Adobe Acrobat is the most capable PDF software on the planet, and the paid versions include every feature you’d ever need. I’ve used it for heavy text editing, permanent redaction, and document comparison.

There’s just one problem. Most people’s interactions with PDFs are limited to marking them up, filling out forms, signing them, and merging a couple of files; all these jobs can be done for free. Realizing how much of Adobe Acrobat you’d actually use should make you reconsider whether it’s worth a $14.99–$24.99 monthly subscription.

Adobe’s PDF power is real

Just not for the jobs most people actually do

I’ve yet to encounter a PDF tool that rivals the power and robustness of Adobe Acrobat. I’ve used it to set up a single action to take a folder of PDFs, apply OCR, remove hidden metadata, add a watermark, and export them as PDF/A (archive) files. This is an advanced workflow that uses its Action Wizard.

Its permanent redaction tool also does the job more effectively than many other PDF tools I’ve tried. It deletes underlying visual data and vector text from the file. An accompanying Sanitize Document tool then removes hidden metadata, layer data, and embedded index streams. This is one of the best guarantees of absolute data privacy and one of the surest ways to prevent unauthorized disclosures before documents are distributed.

It also has an AI Assistant that does one of the best jobs at analyzing and explaining contracts. The list goes on and on, from turning scans into searchable and editable files with high-quality OCR to image and text editing with word-processor–like controls. These are all tied to a subscription.

However, high-level features don’t always become the most needed or most used, especially when considering the needs of most people who interact with PDFs. What I do most often with PDFs is open a document and read it; every PDF reader checks this box. But even other day-to-day PDF workflows don’t go beyond highlighting, commenting, filling out forms, adding signatures, combining files, and converting a document to different formats, mainly Word and Excel.

So, while Adobe Acrobat’s power is really impressive, for most people, those features are rarely used or, at best, only occasionally necessary. The subscription is, however, priced for a tiny minority who need it daily; probably not you.

Viewing, signing, merging, and light edits without a subscription

Since we are on the topic of Acrobat Reader, it’s only fair to start with its free version. I still have a copy of Acrobat Reader, and I’m able to view and print PDFs, add highlights, sticky notes, and comments, fill out forms, and include electronic signatures. That’s 90% of my daily PDF needs for free.

For the next level of daily tasks, certain free tools serve the role well enough that I don’t miss an Adobe subscription. One of my go-tos is PDFgear, and it’s ridiculously underrated. Rather than overlaying text like sticky notes to hide the underlying text, you can erase existing text, change fonts, and even swap out images embedded in a PDF. It also offers practical OCR that’s good enough for daily work. I also use its form builder a lot, which includes interactive text boxes, checkboxes, radio buttons, drop-down lists, and signature fields. By Adobe Acrobat standards, most of these should be pro-level functionality, but I get them for free.

PDFgear is just one of many that offer free consumer and office PDF editing features. Between PDFgear (Desktop), PDF24 Creator (Desktop), and Google Drive/Docs (Web), every PDF most people need is easily covered. When you throw in a few extensions, working with PDFs even becomes a much more seamless workflow that you don’t have to pay for.

This free PDF stack covers almost everything

A practical set of tools that replaces Acrobat for most people

The ultimate PDF tool depends on the platform you use and your daily needs. But for most people, this stack is more than sufficient:

If all you want to do is open and study a PDF, browsers are still one of the handiest options.

Utility beats pure power

If most of your PDF work revolves around automation, an Adobe Acrobat subscription provides you with access to the Action Wizard to do the heavy lifting. An Adobe Acrobat subscription also makes sense if you have to compare complex vector files or apply a cryptographically verified digital certificate (PKI). Barring these powerful enterprise-grade capabilities, you don’t need a special PDF budget. Adobe Acrobat remains the most capable PDF software you don’t have to use.