PDF Market/Industry Overview (About)
Are you having trouble looking for the best PDF software for you? Then look no further, this information might help you. In this section, we will be talking about the best PDF Software/Products, the most budget-friendly ones, the easiest ones to use, and more.
Most popular companies whose main products are PDF software
These are the most popular companies whose main products are PDF software. The list is not in any particular order.
Company | PDF Product/s |
ABBYY | ABBYY FineReader PDF |
Adobe Inc. | Adobe Acrobat PDF |
Apowersoft Ltd. | LightPDF (ApowerPDF) |
DocsCorp | pdfDocs |
Foxit Software Inc. | Foxit PDF Reader |
iSkysoft | Foxit PDF Editor |
Jotform | Jotform PDF Editor |
KOFAX INC. | Kofax Power PDF |
Nitro Software, Inc. | Nitro PDF |
PDF Technologies, Inc. | PDFTechLib |
PDFRun.com | PDFRun |
Red Software | RAD PDF |
Tracket Software Products Ltd | PDF-XChange |
Wondershare Technology Co., Ltd | Wondershare PDFelement |
Icecream Apps | PDF Editor |
| PDF Converter |
| PDF Split and Merge |
pdfforge | PDF Creator |
| PDF Architect |
pdfFiller | pdfFiller |
Smallpdf | Smallpdf |
Sources: ABBYY, Adobe, Apowersoft, DocsCorp, Foxit, Kofax, PDF-Technologies, RedSoftware, Tracker Software, Wondershare, Icecream Apps, pdfforge, pdfFiller, Smallpdf
Global PDF Editors Market Share
An estimation by a research study stated that by 2025, the Global PDF Editor Market Share will rise up to $2.94 billion with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.68%.
Year | Estimated Growth |
2019 | $1.84 billion |
2020 | $1.94 billion |
2021 | $2.18 billion |
2025 | $2.94 billion |
Source: Research and Markets, GlobalNewsWire
What is the best PDF Editor Software/Product?
The best PDF Editor software at the time is definitely Adobe Acrobat based on the customer’s satisfaction and the product’s market presence.
PDF Editor Product | Industries | Market Segment |
Adobe Acrobat | - Information Technology and Services | - 43% Small- Business |
| - Higher Education | - 32% Mid-Market |
Foxit PDF Editor | -Construction | - 67% Small-Business |
| -Accounting | - 23% Mid-Market |
pdfFiller | -Real Estate | -83% Small- Business |
| -Insurance | -13% Mid-Market |
Smallpdf | - Information Technology and Services | - 46% Mid-Market |
| -Computer Software | - 41% Small-Business |
Wondershare PDFelement | - Information Technology and Services | - 68% Small-Business |
| - Education Management | - 16% Mid-Market |
Nitro PDF Productivitiy | - Information Technology and Services | - 48% Small-Business |
| - Education Management | - 32% Mid-Market |
Adobe PDF Pack | - Information Technology and Services | - 41% Small-Business |
| - Accounting | - 32% Mid-Market |
FineReader PDF | - Translation | - 76% Small-Business |
| - Higher Education | - 14% Mid-Market |
Source: G2
Best Budget-Friendly PDF Editor Software/Products Under $15
If you are a student or a small business owner, then the best budget-friendly PDF Editor Software or Product would probably be Smallpdf, it starts with a free subscription per month. The main selling point of Smallpdf is that it removes unnecessary extra features and focuses more on customer experience. Aside from Smallpdf, there are others that might suit your needs.
PDF Software/Product | Starting Price (Per month) |
Smallpdf | Free |
pdfFiller | $8.00 |
Adobe Acrobat | $14.99 |
Foxit PDF Editor | $14.99 |
Nitro PDF Productivity | $9.99 |
Coolnew PDF | $6.49 |
Lumin PDF for G Suite | Free |
Source: G2
Easiest PDF Editor Software/Products to use
According to G2, the easiest PDF Editor product to use would be pdfFiller with an average usability score of 9.3. Following closely would be Foxit PDF Editor with 8.9 usability score.
Rank | PDF Product/Software | Usability Score |
#1 | pdfFiller | 9.3 |
#2 | Foxit PDF Editor | 8.9 |
#3 | Smallpdf | 8.8 |
#4 | Adobe Acrobat | 8.8 |
#5 | Nitro PDF Productivity | 8.7 |
#6 | Wondershare PDFelement | 8.7 |
#7 | PDF-XChange Editor | 8.7 |
#8 | FineReader PDF | 8.5 |
#9 | Jotform - PDF Editor | 8.4 |
Source: G2
How many PDF documents are created each year?
According to Adobe’s 2021 annual report, there are trillions of PDF documents created each year. We don’t have the official exact number for the recent years. However, in 2015, Phil Ydens, Fellow and VP of Adobe Document Cloud, estimated that there were 2.5 trillion PDF documents created each year.
Source: PDFA, Adobe
How many types of PDFs are there?
Did you know that there are more types of PDFs than the ones you are familiar with? Yes, there are a total of 6 different types of PDFS according to International Standards Organizations (ISO). Some PDFs are designed to be stored for a long time while other types have improved features on certain sections over the others. Let’s have a look.
PDF Type | Description |
PDF | General PDF standard that are used for sharing and viewing files online. |
PDF/A | Ideal for long-term storage. Often used by records manager, archivists, and etc. |
PDF/E | Comes with features like multimedia, large-format drawings, and so on which is suitable for engineering needs. Mostly used by construction experts, engineers, architects, and etc. |
PDF/X | Have features that improve images, font embedding, color profiles, etc. Ideal for graphic designers and print experts. |
PDF/VT | Similar with PDF/X, the difference is that it has additional customization features that allows for more flexibility. Ideal for graphic designers and print experts. |
PDF/UA | Grants "Universal Access" technologies that help users read and navigate. |
Source: Ink It
Best PDF Readers for Android 2023
According to TechRadar, these are the best PDF readers for Android in 2023.
Rank | PDF Reader | Pros | Cons |
#1 | Adobe Acrobat Reader | "Advanced tools available" | "Advanced features could be overwhelming for beginners" |
| | Excellent document compatibility | |
| | Reliable form filling | |
| | Access scanned documents via free app | |
#2 | Xodo PDF Reader | Versatile PDF reader | - Can be laggy sometimes |
| | Edit and annotate documents +Sync edits with cloud services | |
#3 | Foxit PDF Reader | Speedy and straightforward viewer | - No OCR in free version |
| | Fill out PDF forms and import/export data | |
| | Easy document sharing | |
#4 | All PDF | Merge and split PDF files | - Ads |
| | Free app | |
| | Organize files | |
#5 | Gaaiho PDF Reader | Comfortable reading environment | - Not updated very often |
| | Share files with any WebDAV servers | |
Source: Tech Radar