- Adobe Illustrator can be just too complicated or expensive for the average user. Here are ten of the most comparable illustration softwares that are in the same vein as Adobe Illustrator.
- I'm on Mac Yosemite, printing via a Fiery-5D6B (software version 1.0) to a Ricoh MP C6502 model. It was working fine until the update, I used to be able to select 'Fiery Features' in the print dialogue box which would provide options including one to enter a user code which is vital in our organisation.
10 Photoshop alternatives that offer powerful editing and photo management controls. Instead of just being one piece of software among many. (Mac/Windows, free) Corel AfterShot Pro.
Jan 26,2019 • Filed to: PDF Editor
'Is there any alternative to Adobe Acrobat and can help me to edit, merge and sign PDF?' 'What is the best free alternative for Adobe Acrobat?' Adobe Acrobat is famous but it is too expensive and complicated. If you find Adobe Acrobat not working and want to find other program like Adobe, complex and expensive, you can look at here top 16 Adobe Acrobat alternatives, which help you to edit PDF on Mac and Windows with ease including PDFelement Pro.
The Best Adobe Acrobat Alternative for Mac (macOS 10.14) and Windows
Software That Works Just Like Adobe Pro For Free On Macbook
#1. PDFelement Pro
As a suitable alternative to Adobe Acrobat, you can download PDFelement Pro. This cheaper alternative to Acrabat comes with the facility of letting you edit your PDF documents in a broad scope as it is done in Office Word processor. It also lets you convert PDF documents to Word documents, Excel, HTML, PPT, EPUB, Images and more.
Pros:
- Edit native and scanned PDF by adding, deleting or changing text, images, and others in PDF.
- Annotate or mark up PDF with text boxes, sticky notes or freehand drawings.
- Convert standard and scanned PDF to Word, PPT, Excel, Images, HTML, and other formats.
- Create PDF from existing PDF, Webpages, HTML, and Text files.
- Quickly sign PDF and make comments. Decrypt or encrypt PDFs.
- Combine, compress or split PDF documents.
- Fill out PDF and create PDF from many free PDF form templates.
Cons:
- No cons observed so far.
#2. Nitro Pro (Windows)
Nitro Pro is another Adobe Acrobat alternative that is gaining popularity when it comes to handling documents. The software comes with integrated Internet cloud facilities. It helps users to make new documents, edit them and share them with others easily both offline and online.
Price: $ 183.58
- Pros:
- The documents created on Nitro Pro are PDF documents that can be opened from any PDF reader, and on any mobile device too.
- The Nitro Cloud feature lets users sign and share documents with users of different browsers.
- Nitro Pro 9 provides no facility for PDF indexing.
- It OCR facility malfunctions when it comes to big-sized documents.
Cons:
#3. iSkysoft PDF Converter Pro (Mac and Windows)
iSkysoft PDF Converter Pro for Mac (or iSkysoft PDF Converter Pro for Windows) can also be a highly recommended Adobe Acrobat alternative, which helps you to convert native and scanned PDF to Word, Excel, PPT, EPUT, and other formats.
Price: $ 79.95
- Pros:
- Convert PDF to Word, Excel, EPUB, PPT and more with simple drag-n-drop.
- Preserve 100% original formatting and layout, and keep the hyperlinks and notes.
- Convert more than 200 files at once and enable partial conversion.
- Allow you to convert scanned and encrypted PDF files.
#4. Foxit PDF Editor (Windows)
Foxit PDF Editor is a smooth-working PDF editing program. When it comes to PDF editing Foxit’s facilities match that of word processing softwares. This PDF editor locates test boxes automatically and lets users edit paragraphs within the text boxes.
Price: $ 99
- Pros:
- It allows users to split or join text blocks to edit easily, where users can resize or move text blocks to get a definite layout.
- Its image editing capabilities are also better incorporated.
- It comes with a detached plug-in facility that needs to be installed separately.
- The process to update the plug-in is not clear.
Cons:
#5. PDF Studio (Mac, Windows, Linux)
PDF Studio is a user-friendly Adobe Acrobat alternative that comes at half the price of Adobe Acrobat. It includes all the editing and extra features that a good PDF editing system has, while being in compliance with the PDF document standards.
