I'm exploring options for PDF editing and signatures since we're pretty locked into Adobe for our enterprise signatures due to customizations. We have about 20-30 users who specifically need Adobe, but the other 100 only require basic PDF viewing and editing. I'm curious about any recommendations for a one-time purchase PDF editing software that could work for business use. I've heard some good things about Foxit PDF Editor—has anyone had good experiences with it? Also, for those who transitioned from Adobe to DocuSign for signatures, was that a worthwhile move cost-wise?
8 Answers
It really depends on how much editing you need. For basic stuff like adding text, I use Microsoft Edge and it works fine for me! But I do just the simplest tasks. If you're looking to shift a lot of users away from Adobe, there's gotta be something solid out there for basic needs.
Have you looked into PDF-XChange? It offers a perpetual license with one year of updates and costs a lot less than Adobe. It's definitely worth considering for a more budget-friendly option!
Have you tried 24PDF or PDF24? It's a free PDF editor that actually works pretty well. The UI might take some getting used to, but once you do, you'll probably never look back. We had a good experience with it.
We've recently started testing PDF/X and Foxit because of the constant bugs with Adobe. PDF/X is super affordable for what you get—definitely worth a look as we're rolling it out for further testing soon.
I'm a fan of Nitro myself, though I wish it had an SSO feature like Adobe. For smaller teams, they offer a free trial until your Adobe subscription ends, and typically they're much cheaper—like half the cost of Acrobat licenses!
Edge's PDF functionality is sourced from Adobe, so it performs well for basic form filling and signing. Just keep in mind you won't be able to do any major editing, like merging documents or structural changes.
We switched to Bluebeam, which is a bit cheaper than Adobe and has CAD features that work great for us. If you're in that space, it’s a strong option.
I've been using Foxit for about 5 years. It's cheaper than Adobe but be aware of potential price hikes after a few years. I still have one department that refuses to switch from Adobe because one guy insists it’s the only program that properly displays PDFs. It's super frustrating because Adobe’s prices are way higher! But honestly, you can create a good PDF using Microsoft Word or use Edge for simple reading.
We mainly use it for casual form filling and signing. The average user just needs reliability for simple tasks, but I'm hoping to shift over a large number to a less frustrating option than Adobe.