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Open source Adobe Acrobat alternatives

Top PDF Editors like Adobe Acrobat

The most popular alternative to Adobe Acrobat is Sumatra PDF, which has a free version. Other great alternatives to Adobe Acrobat are Okular and Stirling-PDF.

Most alternatives to Adobe Acrobat are in the PDF Editors category, compared here by price, platform and features.

Adobe Acrobat alternatives
AllFreeOpen source
3 apps

All Adobe Acrobat alternatives

  1. Sumatra PDF

    17.7Kstars

    Sumatra PDF is a small, fast document reader for Windows that opens PDF, EPUB, MOBI, XPS, DjVu and comic book files. It focuses on quick startup and a minimal interface rather than editing, with basic annotation support and a portable version that runs without installation. It is free and open source under the GPLv3.

    6 Sumatra PDF alternatives

    Pros

    • Very fast startup and a minimal interface
    • Opens PDF, EPUB, MOBI, DjVu and comic book files
    • Portable version runs without installation

    Cons

    • Available on Windows only, with no Mac or Linux version
    • No PDF editing and only basic annotations
    Cost / License
    FreeOpen source
    Categories
    PDF Editors
    Platforms
    Windows
    Features
    Ad-freeOffline modePDF annotation
    Visit websiteMore about Sumatra PDF

  2. Okular

    Okular is the document viewer developed by the KDE community, opening PDF, EPUB, DjVu, XPS, comic books and other formats in one application. It supports highlighting, notes and other annotations, form filling and digital signatures for PDFs. Okular is free and open source, is usually installed with the KDE Plasma desktop on Linux and is also available for Windows.

    6 Okular alternatives

    Pros

    • Opens PDF, EPUB, DjVu, XPS and comics in one viewer
    • Highlights, notes, form filling and digital signatures
    • Free and open source, with no ads

    Cons

    • Cannot edit the text or images of a PDF
    • Works best on KDE Plasma and feels less native elsewhere
    Cost / License
    FreeOpen source
    Categories
    PDF Editors
    Platforms
    WindowsLinux
    Features
    Ad-freeElectronic signaturesOffline modePDF annotation
    Visit websiteMore about Okular

  3. Stirling-PDF

    94Kstars

    Stirling-PDF is an open-core PDF application you can run on your own server, typically with Docker, so documents never leave your infrastructure. It bundles tools to merge, split, compress, convert, OCR, sign, redact and edit PDFs, plus a REST API and pipelines for automating repetitive jobs. The core is MIT-licensed and free; paid plans add enterprise features such as SSO.

    7 Stirling-PDF alternatives

    Pros

    • Self-hosted, so documents never leave your infrastructure
    • Dozens of tools for merging, OCR, redaction and conversion
    • REST API and pipelines automate repetitive jobs

    Cons

    • Requires running a server, typically with Docker
    • SSO and other enterprise features are paid
    Cost / License
    FreemiumOpen source
    Categories
    PDF Editors
    Platforms
    WebSelf-hosted
    Features
    API accessElectronic signaturesMerge and split PDFsOCRPDF conversionPDF text editing
    Visit websiteMore about Stirling-PDF

Adobe Acrobat vs its alternatives at a glance

Pricing, platforms and the key features of Adobe Acrobat, compared with its most popular alternatives.

Adobe Acrobat vs its alternatives at a glance
AppPricingPlatformsAI assistantElectronic signaturesMerge and split PDFsOCRPDF annotation
Adobe AcrobatFreemiumWeb, Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android, Browser extension
Sumatra PDFFreeOpen sourceWindows
OkularFreeOpen sourceWindows, Linux
Stirling-PDFFreemiumOpen sourceWeb, Self-hosted

Adobe Acrobat alternatives: frequently asked questions

What is the best alternative to Adobe Acrobat?

The most popular alternative to Adobe Acrobat is Sumatra PDF: Lightweight open source PDF and ebook reader for Windows. Other great alternatives are Okular and Stirling-PDF.

Is there a free alternative to Adobe Acrobat?

Yes, 3 alternatives are free or have a free plan, including Sumatra PDF, Okular, and Stirling-PDF.

Is there an open source alternative to Adobe Acrobat?

Yes, 3 open source alternatives are listed, including Sumatra PDF, Okular, and Stirling-PDF.

Is Adobe Acrobat free?

Adobe Acrobat has a free plan, with paid plans that unlock more features.

Compare Adobe Acrobat with its alternatives

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