Adobe Acrobat Pro Alternative For Mac



With Adobe Acrobat, users can create, view, and edit any PDF files without any hassle. However, in spite of its features and effectiveness, not all users can afford to have this tool since it costs hundreds of dollars. And it’s quite complicated for beginners. In this case, many users are looking for some simple and cheaper alternatives to Acrobat. There are bunches of PDF editing software on the internet today, and to help you out some of the finest Adobe Acrobat substitute are shown after the cut.

  • If you want a basic alternative to Adobe Acrobat for macOS 10.15 Catalina, and you do not want to spend a dime, PDF Studio is the tool for you. With PDF Studio, you get almost all of the file management functionalities of Adobe Acrobat, but for a price of zero dollars.
  • Full list of the top Document Management Software apps that are similar to Adobe Acrobat Reader DC, including Grammarly, PDF Split and Merge, FileMinimizer, Image to PDF Converter, MyScript for.

Top Adobe Acrobat Replacement

ApowerPDF

This is a PDF editor software that can be used in creating or modifying any existing PDF files and forms. ApowerPDF features all of the must-have functions that a PDF editor must have. These includes the ability to manage PDF pages whether you need to delete, extract, crop, or rotate a specific portion of a PDF document.

Plus, it provides security by allowing users to add passwords and signatures to a certain PDF file. And if you need to convert a PDF document into an editable format, then this tool can help you to convert your file into editable formats like Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.

This program can be a great Adobe Acrobat alternative due to the fact that it is compact and provides most of the functions that can be done on Acrobat. It is definitely one worth checking out.

Adobe Acrobat Pro Alternative For Mac

Changes to Adobe Acrobat Pro DC Licensing. The Adobe Acrobat Pro DC licensing model has changed to a subscription-based model, which means University of Waterloo departments/units will now have to purchase a subscription for Acrobat Pro DC directly from the Adobe online store or the reseller Softchoice, and they will be paying a higher yearly cost for use of this software. Jun 11, 2020 DigiSigner is a free alternative to Adobe Acrobat that is compatible with Mac, Windows and also the Linux operating system, and is used to see PDF files and create digital signatures on them employing the X.509 certificates.

PDFescape Desktop

Another substitute to Adobe Acrobat that you can utilize is a program called PDFescape Desktop. This application mimics some of the functions that can be found on Acrobat such as the ability to adjust, delete, insert, and crop PDF pages. It also supports encryption of PDF contents with the use of a password, modifies PDF information tag, and allows the use of scanned signature to sign PDF files.

This is a decent tool to use as a replacement for doing some basic modifications into your PDF file. And the desktop version of this app requires a premium account so it means you need to avail their service before you can utilize it.

Foxit Phantom PDF

Adobe

The next alternative to Adobe Acrobat is called Foxit Phantom PDF. Unlike the usual PDF converters, this tool is equipped with easy to use editing functions which can be used to crop, add watermarks, cut, rotate, resize, etc. It also supports OCR technology and font recognition which is very useful in modifying or starting a new PDF document. You need to spend a little bit to get this program but it’s worth giving a try.

Anyone can use this as an alternative to Adobe’s PDF editor for it offers similar if not the same function as the Acrobat. Just be aware that this tool can’t save into few formats, which the developer needs to address.

Mac Preview

Now if you are a Mac OS user, then a program similar to Adobe Acrobat that you can use is Preview. This PDF editor is made for Mac OS users’ convenience and is capable of editing as well as creating new PDF documents. By using this program, you can modify multiple portion of a PDF text, at the same time trim, and label multiple pages together. All of its functions are quick and easy to utilize making it a fair alternative to Acrobat.

With its attributes it surely fits in as one of the must have free alternative for Adobe Acrobat. And this application is for free, but it only runs on OSX devices.

Mac

PDFPen

This next PDF editor for Mac OS is named PDFPen. It has the basic features that a PDF editor has, including modifications in typos in the text documents, capable of adding texts, images, and signatures. Aside from these, PDFPen even supports OCR technology helping users in converting images into an editable text document.

It is easy to say that this tool can be a good choice as an Acrobat alternative. But note that it’s exclusive for Mac users only.

Those are the finest Adobe Acrobat replacement that you can use on a daily basis. You might notice that most of them have similar functions, but some programs have additional functions than the others. Feel free to try all of the alternative programs that we provide above to know which app suits your needs.

