Best PDF-Tools Alternatives in 2025

Looking for alternatives to PDF-Tools? In this comparison, we take a closer look at PDF-Tools alongside similar software solutions including PDF-Tools, soft Xpansion Perfect PDF Premium, PDF-Creator, Adobe Acrobat Standard, PDFCreator, Ashampoo PDF Pro, FlexiPDF, SoftMaker Office, Adobe Acrobat DC, EPSON Scan PDF EXtensions and Nitro PDF Professional.

Our detailed comparison table highlights key features, pricing, and performance of these leading solutions, empowering you to make an informed decision. Whether you're seeking robust functionality, user-friendly design, or cost-effective alternatives, explore how PDF-Tools, soft Xpansion Perfect PDF Premium, PDF-Creator, Adobe Acrobat Standard, PDFCreator, Ashampoo PDF Pro, FlexiPDF, SoftMaker Office, Adobe Acrobat DC, EPSON Scan PDF EXtensions and Nitro PDF Professional stack up to find the perfect software for your goals.

	License and Pricing	Operating System Compatibility	Key Features and Capabilities
PDF-Tools	Perpetual license costing $67.50 USD with a free 30-day trial.	Compatible with Windows and Mac operating systems.	Offers batch processing, annotations, OCR capabilities, password protection, supports many file formats like DOC/DOCX, Excel, images formats etc.; has steep learning curve but user-friendly interface.
soft Xpansion Perfect PDF Premium	Paid software with a free trial, multiple licensing options.	Compatible with Windows OS.	Comprehensive PDF editor including annotation tools, digital signatures, OCR technology, image editing, encryption options, supports many file formats and cloud storage integration.
PDF-Creator	Paid software with batch conversion feature, pricing details vary.	Compatible with Windows operating systems including XP and Vista.	Batch conversion feature, optimization features, annotations, digital signatures, password protection, supports multiple file formats including CAD files; potential compatibility issues is a con.
Adobe Acrobat Standard	Paid application with subscription or one-time purchase options and a free trial.	Compatible with Windows and Mac OS X v10.11; mobile apps for iOS and Android.	Includes advanced features such as text editing, filling functionality, form creation, password protection, digital signatures; integrates with Adobe Document Cloud; resource-intensive software.
PDFCreator	Free and open source with paid version available.	Windows application compatible with all Windows OS including Windows 10.	Converts any printable document to PDF; supports merging and splitting PDFs; encryption features; open source licensed; configurable settings; forum support available.
Ashampoo PDF Pro	Paid software with a free trial period.	Compatible with Windows OS.	Clear interface with easy editing of text and annotations; digital signatures; OCR functionality; markup tools; supports many common file formats including Microsoft Office formats.
FlexiPDF	Paid software with a free trial, available for Windows and Mac.	Available for both Windows and Mac OS.	User-friendly with editing tools, redaction feature, OCR technology; supports multiple languages/platforms; integrates with popular cloud storage services; offers high security options.
SoftMaker Office	Complete office suite with built-in PDF editor; one-time purchase and 30-day free trial.	Available across Windows, Mac, Linux, Android platforms.	Full-featured office suite including built-in PDF editor; supports Microsoft Office file formats and cloud services like Dropbox and Google Drive; customizable toolbars and collaboration features.
Adobe Acrobat DC	Subscription-based paid software suite with free trial and free version available.	Compatible with Windows and MacOS desktop platforms; supports iOS and Android devices.	Extensive features including text editing, OCR, digital signatures, fillable forms, encryption; subscription-based model offers continuous updates and cloud integration across multiple platforms.
EPSON Scan PDF EXtensions	Paid scanning software; cost not specified.	Compatible with Windows and Mac OS including Mac OS X.	Reliable scanning software supporting both color and black-and-white scans up to 500 pages or 50 MB files; simple interface designed for Epson scanners; includes OCR capabilities but has limited features compared to advanced options.
Nitro PDF Professional	Paid software with free version available; pricing details vary.	Designed for Windows-based computers; some support for Macs and mobile devices.	Includes powerful PDF editing features such as text editing, image handling, encryption, digital signatures, collaboration tools; aims at all skill levels with intuitive navigation but sometimes expensive with occasional compatibility issues.

License and Pricing

PDF-Tools	Perpetual license costing $67.50 USD with a free 30-day trial.
soft Xpansion Perfect PDF Premium	Paid software with a free trial, multiple licensing options.
PDF-Creator	Paid software with batch conversion feature, pricing details vary.
Adobe Acrobat Standard	Paid application with subscription or one-time purchase options and a free trial.
PDFCreator	Free and open source with paid version available.
Ashampoo PDF Pro	Paid software with a free trial period.
FlexiPDF	Paid software with a free trial, available for Windows and Mac.
SoftMaker Office	Complete office suite with built-in PDF editor; one-time purchase and 30-day free trial.
Adobe Acrobat DC	Subscription-based paid software suite with free trial and free version available.
EPSON Scan PDF EXtensions	Paid scanning software; cost not specified.
Nitro PDF Professional	Paid software with free version available; pricing details vary.

