Adobe Acrobat Reader vs. Smallpdf vs. Tungsten Power PDF

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Adobe Acrobat Reader
Score 8.6 out of 10
N/A
Acrobat Reader is a PDF viewer and converter, available as a free download from Adobe. Users can view, sign, collaborate on and annotate PDF files, or edit and convert PDFs into file formats like Excel and Word.N/A
Smallpdf
Score 6.6 out of 10
N/A
Made in Switzerland, Smallpdf is a company that offers a suite of document management tools for everyone-for work, for home, for life. Founded in Switzerland in 2013, Smallpdf provides what they describe as a simple, secure, and reliable answer to the world's PDF challenges. Smallpdf boasts serving over a billion users in 24 different languages since 2013, and in every country in the world.
$0
Tungsten Power PDF
Score 9.8 out of 10
Small Businesses (1-50 employees)
Tungsten Power PDF (formerly Kofax) is an easy-to-use, secure and inexpensive solution to manage PDFs for businesses and individuals. Benefits: Ease of Use: Works like Office desktop products, so it's easier to learn Compatibility: Works across devices and platforms, share documents in a storage cloud …
$129
one-time fee per license
Pricing
Adobe Acrobat ReaderSmallpdfTungsten Power PDF
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
Smallpdf Basic
$0.00
Smallpdf Pro
$12.00
per month
Smallpdf Pro
$108.00
per year
Power PDF Standard
$129
one-time fee per license
Power PDF for Mac
$129
one-time fee per license
Power PDF Advanced
$179
one-time fee per license
Power PDF Business
Get a Quote: Subscription and Perpetual available
per year per seat
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Adobe Acrobat ReaderSmallpdfTungsten Power PDF
Free Trial
NoYesYes
Free/Freemium Version
NoYesNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
NoNoYes
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional DetailsDiscounts are available for bulk purchasesDesktop licenses are buy once, own forever. No subscription fees. Business server licenses are term-based or perpetual with optional maintenance & support contract. Volume and upgrade discounts available.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Adobe Acrobat ReaderSmallpdfTungsten Power PDF
Considered Multiple Products
Adobe Acrobat Reader

No answer on this topic

Smallpdf

No answer on this topic

Tungsten Power PDF
Chose Tungsten Power PDF
For my purposes, it is a lot better than Adobe Acrobat across the board. Signing PDFs in Tungsten Power PDF are easier than in Adobe and the conversion is a lot better than in Adobe. I bought a copy of Tungsten Power PDF for my own personal use instead of the Adobe Suite that …
Chose Tungsten Power PDF
I asked a CFO group for recommendations, and selected Tungsten from their recommendations. It worked well and was within our cost range, so I didn't evaluate anything further. CFOLC was the group.
Chose Tungsten Power PDF
Similar functionality, easier to use, less expensive.
Chose Tungsten Power PDF
In my opinion, humble as it may be, Kofax has lots of power, an easier learning curve, and obviously a better price for the standalone Adobe or the monthly Adobe. SodaPDF (at the time cheaper than Nuance/Kofax) did not perform to expectations and left me wishing for Nuance PDF …
Chose Tungsten Power PDF
I think Adobe Acrobat is very slow and does not perform well with large documents. I often have documents that are thousands of pages long and with Adobe it's very difficult to open and load the document, let alone make changes. Kofax Power PDF, on the other hand, responds and …
Chose Tungsten Power PDF
In my experience, Kofax Power PDF is so much easier to use. Much more functionality
Chose Tungsten Power PDF
Acrobar Reader. More or less same functions but easier to use and way cheaper. We've been using Kofax and/or its predecessor Nuance for around 10 years now.
Chose Tungsten Power PDF
We selected Power PDF for its affordability and ease of use.
Many features are comparable to similar software, such as Adobe products.
We would be happy to see some improvements in Docusign and fillable forms.
Chose Tungsten Power PDF
There is no comparison between Reader and Kofax Power PDF. Kofax Power PDF allows you to truly work with pdfs and create usable documents. OCR, redaction and removal of metadata is essential to my line of business. We need to be able to mark up documents and comment. Kofax …
Chose Tungsten Power PDF
Adobe is way more expensive but easier to use
Chose Tungsten Power PDF
Reader is free but doesn't allow me to assemble reports
Chose Tungsten Power PDF
Kofax Power PDF is found to have a best value overall for the price tag when considering the features, ease of use (easier than Acrobat in my opinion since it is more obvious where to find the expected tools), and the user interface which is simple and well organized rather …
Chose Tungsten Power PDF
Power PDF stands up well against these other products except when users have created applications in Adobe Acrobat with features that Power PDF does not support. This happens occasionally with completable forms.
Chose Tungsten Power PDF
Just as easy as Adobe but without the monthly subscription.
Chose Tungsten Power PDF
Kofax Power PDF was the cheaper option with the functions I and others I’ve worked with needed. Most people don’t need to do many of the things offered by the more expensive and advanced version of Adobe. Kofax Power PDF has been a great fit.
Chose Tungsten Power PDF
Compared to online PDF editors, [Kofax Power PDF (formerly Nuance Power PDF)] Advanced is much easier to use and more robust.

