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Adobe Acrobat vs. HitchHiker vs. Wondershare PDFelement

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    Overview
    ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price

    Adobe Acrobat

    Score8.8 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

    HitchHiker

    N/AN/AN/AN/A

    Wondershare PDFelement

    Score5 out of 10
    N/APDFelement is a document management solution from Wondershare Software headquartered in China.

    $79.99

    per year per user

    Pricing
    Adobe AcrobatHitchHikerWondershare PDFelement
    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
    PDFelement
    79.99USD
    per year per user
    PDFelement
    129.99USD
    one-time fee per user
    Offerings
    Pricing Offerings
    Adobe AcrobatHitchHikerWondershare PDFelement
    Free Trial
    YesYesYes
    Free/Freemium Version
    NoNoNo
    Premium Consulting/Integration Services
    YesNoNo
    Entry-level Setup FeeOptionalNo setup feeNo setup fee
    Additional DetailsFor Individuals: Yearly Plan: $79.99/user; 2-Year Plan: $109.99/user Perpetual Plan(one-time): $129.99/user For Teams: Yearly plan starts at $109/year for 1 user For Education: Yearly Plan: $47.99/user; Perpetual Plan(one-time): $99.99/user
    More Pricing Information
    Community Pulse
    Adobe AcrobatHitchHikerWondershare PDFelement
    Considered Multiple Products
    Adobe
    Chose Adobe Acrobat
    Ease of use and avaialbility were better for Acrobat
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe Acrobat
    The ability with this software especially of multiple PDF files management and creation is more productive and the performance is effective and easy usability is cost effective. Data security and integration functionalities are also a big point with this system and final …
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe Acrobat
    There really is no comparison. Although we use other PDF programs, we mainly utilize Adobe. Not only because we find it to be a better program but also because everyone is more familiar with it. However, the other products are implemented for various reasons, such as a feature …
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe Acrobat
    We find Adobe Acrobat very easy to use, and the software performs that it has to do with no bad surprises or format problems.
    Helps so much to create forms, edit documents, sign documents, other important feature is sharing documents to peers, you can have the control and …
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe Acrobat
    They have a much less intutive user interface and don't always provide a complete solution one stop shop for all the features that we make use of.
    Incentivized
    Chose Adobe Acrobat
    Adobe is a better product
    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
    Foxit has an easier interface I think. PDF Element was a need for my iPad and I only used it one time. I like the customizations available in FoxIt and it seems to be cheaper all around.
    Incentivized
    HitchHiker
    No answer on this topic
    Wondershare Technology
    Chose Wondershare PDFelement
    PDFelement is the ideal solution for Adobe Acrobat because of its small size, clean interface, quick start, strong features, light system resource usage, and low pricing.
    Incentivized
    Chose Wondershare PDFelement
    I have evaluated Acrobat but found it less user friendly than PDFelement and very expensive on a product to product comparison
    Incentivized
    Chose Wondershare PDFelement
    Price was the only factor that drove me to look at other PDF editing software options. I was very pleased to find PDFelement, as it usually met or exceeded the capability of Adobe Acrobat. Obviously, as a long-time user to Acrobat, there is the tendency to become frustrated …
    Incentivized
    Chose Wondershare PDFelement
    Very similiar to Adobe Acrobat. Might actually have more modern features like adding shapes, stamps, and a background color to your PDFs. We ultimately chose this over Adobe because there was a one time fee rather than a monthly subscription.
    Incentivized
    Chose Wondershare PDFelement
    PDF Element isn't as easy to use as Adobe Acrobat but it sure is a lot cheaper and no monthly subscription.
    Incentivized
    Chose Wondershare PDFelement
    PDFelement is more intuitive, and snapper, with more wow factors.
    Incentivized
    Chose Wondershare PDFelement
    Both of the programs mentioned above have worked much better for my needs.
    Incentivized
    Chose Wondershare PDFelement
    We haven't used any other similar products, and don't feel any desire to stop using PDFelement.
    Incentivized
    Chose Wondershare PDFelement
    The experience is different. From a cost perspective, PDFelement is more cost effective and can get things done.
    Incentivized
    Chose Wondershare PDFelement
    Adobe PDF is the alternative for me but much more expensive. It has more features but I don’t need them. For a small business PDFelement's affordability makes it a cost effective option.
    Incentivized
    Chose Wondershare PDFelement
    I didn't try or buy other programs, but did a good bit of research on them. I went with PDFelement because of the lower pricing, and because of the rich features I learned it had.

