Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
Adobe Acrobat
Score 8.8 out of 10
N/A
Adobe Acrobat DC is the current version of the well-established document / PDF management solution, part of the Adobe Document Cloud (the other part being Adobe's eSign services based on technology acquired with EchoSign in 2011).
$29.99
per month per seat
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
Adobe Express
Score 8.8 out of 10
N/A
Adobe Creative Cloud Express (formerly Adobe Spark) is a task-based, web and mobile product used to create and share rich multimedia content – from social media posts and stories to invitations to marketing materials like logos, flyers and banners.
$0
Pricing
Adobe AcrobatAdobe Acrobat ReaderAdobe Express
Editions & Modules
Acrobat Pro for Individuals
$19.99
per month
Acrobat Pro for Teams
$23.99
per month per user
Acrobat Studio for Individuals
$24.99
per month
No answers on this topic
Free
$0.00
Premium
$9.99 / $99.99
per month
Teams
$9.99
per month per user
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Adobe AcrobatAdobe Acrobat ReaderAdobe Express
Free Trial
YesNoYes
Free/Freemium Version
NoNoYes
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
YesNoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeOptionalNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional DetailsContact Adobe directly for Enterprise pricing plan details.
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Adobe AcrobatAdobe Acrobat ReaderAdobe Express
Considered Multiple Products
Adobe Acrobat
Chose Adobe Acrobat
I feel like Adobe Acrobat does it all from converting files to and from PDFs while it preserves the formatting. although Adobe Acrobat Sign and Adobe Acrobat Reader are pretty self explanatory i just feel that Adobe Acrobat has and does it all. This is what i love the most.
Chose Adobe Acrobat
I have not used any products that is similar to Adobe Acrobat.
Chose Adobe Acrobat
Adobe Acrobat stacks up way above Apple Preview. There is just no comparison. Adobe Acrobat is just way more robust and even though Adobe Acrobat has way more features I think it is far easier to use than Apple Preview. Apple Preview is seldom used in our company. Adobe Acrobat …
Chose Adobe Acrobat
I selected Adobe Acrobat as i have been using it for quiet a long time and I have spend years using it and with a learning curve or other apps i dont want to learn a new service. Also Adobe Acrobat does all the work I have been doing for years
Chose Adobe Acrobat
it has many more features. I have always used adobe products
Chose Adobe Acrobat
I primarily use Acrobat for most PDF related tasks. While I have use Express for light PDF tasks, I mainly stick to Acrobat because when you start the desktop app, you have access to the full tool set. While Express is very convenient when you are on the move, I will move …
Chose Adobe Acrobat
They are very easy to use and go between all softwares. You can easily take document through the difference softwares and make edits
Chose Adobe Acrobat
Adobe Acrobat is the only player I know. In my experience, Adobe Acrobat is easily accessible.
Chose Adobe Acrobat
Adobe Acrobat is more robust and does much more than Reader. Reader is basic but, I think Adobe Acrobat is a huge step up.
Chose Adobe Acrobat
Adobe Acrobat is a clear-cut winner against the competition and the industry standard for PDF editing.
Chose Adobe Acrobat
The most important factor in choosing and using Adobe Acrobat is that it is an Adobe Suite software and nicely integrates with the other Adobe software we use to create print projects, such as InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator. It is also convenient that Acrobat has the free …
Chose Adobe Acrobat
Both read documents through Adobe, which is better for security and because the service is more optimized.
Adobe Acrobat Reader

No answer on this topic

Adobe Express
Chose Adobe Express
We previously used Canva and evaluated it as an alternative. While it works well for basic design needs, Adobe Express stands out for several reasons: deeper integration with Adobe’s creative ecosystem, more powerful AI tools, higher-quality templates, and the ability to edit …
Chose Adobe Express
I choose to use Adobe Express because to me it is stress free product I don't have to "invent the wheel" with what I am creating, with the features it has, it helps with the creative process. I also selected because you can add video to it and edit it out in a simple and easy …
Chose Adobe Express
I like to use express since it us easier with the adobe echo system which is my wirkflow
Chose Adobe Express
Adobe Express stands out for me. This product is amazing!
Chose Adobe Express
I don’t want to pay for Canva subscription and Adobe is already included in my subscription so it’s better for me
Chose Adobe Express
Adobe Express is similar in functionality with Canva, what makes it better is having an ecosystem with it's other products that sync the assets as they are built so you don't have to export and upload everything everytime which makes it faster compared to Canva
Chose Adobe Express
So far I use them about the same, I am used to more of the traditional Adobe products so I'm still navigating this one.