Compared to Adobe Acrobat DC, Power PDF Advanced is not as intuitive and has a few missing functions, however price was a major consideration when …
Features
Adobe Acrobat ReaderSmallpdfTungsten Power PDF
PDF Editors
Comparison of PDF Editors features of Product A and Product B
Adobe Acrobat Reader
9.1
2 Ratings
4% above category average
Smallpdf
-
Ratings
Tungsten Power PDF
8.8
28 Ratings
1% above category average
Edit Text and Images9.02 Ratings00 Ratings6.026 Ratings
Merge or Split PDFs9.52 Ratings00 Ratings9.828 Ratings
Add Annotations9.02 Ratings00 Ratings9.326 Ratings
Text Recognition (OCR)8.02 Ratings00 Ratings7.122 Ratings
Page Management8.52 Ratings00 Ratings7.426 Ratings
Form Creation and Editing10.01 Ratings00 Ratings9.620 Ratings
Secure PDFs10.01 Ratings00 Ratings9.820 Ratings
Convert to Different Formats9.02 Ratings00 Ratings9.723 Ratings
Comment and Review Tools9.02 Ratings00 Ratings9.423 Ratings
Undo and Redo Actions8.52 Ratings00 Ratings9.723 Ratings
Best Alternatives
Adobe Acrobat ReaderSmallpdfTungsten Power PDF
Small Businesses
Tungsten Power PDF
Tungsten Power PDF
Score 9.8 out of 10
Square 9 Softworks
Square 9 Softworks
Score 9.7 out of 10
pdfFiller
pdfFiller
Score 9.0 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
pdfFiller
pdfFiller
Score 9.0 out of 10
MSB Docs
MSB Docs
Score 9.4 out of 10
pdfFiller
pdfFiller
Score 9.0 out of 10
Enterprises
Bluebeam
Bluebeam
Score 9.2 out of 10
Tungsten Capture
Tungsten Capture
Score 8.0 out of 10
Bluebeam
Bluebeam
Score 9.2 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Adobe Acrobat ReaderSmallpdfTungsten Power PDF
Likelihood to Recommend
9.5
(75 ratings)
8.7
(25 ratings)
9.8
(599 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
7.2
(2 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
9.8
(112 ratings)
Usability
9.5
(3 ratings)
9.5
(6 ratings)
9.8
(46 ratings)
Availability
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
9.1
(13 ratings)
Performance
-
(0 ratings)
9.4
(6 ratings)
9.1
(13 ratings)
Support Rating
-
(0 ratings)
9.9
(2 ratings)
9.9
(435 ratings)
In-Person Training
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
3.6
(1 ratings)
Online Training
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
8.2
(1 ratings)
Implementation Rating
10.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
9.1
(33 ratings)
Configurability
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
9.1
(9 ratings)
Ease of integration
-
(0 ratings)
6.8
(6 ratings)
9.1
(10 ratings)
Product Scalability
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
9.1
(12 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
9.1
(7 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
9.1
(7 ratings)
User Testimonials
Adobe Acrobat ReaderSmallpdfTungsten Power PDF
Likelihood to Recommend
Adobe
After creating a document, converting it into Adobe Acrobat Reader is usually very easy for storage in my computer, sending/sharing via emails, etc. This also saves a significant amount of unnecessary printing and paper waste, which is great for reducing waste. I don't have to worry about not having the right software/app to view, edit, and share with anyone.
Read full review
Smallpdf
As per my knowledge and experience, Small PDF is well suited when we want to convert the large and bulk processing on the images to convert them into a single file and share. I found it well suited for college students because daily they scan multiple images and merge them to send as a single assignment file. Smallpdf has the future in the education field. Sometimes it is less appropriate for the people who want to share official documents by converting them into pdf without a watermark. I personally really like the Small PDF, it really helped reduce the difficulty of sending files, and photos to others.
Read full review
Tungsten Automation (formerly Kofax)
GREAT for combining documents into a single PDF. Great for working with a PDF. Not so great converting PDF to Word format. Would like to see more effort put into that development. Would like to see more effective testing of updates prior to pushing them out as well. Otherwise it is awesome.
Read full review
Pros
Adobe
  • It has all the tools that individuals need for reading/doing light editing of PDF files.
  • It is the most secure PDF reader on the market, and it tends to get patched with timely updates on a regular basis.
  • It usually works very well, as far as the software itself. It doesn't crash a lot, or is particularly an error prone software platform.
Read full review
Smallpdf
  • It's PDF editing tool suite is extremely comprehensive.
  • Drag & Drop functionality and intuitive user interface means non-technical users can easily use most of its features.
  • It's online-first design avoids typical problems of depending on one specific computer for specific tasks.
Read full review
Tungsten Automation (formerly Kofax)
