Pick Adobe Acrobat Reader if you mainly read, annotate, and fill and sign forms: those are free in Acrobat. Pick ProperPDF if you mainly merge, split, scan and compress, want no account and no ads, and prefer a one-time purchase ($29.99 in the US) to a subscription. Acrobat's paid plans do much more, including editing text and exporting to Word; ProperPDF does neither.
We make ProperPDF. The other apps are described from their own store listings, pricing and help pages, linked under Sources.
| ProperPDF | Adobe Acrobat Reader | |
|---|---|---|
| Merge and split | Free, with watermark | Paid |
| Organize pages | Free (watermark on Android) | Paid |
| Compress | Pro | Paid |
| Fill and sign forms | Pro | Free |
| Password protect | Pro | Paid |
| Scan to PDF | Free, in the app | Separate Adobe Scan app |
| Annotate and highlight | No | Free |
| Edit existing text | No | Paid |
| Export to Word | No | Paid |
| AI chat | On-device; free on iPhone, Pro on Android | Paid AI Assistant |
| Ads | None | Android listing says it contains ads |
| Account | None | Sign-in needed to buy and to sync |
| One-time purchase | $29.99 lifetime (US) | Not listed |
Where Acrobat wins
Annotating, filling forms and signing are free in Acrobat Reader and Pro-only in ProperPDF. Acrobat's paid plans also edit text and images, export to Word, Excel and PowerPoint, and sync files through Adobe's cloud. It is by far the more complete PDF editor.
Where ProperPDF wins
Merging, splitting, organizing pages and scanning are free in ProperPDF and paid (or in a separate app) with Acrobat. ProperPDF has no account, no ads, works offline, and offers a one-time purchase.
Questions
Is ProperPDF cheaper than Adobe Acrobat?
ProperPDF Pro is $3.99 a month or $29.99 once in the US, and less in many other countries. We couldn't find Adobe's mobile prices on its website, so compare them in the store listing before buying.
Can ProperPDF edit text like Acrobat?
No. ProperPDF works with pages, signatures, form fields and passwords, not the existing text.
Sources
Checked 22 October 2026. Prices are US prices and change. ProperPDF uses regional pricing, so check the store for your local price.