Foxit PDF Editor vs Foxit eSign
We give Foxit PDF Editor a 2.8 GPA and Foxit eSign a 2.4, out of 4.0. Foxit PDF Editor grades higher on ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan and features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Foxit PDF Editor
PDF editor for Windows, Mac and web, yearly or as a one-time license
Foxit eSign
E-signatures with payments, notary and storage, priced per user a year
How we grade them
| 2.8GPAFoxit PDF EditorGood | 2.4GPAFoxit eSignFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | C$129.99 a year for PDF Editor, the plan that edits text on Windows, Mac and web. That's the dear end of normal for PDF editors, not a bargain. Spread over three years, the $209.99 perpetual license works out cheaper, but still middling. | C$120 a person a year on Essentials, $10 a month, right at this category's middle, with 250 envelopes and 10 templates a year. Unlimited sending needs Business at $300 a person a year, and that's sold in 5 licenses or more. |
| Free plan and trial | CNo free plan. There's a 14-day trial of PDF Editor+ with no card needed, which is plenty of time to see if it suits you. After that you pay or stop. | CNo free plan, but a 14-day trial of Essentials with no card needed. The free signing tool on Foxit's site isn't legally binding, so it doesn't count. |
| Features | BEdits text and images, converts to and from Office, OCRs scans, builds forms with JavaScript, redacts, compares versions and adds Bates numbers. It covers the whole job. Smart Redact and the phone apps wait for PDF Editor+, and heavy AI use costs extra. | BTemplates, signing order, bulk send, Foxit Pay for collecting payment, an online notary, knowledge-based and qualified signatures, unlimited storage, and HIPAA and 21 CFR Part 11 support. It covers the whole job across its plans; the notary costs extra. |
| Ease of use | B4.5 from 4,763 App Store ratings for the Foxit PDF Editor app. On a computer it's an editor you install and start using, with nothing to set up first. | CThere's an iPhone app but no store rating on record. It's a web app where you set up templates and workflows first, and the team features wait for Business. |
| Platforms and integrations | AWindows, Mac, web, iPhone and Android, with Microsoft 365, SharePoint, Google Drive, Dropbox, Box and Salesforce. Just note the phone apps come with PDF Editor+, not the base plan. | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with Microsoft Teams, Dynamics, Zapier, WordPress and Salesforce, and you can sign from inside Foxit PDF Editor. No desktop app of its own. |
| Best for | an Acrobat-style editor you can still buy outright | signing with payments and a notary built in |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Foxit PDF Editor and Foxit eSign. How we grade
Where they differ
- Foxit PDF Editor starts at $129.99 per user / year. Foxit eSign starts at $120 per user / year.
- Only Foxit PDF Editor lists Windows and macOS apps.
- Foxit PDF Editor can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Foxit PDF Editor also covers pDF editing.
- Foxit eSign also covers templates and workflow automation.
At a glance
| Foxit PDF Editor | Foxit eSign | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $129.99 per user / year | $120 per user / year |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial of PDF Editor+, no credit card required | 14-day free trial of eSign Essentials, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Foxit Software Incorporated | Foxit Software Incorporated |
| Price read from | foxit.com | foxit.com |
| Checked | Oct 18, 2026 | Oct 18, 2026 |
Who each one suits
Foxit PDF Editor
- Offices replacing Adobe Acrobat on Windows and Mac machines
- Buyers who prefer to pay once: a perpetual license is still sold
- Teams that also send documents for signature through Foxit eSign
Foxit eSign
- Teams already using Foxit PDF Editor for their PDFs
- Businesses that collect a payment or need a notary when a contract is signed
- Regulated teams that need HIPAA or 21 CFR Part 11 support
Worth knowing
Foxit PDF Editor
- The iOS and Android apps, AI Smart Redact and the 150 eSign envelopes a year come only with PDF Editor+; PDF Editor covers Windows, macOS and web.
- Both subscriptions are annual; the $10.99 and $13.99 monthly figures are an annual plan billed monthly, not a monthly plan.
