# Adobe Acrobat Reader Software Pricing, Alternatives & More 2026 | Capterra > With the help of Capterra, learn about Adobe Acrobat Reader Software - reviews, pricing plans, popular comparisons to other PDF products and more. Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/170833/Acrobat-Reader-DC/pricing --- # Adobe Acrobat Reader Software Review 2026: Features, Integrations, Pros & Cons Last updated on March 13, 2026 Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Description](#description)[Use cases](#use-cases)[Alternatives](#alternatives)[Users](#users)[Pros and Cons](#pros-cons)[Features](#features)[Pricing](#pricing)[Integrations](#integrations)[Support](#support)[Reviews](#reviews) Adobe Acrobat Reader ## What is Adobe Acrobat Reader? Acrobat Reader is a free PDF viewer software that lets users view, print, share, comment on, and annotate PDF files. Key features include viewing PDFs on small screens, editing PDF text and images, comparing PDFs, redacting sensitive information, sending PDFs for e-signature, converting PDFs to Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, adding password protection, and integrating with Microsoft 365. The software works on Windows, Mac, and mobile devices. ## What is Adobe Acrobat Reader used for? [PDF](https://www.capterra.com/pdf-software/)[PDF Editor](https://www.capterra.com/pdf-editor-software/) Top alternative Featured Overall rating Based on 10,525 user reviews Reviews sentiment Positive 95% Neutral 4% Negative 1% Pros & cons Streamlined diGital document signing Reliable cross-platform document sharing Frequent crashes and glitches Resource-heavy and slow performance Starting price $1.95 Per Month Free trial not available Capterra Shortlist charts the highest-rated and most popular products... Our "Best of" badge program showcases products with the highest ratings... Our "Best of" badge program showcases products with the highest ratings... Do you work for Adobe Acrobat Reader?[Manage this product listing](https://digitalmarkets.gartner.com/get-listed/claim-bx?url=https://www.adobe.com/&name=Adobe Acrobat Reader) ## Compare with a popular alternative Capterra selects software alternatives based on relevant features, verified user reviews and user interactions. Placement may be influenced by client status. ### Adobe Acrobat Reader 4.6 (10,525) VS. [4.7 (4,165)](https://www.capterra.com/p/251329/Adobe-Acrobat-DC/reviews/) Starting Price $1.95 Per Month Starting Price $19.99 Per User, Per Month Free Trial Free Version Pricing Options Free Trial Free Version Ease Of Use 4.5 (10,525) Ease Of Use 4.6 (4,156) Value For Money 4.4 (7,011) Value For Money 4.3 (3,045) Customer Service 4.3 (6,131) Customer Service 4.3 (2,728) ## Adobe Acrobat Reader alternatives [4.7 (427)](https://www.capterra.com/p/65868/ABBYY-FineReader/reviews/) Starting price $16.00 Per User, Per Month [4.5 (570)](https://www.capterra.com/p/167449/Nitro/reviews/) Starting price $17.70 Per User, Per Month [4.6 (991)](https://www.capterra.com/p/162654/PDFfiller/reviews/) Starting price $8.00 Per User, Per Month [iLovePDF](https://www.capterra.com/p/173963/iLovePDF/) [4.7 (1,748)](https://www.capterra.com/p/173963/iLovePDF/reviews/) Starting price $9.00 Per User, Per Month [Learn More](https://www.capterra.com/p/173963/iLovePDF/) [View all alternatives](https://www.capterra.com/p/170833/Acrobat-Reader-DC/alternatives/) ## Who uses Adobe Acrobat Reader? Based on Capterra reviews from the past year ## Pros and Cons Streamlined diGital document signing 92% positive reviews out of 1359 Most reviewers indicate sign documents features save time, enabling secure, paperless signatures across devices. George M Manager, 1,001 - 5,000 employees. "The signature feature saves you a lot of time with printing, signing, scan and send back." Frequent crashes and glitches 59% negative reviews out of 833 Some users report bugs and issues like crashes, freezing, and compatibility problems disrupt productivity and cause frustration. Kirill R Manager, 1,001 - 5,000 employees. "This software is unable to cope with basic functionality - opening & annotating pdf files and not crashing." Reliable cross-platform document sharing 91% positive reviews out of 418 Most reviewers describe document sharing as seamless, ensuring recipients can access, view, and print files reliably. Emmeline C Writer and illustrator, 10,001+ employees. "Brilliant software for compressing massive documents, very convenient for sending files by email" Resource-heavy and slow performance 74% negative reviews out of 484 Most users report performance and speed issues, including slow loading, lag, and high memory usage, especially with large files. Lily G Biostatistician, 10,001+ employees. "Additionally, I find if I have documents That use a lot of data adobe acrobat reader is one of the slowest tools on the market to open and view these types of documents in." Essential tool for daily workflows 99% positive reviews out of 180 Most users report daily