Operating System Compatibility

PDF-Tools	Compatible with Windows and Mac operating systems.
soft Xpansion Perfect PDF Premium	Compatible with Windows OS.
PDF-Creator	Compatible with Windows operating systems including XP and Vista.
Adobe Acrobat Standard	Compatible with Windows and Mac OS X v10.11; mobile apps for iOS and Android.
PDFCreator	Windows application compatible with all Windows OS including Windows 10.
Ashampoo PDF Pro	Compatible with Windows OS.
FlexiPDF	Available for both Windows and Mac OS.
SoftMaker Office	Available across Windows, Mac, Linux, Android platforms.
Adobe Acrobat DC	Compatible with Windows and MacOS desktop platforms; supports iOS and Android devices.
EPSON Scan PDF EXtensions	Compatible with Windows and Mac OS including Mac OS X.
Nitro PDF Professional	Designed for Windows-based computers; some support for Macs and mobile devices.

Key Features and Capabilities

PDF-Tools	Offers batch processing, annotations, OCR capabilities, password protection, supports many file formats like DOC/DOCX, Excel, images formats etc.; has steep learning curve but user-friendly interface.
soft Xpansion Perfect PDF Premium	Comprehensive PDF editor including annotation tools, digital signatures, OCR technology, image editing, encryption options, supports many file formats and cloud storage integration.
PDF-Creator	Batch conversion feature, optimization features, annotations, digital signatures, password protection, supports multiple file formats including CAD files; potential compatibility issues is a con.
Adobe Acrobat Standard	Includes advanced features such as text editing, filling functionality, form creation, password protection, digital signatures; integrates with Adobe Document Cloud; resource-intensive software.
PDFCreator	Converts any printable document to PDF; supports merging and splitting PDFs; encryption features; open source licensed; configurable settings; forum support available.
Ashampoo PDF Pro	Clear interface with easy editing of text and annotations; digital signatures; OCR functionality; markup tools; supports many common file formats including Microsoft Office formats.
FlexiPDF	User-friendly with editing tools, redaction feature, OCR technology; supports multiple languages/platforms; integrates with popular cloud storage services; offers high security options.
SoftMaker Office	Full-featured office suite including built-in PDF editor; supports Microsoft Office file formats and cloud services like Dropbox and Google Drive; customizable toolbars and collaboration features.
Adobe Acrobat DC	Extensive features including text editing, OCR, digital signatures, fillable forms, encryption; subscription-based model offers continuous updates and cloud integration across multiple platforms.
EPSON Scan PDF EXtensions	Reliable scanning software supporting both color and black-and-white scans up to 500 pages or 50 MB files; simple interface designed for Epson scanners; includes OCR capabilities but has limited features compared to advanced options.
Nitro PDF Professional	Includes powerful PDF editing features such as text editing, image handling, encryption, digital signatures, collaboration tools; aims at all skill levels with intuitive navigation but sometimes expensive with occasional compatibility issues.

Choosing the right software isn’t just about features. Size, license type, user ratings, and popularity also matter.

This quick comparison shows how PDF-Tools stacks up against PDF-Tools, soft Xpansion Perfect PDF Premium, PDF-Creator, Adobe Acrobat Standard, PDFCreator, Ashampoo PDF Pro, FlexiPDF, SoftMaker Office, Adobe Acrobat DC, EPSON Scan PDF EXtensions and Nitro PDF Professional in these key areas—helping you find the best alternative for your needs.

	Size	License	Popularity
PDF-Tools	29.3MB	Commercial	0%
soft Xpansion Perfect PDF Premium	99MB	Commercial	25%
PDF-Creator	2.3MB	Demo	19%
Adobe Acrobat Standard		Commercial	18%
PDFCreator	42.1MB	Commercial	100%
Ashampoo PDF Pro	900.4MB	Commercial	22%
FlexiPDF	252.4MB	Commercial	61%
SoftMaker Office	397.7MB	Commercial	22%
Adobe Acrobat DC	1.1MB	Commercial	16%
EPSON Scan PDF EXtensions		Commercial	61%
Nitro PDF Professional	2.3MB	Demo	18%

Size

PDF-Tools	29.3MB
soft Xpansion Perfect PDF Premium	99MB
PDF-Creator	2.3MB
Adobe Acrobat Standard
PDFCreator	42.1MB
Ashampoo PDF Pro	900.4MB
FlexiPDF	252.4MB
SoftMaker Office	397.7MB
Adobe Acrobat DC	1.1MB
EPSON Scan PDF EXtensions
Nitro PDF Professional	2.3MB

License

PDF-Tools	Commercial
soft Xpansion Perfect PDF Premium	Commercial
PDF-Creator	Demo
Adobe Acrobat Standard	Commercial
PDFCreator	Commercial
Ashampoo PDF Pro	Commercial
FlexiPDF	Commercial
SoftMaker Office	Commercial
Adobe Acrobat DC	Commercial
EPSON Scan PDF EXtensions	Commercial
Nitro PDF Professional	Demo

Rating

PDF-Tools
soft Xpansion Perfect PDF Premium
PDF-Creator
Adobe Acrobat Standard
PDFCreator
Ashampoo PDF Pro
FlexiPDF
SoftMaker Office
Adobe Acrobat DC
EPSON Scan PDF EXtensions
Nitro PDF Professional

Popularity

PDF-Tools	0%
soft Xpansion Perfect PDF Premium	25%
PDF-Creator	19%
Adobe Acrobat Standard	18%
PDFCreator	100%
Ashampoo PDF Pro	22%
FlexiPDF	61%
SoftMaker Office	22%
Adobe Acrobat DC	16%
EPSON Scan PDF EXtensions	61%
Nitro PDF Professional	18%