All those who use PDF files know perfectly that the most famous program for this type of document is Adobe Acrobat . But that does not mean that there are no equally interesting alternatives, but less known, and that is why today we are going to show them to you.
As we have told you, there are several alternatives that are much more than interesting, but they are not as well known as Adobe Acrobat. The first thing we have to know in order to better understand this software and its alternatives is exactly what we are talking about.
What is Adobe Acrobat?
Adobe Acrobat is a software that is present for Windows and mobile devices , created by the Adobe company (well known for programs such as Photoshop or Premiere), which is capable of managing PDF files in different ways.
This tool has become over the years the most used and is one of the programs that users first install on their computer, since PDF files (created by Adobe itself) have become a standard in the documents that we all receive on a daily basis.
With Adobe Acrobat we can perform very interesting tasks such as:
- View, edit and create PDF documents.
- We can modify PDF files that have already been created.
- You can combine PDF files and even rearrange, crop, rotate or delete document pages.
- It also supports DOCX and PPT files, among others.
- You can protect a PDF file against all kinds of uses.
- It is capable of converting Word, Excel or JPG files among others to PDF and vice versa.
- PDF files can be created for technical use in Microsoft Project, Visio, or Autodesk AutoCAD.
- We can have files shared with other users, seeing in real time what is done in said document.
Versions
There are currently three versions of this software, one of them free, while the following are paid.
- Adobe Acrobat Reader : this is the free version in which we can only use it as a PDF document reader and little else, since its functions are very limited. It is compatible with Windows, macOS, Android and iOS.
- Adobe Acrobat Standard DC : in this case we are dealing with a monthly subscription payment version, which allows us, among other things, to create, edit and sign PDF files at a cost of 15.72 euros per month (one-year commitment), with Windows-only support.
- Adobe Acrobat Pro DC : this is the version with all possible functions. Its cost involves a monthly subscription, with a commitment to stay for one year, paying 18.14 euros per month. It is fully compatible with Windows and Mac.
Alternatives
Now that we know what this Adobe software is capable of, we can know what are the most interesting alternatives that we have right now on the market.
Alternatives to Adobe Acrobat Reader
Foxit Reader
This reader is one of the main alternatives to the Adobe PDF reader. Its interface is very similar to what we see in Microsoft Office, so one gets used to its handling quickly. It allows to carry out more tasks than those that Acrobat Reader leaves, being also free, since with Foxit Reader we will be able to read, edit, sign, merge, divide or comment PDF files.
Download Foxit Reader
Nitro PDF Reader
This is another very interesting PDF reader, since it not only reads these types of files, but we can also put a comment or annotation . It is very similar in design to the previous example, as they have a great similarity to Microsoft Office. It works very well and is really fast when it comes to opening files, even if they are quite large.
Download Nitro PDF Reader
Slim PDF Reader
It is not a reader that offers many more features, but the good thing about it is its speed when opening PDFs . In addition, it is not at all demanding with the system so we can install it on computers that are not precisely powerful. The downside is that we only have one reader and nothing else.
Download Slim PDF Reader
Alternatives to Adobe Acrobat DC and Pro DC
Nitro Pro
This is a great PDF file handling program. The interface is very slick and really intuitive. All the functions that we have in the Pro version of Acrobat are present in this software. In addition, it supports sharing in the cloud with monitoring of all file movements in real time, as well as being a very powerful tool that works with astonishing speed. It is paid and has a cost of 159 euros per user forever. The versatility and power of this software places it as the main opponent that Adobe Acrobat has in its Pro version.
Download Nitro Pro
Foxit Phantom PDF
It is a very complete tool and with which we can manage PDF files in a lot of possible ways, with many functions, without having to envy anything to Adobe Acrobat Pro. Thanks to the Connected PDF function we can manage access to a file, controlling at all times what changes or modifies it.
The operation of this application is really good with a wide range of tools geared towards accessibility. Its cheapest cost is 139 euros in a single payment.
Download Foxit Phantom PDF
PDF-XChange Editor
In this case we have a powerful tool that also has a much more competitive price than all the ones we have seen so far. We can have it for 40 euros, while the Plus version goes up to 51 euros.
This software allows us to create, comment on, edit or modify PDF files, in addition to putting signatures on them and exporting them to other formats such as various Microsoft Office formats. If we go to the Plus version we will find the same functions, but adding some such as creating forms, for example. It is also capable of reading PDFs aloud, but not only the entire text, but also the pieces that we indicate. Something we like a lot is that the toolbar is highly customizable, to give it the touch that we want.
