Best Adobe Acrobat Alternatives in 2026 (Free & Paid)

Adobe Acrobat is the gold standard for PDF editing. It literally invented the format. And in 2026, Acrobat Pro remains the most feature-complete PDF editor on the market.

But here's the thing: most people don't need all of that. At $19.99/month (or $239.88/year), Acrobat Pro is expensive — especially when you only use a fraction of its capabilities. If you mostly edit text, fill forms, sign documents, and merge PDFs, you're paying premium prices for features you'll never touch.

That's why "Adobe Acrobat alternative" is one of the most searched terms in the PDF space. People want capable tools without the bloated price tag.

We've tested the most popular alternatives and put together this honest guide. Yes, we make OnlyDocs — and yes, we think it's great — but we'll give you the full picture so you can choose what works best for your specific needs.

What to Look for in an Acrobat Alternative

Before diving into specific tools, here's what matters most when replacing Acrobat:

• Core editing — Can you actually edit text, images, and layouts in existing PDFs?
• Form filling and signatures — Digital signatures are table stakes in 2026
• Page management — Merge, split, reorder, rotate, delete pages
• Conversion — PDF to/from Word, Excel, PowerPoint, images
• Price — The whole reason you're looking for an alternative
• Privacy — Where do your files go during processing?
• Platform — Desktop, web, mobile, or all three?

With that framework, let's look at the best options.

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1. OnlyDocs — Best Free Browser-Based Alternative

Price: Free (Pro at $7/month) Platform: Any browser (desktop, mobile, tablet) Best for: Anyone who wants a capable, private, free PDF editor

We'll be upfront — this is our product, so take this section with that context. But here's why we built OnlyDocs and why users are switching from Acrobat:

What OnlyDocs Does Well

• Full PDF editing for free — Edit text, add annotations, fill forms, sign documents, and manage pages without paying anything
• No signup required — Open the site, drop in your PDF, start editing. That's it.
• Privacy-first architecture — Files are processed entirely in your browser. Nothing uploads to a server. Ever.
• $7/month Pro — When you need OCR, batch processing, or advanced features, it's less than half the cost of Acrobat
• Zero installation — Works on any device with a modern browser

Where OnlyDocs Falls Short vs Acrobat

Let's be honest about the gaps:

• Advanced pre-press and print production tools — Acrobat's preflight and color management are unmatched
• PDF/X and PDF/A standards — Acrobat handles archival and print-ready standards natively
• Advanced redaction — Acrobat's redaction tools are more thorough for legal use
• JavaScript form scripting — Complex interactive forms with calculations still need Acrobat
• Desktop integration — No native desktop app (though the browser experience is fast)

For 90% of PDF tasks — editing, signing, annotating, merging — OnlyDocs handles everything Acrobat does at a fraction of the cost. For specialized publishing, legal, or pre-press work, Acrobat still has the edge.

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2. Smallpdf — Best for Simple Conversions

Price: Free (limited) / Pro at $12/month Platform: Web, desktop app, mobile apps Best for: Users who need quick file conversions

Smallpdf has been around since 2013 and offers a clean suite of PDF tools. Their strength is in format conversion and compression — converting between PDF and Office formats, compressing file sizes, and quick operations.

Pros

• Very polished, intuitive interface
• Good compression algorithm
• Desktop and mobile apps available
• Google Drive and Dropbox integration

Cons

• Free tier limited to 2 tasks per day
• Pro at $12/month is still pricey
• Files are uploaded to their servers
• PDF editing features are basic compared to Acrobat (or OnlyDocs)

Smallpdf is a good tool for occasional conversions, but if you need actual PDF editing (changing text, detailed annotations), it's limited.

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3. iLovePDF — Best Tool Variety

Price: Free (limited) / Premium at $7/month Platform: Web, desktop, mobile apps Best for: Users who need lots of specialized PDF tools

iLovePDF offers the widest variety of individual PDF tools — over 25 of them. Need to add page numbers? There's a tool. Watermark PDFs? Tool for that. Convert HTML to PDF? Covered.

Pros

• Massive tool selection (25+ individual tools)
• Good free tier for basic operations
• PDF/A conversion available
• Developer API for automation
• Competitive pricing at $7/month

Cons

• Free tier has ads and batch limits
• Files uploaded to servers for processing
• No unified editor — each tool is a separate workflow
• The sheer number of tools can be overwhelming

If you need a specific niche tool that other editors don't offer, iLovePDF probably has it. For day-to-day editing, the fragmented tool approach is less efficient than an integrated editor.

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4. Foxit PDF Editor — Best Desktop Alternative

Price: $149.99/year (or ~$12.50/month) Platform: Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Cloud Best for: Power users who want a desktop app similar to Acrobat

Foxit has positioned itself as the premium Acrobat alternative for years, and it's earned that reputation. It's a full-featured desktop PDF editor that can do almost everything Acrobat does.