Price: $ 89
- Pros:
- It can annotate PDF documents, besides being able to make PDFs out of Word documents, images and other texts.
- It includes document support in the form of Google Drive SharePoint.
- Its trial version cones with a watermark.
- There is no provision of ‘Undo’, besides, it also doesn’t work with common trackpad commands like shrink or zoom.
Cons:
#6. PDFpen (Mac)
PDFpen is a PDF editing software that is compatible with the Mac OS, and has the added advantage of reasonably priced. It has the common features of a PDF editor like making changes or correcting typos in the main text document, besides it also lets users add texts, signatures and images.
Price: $ 59.95
- Pros:
- It has the ability to export Ms-Word files to the PDF format.
- It can scan images with OCR and turn it into a text document.
- It has some functional issues like pages can occasionally seem out of focus. Long documents take longer time to load.
- It also does not have features like Page Labelling.
Cons:
#7. PDFClerk Pro (Mac)
PDFClerk Pro is a software known for its high-speed functionality when it comes to handling PDF documents. It comes with various interesting features where you can also make a PDF document in other foreign languages where it can be read from right to left as in Hebrew or Arabic. It gives you more layout options than most other softwares.
Price: $ 48.00
- Pros:
- Letting users resize pages or even entire documents to another page size, and also letting them shift the content of the pages if necessary.
- Permitting users to export single pages in the bitmap (png, jpg etc.) format, or even make audio files from a text’s document.
- Page mark-up tools are absent.
- Visually the interface is not quite appealing.
Cons:
#8. PDF Signet (Mac)
PDF signet is a Mac Adobe Acrobat alternative. It lets its users sign PDF documents with a X.509 certificate in a user-friendly manner. The app also lets users verify signatures by simply dropping the concerned PDF file into the app.
Adobe Acrobat Pro Dc
Price: $ 10
- Pros:
- It allows users to place their signatures digitally on PDF files through any device.
- The certificate for signing can be employed easily from the Keychain.
- It also automatically signs documents as you make them.
- It also confirms the validity of existing signatures.
- Limited to a certain area of functionality in PDF documents.
- It is only compatible on the OS X 10.7 or later versions of the system.
Cons:
#9. Infix PDF Editor (Mac and Windows)
Infix PDF Editor is an Adobe Acrobat alternative that edits PDF files in the manner of a word-processing software. Hence it is simple and highly functional when it comes to reformatting edited documents. From altering texts, font sizes and images, reutilizing and editing PDF files without needing the source file to filling in forms Infix PDF Editor is a resourceful software.
Price: $ 99
- Pros:
- Its software akin to that of a word-processor makes it really easy to use, sans any complex functions.
- It can copy text and images between PDF files.
- It has the feature to Search and replace, not only in individual files but across multiple files simultaneously.
- When filling forms users will find a watermark appearing on the final document.
- Quite a few features are missing in its Standard and Advanced mode.
Cons:
#10. deskPDF Creator (Mac and Windows)
Powered by Docudesk, deskPDF gives users the facility to convert documents of any format to PDF files. Compatible with both the Mac and Windows operating systems, this software contains easy-to-use but significant features like a drag-and-drop option to convert files to the PDF format, besides watermarking, merging, PDF file security provisions and custom profile workflows.
Price:$ 34.95
- Pros:
- It comes installed with a virtual printer that assists in converting any file that has the ‘Print’ option to the PDF format.
- The PDF Preview feature facilitates users to view the file before it is printed, and even lets them rotate or remove pages if they require to.
- A swifter PDF creation engine ensures greater facilities. Users can select between making PDFs in quality formats or optimized small-sized PDFs that can be shared online or through emails.
- A nag screen that disturbs users in the trial version.
- Complicated advanced features that users take time to understand.
Cons:
#11. Proview (Mac)
Compatible with the Mac OS X, Proview is a PDF editor that employs a broad array of features to edit documents and also to create new PDF documents. With this software users can remove or add PDF files, or make changes to multiple parts of a PDF text. All its features are quick and easy to execute.
