Adobe Acrobat vs. PDF-XChange Editor
Side by side, with sources. Checked Oct 3, 2026.
Adobe Acrobat
Paid
PDF-XChange Editor
Pay oncePrice
Acrobat Standard is US$14.99 a month and Acrobat Pro US$19.99 a month on an annual plan billed monthly (US prices before tax); month to month they are US$24.99 and US$29.99.from $14.99/monthSource: adobe.com
Free mode adds watermarks to licensed features. A perpetual single-user licence is US$62 (Editor Plus US$79) and includes 12 months of updates.from $62 (one-time)Source: pdf-xchange.com
Pricing model
Paid · No free plan
Pay once · Free plan available
License
ProprietaryProprietary Adobe software licensed by subscription.
ProprietaryProprietary licence. Paid licences are perpetual; the free version may be used at no charge, including at work.
Works on
- ✓ Windows
- ✓ Mac
- ✓ iPhone & iPad
- ✓ Android
- ✓ Web browser
- ✓ Windows
- – Mac
- – iPhone & iPad
- – Android
- – Web browser
Where your data lives
Files stay on your computer when you use the desktop app; paid plans add Adobe cloud storage and online tools.
On your Windows PC. Cloud connectors and the AI assistant are optional (the assistant only runs with your own API key).
Getting started
—
Difficulty: Easy A normal Windows installer from the official site; nothing else to set up.
Hosted version
—
NoneThere is no browser or Mac version.
Our take
A strong fit for Windows offices that want Acrobat-style editing without a subscription. Try the free mode first to see which features add a watermark.
Best for
Windows PCs that edit PDFs daily
People who want annotation, OCR and editing on Windows and prefer a perpetual licence to a subscription.
Check first
Mac users and watermarks
It is Windows only, and licensed features add a watermark until you buy a licence.