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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.

Who Uses Adobe Acrobat Reader?

Cloud-based is a PDF solution that enables businesses of all sizes to view, sign, comment, edit, export, and share documents with annotations and online storage.

Adobe Acrobat Reader Software - Adobe Acrobat Reader share file links
Adobe Acrobat Reader Software - Adobe Acrobat Reader Liquid Mode
Adobe Acrobat Reader Software - Adobe Acrobat Reader PDF annotation

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Reviews of Adobe Acrobat Reader

Average score

Overall
4.6
Ease of Use
4.5
Customer Service
4.3
Features
4.4
Value for Money
4.4

Reviews by company size (employees)

  • <50
  • 51-200
  • 201-1,000
  • >1,001
Irene
Irene
Computer analyst in Australia
Verified LinkedIn User
Computer & Network Security, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 1-5 months
Reviewer Source

Alternatives Considered:

Adobe acrobat reader review

5.0 last month New

Comments: Very happy with it was user friendly and got the job done.

Pros:

Easy to use user friendly toolbar has many options .

Cons:

Some of the toolbar buttons dont linknto the apporpriate document .

Josh
Director of Operations in Canada
Nonprofit Organization Management, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Alternatives Considered:

Great PDF viewer, if not editor

5.0 2 months ago New

Comments: Works perfectly for viewing PDFs. Not helpful for editing.

Pros:

Opens PDFs quickly, lets you save a file's formatting without worrying that it will get messed up when opened on another computer.

Cons:

Features that are free in other apps (markup, etc.) cost extra or are difficult to find in Reader.

Kyle
CFO in US
Business Supplies & Equipment, 11–50 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Adobe Acrobat Reader

3.0 4 weeks ago New

Comments: Good, however we needed more, so we switched to Adobe Pro

Pros:

The fact that you were able to open any PDF file esaily

Cons:

You could not edit anything or convert/transform files, which was needed

Davia
Davia
Student in Jamaica
Verified LinkedIn User
Medical Practice, 501–1,000 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Your Go-To PDF Tool!

5.0 3 weeks ago New

Comments: My overall experience with Adobe Acrobat Reader has been positive, particularly for its versatility and reliability in handling PDFs. It’s a robust tool that excels in viewing, annotating, and sharing documents across multiple devices.

Pros:

Offers a wide range of tools for viewing, annotating, signing, and filling PDF forms.

Cons:

The wide array of features can make the interface overwhelming for new or casual users.

Verified Reviewer
Verified LinkedIn User
Leisure, Travel & Tourism, 10,000+ Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Adobe Acrobat Reader has made life easier

5.0 3 weeks ago New

Comments: My experience has been very good, since I have started using Adobe Acrobat Reader. I am able to edit documents and complete them using the e-signature feature.

Pros:

I love that it makes completing a n online form or document easier. In addition it contributes to saving paper and protecting more trees in the world.

Cons:

I love using this software. If you are not technologically savvy, it takes patience to use it. However, I was able to learn more about it and it was worth it.

Cheyenne
Cheyenne
Warden's Secretary in US
Verified LinkedIn User
Public Safety, 51–200 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Adobe Reader - highly recommended

5.0 last month New

Comments: Adobe Reader is the industry standard in reading pdfs - it's very easy to use.

Pros:

Easy to use. Easily downloaded & industry standard for pdfs.

Cons:

Not a huge fan of using Reader in a browser, but that's just a personal preference to use the desktop version.

Ricardo
Ricardo
Chief Platforms Support in Panama
Verified LinkedIn User
Education Management, 51–200 Employees
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

The standard for PDF reading when consistency and reliability are crucial across platforms

5.0 last month New

Comments: Adobe Acrobat Reader is fundamental for our communication as a company, as it allows for consistency across platforms and media.

Pros:

Acrobat Reader comes from Adobe, the inventors of the PDF format. Therefore it is the most widely used PDF reader. The decades of development and refinement allows for consistent rendering of a variety of PDF documents like forms, scanned documents, files exported from other software like Office or Illustrator. This consistency is key for our marketing and communications department as it allows for predictable results both from documents we send to the print shop or digital communications we send to our clients, regardless of platform.

Cons:

The basic version allows for very basic functions compared with the paid version, which allows for more advanced annotation and markup tools.