Price: $ 42.26
- Pros:
- Comprehensive and interactive tools, with greater formatting features that includes transparency as well.
- The tools of Trim, Bleed and art boxes, besides the capability of labelling multiple pages together.
- The fact that the documents edited by it trial version carry the watermark of ‘Demo’ across it.
- Its inadequate features as compared to Acrobat X Pro.
Cons:
#12. DigiSigner (free, Mac, Windows, Linux)
DigiSigner is a free alternative to Adobe Acrobat that is compatible with Mac, Windows and also the Linux operating system, and is used to see PDF files and create digital signatures on them employing the X.509 certificates. The application is capable of endorsing and handling complicated functions like multiple signing of documents, USB sticks, smart cards and key stores.
Price: Free
- Pros:
- Its user-friendly interface, which can be either employed as a web device or an installed program.
- The facility to let users make legally validated signatures on PDF documents for free, utilizing the X.509 certificate.
- Its small area of specialization where it yields restricted features on the particular aspect of signing documents.
- The free edition is subject to only essential tools, whereas the paid application comes with greater facilities of time stamp, Smartcard/USB tokens, server support besides one year email assistance.
Cons:
#13. PDFLab (free, Mac)
PDFLab is another free Adobe Acrobat alternative for Mac that permits users to divide and merge PDF files, besides letting them add images as well as blank pages. It also gives users the ease to build PDF documents by joining multiple images. Using it can be simple, as users only need to insert their files in a list, pick the pages, arrange them in a sequence and build a new PDF file.
Price: Free
- Pros:
- It comes with functions that let users swiftly divide a document into multiple ones.
- It also lets users password-protect files or decrypt them according to their needs.
- It is only compatible with a Mac OS.
- It comes with limited features as compared to a full-blown PDF editor.
Cons:
#14. Master PDF Editor (Mac, Windows, Linux)
The Master PDF Editor is a free alternative to Adobe Acrobat that handles PDF and XPS files well. Though there is a paid edition the demo edition also lets users access all its features that include editing PDF files with both images and texts. Users can also build XPS or PDF files besides converting files between the two formats.
Price:$ 49.95
- Pros:
- Users can edit or insert bookmarks in PDF documents, as well as encrypt them employing the 128 bit encryption method.
- Inserting PDF control tools like buttons, lists, checkboxes into the PDF files.
- The lack of a drag-and-drop tool.
- The trial version has a watermark that is added to all edited PDF files.
Cons:
#15. FreePDF (Free, Windows)
FreePDF is a free alternative to Adobe Acrobat for Windows that is generally used for seeing PDF files. FreePDF assists users in filling, signing and sending forms via email quickly. Its PDF viewer system is also integrated with features like page rotation, page snapshot, multi view mode etc. and lets users easily navigate through the PDF documents while making edits.
Price: Free
- Pros:
- The text overlay tool that facilitates users to insert a text overlay in their PDF files, as well as the signature overlay tool.
- It has improved form-filling tools in the form of the filling radio buttons.
- To some users it has inadequate PDF editing features when it comes to professional work.
- It is only compatible with the Windows OS.
Cons:
#16. PrimoPDF (free, Windows)
PrimoPDF is a PDF building application that works smoothly with the Windows operating system. The PDF creation tool is rather quick and easy with the drag and drop feature that creates perfectly standardized PDF documents. Being free makes this software doubly popular for people to choose this as the ultimate PDF creation application.
Price: Free
- Pros:
- It gives users the capability to password-protect files and design definite particulars to precisely edit files.
- File conversion of files of different formats is just as simple with no reduction in quality with PrimoPDF.
- The user support links are often broken, and provide inconsistent support.
- The design of the software is simplistic and riddled with advertisements for other software.
Cons:
Adobe Photoshop is one of the most popular photo editing software out there used by both professionals to create and edit masterful images, and yours truly who just need it for basic image manipulation. No matter which side of the fence you’re on, I’m sure you’ve at least tried Photoshop. However, due to Adobe’s Creative Cloud subscription, Photoshop can prove to be quite expensive for people just getting into photo editing. Plus, with the plethora of tools on offer in Photoshop, it can be quite tough to use. So, if you are looking for Photoshop alternatives that are easier to use or a free Photoshop alternative for your Windows PC, Mac, Linux machine or even your Android or iOS device, well we have you covered.
