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
PDF Studio
Score 9.1 out of 10
N/A
PDF Studio is a PDF editor that aims to provides all PDF features needed at a low cost. PDF Studio maintains full compatibility with the PDF Standard. Users can: Create PDFs from Scan, MS Word, Text and Images Annotate PDFs with Comments & Text Markups Create, Fill In & Save PDF Forms Secure Documents with Passwords and Permissions Merge, Split & Assemble Documents Apply Watermarks, Headers and Footers Create Bookmarks / Table…
$99
one-time fee
Wondershare PDFelement
Score 5.0 out of 10
N/A
PDFelement is a document management solution from Wondershare Software headquartered in China.
$79.99
per year per user
Pricing
Adobe AcrobatPDF StudioWondershare 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 AcrobatPDF StudioWondershare PDFelement
Free Trial
YesYesYes
Free/Freemium Version
NoNoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
YesNoNo
Entry-level Setup FeeOptionalNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional DetailsEach user license key can be used on 2 computers (for the same user) on any of the supported operating system (Windows, Mac, Linux). Each user license is perpetual and allows to continue using this major version of our software (version 2018) as long as it works on your operating system. Payment is a one-time fee, with no monthly or yearly subscription or commitment. Any upgrade to future major versions is optional.For 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 AcrobatPDF StudioWondershare PDFelement
Considered Multiple Products
Adobe Acrobat
Chose Adobe Acrobat
Adobe Reader DC is much easier to use than PDF Studio Viewer, the menus and icons make more sense and there is much less clicking to get things done. Although Adobe charges more for their software, I believe it is well worth the extra cost. We have tried both of these software …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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.
Chose Adobe Acrobat
All the other applications in the market are replications of Adobe Acrobat and Adobe is the original one. The work on Adobe Acrobat with all the updates does not allow competition from other applications to work. Adobe Acrobat has many features in this applications that …
Chose Adobe Acrobat
Adobe is a better product
Chose Adobe Acrobat
Adobe Acrobat DC offers many features including ease of use and greater versatility. Adobe's feature set is great and Adobe's customer support consistently delivers good support.
Chose Adobe Acrobat
Adobe Acrobat DC has security features that are better than other products. I also like the touchscreen, tablet mode, for handwritten text integration within the PDF. Better file compression ratio as well.
Chose Adobe Acrobat
Ultimately I chose Adobe because I can access it via the cloud on all of my devices. I also chose it because I can cancel the software immediately and switch to something else if I need to. Adobe constantly has some better features and although I wish it was more intuitive, …
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.
Chose Adobe Acrobat
Adobe is widely known and is an approved software of our company
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.
PDF Studio
Chose PDF Studio
The user interface is much easier to work with inside of PDF Studio as compared to Adobe Acrobat. Load time and ease of use is what made me select the product over Foxit Phantom PDF. The price for PDF Studio is extremely competitive and makes it the best alternative towards …
Chose PDF Studio
PDF Studio doesn't involve an expensive subscription, plus has all the features without the cluttered UI. It is intuitive to use and I prefer it to Adobe Acrobat, Foxit, PDF XChange, AcePDF, and others. Minimal design with refined tools. Frankly, I am just relieved to have a …
Wondershare PDFelement
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.
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 …
Chose Wondershare PDFelement
I have evaluated Acrobat but found it less user friendly than PDFelement and very expensive on a product to product comparison
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.
Chose Wondershare PDFelement
PDFelement is more intuitive, and snapper, with more wow factors.
Chose Wondershare PDFelement
Both of the programs mentioned above have worked much better for my needs.
Chose Wondershare PDFelement
We haven't used any other similar products, and don't feel any desire to stop using PDFelement.
Chose Wondershare PDFelement
The experience is different. From a cost perspective, PDFelement is more cost effective and can get things done.
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.
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 …
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 …
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.
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
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 …
Chose Wondershare PDFelement
Easy to use and much cheaper than the Adobe products that do the same functions.
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Square 9 Softworks
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Score 9.7 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
MSB Docs
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Score 9.4 out of 10
pdfFiller
pdfFiller
Score 9.0 out of 10
MSB Docs
MSB Docs
Score 9.4 out of 10
Enterprises
Tungsten Capture
Tungsten Capture
Score 8.0 out of 10
Bluebeam
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Score 9.2 out of 10
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User Ratings
Adobe AcrobatPDF StudioWondershare PDFelement
Likelihood to Recommend
8.8
(811 ratings)
9.1
(3 ratings)
9.1
(55 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
9.1
(45 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Usability
9.2
(254 ratings)
8.2
(1 ratings)
8.6
(5 ratings)
Availability
9.1
(3 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Performance
5.7
(10 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
7.5
(2 ratings)
Support Rating
9.2
(63 ratings)
8.5
(2 ratings)
8.4
(8 ratings)
Online Training
9.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
9.8
(15 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Configurability
8.0
(4 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Contract Terms and Pricing Model
4.5
(2 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Ease of integration
8.0
(8 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
7.5
(2 ratings)
Product Scalability
7.0
(4 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
1.0
(2 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
1.0
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
User Testimonials
Adobe AcrobatPDF StudioWondershare PDFelement
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.
Read full review
Qoppa Software
For Linux users it is without a doubt the best option and the most developed so far.
Read full review
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.
Read full review
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!
Read full review
Qoppa Software
  • Editing PDF pages easily.
  • Organizing PDF pages quickly.
  • Adding comments to particular items within a PDF.
Read full review
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.
Read full review
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.
Read full review
Qoppa Software
  • I would like to be able to generate indexes of the documents that I am adding to a file.
  • To be able to scan a file and convert it from a PDF simply having the scan parameters.
Read full review
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.
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.
Read full review
Qoppa Software
No answers on this topic
Wondershare Technology
Excellent, easy to use product
Read full review
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
Read full review
Qoppa Software
As I answered before, the graphical interface is the best developed of the options that exist for Linux.
Read full review
Wondershare Technology
I am a novice and I am using it like a pro because it is so easy to work with
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
Read full review
Qoppa Software
No answers on this topic
Wondershare Technology
No issues. Works perfect
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.
Read full review
Qoppa Software
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.
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.
Read full review
Qoppa Software
Anytime I have had questions they have been able to be found in the forums of PDF Studio.
Read full review
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.
Read full review
Qoppa Software
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
Read full review
Qoppa Software
No answers on this topic
Wondershare Technology
Just pay, download, activate and start using it
Read full review
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.
Read full review
Qoppa Software
PDF Studio doesn't involve an expensive subscription, plus has all the features without the cluttered UI. It is intuitive to use and I prefer it to Adobe Acrobat, Foxit, PDF XChange, AcePDF, and others. Minimal design with refined tools. Frankly, I am just relieved to have a perpetual license for a product that just works.
Read full review
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.
Read full review
Contract Terms and Pricing Model
Adobe
I am not responsible for sales or purchasing
Read full review
Qoppa Software
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.
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Qoppa Software
No answers on this topic
Wondershare Technology
Super easy Word style layout and format.
Read full review
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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Qoppa Software
  • Allowed me to get a customer a quote faster.
  • Won business proposition due to the ability to organize and sort through customer documentation quickly.
Read full review
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.
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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.

PDF Studio Screenshots

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

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.