Skip to main content
S
S_Dawid
Participant
September 17, 2025
Answered

3rd Party Plugins for Acrobat 2024

  • September 17, 2025
  • 1 reply
  • 323 views

Hello,

 

I would like to clarify the licensing requirements for using 3rd party plugins with Adobe Acrobat 2024.

  • Is it possible to use 3rd party plugins with Acrobat 2024 Classic or Continuous without a Standard or Pro license?

  • Does the free Acrobat Reader support 3rd party plugins, or is a paid license (Standard or Pro) required for plugin functionality?

 

Thank you for your help everyone!

Correct answer AnandSri

Hello @S_Dawid

 

I hope you are doing well, and thank you for reaching out.

 

Yes, third-party plugins are supported in both the Classic and Continuous tracks of Acrobat 2024, but only if you have a paid license (Standard or Pro). The free Acrobat Reader does not support third-party plugins. Plugin functionality requires access to APIs and extensibility features that are only available in the paid versions.

 

For detailed information, please see these articles: 

https://adobe.ly/3IqRDwB

https://adobe.ly/4gBusws

 

Thanks,

Anand Sri.

1 reply

AnandSri
Community Manager
AnandSriCommunity ManagerCorrect answer
Community Manager
September 17, 2025

Hello @S_Dawid

 

I hope you are doing well, and thank you for reaching out.

 

Yes, third-party plugins are supported in both the Classic and Continuous tracks of Acrobat 2024, but only if you have a paid license (Standard or Pro). The free Acrobat Reader does not support third-party plugins. Plugin functionality requires access to APIs and extensibility features that are only available in the paid versions.

 

For detailed information, please see these articles: 

https://adobe.ly/3IqRDwB

https://adobe.ly/4gBusws

 

Thanks,

Anand Sri.

    Thom Parker
    Community Expert
    Thom ParkerCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    September 17, 2025

    Well Actually, Reader does support plug-ins. But they require a special digital signature that is supplied by Adobe on a per plug-in basis. 

    Plug-ins can be built for Acrobat Pro without any special licensing from Acrobat. 

     

    To summarize, For Acrobat Pro, the user has to be licensed to use the product. Nothing is required from the plug-in developer.

    For  Acrobat Reader, the developer has to be licensed to build the plug-in, but nothing is required from the user. 

     

    Thom Parker - Software Developer at PDFScriptingUse the Acrobat JavaScript Reference early and often
      Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement
      Using the community Terms of use Privacy Cookie preferences Do not sell or share my personal information ad choicesAdChoices