use of Acrobat Reader is crucial for handling PDFs efficiently in work routines. Disruptive and frequent updates 58% negative reviews out of 409 Some reviewers describe updates as overly frequent, intrusive, and sometimes causing confusion or requiring manual intervention. Ravi G Fashion consultant, 2 - 10 employees. "Frequent updates can feel disruptive, especially if you're in the middle of work." ## Features Features with the highest number of reviews are displayed first. Those that have no reviews appear next, sorted alphabetically. Convert to PDF 4.6 (856) 64.60% of 856 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important With this capability, you can easily transform Word, Excel, images, and web pages into secure, shareable PDFs. Users think the conversion process is fast, versatile, and preserves formatting, making document sharing and printing straightforward. PDF Reader 4.7 (838) 67.54% of 838 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Adobe Acrobat Reader offers quick access to PDFs across devices, with smooth navigation, zoom, and annotation tools. Reviewers appreciate its reliable performance, user-friendly interface, and ability to highlight, print, and share documents efficiently. Text Editing 4.3 (776) 58.51% of 776 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important With text editing, you can make quick changes, fix errors, and update PDFs directly. Reviewers appreciate its time-saving nature and flexibility, but some users say full editing is only available in paid versions and may be tricky with low-quality files. PDF Conversion 4.4 (698) 58.60% of 698 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important This aspect helps you convert PDFs to and from formats like Word and Excel. Some reviewers find the process efficient and accurate, but users indicate advanced conversion requires the paid version and may struggle with poor-quality files. Digital Signature 4.5 (579) 57.34% of 579 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important It gives you the ability to sign documents electronically, saving time and paper. Reviewers appreciate the convenience, legal validity, and security, but some users report concerns about stored signatures and limited access in the free version. Document Management 4.4 (484) 51.03% of 484 reviewers that rated this feature as important or highly important Store, manage, and track all electronic documents in a centralized location Adobe Acrobat Reader 30 features Highlight content and/or make notations about parts of content Provides a channel for team members to share media files, communicate, and work together Leave comments and notes on documents for others to view Manage and track all internal and external communication conducted via calls, email, text, or chat Reduction in the number of bits needed to represent data With this capability, you can easily transform Word, Excel, images, and web pages into secure, shareable PDFs. Users think the conversion process is fast, versatile, and preserves formatting, making document sharing and printing straightforward. Customize data fields to support various needs and use cases Customize contracts and forms to collect specific information Import and export data to and from software applications Delete pages from a document It gives you the ability to sign documents electronically, saving time and paper. Reviewers appreciate the convenience, legal validity, and security, but some users report concerns about stored signatures and limited access in the free version. Store, manage, and track all electronic documents in a centralized location Review and analyze existing information across documents Store and organize documents in a centralized system Assemble applications and processes by dragging over and arranging pre-built components Digitally sign online documents Convert data into a code for security Create, save, and store files Move files across different systems or networks Store, manage and track all forms in a centralized location Compile and organize data into specific metrics Access software remotely via mobile devices Ability to recognize printed or written text within digital images or scanned documents This aspect helps you convert PDFs to and from formats like Word and Excel. Some reviewers find the process efficient and accurate, but users indicate advanced conversion requires the paid version and may struggle with poor-quality files. Adobe Acrobat Reader offers quick access to PDFs across devices, with smooth navigation, zoom, and annotation tools. Reviewers appreciate its reliable performance, user-friendly interface, and ability to highlight, print, and share documents efficiently. Rearrange/reorder pages within a document Securely stores data to prevent data loss or breaches With text editing, you can make quick changes, fix errors, and update PDFs directly. Reviewers appreciate its time-saving nature and flexibility, but some users say full editing is only