Adobe Acrobat vs. Microsoft 365 Business Premium

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).
$12.99
per month
Microsoft 365 Business Premium
Score 8.8 out of 10
N/A
An integrated solution, designed for small or medium-sized businesses, bringing together the productivity of Microsoft Office with advanced security capabilities to help safeguard data from external threats and help protect against data leaks. With Microsoft 365 Business Premium, users can empower employees to be productive anywhere on any device. Get more done with AI built into the Office apps. Work better together with a hub for teamwork bringing your tools and people together in one place.…N/A
Pricing
Adobe AcrobatMicrosoft 365 Business Premium
Editions & Modules
Acrobat Standard for Individuals
$12.99
per month
Acrobat Standard for teams
$14.99
per month per user
Acrobat Pro for Individuals
$19.99
per month
Acrobat Pro for Teams
$22.19
per month per user
Acrobat for Enterprise
Contact sales team
No answers on this topic
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
Adobe AcrobatMicrosoft 365 Business Premium
Free Trial
YesNo
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
YesNo
Entry-level Setup FeeOptionalNo setup fee
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
Adobe AcrobatMicrosoft 365 Business Premium
Considered Both Products
Adobe Acrobat
Chose Adobe Acrobat
Adobe Reader and Microsoft Edge (default Windows PDF file reader app) offer limited functionality compared to Adobe Standard DC. For colleagues that do not need extended the functionality of Adobe Standard DC Adobe Reader has been installed on their computers. Adobe Reader …
Chose Adobe Acrobat
Foxit PDF is a strong competitor to Adobe Acrobat. However, users coming from older editions of Adobe don't like too much change and will want to stay with Adobe instead of changing to a new competing product. We did evaluate Foxit, but end users couldn't or didn't have the …
Chose Adobe Acrobat
Adobe is an all round solution which is head and shoulders above what other individual software providers offer because it's integrated. The fact that it not only offers desktop and cloud integration is a huge plus and compliments modern OS and access such as Microsoft 365. …
Chose Adobe Acrobat
I selected Adobe because it has everything all of these products have but it's all wrapped up in one piece of software.
Chose Adobe Acrobat
I have used Adobe Acrobat Pro DC but have not had an opportunity to use other products yet.
Chose Adobe Acrobat
While more expensive than the competition, Adobe Acrobat DC is far superior than anything else we've considered.
Chose Adobe Acrobat
ABBYY FineReader promises better OCR recognition, but Finereader for Mac doesn't do 1/3 of the things that Adobe Acrobat DC does. It fails to meet my needs. Readdle PDF Expert is a fine product, but still, a lightweight compared to Acrobat DC. Using PDF Expert after using …
Chose Adobe Acrobat
I did not evaluate any other pdf management programs other than Adobe Acrobat DC. I was familiar with other Adobe pdf products and never thought to explore any others. I have been very pleased with Adobe Acrobat DC and have not seen the need to look at other pdf management …
Chose Adobe Acrobat
The names escape me, but if you google "Edit PDFs" you will get dozens of free and some paid programs. I have used several of these and none of them come close to the features and benefits that Adobe Acrobat DC has. You will spend more of your valuable time trying to figure …
Chose Adobe Acrobat
Our company only uses Adobe Acrobat DC for our reports. We have used other versions in the past and found that using older versions or different PDF creator programs caused problems when we tried to combine documents; objects wouldn't convert right and letters would be …
Chose Adobe Acrobat
Adobe DC was a free to install version, lite software that got our team everything we needed without needing to go and spend gobs of money on software licenses for 20-30 people. It is helpful, searchable (mostly) and gets the team everything the need to be able to read and open …
Chose Adobe Acrobat
We use Microsoft as well but I almost always end up in Acrobat Adobe to finish any documents that I am about to send out. To me, the editing features are just more easy to use.
Chose Adobe Acrobat
Adobe works for so many other clients who may or may not have Windows or MACs, etc. When I send a Word document I never know who can open it and who can't. That's not the case for Adobe.
Chose Adobe Acrobat
We could amend through PowerPoint, but this isn’t possible when the documents have already been converted to PDF.
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, …
Chose Adobe Acrobat
We actually had Nitro before Adobe. While it made claims to offer more features and be intuitive, most staffers felt the opposite. And some of the Nitro extra features were completely unnecessary and we never used them such as the ability to customize certain tabs or create …
Microsoft 365 Business Premium
Chose Microsoft 365 Business Premium
Adobe Acrobat Reader DC is very limited in its implementation and collaboration abilities within a business. It cannot compare with [Microsoft 365 Business Premium] with its convenience, ability to create and edit documents, email, data storage and retrieval and price. It is …
Chose Microsoft 365 Business Premium
We have only evaluated Microsoft 365 Business Premium. We do use Adobe products for a different purpose.
Chose Microsoft 365 Business Premium
These products simply do not compare in terms of universal compatibility, features, integrations, user-friendliness, and overall cost. Google is free but not as secure and too cloud-based for our needs as a medium-sized organization. I would recommend Google to independent …
Chose Microsoft 365 Business Premium
I believe that Microsoft 365 Business Premium integrates two-factor authentication, providing security in each of our accounts, at the same time providing us with the security and integrity that our accounts are not going to be used by third parties, which it allows to have the …
Chose Microsoft 365 Business Premium
Much better than Google docs platform.
