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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Adobe Acrobat

    Score8.7 out of 10
    N/AAdobe 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

    Autodesk Forma Build

    Score9.6 out of 10
    N/AAutodesk Forma Build, previously known as Autodesk Build and originally based on PlanGrid, is a Construction Management and Job Site Management application within the Autodesk Forma suite. It provides contractors, owners, and subcontractors with a unified platform for project collaboration and information management across the construction and operations lifecycle.

    $100

    per month

    Pricing
    Adobe AcrobatAutodesk Forma Build
    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
    Forma Build Essentials
    $100
    per month for a single user
    Forma Build
    $175
    per month per user
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    Adobe AcrobatAutodesk Forma Build
    Free Trial
    YesYes
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    YesYes
    Entry-level Setup FeeOptionalNo setup fee
    Additional Details—$800 / year for 1 user when billed annually.
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    Adobe AcrobatAutodesk Forma Build
    Considered Both Products
    Adobe
    No answer on this topic
    Autodesk
    Chose Autodesk Forma Build
    • Asana is better at assigning tasks and completing work on a deadline.
    • Bluebeam Revu is used by other consultants, but PlanGrid is preferred by our office.
    • Acrobat is quick and dirty but is difficult to track changes and versions.
    Incentivized
    Chose Autodesk Forma Build
    I have only used Autodesk Build at work. Compared to Procore which I have recently been introduced to, Autodesk Build has a more modern look and accessibility features. I can not give an in-depth review between the two products as I do not spend a lot of time using Procore.
    Incentivized
    Chose Autodesk Forma Build
    We currently use both Bluebeam and Adobe in our environment, but PlanGrid makes it much easier to view and do quick markups and annotations.
    Incentivized
    Chose Autodesk Forma Build
    I have not used many products that compare with Plangrid. I've heard that AD 360 Field is a nice product and have watched some of its informational videos. We used to use a tablet version of Adobe - PDF reader which was not in the same ballpark as far as capability.
    Incentivized
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    97%
    Would buy again
    1018 Answers
    80%
    Would buy again
    4 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    95%
    Delivers good value for the price
    873 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Happy with the feature set
    97%
    Happy with the feature set
    1018 Answers
    80%
    Happy with the feature set
    4 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    96%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    662 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Implementation went as expected
    98%
    Implementation went as expected
    758 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    Features
    Adobe AcrobatAutodesk Forma Build
    Reporting & Analytics
    Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of Adobe Acrobat and Autodesk Forma Build
    Feature
    Adobe Acrobat
    -
    Ratings
    Autodesk Forma Build
    8.5
    1 Ratings
    10% above category average
    Dashboards00 Ratings7.01 Ratings
    Standard reports00 Ratings9.01 Ratings
    Custom reports00 Ratings9.01 Ratings
    Data exportability00 Ratings9.01 Ratings
    Construction Project & Field Management
    Comparison of Construction Project & Field Management features of Adobe Acrobat and Autodesk Forma Build
    Feature
    Adobe Acrobat
    -
    Ratings
    Autodesk Forma Build
    8.0
    60 Ratings
    4% above category average
    Plan distribution & viewing00 Ratings8.059 Ratings
    Plan markups & sharing00 Ratings7.059 Ratings
    Issue tracking & punchlists00 Ratings9.454 Ratings
    Photo documentation00 Ratings7.051 Ratings
    Jobsite reports00 Ratings6.539 Ratings
    Document sharing00 Ratings9.058 Ratings
    RFI tools00 Ratings9.441 Ratings
    Collaboration & approvals00 Ratings9.545 Ratings
    As-built drawings00 Ratings5.545 Ratings
    Mobile app00 Ratings7.057 Ratings
    Submittal design and management00 Ratings8.52 Ratings
    Checklists00 Ratings8.02 Ratings
    Meeting Minutes00 Ratings10.02 Ratings
    Specifications00 Ratings6.52 Ratings
    Change orders00 Ratings8.52 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    Adobe AcrobatAutodesk Forma Build
    Small Businesses
    M‑Files
    Score8.9 out of 10
    Autodesk Forma Design Collaborate
    Score8.3 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    Esker
    Score7.9 out of 10
    Bluebeam
    Score8.8 out of 10
    Enterprises
    Tungsten Capture
    Score9.6 out of 10
    Revit
    Score8.9 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    Adobe AcrobatAutodesk Forma Build
    Likelihood to Recommend
    8.9
    (1093 ratings)
    9.9
    (73 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    8.9
    (49 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    Usability
    8.2
    (509 ratings)
    9.8
    (5 ratings)
    Availability
    8.3
    (7 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Performance
    8.9
    (14 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Support Rating
    9.7
    (66 ratings)
    9.0
    (52 ratings)
    Online Training
    8.0
    (3 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    9.9
    (17 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Configurability
    7.4
    (6 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Contract Terms and Pricing Model
    4.9
    (4 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Ease of integration
    7.7
    (10 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    7.5
    (8 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Professional Services
    6.4
    (2 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Vendor post-sale
    6.4
    (4 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Vendor pre-sale
    5.5
    (3 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    Adobe AcrobatAutodesk Forma Build
    Likelihood to Recommend
    Adobe
    A scenario where Adobe Acrobat is well suited is for sending a PDF for a client to markup with their comments or revisions they would want. A scenario where it is less appropriate is doing actual design work and layout in the program.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Autodesk
    Well Suited: Autodesk Construction Cloud is cost effective, user friendly, and robust. They aren't nickel and diming you for use of each module. Once users are on-board with the system it creates an ecosystem that all users "go to first" for an answer. Less Appropriate: As a Developer, there are some hiccups as it is designed more for the GC (general contractor). A template option that is Developer forward would an improvement.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Pros
    Adobe
    • It is easy to sign and send a document.
    • It makes it easy to scan and save a document.
    • It is easy to add text to any document.