Emily
Emily
Consultant in US
Verified LinkedIn User
Writing & Editing, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Great program for all

5.0 last month New

Comments: I've been using this program for years and have come to rely on it for much of my business needs. It's expansive with features that are constantly being updated.

Pros:

It is a wonderful and reliable program with useful features.

Cons:

It is not accessible for those who use screen reading software.

Hardik
Hardik
Internship in India
Verified LinkedIn User
Graphic Design Software, 51–200 Employees
Used the Software for: 6-12 months
Reviewer Source

Quickest Pdf maker

5.0 2 months ago New

Comments: It is the best and I like using this software for pdf making

Pros:

Best and quickest way to make a pdf in a stylish way

Cons:

Sometimes there is a problem in saving that pdf

Dori
Behavior Consultant in US
Verified LinkedIn User
Education Management, Self Employed
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

Adobe for me

5.0 2 weeks ago New

Comments: I like to be able to open documents in the program

Pros:

It’s easy to convert documents to read and save.

Cons:

Sometimes the document doesn’t transfer in format.

Jennifer
Billing Department in US
Financial Services Software, 51–200 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Adobe the “PDF” master

5.0 8 months ago

Comments: Love adobe it is my go to PDF transform/docs signing program . I not only
Use for work but also for my small business and personal use

Pros:

Essy to work through docs , PDF transformation is easy , signatures all in one place .

Cons:

Editing docs is a little more difficult and can easily become a mess

simon
Manager in UK
Retail, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

Alternatives Considered:

Best e-Sig Software around

5.0 8 months ago

Comments: great software, trusted to do the job, all staff trained very quickly in how to use it, customers have had no issues adding there signatures so all round great software.

Pros:

The features, adobe seemed to have everything in the package which we needed including security and e-sig which is essential for us

Cons:

the pop ups and constant reminder to upgrade all the time

Pranav
Director in Mauritius
Design, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

It is no Secret. Acrobat Adobe Reader leads the market for a Reason!

5.0 10 months ago

Comments: Overall i would say, i am pretty pleased with the product. Did not have a single issue till date, and i hope that this continues for a very very long time.

Pros:

Everything. The team has thought about each and everything. We just have to lean back and rejoice it.

Cons:

The fact that the PDF to Word Conversion is not on the Free Plan. Many small companies cant afford to do it.

Karun
Karun
Co founder and CEO in Australia
Verified LinkedIn User
Computer Software, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Adobe Reader - A must for professionals

5.0 6 months ago

Comments: Overall very satisfied with the product , usability, simplicity and versatility of this product.

Pros:

Very versatile document which I can use to get e-signature, send authenticated document

Cons:

It is very expensive. Sometime the e-signature feature does not work

Ahmad
Ahmad
general practitioner in Jordan
Verified LinkedIn User
Hospital & Health Care, 10,000+ Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

I advise everyone to buy it, whoever uses it cannot do without it

5.0 4 months ago

Comments: I advise everyone to buy it, whoever uses it cannot do without it

Pros:

Easy to use Supports all PDF files. Old program with high quality

Cons:

If you buy it to become premium, it is somewhat expensive. And you cannot edit files in free mode.

amanda
amanda
Merchandiser in US
Verified LinkedIn User
Logistics & Supply Chain, 51–200 Employees
Used the Software for: Free Trial
Reviewer Source

Adobe advantage or disadvantage?

4.0 8 months ago

Comments: All in all my overall rating for the product itself is a 100%. If Adobe could lower there price just ab bit it would be a great choice for college students and even younger students. The price is the only disadvantage I found with this platform.

Pros:

All of the features are worthy of praise. I love how you can transform a photo or a word doc into a PDF. The editor is as well a nice feature especially if you are working on a project with others. You can edit and send for review for more editing with the addition of adding comments or remarks to aide the changes made.

Cons:

The only disadvantage of this product is it is too pricey for me. It is a little bit high in cost which makes it a disadvantage for college students or those who can not afford the rate.

Verified Reviewer
Verified LinkedIn User
Facilities Services, 11–50 Employees
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

Read carefully

5.0 last year

Comments: From my experience it is one of the best software. I have tried to give my best objetive opinion. I hope it helps you.

Pros:

Complete functionalities, advanced editing, digital forms, collaboration, compatibility, format conversion, security, interactive forms, optimization for mobile work, updating and continuos support.