Chose Microsoft 365 Business Premium
Google Drive is great, but Sheets doesn't have the same level of functionality as Excel. Additionally, if your business already uses Microsoft programs then using two disparate programs doesn't work if you're trying to simplify workflows.
Chose Microsoft 365 Business Premium
Functionality, formatting, and level of formulas for data analysis is severely lacking. When I have access to G Suite thru work or a client, I always use Office 365 and just save the data to their Google Drive (after saving to my OneDrive).
Chose Microsoft 365 Business Premium
We tried to work with Google Docs but it was just too foreign and had issues with compatibility for customers and office staff. There was also a high enough learning curve and it was just different enough from what they were using that it caused transition issues with the …
Chose Microsoft 365 Business Premium
Microsoft 365 Business is more robust than Google's suite of enterprise applications and services, but that doesn't necessarily make it better. It really depends on the individual organization. G Suite is more geared at communication and collaboration. Gmail, Calendar, Drive, …
Chose Microsoft 365 Business Premium
From the business perspective we didn't evaluate any other applications or products similar to 365. At the county we are Microsoft first on all applications.
Chose Microsoft 365 Business Premium
Microsoft is more universally accepted, which makes it easier for us to work with our clients.
Chose Microsoft 365 Business Premium
I haven't actually come across any other package as worthy as Microsoft 365 Business. I admire the way it gives access to all the applications at one place, like Microsoft Office, Microsoft Powerpoint, Microsoft Access, etc.
Chose Microsoft 365 Business Premium
Better understanding/tracking of use /accessibility for data privacy/protection regulation requirements.
Top Pros
Top Cons
Best Alternatives
Adobe AcrobatMicrosoft 365 Business Premium
Small Businesses
Square 9 Softworks
Square 9 Softworks
Score 9.8 out of 10
Google Workspace
Google Workspace
Score 9.0 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
MSB Docs
MSB Docs
Score 9.4 out of 10
Google Workspace
Google Workspace
Score 9.0 out of 10
Enterprises
Conga Composer
Conga Composer
Score 9.4 out of 10
Microsoft 365
Microsoft 365
Score 8.7 out of 10
All AlternativesView all alternativesView all alternatives
User Ratings
Adobe AcrobatMicrosoft 365 Business Premium
Likelihood to Recommend
8.9
(483 ratings)
8.6
(102 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
9.8
(26 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Usability
8.8
(237 ratings)
8.2
(51 ratings)
Availability
10.0
(2 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Performance
8.9
(8 ratings)
8.4
(41 ratings)
Support Rating
7.8
(56 ratings)
9.4
(9 ratings)
Online Training
9.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
9.1
(9 ratings)
9.1
(1 ratings)
Configurability
8.5
(2 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Contract Terms and Pricing Model
6.0
(3 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Ease of integration
9.0
(8 ratings)
6.0
(1 ratings)
Product Scalability
10.0
(2 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
4.0
(3 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
5.5
(2 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
User Testimonials
Adobe AcrobatMicrosoft 365 Business Premium
Likelihood to Recommend
Adobe
If your organization uses PDFs frequently, then Adobe Acrobat feels like must-have. I could not imagine our organization not using it. The ability to create, organize, and edit PDFs easily and intuitively are the main reasons my organization uses it. The other additional functions and features are "nice to haves", but ultimately, don't impact our day-to-day
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Microsoft
Well-Suited Scenarios:Collaborative Work Environment:Scenario: Your organization relies heavily on collaboration, and you need a platform that integrates email, chat, document sharing, and online meetings seamlessly.Usage: Microsoft 365 Business Premium provides tools like Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, and OneDrive, fostering a collaborative work environment.Professional Communication:Scenario: Your business requires professional email communication with a custom domain, and you need advanced email security features.Usage: Microsoft 365 includes Exchange Online for business-class email, with features like anti-malware and anti-spam protection.Document Management and Sharing:Scenario: You have a need for centralized document storage, version control, and secure sharing within and outside the organization.Usage: OneDrive for Business and SharePoint allow for secure document storage, versioning, and controlled access to files.
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Pros
Adobe
  • Easy to understand- the program has a very intuitive layout that is great for people who doesn't use the product very much
  • Includes all features you might need. There are many features I didn't even think we would need that they have included.
  • They have a very recognizable name so my clients feel they can trust what they are being asked to open/sign since the Adobe name is next to it.
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Microsoft
  • Work in sync in different departments.
  • Being able to work from any device or computer. It is a very noble tool in different devices.
  • The work between the different programs (Word, Excel, Notes) that it offers is extremely light and good.
