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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

    Google Drive

    Score8.7 out of 10
    N/AGoogle Drive is a cloud file storage, synchronization, and collaboration platform and service, that features Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides for document editing and presentation.

    $6

    per month

    Pricing
    Adobe AcrobatGoogle Drive
    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
    Basic
    $6.00
    per month
    Business
    $12.00
    per month
    Enterprise
    Contact Vendor for Quote
    per month
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    Adobe AcrobatGoogle Drive
    Free Trial
    YesYes
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoYes
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    YesNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeOptionalNo setup fee
    Additional Details—Discounts are available for students, educators, and non profit organizations.
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    Adobe AcrobatGoogle Drive
    Considered Both Products
    Adobe
    Chose Adobe Acrobat
    Although Google Drive tends to function as my home base, it cannot be used for pdfs in the same way that Adobe Acrobat can. It does not have the editing capability for pdfs. I have used almost every function in Google Drive and have yet to find a comparable alternative to some …
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe Acrobat
    Adobe Acrobat is better for working with PDFs since it lets you edit, sign, comment, and more; different documents with precision, while Google Drive is better for storing and sharing files. It does have features for team collaboration on Docs, Sheets, and Slides (unlike Adobe …
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe Acrobat
    I have used nitro and abbyy for OCR usage and found similar results. Google Drive I've used for OCR recognition as well. From a usage point of view, I have found Acrobat to have a much more intuitive interface to manage the features I need like editing, page insertion, …
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe Acrobat
    Within Google Drive, you can use Google Docs to transcribe scanned in PDFs from clients. This actually works pretty well also, and the big advantage here is that it's already in the cloud and accessible from any place (Adobe may have this option too, and I am not totally aware …
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe Acrobat
    I haven’t really used or looked for other products to use. Adobe has all the features I need. I used Google Drive for a bit because it works well on a smart phone. But on a desktop computer I prefer Adobe, for it is easy to use, the tools and features are not hard to navigate, …
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe Acrobat
    Adobe Acrobat is the only player I know. In my experience, Adobe Acrobat is easily accessible.
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe Acrobat
    I would say that Adobe Acrobat offers a whole suite of of feature that Niro Pro just doesn't have.
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe Acrobat
    I have used PDFEscape previously. It is a great product. A wonderful aspect is that it is free. A person can use this within having to link a form or payment or make a payment. Adobe Acrobat is not free (obviously). More or less, it has all of the features that PDFEscape …
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe Acrobat
    I have only really used Acrobat. All the other programs I have used are word processing programs.
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe Acrobat
    I think Adobe Acrobat is better designed, has better and more robust options and is more secure than the cloud services that those sites provide. Acrobat also is already integrated in the Adobe Creative Cloud Suite, so is cheaper to use it, because in those tools above you have …
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe Acrobat
    Being the industry standard, Adobe Acrobat exceeds other platforms as the common file format all parties can read and comment even with only the free reader version.
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe Acrobat
    Adobe is the leader in the ability to create professional grade documents to distribute internally and externally. The challenge is the pricing and the ease of use is not as ideal in relation to these other products. The learning curve can be steep and time consuming which …
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe Acrobat
    In my experience, Adobe Acrobat offers more advanced features and security safeguards than competitors. It may come at a price, but you feel that you can trust in the brand and the abilities of the platform when compared to competitors. With that in mind, some users may find …
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe Acrobat
    I don't use any other products other than Adobe Acrobat
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe Acrobat
    While we do use DocHub for client signatures and intakes, we feel that Adobe Acrobat DC is much more intuitive and has more capabilities. We also greatly appreciate Adobe’s commitment to security, and their willingness to provide nonprofits like ours with a significant …
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe Acrobat
    I don’t think Acrobat has any legitimate competitors in the space. It is the industry standard and I have not really used any competitors.
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe Acrobat
    There are many pdf viewers and editors in the market but none of them can compete with Adobe Acrobat DC. This software also gives good services but many of them are not for only pdf like Acrobat. In many applications, you can view or edit but can not sign and secure documents.
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe Acrobat
    Adobe Acrobat DC provides a seemingly more secure way to provide a document and maybe protect it from further sharing out, I've made similar docs in Google Slides/docs that are for large groups, and people use fillable shapes to edit, but we maintain more control both in design …
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe Acrobat
    I've had very little interaction with these other three, PDF Studio was probably the most I've played with. But honestly, I just wasn't impressed really. Not impressed enough to see much of a difference or improvement. Adobe has always been the chosen one for our company so …
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe Acrobat
    Adobe is a bit more expensive than these others but for me and my company, the ease of use is why Adobe is the best.
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe Acrobat
