If you have not decided yet what software to choose, Acrobat Standard vs Pro, read this guide to find out the drawbacks and advantages of each tool.
Adobe Acrobat Standard is meant for personal use and has an extensive toolkit for creating and organizing PDF files.
Adobe Acrobat Pro is also uncomplicated in usage but it is meant for professional and office use. Rich functionality of this software will allow you to design, edit, sign and convert PDF files. Besides, Adobe Acrobat Pro includes some extra features that the Standard version does not possess.
Convenient conversion. Acrobat Standard is capable of converting documents into PDF-files with the help of any printing software, as well as merging several documents of various formats into one PDF. It also allows turning web-pages into interactive PDFs with links.
Fast export of files. You can use Adobe Standard for saving, organizing and sharing files on the Internet with instant access to the documents on all devices. It will allow you to share the files as an email attachment or a link to the document in Adobe Document Cloud. Besides, the program is capable of adding comments or some notices, filling out the forms, collecting electronic signatures and producing real-time notifications.
Convenient editing. There’s no clear winner in the Adobe Acrobat Standard vs Pro rivalry, as both versions offer a great set of editing features. Adobe Standard allows you to recognize text while scanning the document, fix the errors in a parallel view. This version also includes a feature of automatic correction of photos in a document, which allows removing background or fixing the perspective.
Nice templates. You can use ready-made templates or design your own. Fill out the template and sign it. Alternatively, create your template by turning existing forms and scanned images into fillable PDF forms.
Work with pages. You can change the order of pages to organize them in a preferred way. Rotate pages to portrait or landscape mode, crop the outer edges of page content or remove unnecessary pages from your document. With the help of Adobe Standard, you can also extract some pages from the PDF, splitting it into several parts.
Collaboration. In the Adobe Acrobat Professional vs Standard battle, the latter option has great collaborative features. With their help, you can share documents and work on them with someone else. Use Acrobat Standard to add comments or stickers to a PDF file, edit text, etc. Collect team feedback into one PDF file without having to log in. Receive real-time notifications about the status and modifications of documents submitted for review, comment or signature.
Excellent stamps. Mark a PDF file with a stamp, for example, “approved” or “draft”. It will help you organize and find the necessary documents faster. You can also use bookmarks and titles.
Easy document scanning. With the Adobe scan program, you can scan documents, checks, dashboards and other files. The scanned documents can be converted to searchable and editable PDF files with fonts that match the original.
Limited security settings. In the Adobe Acrobat Standard vs Pro competition, the former clearly loses when it comes to security. Open PDFs are protected by Microsoft Information Protection solutions, including Azure Information Protection and Microsoft 365. However, you cannot edit confidential information hidden from the particular readers. You can only delete confidential data.
Impossible to compare documents. The program doesn’t allow you to compare two versions of a PDF file. It also offers limited functionality for preliminary checks and preparing files for high-quality printing.
Only for Windows users. If your device runs on macOS, then this version is not for you.
Advanced search options. Many users value its capability of converting scanned paper documents into PDF format with fonts that match the original. Acrobat Pro can recognize text in various languages allowing you to find and edit some info in a document fast and easily.
Supports non-standard documents. If you’re working with legal documents, Pro DC is the only version that supports Bates numbering. You can also check and correct PDFs for ISO and Accessibility Standards. Acrobat Pro also includes distance, area and perimeter measurements for objects in PDF files, which is useful if you are working with drawings or calculations.
Advanced editing. Unlike its competitor, Adobe Pro is capable of editing the confidential info that you want to hide from certain readers, not just delete it permanently. Use advanced editing features. Fill out, sign and submit forms quicker using your autofill collection.
Convenient work with interactive objects. Acrobat Pro DC allows adding audio, video and some interactive objects to PDFs. Enhance PDF forms by adding interactivity with JavaScript.
Pre-check before printing. Adobe Acrobat Pro allows you to pre-check and prepare a file for high-quality printing to eliminate possible errors in the document.
Easy documents comparison. If you send multiple documents for their verification, you need a simple method to check if all required changes have been made. Only Acrobat Pro has a feature of comparing two versions of a PDF file side by side. You can even filter the types of modifications you want to view and print a comparison report or summary of changes.
Compatible with various platforms. This aspect is decisive for Mac users. Only Acrobat Pro DC can function on both macOS and Windows platforms, whereas Acrobat Standard DC can only function on Windows devices.
A trial version. Acrobat Pro offers a free 7-day version, which features a full functionality. You will have enough time to evaluate the capabilities of this software.
Available by subscription only. The Pro version is only available by subscription, either monthly or yearly.
You can receive official Adobe Acrobat Standard and Pro versions, only by creating an account in Creative Cloud. You can get these plans separately or as the full Creative Cloud package:
Both versions require monthly and yearly subscription. The payment for Acrobat Pro DC is higher as it features richer functionality. Both Standard and Pro plans offer PC software, Adobe Document Cloud and Adobe Sign subscription.
If you are eager to receive the full Creative Cloud package, Adobe discounts can be essential for this subscription type. For example, students and educators can save over 60% on the entire Creative Cloud package by spending as little as $19.99 on monthly basis. Besides, I advise you to try Acrobat Pro free to evaluate all capabilities of Adobe.
Both versions are user-friendly and have great toolkits for generating and editing PDFs. If you utilize the device that runs on Windows and you only need to create, edit and send PDF documents, Adobe Acrobat Standard will perfectly suit your needs. It is great for personal or team usage. The Standard version allows commenting and receiving notifications in real-time.
Adobe Acrobat Pro is a great choice for professional use. If you have some special needs like securing confidential information, processing legal documents to check accessibility standards and ISO, choose this version. Adobe Acrobat Pro has extensive functionality and is the only editor compatible with the Mac platform.