Chose Adobe Express
Canva seems to have way more features that Adobe Express does not have. I would say the biggest advantage of Adobe Express is the ability to have assets from other Adobe Apps inside Adobe Express.
Chose Adobe Express
I consider it much more useful than Canva but less capable than the full suite of creative cloud products (as it should be)
Chose Adobe Express
I have used Adobe Express on its own and used it with my projects from Photoshop and Illustrator. I think Adobe Express stacks up just fine and can stand on its own. If they keep updating all the features, it will be unstoppable.
Chose Adobe Express
I feel like Adobe Express is catching up to Canva in terms of an easy to use solution for novice or non-designers. Integration between apps like Photoshop, illustrator, Acrobat are essential for my workflow, that other products do not have.
Chose Adobe Express
When we need something done quickly and easily without too much detail, we use Adobe Express.
Chose Adobe Express
I used Canva briefly and really didn't enjoy it. Adobe Express is more user friendly and has much more options. I much prefer it.
Features
Adobe AcrobatAdobe Acrobat ReaderAdobe Express
PDF Editors
Comparison of PDF Editors features of Product A and Product B
Adobe Acrobat
-
Ratings
Adobe Acrobat Reader
9.1
2 Ratings
4% above category average
Adobe Express
-
Ratings
Edit Text and Images00 Ratings9.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Merge or Split PDFs00 Ratings9.52 Ratings00 Ratings
Add Annotations00 Ratings9.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Text Recognition (OCR)00 Ratings8.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Page Management00 Ratings8.52 Ratings00 Ratings
Form Creation and Editing00 Ratings10.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Secure PDFs00 Ratings10.01 Ratings00 Ratings
Convert to Different Formats00 Ratings9.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Comment and Review Tools00 Ratings9.02 Ratings00 Ratings
Undo and Redo Actions00 Ratings8.52 Ratings00 Ratings
Best Alternatives
Adobe AcrobatAdobe Acrobat ReaderAdobe Express
Small Businesses
Square 9 Softworks
Square 9 Softworks
Score 9.7 out of 10
Tungsten Power PDF
Tungsten Power PDF
Score 9.7 out of 10
Pexels
Pexels
Score 8.1 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
MSB Docs
MSB Docs
Score 9.4 out of 10
pdfFiller
pdfFiller
Score 9.0 out of 10
Pexels
Pexels
Score 8.1 out of 10
Enterprises
Tungsten Capture
Tungsten Capture
Score 8.0 out of 10
Bluebeam
Bluebeam
Score 9.2 out of 10
Pexels
Pexels
Score 8.1 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Adobe AcrobatAdobe Acrobat ReaderAdobe Express
Likelihood to Recommend
8.8
(811 ratings)
9.5
(75 ratings)
8.8
(231 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
9.1
(45 ratings)
7.2
(2 ratings)
9.5
(15 ratings)
Usability
9.2
(254 ratings)
9.5
(3 ratings)
8.2
(27 ratings)
Availability
9.1
(3 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Performance
5.8
(10 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Support Rating
9.2
(63 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
4.6
(12 ratings)
Online Training
9.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
9.8
(15 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
4.1
(2 ratings)
Configurability
8.0
(4 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Contract Terms and Pricing Model
4.5
(2 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
9.5
(6 ratings)
Ease of integration
8.0
(8 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Product Scalability
7.0
(4 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Professional Services
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
1.0
(2 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
1.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
Adobe AcrobatAdobe Acrobat ReaderAdobe Express
Likelihood to Recommend
Adobe
When preparing artwork for print production from an application like Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, or InDesign, the best way to preview and preflight the work is to export to PDF and use Adobe Acrobat's output preview to check process colors, spot colors, dielines, and any special requirements, like foil stamping or varnish. Adobe Acrobat is also where you make any needed final adjustments to ensure correct reproduction on press. Documents intended for screen viewing must be exported to PDF and edited in Adobe Acrobat so as to add and edit needed accessibility features critical for legislative compliance.
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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.
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Adobe
Every team I work with gets the Express welcome and walkthrough and becomes a permanent Adobe Express user. I have my own workflow when creating content for social, and it is great when others I am working with can hop on and follow the same workflow. We can collaborate on projects, schedule posts, and manage brand assets easily from our own devices. As long as we have access to the same files, we can build campaigns faster and more easily, onboard new designers, and scale our impact on social media.
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Pros
Adobe
  • Ability to manipulate a PDF in various ways.