    Adobe is the industry standard. The learning curve for inward and outward users was much easier. We are an education based organization, so our documents need to be reliable and compliant for safety and accessibility measures.
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe Acrobat
    Websites like PDFCandy.com and other free PDF editing programs have been tried out. There are so many garbage PDF editing add ons and extensions out there nowadays that it's getting easier and easier to just open Acrobat DC.
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe Acrobat
    There really is no product that compares when it comes to pdf management. Currently Adobe has a corner on the market.
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe Acrobat
    There are still some employees who prefer to use Word instead of Adobe for their editing. However, they still use Adobe Acrobat DC in order to export to Word. They are just more familiar with Word and due to their comfort level, they don't want to be bothered with using the …
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe Acrobat
    We transitioned from Adobe Acrobat Reader to Adobe Acrobat DC because of the additional capabilities that Adobe Acrobat DC allowed. I can modify a document much more efficiently, easily and quickly than with Adobe Acrobat Reader. I also have more tools that I am able to use to …
    Incentivized
    Google
    Chose Google Drive
    I had significantly used these drives as well in my professional career as compared to Google Drive: Dropbox offers excellent file synchronization but as compared to Google Drive it seriously lacks dives unmatched ability in document editing. As well as its integration with …
    Incentivized
    Chose Google Drive
    We are also a Microsoft school in addition to GSuite. The Microsoft products don't seem to flow as well in my opinion. I also have had serious synchronization issues with OneDrive. I found OneDrive a little more difficult to navigate when looking for files within folders. On…
    Incentivized
    Chose Google Drive
    In general, I prefer Dropbox to Google Drive because it has a better user interface and has the ability to rewind or recover deleted or lost files. They are both perfectly acceptable for file sharing, but I feel like Dropbox is easier and has a quicker upload/download speed for …
    Incentivized
    Chose Google Drive
    My response is the same for all three. Google Drive is the total package. Each of the alternatives that I've tried have been good at file storage and sharing and that's about it. OneDrive, being a Microsoft product, has some compatibility with their other products, but, at …
    Incentivized
    Chose Google Drive
    Google Drive works with a Google account. So I don't need to use multiple account credentials. And it is easy to remember one account. And one more thing which motivated me to go for Google Drive is its speed for performing multiple tasks.
    Incentivized
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    97%
    Would buy again
    898 Answers
    99%
    Would buy again
    120 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    95%
    Delivers good value for the price
    769 Answers
    99%
    Delivers good value for the price
    114 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    97%
    Happy with the feature set
    900 Answers
    97%
    Happy with the feature set
    117 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    96%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    595 Answers
    95%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    81 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    99%
    Implementation went as expected
    684 Answers
    99%
    Implementation went as expected
    93 Answers
    Features
    Adobe AcrobatGoogle Drive
    File Sharing & Management
    Comparison of File Sharing & Management features of Adobe Acrobat and Google Drive
    Feature
    Adobe Acrobat
    -
    Ratings
    Google Drive
    8.5
    221 Ratings
    1% above category average
    Versioning00 Ratings8.8195 Ratings
    Video files00 Ratings7.8190 Ratings
    Audio files00 Ratings8.3184 Ratings
    Document collaboration00 Ratings9.1218 Ratings
    Access control00 Ratings8.1216 Ratings
    File search00 Ratings8.2220 Ratings
    Device sync00 Ratings8.9205 Ratings
    Cloud Storage Security & Administration
    Comparison of Cloud Storage Security & Administration features of Adobe Acrobat and Google Drive
    Feature
    Adobe Acrobat
    -
    Ratings
    Google Drive
    8.6
    215 Ratings
    0% below category average
    User and role management00 Ratings9.0202 Ratings
    File organization00 Ratings8.1213 Ratings
    Device management00 Ratings8.799 Ratings
    Cloud Storage Platform
    Comparison of Cloud Storage Platform features of Adobe Acrobat and Google Drive
    Feature
    Adobe Acrobat
    -
    Ratings
    Google Drive
    8.9
    214 Ratings
    2% above category average
    Performance00 Ratings9.2212 Ratings
    Reliability00 Ratings9.1214 Ratings
    Storage Reports00 Ratings8.587 Ratings
    Best Alternatives
    Adobe AcrobatGoogle Drive
    Small Businesses
    M‑Files
    Score8.9 out of 10
    IDrive Online Backup and Object Storage e2
    Score9.1 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    Esker
    Score7.4 out of 10
    Apple iCloud
    Score8.5 out of 10
    Enterprises
    Tungsten Capture
    Score9.6 out of 10
    ownCloud
    Score9.2 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    Adobe AcrobatGoogle Drive
    Likelihood to Recommend
    8.9
    (968 ratings)
    8.5
    (224 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    8.8
    (46 ratings)
    10.0
    (6 ratings)
    Usability
    8.5
    (383 ratings)
    8.9
    (54 ratings)
    Availability
    8.6
    (4 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    Performance
    5.1
    (11 ratings)
    9.0
    (7 ratings)
    Support Rating
    9.7
    (64 ratings)
    1.0
    (49 ratings)
    In-Person Training
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    Online Training
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    9.9
    (16 ratings)
    8.0
    (3 ratings)
    Configurability
    7.7
    (5 ratings)
    6.0
    (1 ratings)
    Contract Terms and Pricing Model
    3.9
    (3 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Ease of integration
    8.0
    (9 ratings)
    5.0
    (1 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    7.3
    (5 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    Professional Services
    7.3
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Vendor post-sale
    6.3
    (3 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Vendor pre-sale
    6.3
    (2 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    Adobe AcrobatGoogle Drive
