PDF Software - Feature Comparisons and Alternatives

Adobe PDF Editing Software and Conversion Tools:

  • Adobe Acrobat Pro DC
    • Primary Use:
      • Required for creating, editing or organizing fillable or complex PDFs.
    • Cost:
      • About $150.00 annually (license renewed each June, purchased on an individual basis as needed, billed to your unit)
    • Key Features:
      • Edit text and images in PDFs
      • Create and edit PDF forms
      • Combine and reorganize multiple page PDFs into one document
      • Convert PDFs to other formats, such as a Word document or PowerPoint presentation
      • Enhanced security features such as password protection, encryption, redaction, and watermarks
      • Compare different versions of a PDF
      • Add media (photos & video) to a PDF
      • OCR to convert scanned text to plain text format
  • Adobe Acrobat Reader DC
    • Primary Use:
      • View, print, and sign PDFs
    • Cost:
      • Free software, no license necessary.
    • Key Features:
      • Open, read, and print PDF files
      • Sign PDFs with your signature
      • Add text to tillable PDF forms
      • Add comments
    • Unavailable Features:
      • Cannot edit PDF text or images
      • Cannot create fillable PDFs
      • Cannot convert PDFs to other formats such as Word documents
      • Cannot password protect PDFs
      • Cannot perform OCR (extract plain text from scanned text)
  • Adobe Free PDF Conversion Tools

Alternative Free Software Solutions for Working with PDFs:

  • Microsoft Word
    • Primary Use:
      • Viable free alternative for PDF tasks, depending on features needed.
    • Key Features:
      • Create or save documents as PDFs
      • Open PDFs and do basic editing
      • Password protect and encrypt PDFs
  • Canva
    • Primary Use:
      • Viable free alternative for PDF tasks, depending on features needed.
    • Key Features:
      • Allows for advanced editing, creation, merging, organization of pages, translation and marking up PDFs (300 page limit).
      • This free program has been security reviewed and is approved for use by the university.
      • For more information about Canva, visit canva.com/pdf-editor.
      • This option should not be used for sensitive or confidential data.
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