  • Typewriter functionality is great, although can take some time to load. This allows you to fill in text wherever applicable without turning the rest of the pdf into editable text.
  • Fast load times
  • Has autogenerated text feature so anything in the pdf can become editable
Read full review
Cons
Adobe
  • Being able to add image "stamps" to a document is a little tricky as the stamp has to already be in PDF format (at least on Mac) to work. This mean you have to convert the image to PDF before you can use it as a stamp.
  • Being only able to save one signature and one set of initials is a bit of a pain but you can actually use stamps if you need different versions frequently used scribbles for various reasons. The stamp won't secure the document and prevent future changes the same way the signature would though.
  • All of the other features you might want to use are only included with Acrobat Pro but the options are all displayed in the Reader app. When clicked they will offer the free trial that leads to a paid subscription. This is more of an annoyance but you can't fault Adobe for trying to make a sale.
Read full review
Smallpdf
  • It has everything I'm not sure what I will say. E-sign, Share, convert. You can give an option in upload priorities features which I can see later.
  • Background remover thing also you can add in it. So I can remove the unnecessary thing from an image.
  • You can add a chatbot for help.
Read full review
Tungsten Automation (formerly Kofax)
  • I find that quickly editing text within a document or adding a line of text is clunky and can snowball into things popping out of place. I prefer to export text, and then work on it elsewhere.
  • Sometimes it seems that text recognition is trying too hard and throws me paper punches as "O"s and wrinkles as shapes, so I have to get rid of those artifacts.
  • The "Update Available" popup which is usually not an actual update announcement but rather an offer to sell me something is annoying.
Read full review
Likelihood to Renew
Adobe
To be honest, I do not have any say in the renewal of Adobe Acrobat Reader DC. It is managed at an enterprise level, and the decision to renew or not renew is handled well above my pay grade as an external consultant.
Read full review
Smallpdf
No answers on this topic
Tungsten Automation (formerly Kofax)
Tungsten Power PDF is easy to use, the staff all like it, and there are no issues with it on any level. It is a more cost-effective solution to our PDF needs than other products currently available on the market. This product works as intended and it fits our business needs perfectly.
Read full review
Usability
Adobe
Again, Adobe Creative Suite is widely used and backed by an industry leader, making the experience very familiar and common for anyone who has used a PDF and wants more features to interact with it. It also makes copy text a lot easier than just previewing the file.
Read full review
Smallpdf
I give this rating to Smallpdf because it comes with a large array of tools and gadgets. It allows not only pdf reading but also mixing, splitting, conversion to and from pdf, pdf compression or protecting. It is really complete and it works excellent compared to other much more expensive alternatives in the market.
Read full review
Tungsten Automation (formerly Kofax)
It is fast and easy to get the hang of. It really didn't take a lot of effort to learn how to use this program and I appreciated that it was pretty "plug and play" and there wasn't a long learning curve.
Read full review
Reliability and Availability
Adobe
No answers on this topic
Smallpdf
No answers on this topic
Tungsten Automation (formerly Kofax)
Other that a PDF partially disappearing if left up for a long period of time - no issues. (If you close it and reopen it, it is all there. We have some PDFs that are 400-600 pages long.)
Read full review
Performance
Adobe
No answers on this topic
Smallpdf
1.- Because it is easy to use and each function is duly indicated so you can not go wrong. 2.- Its service is fast, it takes only a few seconds to transform the files and in less than a minute it is downloaded and you can occupy it without problem. 4.-This IS online so you do not install anything, which is very useful because you can also use it from a tablet or your mobile
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Tungsten Automation (formerly Kofax)
Pages nearly always load at the expected rapid speed. Some documents that print quickly from Adobe Reader print much more slowly from Power PDF. I have never generated a report - that's a feature I didn't know existed until now and do not know what it's for
Read full review
Support Rating
Adobe
No answers on this topic
Smallpdf
Everything is so simple and works so well, you shouldn't need support, but on the one occasion in several years that I needed it, support was quick and courteous.