    I also appreciated the great customer service I received from reps in the community forums, which …
    Incentivized
    Chose Wondershare PDFelement
    No other products outside Adobe.
    Incentivized
    Chose Wondershare PDFelement
    PDFelement has among the several options available in the market, a productivity solution with relevant acquisition costs associated with the benefits offered. Among the functions available in the application, other companies have the same function with lower performance and …
    Incentivized
    Chose Wondershare PDFelement
    Just as good, and just as clean; but easier to use. Just as many options and an easy to use format and layout.
    Incentivized
    Chose Wondershare PDFelement
    PDFelement is not only much much easier to use but it is less expensive.
    Incentivized
    Chose Wondershare PDFelement
    Incentivized
    Chose Wondershare PDFelement
    PDFelement was much easier to use compared to Adobe and Foxit, it has much better user interface and feels like native app in Mac
    Incentivized
    Chose Wondershare PDFelement
    Adobe, it's the top leader in web software solutions. They use SaaS licenses instead of an alternative. This kind of license needs to be paid periodically, and this can be a high-cost solution. PDFelement uses user licenses, that reduces the cost and help to make software less …
    Incentivized
    Chose Wondershare PDFelement
    Price and ease of use.
    Incentivized
    Chose Wondershare PDFelement
    Easy to use and much cheaper than the Adobe products that do the same functions.
    Incentivized
    Chose Wondershare PDFelement
    Value for money judged more beneficial with PDF Element.
    Incentivized
    Chose Wondershare PDFelement
    It has almost identical functionality for what I have done.
    Incentivized
    Chose Wondershare PDFelement
    I think it is less complicated to use
    Incentivized
    Key User Insights
    Would buy again
    97%
    Would buy again
    897 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    78%
    Would buy again
    7 Answers
    Delivers good value for the price
    95%
    Delivers good value for the price
    768 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    88%
    Delivers good value for the price
    7 Answers
    Happy with the feature set
    97%
    Happy with the feature set
    899 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    78%
    Happy with the feature set
    7 Answers
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    96%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    594 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    78%
    Lived up to sales and marketing promises
    7 Answers
    Implementation went as expected
    99%
    Implementation went as expected
    683 Answers
    No answers on this topic
    89%
    Implementation went as expected
    8 Answers
    Best Alternatives
    Adobe AcrobatHitchHikerWondershare PDFelement
    Small Businesses
    M‑Files
    Score8.9 out of 10
    No answers on this topic
    M‑Files
    Score8.9 out of 10
    Medium-sized Companies
    Esker
    Score7.4 out of 10
    No answers on this topic
    Esker
    Score7.4 out of 10
    Enterprises
    Tungsten Capture
    Score9.5 out of 10
    No answers on this topic
    Tungsten Capture
    Score9.5 out of 10
    All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
    User Ratings
    Adobe AcrobatHitchHikerWondershare PDFelement
    Likelihood to Recommend
    8.9
    (967 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    9.1
    (55 ratings)
    Likelihood to Renew
    8.9
    (46 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    Usability
    8.5
    (382 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.6
    (5 ratings)
    Availability
    8.6
    (4 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    Performance
    5.2
    (11 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    7.5
    (2 ratings)
    Support Rating
    9.6
    (64 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    8.4
    (8 ratings)
    Online Training
    9.0
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Implementation Rating
    9.9
    (16 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    Configurability
    7.7
    (5 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    Contract Terms and Pricing Model
    3.9
    (3 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Ease of integration
    8.0
    (9 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    7.5
    (2 ratings)
    Product Scalability
    7.2
    (5 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    Professional Services
    7.3
    (1 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    Vendor post-sale
    5.7
    (3 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    Vendor pre-sale
    6.0
    (2 ratings)
    -
    (0 ratings)
    10.0
    (1 ratings)
    User Testimonials
    Adobe AcrobatHitchHikerWondershare PDFelement
    Likelihood to Recommend
    Adobe
    In my opinion there isn't a better document program that works with everyone. In a previous role; I had advocated for staff across departments to get Adobe Acrobat licenses because they kept sending every little thing to me since I had the main Adobe license. It really made their departments (sales & finance) run much smoother for a very minimal cost.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    HitchHiker
    No answers on this topic
    Wondershare Technology
    It's a wonderful asset to have when you lose your original Word doc, etc. so you can still edit a document (and not have to start from ground zero). That feature alone is why I bought this product and why I will continue to recommend.