    Likelihood to Recommend
    Adobe
    We have found Adobe Acrobat very useful in many instances. It is a great resource for anything related to PDFs, as it is the most robust and well-known option, reducing the need for training. It is a vital component for signing documents, especially those that need extra security.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Google
    It is possible to share files and folders with up to 200 email addresses, as well as with persons outside the company.Use the drop-down arrow to select who may see, comment on, or change the file or folder before sending out an invitation.I am very much impressed with this feature
    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
    Google
    • Any user with access can store a file using different platforms like Android, IOS, Windows, or Ubuntu (Desktop version)
    • You can share files with any number of different users with different access rights or you can even keep it public by providing the access link and assign different rights for public access
    • You can open Excel/Word files using google software Sheets/Docs in the browser environment without having to install software like Microsoft Office etc on your Windows OS
    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
    Google
    • Having a little bit more control and clarity over what is shared and how it is shared would be a useful improvement.
    • Could be more robust and flexible as far as assigning restrictions.
    • Google Sheets could be enhanced because Excel really is not there yet as a product with equal capabilities as there are still quite a few limitations to the functionality.
    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
    Google
    It's perfect for me. It keeps things saved and is easy to remove items if needed. Also, I very much enjoy the formatting options. Along with the integrations it has for SSO. Overall, this is the most user friendly system I have ever come across.
    Read full review
    Usability
    Adobe
    Nothing is perfect; there are a few things that still get me a little bit aggravated when using the program but that doesn't detract from it accomplishing the needs I and the organizations that I've worked for have needed from it. I've worked with Adobe Acrobat for over 20 years and its usability is second hand to me even with added features and redesigns. It's a great piece of software.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Google
    It's easy enough to use for computer users of all ages and skill levels. I am an advanced user, and I think the hardest part might be showing someone how to download and set up the app on their device if they weren't too familiar with computers, but overall it is very easy to understand.
    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
    Google
    Always available
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    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
    Google
    The documents load fairly quickly and also update in real time, especially given the fact that multiple people can be using it at once. The "Offline" feature works great to allow the user to make edits and access the document without access to the internet, and then sync changes later once they're back.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    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
    Google
    It takes a few days for customer support to get back to you. Although, I have not had to use support too often. Once you get an email back, they are very thorough and work hard to fix the problem quickly. It is a really great resource and a great way to get the help you need if you're stuck. A phone call also works quickly but you have to call during specific times.
    Read full review
    In-Person Training
    Adobe
    No answers on this topic
    Google
    The effective google workspace using training that my organization received and was conducted by me (as a team lead of the ICT team) was mind-blowing and as a result, our staff is performing well in terms of using the application for their daily jobs than before. Now, in my institution, all teachers and all the administrative personnel are very much interested in cloud storage facilities, in previous my institution was afraid of losing all important documents in the cloud storage. But, after having received the training they are now realized that if anyone has only one google account then he or she can use 15GB of cloud storage freely and they are now happy because now it is not necessary for anyone to carry the traditional pen drive.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Online Training
    Adobe
    Answered basic questions.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Google
    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
    Google
    It's an extremely easy software to implement, once you sign up for a google account you automatically have access to google drive with a set amount of storage space. The business or Google Suite accounts have more storage space than a regular free account, but setting up and accessing google drive is very easy in both cases
    Read full review
    Alternatives Considered
    Adobe
    Adobe Acrobat has the most premium features that other software can't offer. The seamless UI is consistent on any device, and the ease of use. The security and the advanced AI features are what you won't get on any other platforms or apps.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Google
    In short, Google Drive is better for independent users who store a normal amount of stuff. OneDrive makes more sense for businesses and teams that are doing heavy-duty storage or large-scale syncing. Realistically, though, most users will fall somewhere in between the two, where either platform would meet their needs.
    Read full review
    Contract Terms and Pricing Model
    Adobe
    I am not responsible for sales or purchasing
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Google
    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
    Google
    I have always been able to access
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    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
    Google
    • It has given our operation remote capabilities
    • Easier to access and understand client's need through collaborative enviroment
    • availability to digital resources fast and easy
    • saved our operation hundreds of dollars in physical storage (both investment and maintenance)
    • our operation became easier for new staff to get onboard: small learning curve to use it
    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.

    Google Drive Screenshots

    Screenshot of Google Drive PriorityScreenshot of Comment on Microsoft Files in Google DriveScreenshot of Shared drives