available in paid versions and may be tricky with low-quality files. Set up connections to third-party platforms to improve business processes Add a digital mark to show ownership of an image, video, document, etc. Features 4.4 (10,525) 4.4 Based on 10,525 reviews ## Pricing Value for money 4.4 (7011) Free Version Basic $1.95 Per Month Value for money 4.4 (7,011) 4.4 Based on 7,011 reviews ## Integrations [ Google Drive](https://www.capterra.com/p/161425/Drive/)[ Dropbox Business](https://www.capterra.com/p/143068/Dropbox-Business/)[ OneDrive](https://www.capterra.com/p/161304/OneDrive/)[ Box](https://www.capterra.com/p/148766/Box/)[ Microsoft SharePoint](https://www.capterra.com/p/1167/SharePoint/)[ Microsoft Word](https://www.capterra.com/p/227146/Microsoft-Word/) ## Support, customer service and training options Customer Service 4.3 (6131) Support - Email/Help Desk - FAQs/Forum - Knowledge Base - Phone Support - 24/7 (Live rep) - Chat Training - In Person - Live Online - Webinars - Documentation - Videos Deployment - Web - Android - iPhone/iPad Typical users - Freelancers - Small businesses - Mid size businesses - Enterprises Customer Service 4.3 (6,131) 4.3 Based on 6,131 reviews ## User reviews Overall rating 4.6 Based on 10,525 reviews Filter by rating 5(7409) 4(2603) 3(449) 2(45) 1(19) Mentioned topic Sorted by most recent AU Anonymous User Vice President Financial Services ### "Industry standard and very reliable, but not the cheapest." 4.0 Overall Rating 4.0 4.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 7/10 March 29, 2026 Pros Works everywhere consistently across operating systems. And has a good record of document security. Excellent for signing PDFs and filling out forms. The free version does a good range of basic features making it easy to get started. Cons It does use a fair bit of system resources which makes it feel heavier than some 3d party apps that offer similar functions. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. Essence W. Professor Education Management ### "The One and Only" 4.0 Overall Rating 4.0 4.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 4.0 4.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 5/10 March 23, 2026 Pros I really still like Adobe Acrobat. It is the most convenient yet the only reliable document converter out there Cons The usability of it can be rather difficult. And the formatting does not come out the way I desire the most Review source Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. PS Piotr S. CEO Consumer Services ### "Dissapointed and annoyed" 2.0 Overall Rating 2.0 2.0 Ease of Use 3.0 3.0 Features 1.0 1.0 Customer Service 3.0 3.0 Likelihood to Recommend 2/10 March 16, 2026 Not so good. Very annoying pushes and constant info boxes "would you like this, would you like that". I just have to use it and Adobe makes a drama out of it. Pros You have to use it for some administrative/procurment processes. It is recognised in corporate and public sector. Cons It is obligatory for many administrative purposes to use PDF's and that's the only reason I use Adobe Acrobat Reader. The constant pushes: to implement in browser, to implement in files, to use extra features - it's really overwhelming and makes work with it really horrible. It wants you to save file while none changes has been made. It wants you to pay if you want to save WORD file into PDF, whlie this feature in Microsoft is free of charge. I would love to see an alternative, even paid one, just to see this product gone, because it is really not easy to use. The last example - when trying to find a type of signature, you need to pick from several features in menu without any help icons of whatsoever - it is really annoying for a typical user. Maybe, maybe, this product is for top notch specialists in... document signing. IDK. Good luck. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. Anthony Z. Oncology Clinician Health, Wellness and Fitness ### "Awful, clunky, obstructive, pervasive and persistent. Avoid if possible." 2.0 Overall Rating 2.0 2.0 Ease of Use 1.0 1.0 Features 2.0 2.0 Customer Service 1.0 1.0 Likelihood to Recommend 1/10 March 7, 2026 Frustrating, and ultimately I switched to PDF Express for the versatility, cost and utility. If I could surgically excise Adobe from my PC and Android phone completely, I would, but it's like a leech. Pros It's widespread and easy to access - most people and companies know it and can format products using it. Cons Everything else. It's pervasive so if I want to use another product, it insists on insinuating into startup. The interface is so different from Microsoft products, and so unhelpfully obstructive or limited, that I found working with it frustrating. Saving files is a pain. Why mess with something that worked (ie the MS Word-like save dialogue, that Acrobat USED to use?). Highlighting function is very glitchy. And updating to the full package Acrobat is glitchy, most functions go unused, and its no better. Switched from [Soda PDF](https://www.capterra.com/p/226942/SODA-PDF/) I wouldn't have, but it was necessitated by a switch into a new laptop and compatability issues. Soda PDF (and what I use now, PDF Express) are so much more versatile and user friendly - and cheaper. Review source Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. BN Bre N. Service coordinator Construction ### "Good for what it’s worth" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 3.0 3.