Adobe Acrobat’s popularity is a given because of its advanced editing features. But it’s also pricey, lags with big files sometimes, and is packed with features you might never use. Plenty of users aren’t fans of the whole subscription thing, and many of them are now on the hunt for an Adobe Acrobat alternative that’s faster, cheaper, and more closely matches their needs.
Here are three alternatives for Adobe Acrobat. We’ve compared feature sets and noted why each program stands out and where it falls short, so you can make a selection accordingly.
- Tenorshare PDNob– An affordable Adobe Acrobat alternative for advanced PDF editing. PDNob skips the heavy, expensive features of big PDF tools and gives you just what you need: fast loading, dependable OCR, easy editing, and flawless conversions.
- LibreOffice Draw– An open-source Adobe alternative for simple edits. Good for basic layout tweaks and quick edits without cost, though it lacks advanced automation and precision tools.
- Inkscape– An Adobe alternative for Linux and graphic-heavy PDFs. Ideal for design-focused PDFs thanks to its vector-editing strength, but not as convenient for text-heavy documents.
Affordable Adobe Acrobat alternative for Windows and Mac
Tenorshare PDNob is a lightweight, fast, and affordable Adobe Acrobat alternative for Windows and Mac users. It offers almost all basic PDF editing features and skips the heavy extras of bigger tools. The tool focuses on clean design, quick performance, and the functions most people actually use.
If you want a PDF tool that functions flawlessly right away, without long tutorials or complex menus, PDNob is an easy, practical choice. If you’re tired of expensive subscriptions and cluttered interfaces, its clean, straightforward design offers a refreshing change.
It focuses on what matters: quick loading, easy editing, a clean interface, and dependable performance. For daily PDF tasks like contracts, reports, schoolwork, and conversions, it gets the job done without the bulk of advanced enterprise software.
What makes Tenorshare PDNob an Adobe Acrobat alternative
- Editing feels simple and natural, almost like working in Word.
- All PDF editing tools are included, such as OCR, conversion, merging, splitting, annotation, and signing.
- Fast and lightweight with no freezing and no heavy CPU or RAM usage.
- Affordable one-time lifetime purchase pricing — $69.99, with official promotions sometimes bringing it down to about $55.99.
- Ideal for individuals, students, freelancers, professionals, and small businesses.
Who is Tenorshare PDNob for?
PDNob is ideal for anyone who wants an easy, lightweight PDF editor with no steep learning curve. Perfect for individuals, students, freelancers, or small businesses, it provides crucial PDF editing features at an affordable price, serving advanced PDF features in a lightweight package.
How to edit a PDF with Tenorshare PDNob
- Launch Tenorshare PDNob. The PDF can be loaded by selecting “Open PDF” in PDNob. The file can also be zoomed in or out for a clearer view.
Tenorshare
- Under the “Edit” tab, the software provides a wide range of advanced tools for modifying the document, including options to edit text, replace images, adjust fonts, and change backgrounds.
Tenorshare
- For annotations, the “Comments” tab offers free tools for highlighting, adding notes, and other markups.
Tenorshare
- The OCR feature is accessed from the Home tab by selecting “OCR” and then “Perform OCR.” After choosing the scan type, language, and page range, the pages are processed automatically and quickly, with high recognition accuracy.
Tenorshare
- The free AI Summarizer also works effectively for answering questions about the document.
Tenorshare
Why Tenorshare PDNob stands out
- Offers very accurate OCR (around 99%) for scanned PDFs.
- Includes various tools for editing text, images, and other PDF elements and provides 200+ annotation options like highlights, stamps, shapes, and notes.
- Converts PDFs to 30+ formats, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, images, EPUB, and PDF/A. Can create, rewrite, compress, split, or merge PDF files easily.
- Offers fast and responsive customer support.
- Compatible with Windows and macOS, with free access now on iOS mobile devices.
- Offers team licensing options, making it a practical Adobe Acrobat alternative for business use
Where Tenorshare PDNob falls short
- There’s no Android mobile version available, but the official site has announced that it will be released soon.
- Extremely large PDFs, especially those with thousands of pages, may take a moment to render or process.
- It doesn’t support Linux.
Open Source Adobe Acrobat alternative
LibreOffice, an Adobe Acrobat alternative, is an open source vector graphics tool, but it can still edit PDFs by letting you change text and images, add or rearrange pages, and include basic annotations. It’s useful when you need to directly adjust the content and layout of a PDF.
Who is LibreOffice for?
It’s for Mac, Windows, and Linux users who need a free tool for basic PDF editing without advanced features like forms or signatures.
How to edit a PDF in LibreOffice
- In LibreOffice, text is edited by selecting each individual text block, where words, fonts, sizes, and colors can be changed. As every line is treated as a separate box, editing long paragraphs requires a lot of manual adjustment.
