DifferencesTerms And Technology

Difference between Adobe Reader and Adobe Acrobat with tab

We explain the difference between Adobe Reader and Adobe Acrobat with table. Adobe Systems Incorporated introduced both Adobe Reader and Adobe Acrobat as a way to make PDF viewing easier and more accessible.

Adobe Readers was developed by Adobe System Inc. to allow users to use free software capable of viewing only PDF files. Adobe Reader is considered to be a smaller version / component of Adobe Acrobat.

Adobe Acrobat was released so that users could have the flexibility and freedom to change and modify their PDF files, rather than just viewing them. Adobe Acrobat is the paid version of Adobe Readers, with additional features.

The difference between Adobe Reader and Adobe Acrobat is that the former is a free PDF viewing software, and the latter is just an extended paid version that allows modification of PDF files, such as converting Word documents to PDF.

Comparison table between Adobe Readers and Adobe Acrobat (in tabular form)

Comparison parameters Adobe Readers Adobe Acrobat

Story Adobe Reader was at first a paid version in 1993, but then Adobe released it for free. Adobe Acrobat was released on June 15, 1993, and it was expensive. Adobe then lowered the price for the average user.
cost Adobe Readers is available for free download from the Adobe Systems Inc. website. The cost of Adobe Acrobat is a paid and extended PDF readers, and its prices vary depending on the different versions available.
Features With Adobe Readers, the user has access to basic functionality, allowing him to open and view PDF documents. With Adobe Acrobat, the user can edit, scan, convert Word documents to PDF format and much more, depending on the version.
Versions Adobe Reader is available only in a basic version that gives users free access to view documents. Here, there are two versions of Adobe Acrobat, namely “Adobe Acrobat DC” and “Adobe Acrobat Pro”.
Relationship Adobe Readers is a smaller component of Acrobat that the user can install for free. The user can upgrade their free version of Adobe Readers to Adobe Acrobat to gain access to additional features.

What is Adobe Reader?

In 1993, when Adobe Systems Incorporated first decided to introduce their PDF viewer and readers, Acrobat, they found that the consumer market was unwilling to pay for the service due to high prices.

Subsequently, the company introduced the “Adobe Acrobat Reader” or “Adobe Readers“, which would have less functionality, along with a lower price tag. But the market’s response was not in favor of Adobes.

In the end, Adobe Systems Incorporated decided to make Adobe Reader free to download and access. They finally released Adobe Readers on their official website as an application capable of viewing PDF files and gave users the option to update if they ever wanted to.

Adobe Reader allows users to access the basic functionalities of Adobe Acrobat, such as opening, viewing, signing, leaving comments, and even printing the PDF file.

Unlike Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Reader does not have other versions like “Pro” that can grant free access to additional functions. Adobe Reader is also available on various platforms and operating systems such as Windows, Mac OS, Linux, and Solaris. Adobe Reader is also available on mobile platforms such as Android systems.

What is Adobe Acrobat?

On June 15, 1993, Adobe Systems Incorporated introduced a paid PDF viewer under the name Acrobat. Later, Acrobat prices were lowered to a much more affordable rate so that the average consumer could purchase it.

Adobe Acrobat is just an extended version of Adobe Reader and comes in a few different versions, the prices of which vary depending on the amount of functionality provided.

Adobe Acrobat over the years has been released in the following version:

  1. Adobe Acrobat DC
  2. Adobe Acrobat Pro DC

Adobe Acrobat DC is the standard Acrobat subscription that gives the user access to functions such as editing text and images in a PDF file and exporting PDF files to other software such as Excel and Powerpoint.

Adobe Acrobat Pro is a slightly more expensive version of Adobe Acrobat DC, with many more advanced features such as comparing two identical PDFs for minor differences, converting PDF to an editable format that allows you to make changes directly to the text.

The more expensive versions of Acrobat are used primarily by multinational companies and the print media, and the non-professional versions are for regular consumers.

Adobe Acrobat is also available on various platforms and operating systems such as Windows, Mac OS, Linux, and Solaris. It is also accessible on mobile platforms such as Android systems.

Main differences between Adobe Readers and Adobe Acrobat

  • Adobe Reader is just a small free component of the Adobe Acrobat version.
  • Adobe Reader was introduced as a version with basic functionality just after Acrobat was introduced as a paid PDF viewer in 1993.
  • Adobe Reader is available for free on the Adobe Systems Inc. website. On the other hand, a user can upgrade their Adobe Reader to Acrobat paid subscription to gain access to additional features.
  • Adobe Reader allows users to access the basic functionalities of Adobe Acrobat such as opening, viewing, signing, leaving comments and even printing the PDF file, while Adobe Acrobat allows users to manipulate and modify PDF files as they wish.
  • Adobe Reader is available only in a basic version, while Adobe Acrobat has two versions: “Adobe Acrobat DC” and “Adobe Acrobat Pro”.

Final Thought

Adobe Systems Incorporated introduced Acrobat as a more accessible and efficient way to manage PDF files, but on a subscription basis. Many consumers couldn’t afford the software, so Adobe went ahead and released Adobe Reader as free software with the basic functionality of Acrobat.

Users were given the option to upgrade if they wanted any additional features, and it was seen that most multinational companies opted for this option. Adobe Acrobat gave users the ability to modify the texts and images present in PDF files, as well as convert them. Adobe Readers allowed the user to open, view and print the PDF. Both applications have allowed users to feel comfortable when it comes to managing PDF files.

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