- More AI use costs extra: the AI Assistant add-on is $49.99 a year for 2,000 credits a month and access to Foxit Workspace.
- Unlimited e-signature sending needs Foxit eSign, a separate product sold per user by the year.
Foxit eSign
- Essentials covers one user with 250 envelopes and 10 templates a year; web forms, integrations and unlimited sending need Business.
- eSign Business requires a minimum of 5 licenses, and both plans are priced by the year.
- Online notary and Foxit Connectors for HR, ATS and storage apps cost extra; the free signing tool on Foxit's site is not legally binding.
- Editing PDFs needs Foxit PDF Editor, a separate product; eSign can be used from inside it.
Key features
Foxit PDF Editor
- Editing and page tools
- Edit text and images, add, delete and reorder pages, merge and split files, compare two versions, add Bates numbering and reduce file size.
- Conversion and OCR
- Converts PDFs to and from Word, Excel and PowerPoint, exports images, turns scans into searchable text and checks PDF/A and accessibility.
- Forms and signing
- Create fillable forms with JavaScript, fill and sign, and add certificate signatures; PDF Editor+ can also send for e-signature through Foxit eSign.
- Redaction and protection
- Password protection, copy and edit restrictions and manual redaction on both plans, with AI Smart Redact to find personal data on PDF Editor+.
- AI Assistant
- Summarizes, translates, rewrites and answers questions about documents, with 300 credits a month included in every subscription.
- Foxit DMS
- Every subscription includes Foxit's document management system with unlimited cloud storage, shared workspaces, check-in and check-out and version history.
Foxit eSign
- Templates, workflows and bulk send
- Reusable templates, signing order and workflow rules, tracking and reminders, and bulk sending, which is capped at 250 a year on Essentials.
- Foxit Pay
- Collects a payment from the signer as part of signing an agreement, on both plans.
- On-demand notary
- Books an online notary for documents that need notarizing, charged as an extra on top of either plan.
- Signer identity checks
- Passcodes, two-factor and multi-factor checks, knowledge-based authentication and qualified electronic signatures, with SSO for staff.
- Storage for signed records
- Every paid plan includes unlimited storage in Foxit's document management system for completed agreements.
- Compliance support
- Supports HIPAA, 21 CFR Part 11 and FERPA workflows, follows ESIGN, UETA and eIDAS, and has a SOC 2 Type 2 report.
Plans
Foxit PDF Editor
PDF Editor$129.99
per user / year ($10.99 a month on an annual plan billed monthly)
Windows, macOS and web apps: editing, conversion, OCR, forms, compare and security, with Foxit DMS and 300 AI credits a month.
PDF Editor+$159.99
per user / year ($13.99 a month on an annual plan billed monthly)
Everything in PDF Editor plus the iOS and Android apps, AI Smart Redact and Foxit eSign Essentials with 150 envelopes a year.
Foxit PDF Editor 14 (Perpetual)$209.99
one-time purchase per user
A perpetual license for version 14 of the editor, paid once instead of a subscription.
Volume LicensingCustom
Quoted for 30 or more licenses, subscription or perpetual, with discounts of up to 30% and one renewal date.
Foxit eSign
eSign Essentials$120
per user / year
One user, 250 envelopes and 10 templates a year, Foxit Pay, multi-document envelopes, audit trails, mobile app and signing in Foxit PDF Editor.
eSign Business$300
per user / year
Sold in 5 licenses or more: unlimited envelopes and templates, branding, web forms, Teams, Dynamics and Zapier, bulk sending and advanced authentication.
Volume LicensingCustom
Quoted for 16 or more licenses, with volume discounts and one renewal date, and can mix eSign with PDF Editor licenses.
Ways to pay less
Foxit PDF Editor
- Other savings
Volume discounts from 30 licenses
Foxit's pricing page gives discounts of up to 30% on orders of 30 or more licenses, for subscriptions or perpetual licenses, quoted by its sales team.
Foxit eSign
- Other savings
Volume discounts from 16 licenses
Foxit's pricing page offers volume licensing for 16 or more licenses, with discounts that grow with quantity, quoted by its sales team.
