2020-09-11 17:55:45 • Filed to: macOS 10.15 • Proven solutions
Adobe Acrobat has been round for so many years, that we instinctively think of it when we think of PDF documents. But that mindset has been slowly, but steadily changing in the past few years. The reality is that there is more than one Adobe Acrobat alternative for macOS 10.15.
Dealing with PDF can be a pain at times. And before we get to the best alternative to acrobat for macOS 10.15, we have to stress the fact that PDF has become a necessity. You need PDF to create, share, and edit portable documents. Almost every native Mac operating system application allows you to export content into PDF. As such, PDF is a vital part of your Mac experience.
Adobe Acrobat Pro DC 2019.010.20091 for Mac free is the official Adobe PDF editor. Acrobat DC 2019 patched version of the world’s best PDF solution to a new height, the highlight is that you can put paper pictures, text Quickly convert to PDF or document format, people take photos on their mobile phones, which can convert paper text into electronic version and modify the document directly. Most major publishers use Adobe Digital Editions (ADE) to proof-read their books. Download this free eReader to experience your books in the most optimum format across PC, MAC, tablets or mobile devices. Use it to download and purchase digital content, which can be read both online and offline.
10 Alternatives to Adobe Acrobat for macOS 10.15
Given that Adobe Acrobat is becoming too pricey and expensive, people are always looking for another alternative. Not to mention, Acrobat is becoming slower, and nowadays, there is even free Adobe Acrobat Pro for macOS 10.15 alternative. With that in mind, we will look at some of the best alternatives you can use, talking about their features, price, and system support.
1. PDFelement for macOS 10.15
One of the more comprehensive tools you will find on the market is PDFelement. You get everything you need for manipulating and using PDF files and documents. With PDFelement, you get control over your PDF documents like never before.
Features:
- Viewing PDF files with 5 comfortable modes.
- Create/convert PDF files from from/to any format.
- Create and fill fillable forms.
- Edit documents like on a Word processor, including photos and text.
- Add annotations to PDF, including notes, strikethrough, stamps, freehand drawing etc.
With the Pro version, you also get the ability to:
- Batch process files
- Archive PDF files
- Add signature
- Support XFA forms
- Bates numbering
- The star of the show, which is the top of the world OCR technology for turning any digital image into fully searchable and fillable PDF document.
Price: $69 yearly for the Standard version, $99 for the Pro version
System support: Windows, iOS, macOS, Android
2. PDF Expert
The two main characteristics of PDF expert are fast and robust PDF editor. The star of the PDF expert is the viewing experience. You can read PDF files better than in a book, thanks to the advanced settings like Day or Night mood that please your eyes.
Features:
- Search indexing for best PDF search.
- Annotations and notes to documents, compatible with Apple Pencil.
- Edit text, images, links, and even reduce file size.
- Manage pages by merging files or adding page numbering.
All of these features make PDF Expert one of the top rated paid apps in the App store. If you need a PDF tool for reading, there are few that offer more features than PDF Expert.
Price: $79.99
System support: iOS, macOS
3. Foxit PhantomPDF for Mac
Looking for a reliable Adobe Acrobat alternative? Foxit PhantomPDF is a software solution many users praise for its highly-efficient editor. There are multiple tools that allow users to take complete control over the PDF document. One of the best things about Foxit PhantomPDF is the interface, which is easy on the eye, easy to use, simple to navigate, and loaded with intuitive commands. If you have ever used Microsoft Office before, Foxit Phantom will look very familiar. Here are some of the main features:
Features:
- Add headers footers, and watermarks to organize your PDF document.
- Create files by converting any file format or exporting images and HTML to PDF.
- Compress images and clear our objects or user data to reduce file size.
- Insert and merge PDF documents together, or split PDF documents for better organization.
- Fill in PDF forms, or import/export form data for data collection.
- Fill XFA forms.
- Navigate through the document using bookmarks.
