for better organization.
- Fill in PDF forms, or import/export form data for data collection.
- Fill XFA forms.
- Navigate through the document using bookmarks.
Price: $129 one time purchase
System support: Windows, macOS, Linux
4. PDF Studio for Mac
If you want a basic alternative to Adobe Acrobat for macOS 10.15 Catalina, and you do not want to spend a dime, PDF Studio is the tool for you. With PDF Studio, you get almost all of the file management functionalities of Adobe Acrobat, but for a price of zero dollars. The best part about the tool is that you retain the standardized outlay of edited PDF files.
Features:
- Numerous annotation functions.
- Form filling functions.
- Versatile file converter.
- Cloud support for files thanks to the integrated Google SharePoint.
If you are satisfied with the free trial version, we strongly recommend buying the standard or Pro version, and enjoy even more features.
Price: $89 for Standard version, $129 for the Pro version
System support: macOS, Linux, Windows
5. Infix PDF Editor for macOS 10.15
The moment you start the tool, you will notice the attention to details. Everything is where it is supposed to be, and you can easily maneuver your way through the tool. Working like a normal word processor, it is quite easy to use, not to mention, quick. There are no interface gimmicks, making it one of the great alternatives to Adobe Acrobat. You get a huge range of editing tools, and it costs significantly less than the Acrobat. There are many functionalities and features, but simplicity is at the heart of the design. Simply put, it was made to ensure even the most novice user can handle it.
Features:
- Easy text editing, including fonts, size, color.
- Find and replace text, including words and phrases, search through multiple PDF documents.
- Spell checker in 15 different languages.
- Turn any document into a PDF thanks to the Infix printer.
- Create interactive PDF forms.
- Free use of translation facilities from transPDF.com.
- Add notes, marks, shapes, comments, text highlights, and more annotation tools.
Price: $99 one-off payment per user, or $9.99 per month
System support: macOS, Windows
6. PDFpenPro
PDFpenPro comes with a wide range of features, and it is designed to suit professionals. The interface is optimized for professional usage. Once you open the tool, the first thing you see is a black screen. From there, you can insert content, and it can be anything you like. There are different viewing options available, including multi-tab. Simply said, this tool is much more comprehensive, and is designed for more experienced users. Novice users will have a harder time navigating through the tool and finding all of the features they need.
When it comes to editing and managing PDF files, PDFpenPro checks all of the boxes. Here is a quick overview of the features:
Features:
Best Alternative To Adobe Acrobat Pro For Mac
- Edit text and images, all of the editing options are in the same toolbar for easier navigation.
- Precision tool, recognizing parts of the page that needs to be removed.
- Turn websites into PDF files with a single click.
- Export PDF files into Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, and PowerPoint.
- Form field recognition tool that scans your document to check if there are any pages you need to add information.
- One of the most advanced OCR technology on the market, with a batch OCR available.
Best Alternative To Adobe Acrobat Pro For Mac
Price: $74.95 Standard single user, $124.95 Pro single user
System support: macOS
7. ABBYY FineReader Pro for Mac
If the only thing you need is OCR technology, then you should consider the ABBYY FineReader. The tool has been made specifically for OCR users. The program will convert any scanned image into a fully editable text, and fully searchable document. Simply put, it is the best PDF tool for OCR technology.
With that in mind, you should not expect any advanced PDF tools. The standard tools are basically non-existent.
However, you can use OCR even on the lowest quality images. Of course, the result will be better with a higher-quality image. If you want a PDF tool for standard editing and conversion needs, however, look for another one. This is not the tool for that.
Price: $119
System support: macOS
8. Preview
If you need just the basic PDF features, and you are not willing to spend any money, you can try using Preview. This is the default and pre-built PDF tool in your macOS. Preview was designed to allow user view and annotate PDF documents. The downside however, is that you cannot edit PDF documents.
Features:
- Add text and shapes to the document.
- Export files to PDF.
- View PDF documents.
Therefore, if you just need to add some annotations to your PDF file, Preview will do just fine. But if you need any edits, you will need another and more comprehensive PDF tool.
Price: Free
System support: macOS
Conclusion
We suggested a couple of options for an alternative to Adobe Acrobat in the latest macOS, Catalina. But which is the best one? We strongly believe that PDFelement is your best choice. Why? Because it provides all of the features of Adobe Acrobat, but at a lower cost. And works faster, and more efficient.
The intuitive interface, bugs-free operation, and efficient workflow, will ensure you have peace of mind while managing your PDF documents. If you like, you can try the trial version, which is free, and see if it suits your needs. Praised among users worldwide, PDFelement brings much better value for money than Adobe Acrobat. In addition to all of the editing tools, you also get the ability to add watermarks and digital signatures.
Let’s revisit some of the main features of PDFelement.
- Edit documents with a full-featured word processor.
- Convert PDF to other file formats, all while retaining layout and formatting.
- Add comments, sticky notes, and text boxes to files to make them look more professionally.
- Easily create and distribute fillable forms through the PDF file.
- Redact confidential parts of the document.
- Use OCR technology to make any digital image fully searchable and editable document.
Free Download or Buy PDFelement right now!
Free Download or Buy PDFelement right now!
Buy PDFelement right now!
Buy PDFelement right now!