Cons:

Requires frequent updatin, can be relatively expensive, the interface can be complex for new users.

Valentina
Instructional designer in Italy
E-Learning, 11–50 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Reliable and essential

5.0 2 months ago New

Comments: I have been using Adobe forever, at least 15 years, first as a student and then as a professional. I have appreciated the evolution of tools not only for reading and compiling, but also for notes (highlighting and comments)

Pros:

the presence of essential functions even in the free version, such as form filling and signature saving

Cons:

Sometimes the mechanics of inserting and moving text boxes

Ashley
Designer in US
Construction, 11–50 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Adobe - great for basics

4.0 6 months ago

Comments: Over all, the product works well for it's main intended uses. However, some of the expansion items (like scaling/measure tools) have started to cause issues over all and the reading/initializing of documents for said tools has slowed to a crawl over the past few months.

Pros:

I like that I can combine, redact and edit .pdf files.

Cons:

The measuring feature for scaleable documents was originally one of my favorites. But recently, there has been issues with the scaling tool not working correctly, thus making it more of a disappointment than an exciting feature.

Chris
Manager in UK
Civil Engineering, 51–200 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Adobe Acrobat Reader

5.0 7 months ago

Comments: Adobe Acrobat Reader is by me the best PDF file reader on the market. Doc management is really good, sharing the files is easy and its features are the best.

Pros:

For PDF files there are no other apps like Adobe Acrobat Reader. Document management is really good and works flawless. The main feature i like the most is that i can sign all the document from my PC or phone.

Cons:

There are no cons for Adobe Acrobat Reader from my point of view.

Fabrizio
Technician in Italy
Information Technology & Services, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

The PDF reader par excellence

4.0 8 months ago

Comments: I think Adobe Acrobat reader is the most famous and used PDF reader. It was my first PDF reader and I have been using it for several years, and still use it, even if there are many alternatives.
Recommended.

Pros:

Adobe Acrobat Reader is a well know PDF reader, with many features and options. It supports digital signature and you can install it on Windows, Mac OS and Android. The installation is easy, just follow instructions (it may take some time if your internet connection is not fast). Updates are frequent and you can find a lot of documentation on web in case of need.

Cons:

It's quite slow on older computer, sometimes it hangs and stop working, especially after updates

Galateya
Executive Administrative Assistant in Bulgaria
Computer & Network Security, 5,001–10,000 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Positive review

4.0 4 months ago

Comments: My overall experience with Adobe Acrobat Reader is positive.

Pros:

The most I like about Adobe Acrobat reader is that excels in its ability to reliably view, annotate, and share PDFs across various devices with ease.

Cons:

Adobe Acrobat Reader can be frustrating due to occasional bugs and its sometimes slow performance.

Carlos
ADMINISTRADOR in Brazil
Automotive, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

Various tools to do a good job.

4.0 4 weeks ago New

Comments: It has several functions and can be used for numerous assembly purposes, a good work tool.

Pros:

Part of artificial intelligence, excellent image text, the image is very good.

Cons:

It doesn't have many graphic elements, compared to Canva which has much more

Nishitha
Teacher in India
Higher Education Software, 11–50 Employees
Used the Software for: 1+ year
Reviewer Source

"A versatile tool for interacting with PDF documents"

4.0 9 months ago

Comments: Adobe Acrobat Reader's functionality, usability, and security makes it a good tool for interacting with PDF files.

Pros:

One of the things I like most about Adobe Acrobat Reader is its comprehensive set of features for viewing and interacting with PDF documents.

Cons:

One aspect that some users may find challenging about Adobe Acrobat Reader is its occasional tendency to consume significant system resources, especially when working with large or complex PDF files. This can lead to slower performance or occasional lag, particularly on older computers or devices with limited RAM.

Ana
Administrative Assistant in US
Verified LinkedIn User
Nonprofit Organization Management, 2–10 Employees
Used the Software for: 2+ years
Reviewer Source

Great PDF editor tool

5.0 5 months ago

Comments: I use it everyday. It is well worth the money.

Pros:

That you can create fillable online forms, and also the ability to easily edit PDFs.

Cons:

Pricing, it comes with all the basic tools but when it comes to editing you have to pay.