Read full review
Tungsten Automation (formerly Kofax)
I have used it for 15 years and have only needed support once: a simple update that allowed me to use the software as intended. The support team was attentive and responsive, and I was on my way very quickly.
Read full review
In-Person Training
Adobe
No answers on this topic
Smallpdf
No answers on this topic
Tungsten Automation (formerly Kofax)
I got an overview of the product from my predecessor who was about to retire from the job I now hold. He did not go into very many of the features and probably only knew about the ones he used most frequently.
Read full review
Online Training
Adobe
No answers on this topic
Smallpdf
No answers on this topic
Tungsten Automation (formerly Kofax)
We watched the training videos and tested out the features and functionality side by side. Some features are not used on a regular basis is it is convenient to go back and review training on that particular functionality when needed.
Read full review
Implementation Rating
Adobe
The application is pretty much "plug and play"
Read full review
Smallpdf
No answers on this topic
Tungsten Automation (formerly Kofax)
Easy and quick, with no problems or support needed. Worked as intended right out of the box. E-signing was the only area that implementation was dificult and required support
Read full review
Alternatives Considered
Adobe
We have reviewed DocuSign in comparison to [Adobe] Acrobat Reader [DC's] e-sign capabilities. We found that DocuSign has more robust options when creating contracts and consent capabilities. DocuSign's online UI is much more suited to this type of task as well. However, we decided to stick with [Adobe] Acrobat Reader DC because of the price (DocuSign is more expensive) and we felt we didn't need all of the bells and whistles for contract signature and consent.
Read full review
Smallpdf
I think that Smallpdf stacks up against its competitors in terms of easiness of use. The tool is very user-friendly, every feature is communicated in an efficient way and very simple to user so the user doesn't have to be particularly good at using software. Its features are superficial when compared to Acrobat but easiest to use for sure.
Read full review
Tungsten Automation (formerly Kofax)
There is nothing to compare it to. Tungsten Power PDF is by far an easier and more efficient option. The one advantage of CutePDF is the functionality of overlay and underlay with headers and footers. The other functions in Tungsten Power PDF are much easier to use. Pricing is also an attractive option.
Read full review
Scalability
Adobe
No answers on this topic
Smallpdf
No answers on this topic
Tungsten Automation (formerly Kofax)
Not really familiar since I'm the only person who uses it. But in the past it has been my understanding that Power PDF was offered only on a single-license basis, so it's been expensive for me to use it at home and at work because I had to pay for it on my own. In my current position management supports it so I at least only have to pay for it once.
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Return on Investment
Adobe
  • It's available for free, so there is no excuse to not install
  • Contains features that you would normally have to pay for in competitor software, so it has a positive impact on ROI
  • Reduces the amount of printing
  • Decreases the amount of time spent on regulatory and governance documentation
Read full review
Smallpdf
  • It has definitely increased efficiency. Lower paid employees can complete a simple task with Smallpdf rather than having a higher paid employee use their time to do it differently.
  • Smallpdf decreases the customer-response time. Being able to send over the proper sized file quickly makes us look great!
Read full review
Tungsten Automation (formerly Kofax)
  • Although it was expensive to get the program (just under $200), I found that it was nice that there was only that one time charge. If there were updating or annual fees, I think that would be a deal breaker. Thankfully there isn't, though!
Read full review
ScreenShots

Smallpdf Screenshots

Screenshot of Desktop AppScreenshot of Homepage

Tungsten Power PDF Screenshots

Screenshot of the PDF Create Assistant, which can be used to create multiple PDFs at the same time from a variety of source formats. Create individual PDFs, or combine into one PDF package.Screenshot of PDF Profiles that can be created to apply commonly desired settings to new PDF documents created in Power PDF.Screenshot of the application's color, changed from purple to blue, light gray or dark gray.Screenshot of some lightweight document automation that can also be achieved with the Watched Folder and Sequence features.Screenshot of where packages can be signed with pre built templates using Kofax Sign Doc or other integrating e-signersScreenshot of PDFs that can be navigated with a thumbnail view