    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
    HitchHiker
    No answers on this topic
    Wondershare Technology
    • PDFelement provides the same powerful features as Adobe Acrobat, but the interface is easy to learn and use. The product is extremely intuitive, which saves our clients from becoming frustrated as they learn the product.
    • PDFelement Pro's ability to create fillable forms with the click of one button is one of our clients favorite features. I was impressed at how accurately PDFelement performed this task and the ease with which these fields can be edited, if needed.
    • Security is more important than ever these days and PDFelement provides the encryption and permissions to protect documents quickly and easily. I especially like the batch encrypt feature, this makes it easy to protect multiple files with the same password.
    • PDFelement makes it easy to extract the data from form fields. This is a huge plus for our clients.
    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
    HitchHiker
    No answers on this topic
    Wondershare Technology
    • I wish there was a lighter program for just reviewing a document and then to transition seamlessly to an editing mode. It takes a few seconds longer to load than Preview on my Mac, and based on that frustration, I use Preview to view documents.
    • A lower price for upgrades.
    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
    HitchHiker
    No answers on this topic
    Wondershare Technology
    Excellent, easy to use product
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Usability
    Adobe
    I would say overall, the product is great and as someone who has used it for many years now, I'm quite familiar with the ins and outs of the application. However, we found that when users were shown it for the first time and a bit after, they would feel a bit overwhelmed by the options and what everything meant. I think the UI could be simplified or an option to have a simplified mode and an advanced mode added.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    HitchHiker
    No answers on this topic
    Wondershare Technology
    I am a novice and I am using it like a pro because it is so easy to work with
    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
    HitchHiker
    No answers on this topic
    Wondershare Technology
    No issues. Works perfect
    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
    HitchHiker
    No answers on this topic
    Wondershare Technology
    There is a lot of learning. Although some of the functions you can probably pick up relatively quickly, some of them, including compressing the size or using a different language, remains a myth to me.
    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
    HitchHiker
    No answers on this topic
    Wondershare Technology
    PDFelement is always in contact with me, by email and by giving constant tips and recommendations. But what makes me give you a 10, was the outstanding support service received on July 9th by one of your support professionals Amanda, who helped me with a tariff issue, and makes me [rate] your product.
    Read full review
    Online Training
    Adobe
    Answered basic questions.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    HitchHiker
    No answers on this topic
    Wondershare Technology
    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
    HitchHiker
    No answers on this topic
    Wondershare Technology
    Just pay, download, activate and start using it
    Incentivized
    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
    HitchHiker
    No answers on this topic
    Wondershare Technology
    I didn't try or buy other programs, but did a good bit of research on them. I went with PDFelement because of the lower pricing, and because of the rich features I learned it had. I also appreciated the great customer service I received from reps in the community forums, which showed me they have an aim in keeping their customers happy - which is always good to have when using fairly complex technical apps.
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    Contract Terms and Pricing Model
    Adobe
    I am not responsible for sales or purchasing
    Incentivized
    Read full review
    HitchHiker
    No answers on this topic
    Wondershare Technology
    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
    HitchHiker
    No answers on this topic
    Wondershare Technology
    Super easy Word style layout and format.
    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
    HitchHiker
    No answers on this topic
    Wondershare Technology
    • For me, it's been very important to me that my business as a pet sitter and dog walker not leave a negative footprint on the environment. To that end, it's been very important that i'm able to do as much paperwork as possible without using paper. PDFelement is wonderful at helping me meet those goals.
    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.

    Wondershare PDFelement Screenshots

    Screenshot of AI-powered support for chatting with PDFs/summaring/proofreading/rewriting/explaining/translating the PDF file content.Screenshot of file conversion to and from PDF format in high quality.Screenshot of PDF generation, which can be done from images, Word documents, and various formats, including batch create.Screenshot of certificate-based legal signatures, and documents can be sent to bulk signers, and signatures collected and tracked from anywhere, on any device.Screenshot of text recognition, from scanned PDFs and images.Screenshot of the PDF text editor, with images, forms, and pages.