  • Print production is incredibly helpful for checking off and making sure PDFs are ready for print.
  • Commenting in Adobe Acrobat is awesome! So nice to be able to hand off a PDF and get it back with edits that are easy to navigate and resolve!
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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.
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Adobe
  • I have used Adobe Express to help maintain my creative catalogs and files, brand management by saving my color scheme palettes, to have full access to its free assets and huge template library.
  • The main business issue is brand consistency and accessibility, and Adobe Express helps greatly with both of those by providing an option to create brand libraries for various projects, and it has a huge Adobe font catalog to accommodate basically every brand and project scope.
  • I like how I am able to create a project folder for storing various iterations of a graphic or logo, and being able to view thumbnails of each iteration below the current graphic that I am working on. Plus, it also allows for easy thumbnail rearrangement for exporting selected images in the order of my choice. And it has many editing tools such as a generative AI tool using prompts to help create original art, and both the Effects and Animation tools have many options for colorations and animations. Plus other awesome and easy to use tools such as the Quick Action tool that easily removes backgrounds, and other tools like the Resizing, Quick Replace, Translate, Bulk Create.
  • Another feature of Adobe Express that I like is its ability for video creation and editing which is available via a mobile device or desktop computer. The footage editing process is very easy and allows for only one track for both video and audio.
  • Adobe Express allows for the project assets to be either imported via ones on file systems or straight from the Adobe Royalty-Free assets which includes; videos, audio/music, graphics, photos and even a voice overs capability using a "Text-to-Voice" option. And after the video has been created Adobe offers its very easy "Download" option, where you can select what file type that you want the project to export as.
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Cons
Adobe
  • More printing settings, like being able to adjust the margins and place the print area on the page when the file size is larger than the page, and I only want to print one section. Illustrator has this feature. Often, we print from Illustrator instead, because of this limitation.
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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.
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Adobe
  • It could have a search bar which searches through other Adobe products (esp for Stock images, videos, audio) from within Adobe Express.
  • It could make it so switching between Adobe products from within Adobe Express almost like a tab function is smooth.
  • It could partner with other companies to allow for company specific events in exchange for valuable products or programs.
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Likelihood to Renew
Adobe
Adobe Acrobat works seamlessly with the other Adobe products we use that are industry-standard. We will certainly continue to use Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator, meaning it will always be convenient to work seamlessly with Adobe Acrobat for our organization. We are happy with the performance of Acrobat and it's meets our expectations.
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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.
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Adobe
I foresee Adobe Express becoming the "go-to" platform for everyone except professional, high-level designers. It is a relatively easy-to-use tool that allows users to create a wide variety of visuals quickly. Because it is a template-driven tool, the in-house design team has the ability to make brand kit available to keep visuals on point
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Usability
Adobe
It’s a very easy app to learn and software is essential. I feel like the app could load a bit faster but overall, is one of my go to apps. Makes reading and editing pdfs easy and I enjoy the usability of the app. It is definitely something I make sure to have downloaded on any computer I’m working from
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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.
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Adobe
The user interface is pretty straightforward to use. It has easy to navigate navigations, and the canvas UX is also pretty good. One thing i would like to add it to use shortcuts to add elements on canvas. Like if I am on canvas and I press 'T' on my keyboard the text box should be added automatically
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Reliability and Availability
Adobe
We have not had availability issues with Adobe Acrobat, or at least none that I am personally aware of. Some may encounter crashes of the software during outages of electricity in their city or neighborhood, which no one can plan for, but with generators in our organization, we have been lucky not to have outages
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Adobe
No answers on this topic
Adobe
No answers on this topic
Performance
Adobe
One of the best features of Adobe Acrobat is its speed and stability. When dealing with massive multi-page files, having to reload a crashed program over and over again would slow down progress unnecessarily. And expanding on that, having the table of contents generated allows me to skip to different pages with ease, a necessary feature with exceptionally long files. word searches are even more helpful with text recognition.
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Adobe
No answers on this topic
Adobe
No answers on this topic
Support Rating
Adobe
For a while, Acrobat DC crashed pretty frequently. I contacted Adobe Acrobat support about the problem. At first support was unable to provide a solution. After about a month Adobe's software engineers provided a fix. I just wish it had taken less than a month to solve the problem.
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Adobe
No answers on this topic
Adobe
Overall, the Adobe Creative Cloud Express is worth a try and may be a good fit for many organizations and businesses. At a monthly rate, the cost is not prohibitive, but the tools are somewhat limited and not necessarily worthwhile when compared to standard applications and software that are often available free or through a package of services commonly found on workplace computers.