Adobe Acrobat Pro Alternative For Mac

Related posts:

Skip to end of metadataGo to start of metadata

Changes to Adobe Acrobat Pro DC Licensing

The Adobe Acrobat Pro DC licensing model has changed to a subscription-based model, which means University of Waterloo departments/units will now have to purchase a subscription for Acrobat Pro DC directly from the Adobe online store or the reseller Softchoice, and they will be paying a higher yearly cost for use of this software.

Do I still need Adobe Acrobat Pro DC?

Adobe Acrobat Pro Alternative For Mac

Many commonly used features of Adobe Acrobat Pro DC are available in other applications Waterloo employees already have access to (e.g. Microsoft Office, Preview). Alternate, less expensive applications may also be available for purchase. Please see the list of alternatives below.

You may still require Adobe Acrobat Pro DC, if you:

  • create and/or edit fillable PDF forms
  • make remediations for accessibility (i.e. adjust tags or reading order)
  • need to edit content directly in a PDF document (Note: edits can be made to some files using Microsoft Word)

Alternatives to Acrobat Pro DC

Adobe Acrobat Pro Dc Mac

RequirementAlternativeInstruction
Creating PDF documentsMicrosoft Office
  • Create your file in a Microsoft Office program (e.g. Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and then save the file as a PDF.
  • Save a copy of your file as the appropriate Microsoft Office file type (e.g. .docx, .xlsx, .pptx) as it will be useful when you need to edit your PDF in future.

Preview
  • You can convert an image file to PDF using the macOS default image and PDF viewer.
Editing content in PDF documentsMicrosoft Office (with original file)
  • If you have the original Microsoft Office file, open the file in the appropriate Microsoft Office program, make your changes, and then save the file as a PDF again.

Microsoft Office (without original file)
  • Open the PDF in Word, make your changes, and then save the file as a PDF again.
  • Works best for files that are short, mostly text, with simple layouts.
  • You will need to re-apply heading styles, re-add alt text to your images and tables, and re-set the header row(s) for your tables.
  • You may need to reformat other aspects of your file as well; the more complex the file, the more reformatting you will need to do.

Adobe Acrobat Export PDF(purchase required)
  • An Adobe Acrobat Export PDF subscription will grant you access to the Export PDF tool in Adobe Acrobat Reader DC and your browser through Adobe's Document Cloud.
  • Export the PDF file to Word or Excel, make your changes and save the file as a PDF again.
  • Exporting a PDF produces a Word document that retains more formatting than simply opening the PDF in Word.
  • This is a better option for files that are long or complex, of if you have many PDFs to edit.
  • You will need to re-apply heading styles, re-add alt text to your images and tables, and re-set the header row(s) for your tables.
  • You may need to reformat other aspects of your file as well; the more complex the file, the more reformatting you will need to do.


Adding comments and marking up text in PDF documentsPreview
  • Annotate a PDF using the editing tools in the markup toolbar. You can sketch/draw or insert shapes, add loupes, text, and notes and speech bubbles.
  • You can also mark up text in a PDF: highlight, underline, and strikeout text.
Filling and signing PDF formsPreview
  • In the Preview app, you can fill out and sign PDF forms.
  • To fill in a form, simply click on the fields to enter text, select radio buttons or checkboxes, or pick from a set of options.
  • To sign a form, you can draw or insert an image of your handwritten signature.
  • If the form does not have interactive fields, you can annotate a PDF to fill it in, by using tools like Sketch and Text, instead of printing and filling out by hand.
Adding, deleting and rearranging pages in a PDF documentPreview
  • In the Preview app, you can add, delete, or move PDF pages.
Combining multiple PDF documents into a single PDF documentPreview
  • In the Preview app, you can combine multiple PDFs, in whole or part, into a single PDF.
Replacing a signature page in a PDF documentPreview
  1. Open the original PDF document and signed page (PDF or image file).
  2. Delete the blank signature page from the original PDF document. See add, delete, or move PDF pages.
  3. Combine the original PDF document (minus the signature page) with the signed page (PDF). See combine multiple PDFs.
  4. If necessary, move the signed page to the correct location by dragging and dropping the thumbnails.

Related articles

Need Help?

Adobe Acrobat Pro Alternative For Mac

Contact the IST Service Desk at helpdesk@uwaterloo.ca or 519-888-4567 ext. 44357.