Adobe Acrobat vs Nitro PDF
Adobe Acrobat and Nitro PDF are both contracts & e-signature tools. Adobe Acrobat is aimed at enterprise and small businesses, while Nitro PDF is aimed at small businesses and enterprise. Adobe Acrobat costs less, from $14.99/mo versus $15/mo for Nitro PDF. Only Adobe Acrobat has a free plan.
Adobe's PDF editor, converter and e-signature suite with AI tools
PDF editor and e-signature suite positioned against Adobe Acrobat
| Pricing | Freemium · $15 | Paid · $15 |
| Starting price | $14.99/mo | $15/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Free trial | 7 days | 14 days |
| Built for | Enterprise, Small businesses, Freelancers | Small businesses, Enterprise, Freelancers |
| Platforms | web, windows, macos, ios, android | windows, macos, web, ios |
| Country | US · 1993 | US · 2005 |
| Rating | — | — |
Choose Adobe Acrobat if
Professionals and organizations that work with PDFs every day and need reliable editing, OCR, redaction and e-signatures.
- Reference implementation of the PDF format with the best fidelity
- Complete toolset from editing to OCR, redaction and e-sign
- Free Acrobat Reader covers viewing, commenting and signing
Look elsewhere if: Occasional users who only convert or compress files now and then (Smallpdf, iLovePDF, Foxit).
Choose Nitro PDF if
Mid-size and large organizations that want an Acrobat-class PDF editor and e-signature tool with central admin at a lower per-seat cost.
- Noticeably cheaper per seat than Adobe Acrobat Pro
- Familiar Microsoft Office-like interface shortens training
- PDF editing and e-signature from one vendor
Look elsewhere if: Occasional users who only merge or compress files, or teams with complex signing workflows (Smallpdf, iLovePDF, DocuSign).
Adobe Acrobat vs Nitro PDF pricing
Adobe Acrobat
- Acrobat Reader$0View, comment, fill and sign PDFs
- Acrobat Standard$14.99/moAnnual plan billed monthly; edit, convert, e-sign
- Acrobat Pro$19.99/moAnnual plan billed monthly; $29.99 month-to-month
- Acrobat Studio$24.99/moAnnual plan billed monthly; Pro plus AI Assistant, PDF Spaces
- Acrobat Pro for teams$23.99/license/moAnnual plan billed monthly; admin console
Nitro PDF
- PDF Standard$15/user/moBilled annually ($180/user/yr); Windows, Mac and web
- PDF PlusCustomAdds SSO, domain control, analytics; contact sales
- PDF ClassicCustomPrice at checkout; one-time payment for 3 years, Windows only
- Sign Standard$15/user/moBilled annually; send documents for signature with audit log
- Sign EnterpriseCustomAPI, eIDAS AES/QES and ZertES signatures
Adobe Acrobat · Key features
- Edit text and images directly in PDFs
- Convert PDFs to and from Word, Excel and PowerPoint
- OCR to make scanned documents searchable and editable
- Redaction, file comparison and PDF/A and accessibility tools
- Request e-signatures with web forms and reusable templates
- AI Assistant for summaries and questions across documents
Cons
- Expensive compared with Foxit, Smallpdf or iLovePDF
- Annual plans billed monthly carry an early cancellation fee
- Desktop app is heavy and frequently promotes upsells
Nitro PDF · Key features
- Edit text and images in PDFs with an Office-style ribbon interface
- Convert PDFs to and from Word, Excel and PowerPoint
- OCR to make scanned documents searchable and editable
- Nitro Sign e-signatures with audit trails, reminders and envelopes
- AI Smart Redact detects sensitive data before permanent removal
- Smart Form and Table Extract pull data into Excel-ready output
Cons
- Plus and Enterprise pricing is only available through sales
- Classic license is Windows only and limited to a three-year term
- No Android or Linux apps
Adobe Acrobat vs Nitro PDF: FAQ
Which is cheaper, Adobe Acrobat or Nitro PDF?
Adobe Acrobat starts at $14.99/mo and Nitro PDF at $15/mo. Both prices are checked on the vendors' own pricing pages.
Do Adobe Acrobat and Nitro PDF have a free plan?
Adobe Acrobat has a free plan. Nitro PDF has no free plan, a 14-day free trial.