Over the years, Adobe has carved its spot as the number-one provider of expert PDF solutions. Thanks to this, Acrobat is still the preferred choice for many individual users and big corporations due to the product’s general reliability and seamless integration with a wide range of popular software products, like Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace.
But with the rise of more affordable alternatives that pack virtually the same punch, Adobe’s throne is growing increasingly shaky. Join us as we take a look at some of the more notable players in the Acrobat alternative market and pit them against the current PDF heavyweight champion to determine if your business is still getting its money’s worth from Acrobat or if it’s time for a change.
This article was updated on August 12, 2026
Features
Adobe Acrobat, MobiPDF, Wondershare PDFelement, and Nitro PDF all cover the main PDF tasks, including editing, conversion, OCR, forms, signing, and document protection. The biggest differences are in platform availability and some additional tools.
Feature
Adobe Acrobat
MobiPDF
Wondershare PDFelement
Nitro PDF
View and read PDFs
Search PDF text
Comments, highlights, and markup
Edit PDF text and images
Create PDFs from files and images
Convert PDFs to Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
Convert PDFs to image formats
Reorder, add, delete, and extract pages
Merge and split PDFs
Compress PDFs
Create and fill PDF forms
OCR scanned documents
Fill and sign PDFs
Certificate-based digital signatures
Redact sensitive information
Password protection and permissions
Supported apps/platforms
Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, web
Windows, iOS, Android
Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, web
Windows, macOS, iOS; web tools available
Feature availability may vary by plan, operating system, and device. Comparison reflects features listed by each provider as of August 2026.
Pricing plans
When it comes to pricing, Adobe offers lots of options targeted at individuals, businesses, and the education sector. However, its main competitors are not that far behind either – in fact, some are noticeably more affordable. For instance, let’s compare the pricing of Acrobat to that of MobiPDF:
Individual plan (subscription). The yearly Acrobat Standard plan comes out to $179.88 ($14.99/month), while MobiPDF Pro costs $80.04 ($6.67/month) on the annual plan — a difference of $99.84 a year.
NOTE: The yearly Acrobat Pro plan is priced at $239.88 ($19.99/month), a difference of $159.84 a year compared to MobiPDF Pro.
Individual plan (perpetual licence). Since February 12, 2022, Adobe no longer sells perpetual (lifetime) licences for any of its products and has moved entirely to subscriptions.
NOTE: MobiPDF's perpetual option, now called MobiPDF Lifetime, still costs $99.99 and gives users lifetime access to nearly all currently released features on one desktop device.Business (subscription). Adobe Acrobat offers two business tiers: Standard and Pro. Acrobat Standard for Teams is priced at $203.88/year ($16.99/month) per licence.
NOTE: MobiPDF's closest equivalent, MobiPDF Lifetime for Teams, is a one-time cost of $99.99 per licence, with no recurring fee. Acrobat Pro for Teams is priced at $287.88/year ($23.99/month) per licence, while MobiPDF Pro for Teams costs $89.99 per user, per year — a per-seat subscription.
See the below table for a full-price comparison between Adobe Acrobat and MobiPDF, PDFElement, and Nitro PDF.
Adobe Acrobat
MobiPDF
Wondershare PDFelement
Nitro PDF
Acrobat Pro: 7-day free trial
MobiPDF Pro: 7-day free trial
Free trial available; duration may vary by version
14-day free trial, no credit card required
Individual, Business, 3-year non-subscription licence
Individual, Business, Lifetime
Individual, Business, Perpetual
Individual, Business, 3-year licence
Standard: $179.88/year ($14.99/month, annual commitment) Pro: $239.88/year ($19.99/month, annual commitment)
Pro: $79.99/year ($6.67/month, billed yearly)
Yearly: $79.99/year • 2-year: $109.99
Standard: $180/year ($15/month, billed annually)
Acrobat Pro 2024: upfront 3-year term licence; no perpetual/lifetime option
Lifetime: $99.99 one-time
Perpetual: $129.99 one-time
Classic: $270 one-time for 3 years
Standard for teams: $203.88/user/year ($16.99/month) • Pro for teams: $287.88/user/year ($23.99/month)
Pro for Teams: $99.99/user/year
Team: $109/user/year
Standard: $180/user/year; volume options available
No perpetual business plan
Lifetime for Teams: $99.99/licence
Team perpetual: $139/user
Classic: $270/licence for 3 years
Prices and plan details accurate as of August 2026. Prices are in USD and may vary by region, taxes, promotions, or changes made by the respective providers.
Public reception
All four PDF solutions are generally well received by their respective user base. In the case of Adobe, however, regular users have occasionally reported performance slowdowns after an update, while new users generally find Acrobat’s user interface to be cluttered and unintuitive, particularly since some of the more common functions, such as commenting on a PDF, seem to always be several clicks away.
In contrast, here is how one AppSumo user reviews MobiPDF:
“The user interface is pleasant and clear. The icons are crisp and the menu contents are logical. So the app is quite easy to navigate.”
Why choose MobiPDF for your business
Developed by MobiSystems, MobiPDF combines essential PDF tools with flexible pricing for individuals and teams. Key benefits include:
Good value: choose an annual subscription or a one-time purchase, with pricing that can be considerably lower than Adobe Acrobat.
Familiar interface: work with an easy-to-navigate interface designed to make common PDF tasks straightforward.
Offline access: use the Windows desktop app to work on PDF tasks without relying on a constant internet connection.
Flexible business licensing: manage team licences through a web-based admin console, with volume discounts available for 20 or more seats.
Grab your copy of MobiPDF today or start a free 7-day trial, no strings attached.