Price: $129 one time purchase
System support: Windows, macOS, Linux
4. PDF Studio for Mac
If you want a basic alternative to Adobe Acrobat for macOS 10.15 Catalina, and you do not want to spend a dime, PDF Studio is the tool for you. With PDF Studio, you get almost all of the file management functionalities of Adobe Acrobat, but for a price of zero dollars. The best part about the tool is that you retain the standardized outlay of edited PDF files.
Features:
- Numerous annotation functions.
- Form filling functions.
- Versatile file converter.
- Cloud support for files thanks to the integrated Google SharePoint.
If you are satisfied with the free trial version, we strongly recommend buying the standard or Pro version, and enjoy even more features.
Price: $89 for Standard version, $129 for the Pro version
System support: macOS, Linux, Windows
Mac Catalina Adobe Acrobat
5. Infix PDF Editor for macOS 10.15
The moment you start the tool, you will notice the attention to details. Everything is where it is supposed to be, and you can easily maneuver your way through the tool. Working like a normal word processor, it is quite easy to use, not to mention, quick. There are no interface gimmicks, making it one of the great alternatives to Adobe Acrobat. You get a huge range of editing tools, and it costs significantly less than the Acrobat. There are many functionalities and features, but simplicity is at the heart of the design. Simply put, it was made to ensure even the most novice user can handle it.
Features:
- Easy text editing, including fonts, size, color.
- Find and replace text, including words and phrases, search through multiple PDF documents.
- Spell checker in 15 different languages.
- Turn any document into a PDF thanks to the Infix printer.
- Create interactive PDF forms.
- Free use of translation facilities from transPDF.com.
- Add notes, marks, shapes, comments, text highlights, and more annotation tools.
Price: $99 one-off payment per user, or $9.99 per month
System support: macOS, Windows
6. PDFpenPro
PDFpenPro comes with a wide range of features, and it is designed to suit professionals. The interface is optimized for professional usage. Once you open the tool, the first thing you see is a black screen. From there, you can insert content, and it can be anything you like. There are different viewing options available, including multi-tab. Simply said, this tool is much more comprehensive, and is designed for more experienced users. Novice users will have a harder time navigating through the tool and finding all of the features they need.
When it comes to editing and managing PDF files, PDFpenPro checks all of the boxes. Here is a quick overview of the features:
Features:
- Edit text and images, all of the editing options are in the same toolbar for easier navigation.
- Precision tool, recognizing parts of the page that needs to be removed.
- Turn websites into PDF files with a single click.
- Export PDF files into Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, and PowerPoint.
- Form field recognition tool that scans your document to check if there are any pages you need to add information.
- One of the most advanced OCR technology on the market, with a batch OCR available.
Price: $74.95 Standard single user, $124.95 Pro single user
System support: macOS
7. ABBYY FineReader Pro for Mac
If the only thing you need is OCR technology, then you should consider the ABBYY FineReader. The tool has been made specifically for OCR users. The program will convert any scanned image into a fully editable text, and fully searchable document. Simply put, it is the best PDF tool for OCR technology.
With that in mind, you should not expect any advanced PDF tools. The standard tools are basically non-existent.
However, you can use OCR even on the lowest quality images. Of course, the result will be better with a higher-quality image. If you want a PDF tool for standard editing and conversion needs, however, look for another one. This is not the tool for that.
Price: $119
System support: macOS
8. Preview
If you need just the basic PDF features, and you are not willing to spend any money, you can try using Preview. This is the default and pre-built PDF tool in your macOS. Preview was designed to allow user view and annotate PDF documents. The downside however, is that you cannot edit PDF documents.
Features:
- Add text and shapes to the document.
- Export files to PDF.
- View PDF documents.
Therefore, if you just need to add some annotations to your PDF file, Preview will do just fine. But if you need any edits, you will need another and more comprehensive PDF tool.
Price: Free
System support: macOS
Conclusion
We suggested a couple of options for an alternative to Adobe Acrobat in the latest macOS, Catalina. But which is the best one? We strongly believe that PDFelement is your best choice. Why? Because it provides all of the features of Adobe Acrobat, but at a lower cost. And works faster, and more efficient.