    • You can create an editable PDF form for others to complete based on the questions you include.
    • You can create and send a secure document to a client for their signature.
    • It is easy to add photos to any document.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Autodesk
    • The user interface is extremely easy to use for both the advanced and not-so-advanced computer users. This is huge in an industry that has a high diversity of computer skills among end-users of technology.
    • Rendering speed of documents is extremely quick on every device/platform.
    • The application can be used on every platform from Windows/iOS/Andriod (mobile or desktop) as well as the web, without diluting platform features.
    • The ability to import 3D models and maintain accompanying metadata is extremely beneficial.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Cons
    Adobe
    • I wish the backward compatibility was a little more friendly. PDFLyer had to be updated sooner that we would like when we updated from Adobe 2017 to Adobe 2026.
    • I wish it had list processing like Excel where it could remove duplicates, change formatting, etc.
    • Sometimes after an update we lose our plugins and have to restablish the connection to the plugin or reinstall.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Autodesk
    • Plangrid is in the process of adding enhanced construction documentation such as better Submittal, RFI, and Field Reporting modules, but the ones in place right now will not be up to par for some people used to more full-featured applications such as Sage or Procore.
    • Like other SaaS Construction applications, Plangrid is very expensive. Too expensive in my opinion. They should find ways to offer more tiers of cost so smaller companies can use the application is a limited manner and not have to pay the same cost as the larger companies which may get more use out of advanced features.
    • On the same theme of cost, many of Plangrids collaboration features require all collaborators to have a license. Try telling all 30 subs on your project that they have to run out and pay an extra $50-$100/MO per employee to collaborate with you. Does not always go over well.
    • Plangrids Field Report, Submittal and RFI modules are still a bit of a work in progress.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    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.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Autodesk
    We are at the point where we have shown our teams what is possible with this software. We cannot take it away and go back to the way we used to do things. I think that they would push back on us to give them access to something electronic. It is a good program that we will continue to use
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Usability
    Adobe
    Adobe Acrobat is extremely easy to use on a regular desktop PC. The functionality gets a little harder to use on a smaller screen like a laptop, but it still works well. Using it on a smaller tablet or cell phone would be problematic because the screen size doesn't match the document size.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Autodesk
    Because it is very user friendly and it also adapts the software to the device... For example , iPads are more Superintendent friendly and the desktop version is more useful for PM and Project Engineers. I also like that theres versions of the software that are on our desktop or ipad, so when we have a network failure we are still able to do the majority of our work
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    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
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Autodesk
    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.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Autodesk
    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.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Autodesk
    I haven't used PlanGrid support much, because I'm getting used to it. But the few times I have, they seem very good. A rep has reached out to me for help, scheduling a demo, etc. Once I get my team on board to buy the software we will use the video and web demos more often and I'd imagine they could be quite useful.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Online Training
    Adobe
    Answered basic questions.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Autodesk
    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
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Autodesk
    No answers on this topic
    Alternatives Considered
    Adobe
    I think OpenOffice and other programs are great in theory; but I work closely with the Adobe Creative Cloud ecosystem so I like keeping it all together. For the pricing I don't see the loss in getting an Adobe Acrobat license if not the whole Creative Cloud dependent on your work needs
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Autodesk
    Plangrid, while not serving the external document distribution function, is unrivaled for internal document distribution and sharing in the construction industry. The speed at which documents are navigatable, the ability to download your projects for viewing without an internet connection, and the document mark-up and photo tools place it head and shoulders above the competition.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Contract Terms and Pricing Model
    Adobe
    I am not responsible for sales or purchasing
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Autodesk
    No answers on this topic
    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.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Autodesk
    No answers on this topic
    Professional Services
    Adobe
    Did not work with sales vendor
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Autodesk
    No answers on this topic
    Return on Investment
    Adobe
    • Definitely a positive ROI when I can receive clear notes/direction on edits for a PDF via Acrobat's comment system, rather than chicken scratch on a printed document.
    • The ability to password-protect my PDFs so I can make sure only the workforce I want to see the information has been priceless!
    • As I mentioned before, a huge positive impact is the ability to edit PDFs without having to return to the original file's native software.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Autodesk
    • It helped us "wow" a joint commission survey in 2016 and have a successful survey because he loved how we could access plans on an iPad, check suite sizes, and didn't have to carry around huge, heavy sets of life safety plans.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    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.

    Autodesk Forma Build Screenshots

    Screenshot of No confusing folders - all your plans at your fingertips.Screenshot of Easy overlay to visually detect changes or clashes.Screenshot of Track issues directly on the plan, including descriptions, photos, cost, and schedule impacts.Screenshot of Mark up plans for instant communication between field and office.Screenshot of Attach any kind of construction documents to your plans, including 360 photos.Screenshot of Track, review, and submit all your field reports on a mobile device.