Pros

• Feature parity with Acrobat for most tasks
• Faster and lighter than Acrobat on most systems
• Good collaboration and commenting tools
• Cloud-connected workflows
• Strong enterprise features (mass deployment, Active Directory)

Cons

• Still expensive at ~$150/year
• Desktop app required for full features
• Interface can feel cluttered with so many options
• Free reader is limited (no editing)

Foxit is the best choice if you truly need Acrobat-level features but want better performance and a slightly lower price. It's not cheap, but it's noticeably less than Acrobat.

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5. PDF-XChange Editor — Best Budget Desktop Option

Price: Free viewer / Plus at $56/year Platform: Windows only Best for: Windows power users on a budget

PDF-XChange has a cult following among Windows users for good reason. The free version is remarkably capable, and the paid Plus version at $56/year is a fraction of Acrobat's price.

Pros

• Very capable free version
• Excellent annotation and markup tools
• Lightweight and fast (runs well on older hardware)
• OCR included in the Plus version
• One-time purchase option available ($56)

Cons

• Windows only — no Mac, no mobile, no web
• Interface looks dated compared to modern tools
• Free version watermarks some operations
• Steep learning curve for advanced features

If you're on Windows and want a desktop editor at a great price, PDF-XChange is hard to beat. The Windows-only limitation is the main dealbreaker.

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6. LibreOffice Draw — Best Fully Free Desktop Option

Price: Completely free (open source) Platform: Windows, Mac, Linux Best for: Budget-conscious users comfortable with open source

LibreOffice Draw can open and edit PDFs, and it's entirely free with no limitations. It's part of the LibreOffice suite, which is a capable open-source alternative to Microsoft Office.

Pros

• Completely free, no premium tier
• Open source and community-maintained
• Works on all desktop platforms
• No file uploads or privacy concerns

Cons

• PDF editing is basic — treats pages more like images
• Not purpose-built for PDFs (it's a drawing app that opens PDFs)
• Complex PDFs often don't render correctly
• Clunky interface for PDF-specific tasks
• No web or mobile version

LibreOffice Draw is a viable option for simple edits on a budget, but it's not a serious Acrobat replacement for regular PDF work.

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Comparison Summary

Here's how the alternatives stack up on the factors that matter most:

Price (annual):

• Adobe Acrobat Pro: $240/year
• Foxit PDF Editor: $150/year
• Smallpdf Pro: $144/year
• iLovePDF Premium: $84/year
• OnlyDocs Pro: $84/year
• PDF-XChange Plus: $56/year
• LibreOffice Draw: Free

Free tier quality:

• OnlyDocs: ★★★★★ (full editing, no limits)
• PDF-XChange: ★★★★ (capable but watermarks some output)
• LibreOffice Draw: ★★★ (free but basic PDF support)
• iLovePDF: ★★★ (good tools, but ads and limits)
• Smallpdf: ★★ (very limited, 2 tasks/day)
• Foxit: ★★ (reader only)
• Adobe: ★ (reader only)

Privacy:

• OnlyDocs: ★★★★★ (files never leave your device)
• PDF-XChange: ★★★★★ (desktop, local processing)
• LibreOffice: ★★★★★ (desktop, local processing)
• Foxit: ★★★★ (desktop with optional cloud)
• Adobe: ★★★★ (desktop with optional cloud)
• Smallpdf: ★★★ (server upload required)
• iLovePDF: ★★★ (server upload required)

How to Choose

Choose Adobe Acrobat if: You need the absolute most advanced PDF features — pre-press, JavaScript forms, advanced redaction, accessibility compliance. Budget isn't a concern.

Choose OnlyDocs if: You want capable, free PDF editing with strong privacy, no signup hassle, and affordable Pro pricing. Best for most individuals and small teams.

Choose Foxit if: You need near-Acrobat power in a desktop app and want slightly better value than Adobe.

Choose iLovePDF or Smallpdf if: You primarily need conversions and simple operations and don't mind server-side processing.

Choose PDF-XChange if: You're on Windows and want the best budget desktop editor.

Choose LibreOffice Draw if: You need a completely free desktop option and can tolerate basic PDF support.

The Bottom Line

Adobe Acrobat is still the most powerful PDF editor in 2026. But "most powerful" doesn't mean "best value" or even "best for most people."

For the vast majority of PDF tasks — editing text, filling forms, signing documents, merging files, annotating pages — you don't need a $240/year subscription. A tool like OnlyDocs handles all of that for free, with better privacy, and without requiring you to install anything or create an account.

The best Adobe Acrobat alternative is the one that does what you actually need at a price that makes sense. For most people, that's a free tool that respects your privacy and gets out of your way.

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