Adobe Acrobat alternative

[Jason34378178chxw]

We recently needed to fill out a PDF form .   We had to include an an image on the form and digitally sign.  The Adobe raeder would not allow her to attached an image or sign the document.  We had to sign up for a trail account to just complete the form.  Adobe is charing $240 / year for the Pro version of Acrobat.  Another version is $150 / year.  The subscription to get an entire office Suite for a fmily of five is $99 / year.

Can someone at Adobe please explain why this product costs so much for basic functionality to edit and sign PDFs?

Can a member of the community suggest an alternative product to accoplish editing and signing of PDFs?

[try67]

This should be possible with the free Reader. What prevented you from doing so?

And this is not really the place to discuss alternatives for Acrobat/Reader...

[Jason34378178chxw]

So it's possible to sign PDFs with the free Adobe reader?

please provide the URL the free download from the Adobe site.

[Bevi Chagnon - PubCom.com]

You know, you could just Google "Acrobat Reader" and you could get the URL is a second, certainly quicker than posting to this all-volunteer user-to-user forum. (We are not paid employees, although sometimes you'll spot one here in the forums...they'll have the Adobe logo with their name.)

Here's a screen capture from Reader's homepage https://www.adobe.com/acrobat/pdf-reader.html

There's a big blue DOWNLOAD button at the top of the page.

From https://www.adobe.com/acrobat/pdf-reader.html

Adobe also has a lot of free tutorials on performing the tasks you mentioned earlier.

Warning: If you did indeed give Adobe a credit card to download any of the other paid versions of Acrobat, contact them immediately to cancel the order. If you keep the software live past the 7 day free trial, it's difficult (nearly impossible) to get your money back. Just a warning...

[try67]

> So it's possible to sign PDFs with the free Adobe reader?

Yes, if there's a Signature field you just need to click it. Otherwise use the Fill & Sign tool.

[Jason34378178chxw]

Thanks for the link.  Installed and make it default application to work wifh PDFs.  PDF works fine.  Appears the issue is with Edge PDF viewer editor.  Won't be using that going foward.

I just need to able to fill out, save, and sign forms.  I would expect that would be avaiblle in the free version of Adobe reader (use to be at least).

[Laura30796142pf5e]

It seems like a reasonable place to discuss alternatives, because the users in this community are the most familiar with frustrations that current Adobe customers are experiencing. 

Personally, I am so done with this expensive, bloated (with features I'll never use), and cumbersome (because the features I need require time-consuming workarounds) software, and I really want an alternative. I have completed innumerable feedback surveys and feature requests, but Adobe is apparently not listening. Perhaps if people start discussing viable alternatives on these forms, they will use their AI(!) to analyze what users ACTUALLY want. 

[Bevi Chagnon - PubCom.com]

Probably the PDF was incorrectly made by the original author with settings that block users from signing and adding images. Contact the original author and complain.

Adobe Acrobat Reader is the original software program developed for opening, reading, printing, and doing other PDF tasks and it's still the best by our testing of dozens of competing products. Just Google "PDF Readers" and you'll have a lot to choose from.

But I really believe that problem you had was because the author didn't set the PDF file correctly, not Reader or any other brand of PDF reading program.