The intuitive interface, bugs-free operation, and efficient workflow, will ensure you have peace of mind while managing your PDF documents. If you like, you can try the trial version, which is free, and see if it suits your needs. Praised among users worldwide, PDFelement brings much better value for money than Adobe Acrobat. In addition to all of the editing tools, you also get the ability to add watermarks and digital signatures.
Let’s revisit some of the main features of PDFelement.
- Edit documents with a full-featured word processor.
- Convert PDF to other file formats, all while retaining layout and formatting.
- Add comments, sticky notes, and text boxes to files to make them look more professionally.
- Easily create and distribute fillable forms through the PDF file.
- Redact confidential parts of the document.
- Use OCR technology to make any digital image fully searchable and editable document.
Free Download or Buy PDFelement right now!
Free Download or Buy PDFelement right now!
Buy PDFelement right now!
Buy PDFelement right now!
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Apple fanbois were all a-quiver this morning as macOS Catalina made its presence felt by breaking chunks of Adobe's software.
The GM (or Golden Master) dropped last week, and the final release turned up last night in the form of macOS Catalina 10.15.
We noted that Apple's new OS was chock-full of security fixes but warned that things might be a bit 'bumpy' since this was the first release of a major macOS update.
For some Adobe users, it has turned out to be a heck of a big bump.
Part of the problem has been the axing of 32-bit apps in Apple's latest and greatest. As Adobe itself admits: 'Most older, unsupported versions of Adobe apps are not available using 64-bit architecture,' so you're going to have to update to the wonderful subscription world of Creative Cloud 2019.
Even Creative Cloud 2018 isn't immune to the borkage as the company observed: 'Since CC 2018 or prior, apps contain 32-bit components, these apps will fail to launch on machines running 10.15.'
Of course, it has been long known that Catalina would be dropping 32-bit app support and far be it from us to suggest that Adobe, which announced a record quarterly revenue (PDF) of $2.83bn for the third quarter of fiscal 2019, 24 per cent up on last year, likes wringing those pennies out of impoverished creatives.
However, getting more customers to abandon their old, paid-for, software in favour of something more... subscribery... would certainly appeal to the company's shareholders.
And, of course, subscribers should never have a problem because they will always be kept up to date, right?
Perhaps not.
Even big beasts like the latest PhotoShop have problems, with such rarely used functions as the file-naming options in the Save As dialog being a bit poorly. Lightroom is also not at all well thanks to some 32-bit components still lurking within Adobe's latest and greatest.
And then there are the offline installers containing 32-bit code that are causing problems for users that do not or cannot use the Adobe Creative Cloud installer, with users taking to Reddit to complain. There are also issues with Creative Cloud packages to add to the headaches of administrators thanks to quarantine bits.
Add into the mix the requirement that software distributed within or outside the App store must now be signed or notarised by Apple 'in order to run by default' and developers and customers alike are in for a bump or two.
And it wasn't just that whole 32-bit-must-die thing causing grief.
'Apple released a version of the OS last night that differs from their GM,' one expert told us, 'making Adobe 2019 incompatible to install.'
A number of other commentators have pointed to a change in build from the last GM (19A582a) to the current release (19A583) as an indicator that something might have been tweaked, although the release notes appear unchanged.
We've naturally contacted Apple to check if there were indeed differences between what Mac admins were given to test and what got released, but are not holding our breath for a response. We've also asked Adobe what options exist for those of its customers reluctant to join its world of subscriptions and will update if the company gets back to us.
Things could be worse. In order to comply with Executive order 13884 (PDF), Adobe is yanking all services, paid and free, from Venezuela. Customers have until 28 October to download any content before the axe comes down. And if you've already ponied up some cash, tough. The company is ceasing all activity, so no refunds.
In the meantime, for those not threatened by the todger-twirling of the US administration, we'd suggest taking a good, long look at the compatibility list. Then balance the inconvenience of something breaking against the security improvements in Catalina.
And if you're a Adobe holdout, it may finally be time to bite that bullet. ®