Best Photoshop Alternatives: Sections
To make it easier for you to find a Photoshop alternative that best fits your needs, I’m breaking this article down into four sections, and you can click on the links below to head over to the section best suited for your needs.
Free and Open-Source Photoshop Alternatives
Online Photoshop Alternatives
Photoshop Alternatives for Android and iOS
Paid Photoshop Alternatives
Free Photoshop Alternatives (Windows, macOS and Linux)
1. Krita
Krita is a free tool like Photoshop that is almost as feature rich in the options it offers as Photoshop is. It also happens to be one of the tools that are highly recommended by people in online forums about photo editing and creative editing. Another thing I really like about Krita is the fact that it looks and feels very similar to Photoshop — the toolbars are arranged in a very similar way, it has a dark theme by default (but you can configure that if you want some other color scheme in the app). There’s support for tools like the Slice Tool that a lot of Photoshop users swear by, and you can also open multiple images in tabs just like Photoshop. It’s completely free, however there’s a paid version available for anyone who wants to support the developers and show some love.
Pros:
- Support for drawing tablets and pens.
- Templates for different types of projects.
- Supports Rulers and Guides.
- Lot of effects.
Cons:
- No history tool.
- Patch tool lags on larger images (I tried 1200×1600)
- Text tool isn’t as feature rich as Photoshop’s.
- No Camera RAW filter.
File Support: PNG, BMP, GIMP, TIF, TGA, JPEG, WEBP and more
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux
Price: Free; optional paid version available to support developers
2. GIMP
One of the topmost recommendations you’d read for a tool like Photoshop is GIMP, and for good reason. GIMP, or GNU Image Manipulation Program is a very feature rich photo editing and creative tool that can do almost everything that Photoshop can, and brings in everything from the popular Adobe software to a free and open-source software. However, GIMP isn’t my top choice for a Photoshop alternative because it has a bunch of issues as well, most annoying of which is the fact that multiple preset brushes share the same settings, which gets annoying if you’re constantly switching between brushes. Also, GIMP doesn’t have the drawing capabilities of Photoshop. It’s free though, and is definitely worth a look-see if you’re in the market for a free Photoshop alternative.
Pros:
- Comprehensive layer support with blending modes.
- Supports Rulers and Guides.
- Supports image slicing.
- History toolbar.
Cons:
- UI looks dated and takes getting used to.
- Text tool is weird and not intuitive at all.
- no Camera RAW filter.
- Finding tools can be difficult.
File Support: PNG, JPEG, BMP, TIF, and more.
Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux
Price: Free
3. Paint.NET
Paint.NET was originally developed to be a more powerful version of MS Paint and as such it brings a lot of the features from MS Paint. While Paint.NET is nowhere near as powerful as Photoshop, it brings a lot of features that make it a viable alternative for people looking for a free Photoshop alternative for Windows. Paint.NET supports layers with blending modes which is one of the most used features in Photoshop. It also has a history tool that can come in handy to quickly undo multiple edits in a project. Basically, it’s a very well rounded tool for image editing even though it’s not as powerful as Photoshop can be when used properly.
Pros:
- Layer support with blending modes.
- History tool.
- Pretty well rounded for basic editing.
- Supports rulers.
- Supports a ton of file types.
Cons:
- UI looks dated.
- No support for Guides.
- No Camera RAW option.
- No slice tool, patch tool, or spot healing tool.
- Doesn’t support auto-snapping.
File Support: PDN, BMP, GIF, JPG, PNG, TIFF, TGA, DDS (directdraw surface)
Platforms: Windows
Price: Free; optional paid version available to support developers
4. Seashore
Seashore is another Photoshop alternative that’s aimed solely at Mac users. It brings some important features from Photoshop including support for layers. The app also supports pressure sensitivity, so if you’re using a pressure sensitive drawing tablet, you’ll be able to make full use of its pressure levels. Personally, I found Seashore to be more easy in terms of beginner-usability, and it’s also completely free which is awesome.