Tenorshare
- The text box tool allows typing anywhere on the page, which helps with non-interactive forms, but it can shift surrounding text and disrupt layouts with columns or tables.
Tenorshare
- Images can be moved, resized, deleted, or added through “Insert” > “Image,” but the software does not support interactive form filling, digital signatures, or OCR for scanned documents.
- Page thumbnails on the left make it easy to navigate through the document.
What makes LibreOffice an Adobe Acrobat alternative?
Compared to Acrobat, LibreOffice Draw is a lightweight Adobe Acrobat alternative that’s free for simple edits, rearranging pages, and adding basic annotations.
Why LibreOffice stands out
- No cost, no subscriptions, and great for basic PDF tasks.
- An Adobe Acrobat alternative for Mac, Windows, and Linux without needing the internet.
- Can change text, move or resize images, and adjust basic page elements.
- You also get Writer, Calc, Impress, and more, all able to export PDFs.
Where LibreOffice falls short
- Complex PDFs open with changed layouts, shifted text, or missing fonts.
- No form-filling, digital signatures, OCR, or other pro features.
- Large PDFs can cause lag or crashes.
- No built-in sharing, syncing, or real-time teamwork options.
- Help mostly comes from community forums, not official customer service.
Adobe Acrobat alternative for Linux
Inkscape is an Adobe Acrobat alternative for Linux users. It’s a vector graphics editor for editing PDFs with images, graphs, and illustrations. Moreover, it’s highly customizable, supporting plugins and command-line scripting to automate tasks like batch conversions.
Who is Inkscape for?
Inkscape is for Linux users who need to edit PDFs with images, charts, logos, or other design elements rather than long text documents or forms.
How to edit a PDF in Inkscape
- In Inkscape, only one page can be edited at a time, so a page must be selected before working on it. Choosing “Internal import” helps keep text editable, but complex layouts, special fonts, and detailed images may not import accurately.
Tenorshare
- Text can be edited by double-clicking it, though changes may leave gaps or require retyping entire sections. Forms, buttons, and annotations are not supported for editing.
Tenorshare
- Unwanted objects can be removed by selecting them and pressing “Delete.”
Tenorshare
- New content can be added with the text and shape tools. For complex PDFs, elements often need to be ungrouped (Ctrl+Shift+G) to adjust individual parts.
Tenorshare
What makes Inkscape an Adobe Acrobat alternative?
Compared to Adobe, Inkscape is completely free and open-source, so there are no subscription fees or hidden costs. It’s a better Adobe Acrobat alternative for editing PDFs with logos, charts, illustrations, or other design elements, letting you adjust shapes, colors, and paths with precision.
Why Inkscape stands out
- Lets you edit text, images, and vector objects, and choose specific pages to work on.
- Keeps text sharp and graphics clear for professional-looking PDFs.
- Ideal for brochures, charts, logos, and other design-heavy PDFs.
Where Inkscape falls short
- Inkscape is a graphics tool, so many typical PDF tasks aren’t supported.
- Editing long reports or contracts is difficult since Inkscape lacks flowing text features.
- Each page must be edited separately, making large PDFs time-Where It Falls Shortuming.
- Can’t edit forms, add signatures, or use OCR and other pro PDF tools.
FAQ: About Free Adobe Acrobat Alternatives
Does Google have an Adobe Acrobat equivalent?
No. Google doesn’t have a dedicated PDF editor like Adobe Acrobat. But you can upload the PDF to Google Drive and edit it in Google Docs, though formatting may not stay perfect.
Is there a cheaper option than Adobe?
Yes, there is. In fact, Tenorshare PDNob offers all advanced PDF editing features at no cost. The only tool that requires a subscription is the AI Summarizer if the given file limit exceeds, and that too is quite affordable.
Is there a free version of Adobe Acrobat?
Yes, Adobe still offers a free online PDF editor, but it’s basic. You can use it to add text boxes, comments, highlights, and sign forms for free. But you cannot change existing text or images.
Is there an Adobe Acrobat alternative online?
Yes. Several online PDF editors, such as PDNob Online, Smallpdf, iLovePDF, and Sejda, support basic editing, signing, and converting directly in the browser. They’re convenient for quick tasks and require no installation, but they often come with limitations. For heavier workflows, a desktop editor is generally more dependable.
Conclusion
Each Adobe Acrobat alternative we’ve shared here offers something different. LibreOffice is a solid free choice for simple tasks, and Inkscape is for graphic-heavy PDFs on Linux. Tenorshare PDNob is for advanced PDF editing on Mac, iOS, and Windows, offering a clutter-free interface. It’s lightweight, offering only the functions mostly used for PDF editing, like OCR, annotations, text/image editing, and an AI Summarizer as a bonus.