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Online Training
Adobe
Answered basic questions.
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Adobe
No answers on this topic
Adobe
No answers on this topic
Implementation Rating
Adobe
I was not involved with the implementation process, so I cannot answer this question. However, when it was installed on my computer system, they did so virtually. I just sat there while they took control of my computer over the network and watch them install it, lickety split
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Adobe
The application is pretty much "plug and play"
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Adobe
No answers on this topic
Alternatives Considered
Adobe
In my opinion, both complement each other. Microsoft clearly has with Copilot the AI Edge. However, the visual dynamics of Adobe Creative are Outstanding and provide a balanced approach to creativity, utilizing both Excellent, user-friendly Tools.
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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.
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Adobe
I think Adobe Express is a bit behind Canva, but as an Adobe Community Expert, I try to provide as much feedback as I can to help improve Adobe Express. ADobe Express does a better job than InShot and a few other apps, but isn't quite there against Canva, I'm sorry to say!
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Contract Terms and Pricing Model
Adobe
I am not responsible for sales or purchasing
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Adobe
No answers on this topic
Adobe
Adobe Creative Cloud Express is included with an Adobe Creative Cloud account. Our company has a corporate team membership so it is nice to have a professional and powerful tool that anyone on our team can use for free. The pricing structure of giving the tool away for free will be fundamental to users utilizing the tool. Similar tools, such as Canva, cost significantly more but do not offer the same features
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Scalability
Adobe
I find that many users aren't aware of many features of the software they use, nor may they be comfortable with learning multiple-step processes. For the simplest of PDF purposes (scanning, downloading, exporting), it gets a thumbs-up. For anything involving electronic signatures, meh--causes eyes to glaze over, or forgetting what all is involved.
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Adobe
No answers on this topic
Adobe
No answers on this topic
Professional Services
Adobe
No answers on this topic
Adobe
No answers on this topic
Adobe
The professional services for Adobe Creative Cloud Express is top notch and should be highly commended. I am thoroughly impressed with how far Adobe has come. In the past, I had several issues with how something were handled, but in the past few years things have been better than ever and they get no complaints from me
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Return on Investment
Adobe
  • Adobe Acrobat has saved us time in managing documents. In this day, everything is fast, moves fast, and keeping up with that pace demands software that functions at the same level. Adobe Acrobat does that. It has streamlined the steps I need to take to edit and create documents we need to manage our customers.
  • Adobe Acrobat removes the worry and stress associated with managing a large influx of documents. Something as simple as a document featuring an image that was sent to us upside down. Using the old method, I would have to open other software, click 'Edit', find the 'Rotate Image' button, click it a couple of times, save it as a JPEG, then attach it to Word, and finally save it as a PDF. It was a grueling process that consumed a great deal of time. Now, I simply open the image, and Adobe automatically recognizes it is upside down and fixes it for me. I can save and move on; it literally takes me seconds. Amazing.
  • Adobe Acrobat is intuitive and easy to use, and the additional apps are relevant to the needs that come up. If I have an idea, I can go to the available apps and find exactly what I need. Impressive and speaks to the years of experience this company has had to fine-tune its product and make it obvious that it is aggressive in staying on top.
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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
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Adobe
  • Positive: Time and working for a nonprofit with minimal staff this is essential.
  • Negative: There are certain features that I need to find in other Adobe products like layer masking.
  • Positive: It makes content creation less intimidating for our newer staff.
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ScreenShots

Adobe Acrobat Screenshots

Screenshot of where to create, edit, convert, and share PDF files all from within Microsoft Teams – as part of Acrobat integrations with Microsoft 365 apps.Screenshot of Liquid Mode in Adobe Acrobat Reader mobile app, where users can read PDFs on phones and tablets without having to pinch and zoom. Navigate lengthy documents with intelligent outline and search tools, while maximizing readability and comfort with font size and line spacing that are adjustable.Screenshot of where to fill and sign PDF forms from anywhere and on any device. Here, users can collect signatures, digitally track progress, and automatically archive the signed document.Screenshot of the Adobe Scan mobile app, used to capture and convert documents into high-quality, interactive PDF documents that can be filled out, signed, and shared. This eliminates the hassle of finding a printer, filling a form by hand, and scanning it again.

Adobe Express Screenshots

Screenshot of Screenshot of Screenshot of Screenshot of Screenshot of Screenshot of