Read full review
Cons
Adobe
  • It would be good if Adobe Acrobat could utilize less system resources. I have had crashes due to memory and CPU load this week
  • Quicker load times from a cold launch
  • Easier collaborative commenting for offline documents - knowing where and who wrote what
  • Ensuring documents don't have issues where text cannot be copied before publishing
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Microsoft
  • The only thing that is a bit cumbersome is that it doesn't seem that you can save files directly to programs like one drive if you aren't using a Microsoft program to generate the document. An example of this would be if I am working in a PDF in our PDF Program I have to first save it to my desktop and then drag it into one drive. I end up with duplicates and that can sometimes make it hard to remember which is the most up-to-date.
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Likelihood to Renew
Adobe
I bought a perpetual license to Acrobat some time ago, but if the software ever stopped being supported in my version of windows or other solution that makes me need to buy another license I would not hesitate to do so since it saves me a lot of headaches. There are workarounds to merge files and edit pdfs with an online interface but I dont think those are a good usage of time when Acrobat exists.
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Microsoft
It is part of the organisation now. It provides and rich feature set and requires a relatively low amount of administration.
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Usability
Adobe
My overall experience with Adobe is great because because the it has almost all of the tools in one place and it can be used it for most of my work without going anywhere else. Because the tools are available right there in the main interface, it makes it very easy to use.
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Microsoft
The basic apps are straightforward and easy to use, especially since they have been around so long. I'm referring to the basic apps like Outlook, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, OneNote, etc. Other features such as Microsoft Teams and Sharepoint Sites, Sharepoint Lists, Sharepoint Groups, etc. all require a higher level of knowledge to both implement and use properly
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Reliability and Availability
Adobe
The software is readily available and rarely has application errors.
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Microsoft
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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Microsoft
In the last 5 years, Microsoft has come a long way. The performance of the products has become more and more user-friendly and it seems that the feedback provided by the user community is being listened to and worked on. The processes are very fast and seamless. There are negligible errors and doesn't slow the systems down.
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Support Rating
Adobe
Because I don't need it. Used it years ago for account management/billing issues but they have changed the user experience so more of that can be managed online. If I have a question the knowledge base or a video that Adobe has posted answers
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Microsoft
As mentioned elsewhere in the review, Microsoft has historically paid attention to community feedback and issues, but timeliness can improve, and so can the addressing of long-standing issues about which many users have said "I have this issue too!" but no official solution exists. For issues that do have a solution, however, the solution is usually not difficult to find, and the explanation of features on Microsoft's website can mitigate many problems.
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Online Training
Adobe
Easy to follow and understand
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Microsoft
No answers on this topic
Implementation Rating
Adobe
Works well with JamF and SmartDeploy. These are our Enterprise imaging solutions for Mac's and PC's. The Enterprise installer is required when pushing out this app.
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Microsoft
No answers on this topic
Alternatives Considered
Adobe
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 or 2 that we find necessary to use at times.
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Microsoft
Before migrating to Microsoft 365 Business Premium, we possessed an in-house exchange server. Therefore, it was difficult for us to look at alternatives to Microsoft for a solution – we did look at the Google Suite of products, but the transition for us seemed less cumbersome to stay with Microsoft from a staff and administrative perspective. While the G Suite does offer us many outstanding products and services, we also didn’t feel that Gmail is up-to-par as a corporate solution the way Exchange/Outlook/OWA are – this alone was also a driving force for our end-users, as there was minimal transition for them to move from an on-premise solution to an off-premise solution. The additional features of SharePoint, Teams, Project, and so many other applications within Microsoft 365 also helped us make a strong case to stay with Microsoft and expand what we were using. The end-user and mobile protections of InTune have also put us at ease when issuing laptops and mobile phones to an almost fully-remote end-user base.
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Contract Terms and Pricing Model
Adobe
The only thing I can think of that may be helpful would be a more flexible tiered pricing options based on usage or document volume.
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Microsoft
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.
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Microsoft
No answers on this topic
Return on Investment
Adobe
  • Adobe Acrobat has improved the security of our documents, resulting in less risk, as protecting documents is essential to ensure compliance with privacy laws.
  • It saves our company money, as the product makes it easier for our employees to complete their jobs.
  • The product assists our employees with providing quality work product.
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Microsoft
  • Teams has streamlined our chats within each department so its easy to help out each other when problems or issues arise as well as having chat conversations in real time instead of the slower email option. This is especially handy when peopel are not working in the same space and cannot use a phone.
  • All of our major communications, are done through Outlook email keeping everyone on the same page of issues within our organization or updates coming out for example
  • Excel provides a simple system for creating our schedules, Tracking customer issues, project boards etc. having all these readily available minimizes time spent looking for information and grants more time for customer interaction and increasing service and sales.
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ScreenShots

Adobe Acrobat Screenshots

Screenshot of Create, edit, convert, and share PDF files all from within Microsoft Teams – as part of Acrobat integrations with Microsoft 365 apps.Screenshot of With Liquid Mode in Adobe Acrobat Reader mobile app, 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 Fill and sign PDF forms from anywhere and on any device.  Collect signatures, digitally track progress, and automatically archive the signed document.Screenshot of With Adobe Scan mobile app, capture and convert documents into high-quality, interactive PDF documents that can be filled out, signed, and shared.  Eliminates the hassle of finding a printer, filling a form by hand, and scanning it again.