Pros:
- Supports layers.
- Completely free.
- Pressure sensitivity support.
- Easy to use.
Cons:
- UI looks very outdated.
- No effects
- Grid isn’t customisable.
- Doesn’t support PSD files.
File Support: JPG, PNG, GIMP, TIFF, GIF
Platforms: macOS
Price:Free
Check out Seashore
Online Photoshop Alternatives
5. Pixlr Editor
One of the best online Photoshop alternatives out there, Pixlr editor does a remarkable job for editing photos. It brings a bunch of great and powerful tools that make it one of the best online Photoshop like software out there. Pixlr Editor comes with support for layers and blending modes, a lot of effects and filters, a history tool and even has the healing tool that a lot of Photoshop users love using. It’s basically perfect for a quick on-the-go edit and with some of the advanced features it can be used for more advanced edits as well. Since it’s online, you can use it no matter what operating system you’re on and that’s one of the best things about online tools.
Pros:
- Online, so it works on every platform.
- Supports layers and blending modes.
- History tool.
- Healing tool.
Cons:
- No pen tool.
- Not as versatile as Photoshop.
- Doesn’t support as many file types as Photoshop.
- No Rulers and Guides.
- Support for PDF, PSD, and Sketch formats is behind a paywall.
File Support: JPG, PNG, BMP, TIFF, and PXD (layered pixlr image)
Platforms: Web
Price: Free; Pro version at $5/month
6. Sumopaint
Sumopaint is yet another online Photoshop alternative that you can consider using for projects that don’t necessarily need the level of complexity that Photoshop offers. Being an online tool, Sumopaint can be used on any machine you have and it does offer a bunch of great Photoshop like features. The tool brings support for layers and blending modes which is a very useful feature for projects that are more than just resizing and cropping. There are also quite a lot of effects and filters that Sumopaint brings to the table — these should prove enough for most photo editing needs. Unfortunately the app doesn’t bring support for rulers and guides, which I personally find very useful in Photoshop, and the interface does look dated by today’s standards. However, you can use it for free, and only pay if you need the tools that are locked for pro users.
Pros:
- Support for layers and blending modes.
- Quite a lot of effects and filters.
- Enough tools in for basic to slightly advanced photo editing.
Cons:
- Some tools are locked behind a paywall. Including Text tool, line tool, and more.
- Interface is dated.
- No Pen tool, Camera RAW filter, and auto-snapping.
- Limited file support.
File Support: PNG, JPG, SUMO
Platforms: Web
Price: Free; pro-version starts at $4/month
7. PicMonkey
If Pixlr and Sumo didn’t suit your needs, PicMonkey might just be what you’re looking for. The tool works completely online so it’s easy to access without worrying about OS compatibility and what not. Plus, it brings support for layers, and also has a very font-rich text tool. However, don’t expect a text tool as feature rich as Photoshop’s or you’ll be disappointed. There are also a bunch of filters and effects that you might find useful. However, PicMonkey isn’t nearly as feature rich as Photoshop is, and it tends to respond a little slow at times. That said, the biggest problem in PicMonkey is that unless you subscribe to a pro subscription, you’ll not be able to export your images.
Pros:
- Support for layers.
- Text tool has a lot of fonts.
- Bunch of filters and effects.
Cons:
- Gets slow at times.
- Can’t export images in free version.
File Support: JPG, PNG
Platform: Online, mobile app available
Price:Free; Pro version starts at $5.99/month (7 day free trial available)
Photoshop Alternatives for Android and iOS
8. Multi Layer (Android)
If you’re looking for an app that will let you edit images on the go on your Android smartphone or tablet, Multi Layer is a great app to go with. While there’s no dearth of photo editing apps on Android, Multi Layer beats them with features like support for layers and blending modes, a wide variety of features to edit photos, and even grid support. The app is available completely free to use, however, some features (like blending modes) are only available in the Pro version which you can buy as an in-app purchase for Rs. 200.
Pros:
- Supports layers and blending modes.
- Feature rich.
- Supports grids.
Cons:
- UI can be confusing.
- Only supports JPG and PNG files.