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 0.0 0.0 Likelihood to Recommend 9/10 February 26, 2026 Pros We use Acrobat Reader for document editing and file conversion. They have many customization options. Cons It feels like a hassle just to edit one paper. I also think the subscription rate is a little pricey. Review source Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. HJ Heather J. Instructor Construction ### "Adobe Awesome" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 February 25, 2026 The security is secure and string, it is available on many types of computers (android and cloud integration). Pros Ease of use, compatibility, most reliable, robust annotation, secure e-signing, and available on may platforms. Cons It has a cluttered interface, occasional sluggish performance and aggressive upselling of paid features. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. Ann B. Public Information Supervisor Health, Wellness and Fitness ### "Mostly great, sometimes a challenge..." 4.0 Overall Rating 4.0 4.0 Ease of Use 4.0 4.0 Features 4.0 4.0 Customer Service 4.0 4.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 February 23, 2026 Fairly user friendly, but seems like features frequently have glitches or difficulty in determining how to go about making the edits I would like. Pros Used across all kinds of fields for all purposes. Most people versed on its use, comfortable with accessing. Cons I currently dislike the feature of opening photos as a PDF, which requires me to use my Adobe subscription to export the created PDF as a jpeg file when it started out as an image file. Can't find a setting to change it. Alternatives considered [Soda PDF](https://www.capterra.com/p/226942/SODA-PDF/) Reasons for choosing Adobe Acrobat Reader We felt Adobe was a more universal product and had better support. Review source Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. NK Naomi K. Attachee Alternative Medicine ### "Easy to use." 4.0 Overall Rating 4.0 4.0 Ease of Use 4.0 4.0 Features 4.0 4.0 Customer Service 3.0 3.0 Likelihood to Recommend 7/10 February 19, 2026 It has been a great experience. I believe it just needs a littkle adjustments. For example making the editing option easy to use and improve on customisation features. Pros It is easy to use with minimal interruptions. It does not have a lot of pop ip advertisements compared to others. Cons Inability to edit my document easily. I can't easily edit my document as it seems very complicated to do so in Adobe Acrobat. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. DH Denise H. Paralegal Legal Services ### "LIFESAVER=ADOBE ACROBAT READER" 5.0 Overall Rating 5.0 5.0 Ease of Use 5.0 5.0 Features 5.0 5.0 Customer Service 5.0 5.0 Likelihood to Recommend 10/10 February 10, 2026 I have had nothing but a great experience with Adobe reader and as I mentioned before it is a LIFESAVER when it comes to going through all the documents, medical records and everything needed on a daily workday Pros Adobe reader is honestly a LIFESAVER on a daily basis with having to review and go through legal documents and client paperwork. It went down a few days for us at the office, and I had a hard time functioning. That's how I know its amazing Cons I really have no bad or least favorite things about adobe reader. It truly is a lifesaver during work but all platforms have issues if it crashes or the account has some glitches with a company account. That's normal though and that can happen with anything! Review source Incentivized review: software users are invited to submit an honest review and offered a nominal incentive for their time and effort. All incentivized reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. TM Todd M. Field Engineer Airlines/Aviation ### "Acrobat Adobe Reader" 4.0 Overall Rating 4.0 4.0 Ease of Use 4.0 4.0 Features 3.0 3.0 Customer Service 1.0 1.0 Likelihood to Recommend 2/10 February 2, 2026 Overly experience was good. I would have to say that the overall user experience was just average though. Pros I liked that it was common and installed on many different platforms. Made it easy when sending to other users. Cons It was difficult to find features that would allow you to make edits. I also noticed that the program lagged when loading. Review source Non-incentivized review: any software user can leave a review for any product listed on our site. All submitted reviews are subject to our verification process prior to publication. 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