- Contains ads in free version.
File Support: JPG, PNG
Platforms: Android
Price: Free; Pro version for Rs. 200
Download Multi Layer from the Play Store (Free)
9. PhotoWizard (iOS)
If you’re using an iOS device, PhotoWizard is definitely one of the most powerful free apps you can use to edit photos. The app doesn’t come with support for layers, but it brings a lot of powerful features you probably won’t find on other Photoshop alternatives for iOS. There’s historgram, motion blur, gaussian blur, curve editing, masking and a lot more. The app is definitely a pretty powerful app for iOS devices, plus the masking feature works really well.
Pros:
- Easy to use
- Supports curve editing and histogram
- Feature packed
Cons:
- UI looks dated
- No layer support
File Support: All iPhone supported formats.
Platforms: iOS
Price: Free
Download PhotoWizard from the App Store (Free)
Paid Photoshop Alternatives
10. Affinity Photo
Affinity Photo is a very popular image editing application that’s every bit as powerful as Photoshop is and is definitely one of the best paid Photoshop alternatives out there. The app brings a ton of cool and useful features including tools like the Pen tool, rulers, guides, and grids. It also has the healing tool, the clone tool, and most other tools you’d find in Photoshop. It also has support for layers with blending modes and a lot more. However, the app isn’t cheap and you’ll have to pay a one-time price of Rs. 3,999 to get it.
Pros:
- Powerful Photoshop substitute.
- Pen tool, healing tool, clone tool and more.
- Supports layers and blending modes.
- Supports rulers and grids.
Cons:
- UI can be a little confusing at first.
- Not as many file types are supported as Photoshop.
- No Camera RAW tool
File Support: PNG, JPEG, GIF, TIFF, PSD, PDF, SVG, EPS and more.
Platforms: Windows, macOS
Price: Rs. 3,999
11. Pixelmator
Pixelmator is a macOS only photo editing tool that brings with it a ton of Photoshop like features and tools, and it also supports some of the latest features that Apple has brought to macOS such as editing and exporting images stored in the High Efficiency Image File format. There are the usual features like support for layers and blending modes, a plethora of tools to use for editing the images, support for live previews and SVG files. I also love the interface of Pixelmator and find it to be quite a lot better than Photoshop’s UI. However, it’s a very Mac-oriented interface so you might not like it as much as I do.
Pros:
- Feature packed.
- Supports layers and blending modes.
- Supports slice tool.
- Excellent UI in line with Apple’s guidelines.
Cons:
- Hugely different UI as compared to most photo editors.
- Might not seem intuitive to Photoshop users.
- Not for beginners.
File Support: HEIF, JPG, PNG, TIFF, Pixelmator Pro, PSD, PDF, GIF, and more.
Platforms: macOS
Price: 30 day free trial available; $60
12. PhotoLine
PhotoLine is an image editing software that brings quite a bit of great features to Windows and macOS systems. The overall UI of the software is decent but not great, however, it brings support for layers and blending modes, rulers and guides, along with a bunch of great effects and filters. The app also supports drawing vector images so if that’s something you need, this is definitely the app for you. PhotoLine is available to try for free for 30 days, however, you’ll have to pay to continue using it past that time.
Pros:
- Support for layers and blending modes.
- Support for rulers and guides
- Supports vector drawing
Cons:
- No pen tool, slice tool, or patch tool.
- Toolbox looks confusing.
File Support: PDF, SVG, BMP, GIF, WEBP, JPG, PNG, and more.
Platforms: Windows, macOS
Price: 30 day free trial; ~$67 after that
SEE ALSO: 10 Best TeamViewer Alternatives
Check Out these Photoshop Alternatives
So those were the 12 best free (and paid) Photoshop alternatives that you can try out if you’re looking to ditch Photoshop, or are unwilling to pay a subscription pricing for a image editing software. I’ve included software that are free, paid, mobile apps, and even dedicated Windows and macOS software with varying degrees of advanced features, so no matter what you’re looking for in your Photoshop alternative, I think you’ll find it here. That said, if you think I missed out on a great Photoshop alternative that deserves to be on this list, let me know in the comments down below.