Foxit PDF Editor vs PDF Architect (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Foxit PDF Editor grades higher than PDF Architect: 2.8 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Foxit PDF Editor grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, the free plan, features and ease of use.
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
PDF Architect
Windows PDF editor with a free viewer and yearly Pro and Business
Which one is for you
Pick Foxit PDF Editor if
- Fits if you're leaving Acrobat and want the same jobs done for $129.99 a year
- Makes sense if you'd rather pay once, as a $209.99 perpetual license is still sold
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to edit on your phone on the base plan, as mobile needs PDF Editor+ at $159.99 a year
- Watch out: the $10.99 and $13.99 monthly prices are annual plans billed monthly; there's no month-to-month plan
- Tight if you lean on the AI, as 300 credits a month is it before a $49.99-a-year add-on
- Pricey if you send lots of documents to sign: PDF Editor+ has 150 envelopes a year, and unlimited is Foxit eSign, sold separately
- Not for you if you only fix a typo now and then, since free editors here do that
Pick PDF Architect if
- Fits if you work on Windows and want editing, OCR and forms in one program
- Makes sense if your firm wants admin tools and SSO on the Business plan
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use a Mac, phone or browser, as it is Windows only
- Tight if you stay on the free edition, which is personal use only and has no conversion, forms or OCR
- Pricey if you only edit now and then, at $127 a year
- Watch out: prices were filled in by a script, so confirm them at checkout
- Watch out: Pro and Business are billed yearly, with sales contact above 10 licenses
How we grade them
| 2.8GPAFoxit PDF EditorGood | 2.2GPAPDF ArchitectFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. Spread over three years, the $209.99 perpetual license costs less, but still sits in the middle. | CPro is $127 a year, about $10.58 a month, just under the $10.83 dearer-quarter mark for PDF editors. Business is $197. |
| Free plan and trial | CNo free plan. There's a 14-day trial of PDF Editor+ with no card needed. After that you pay or stop. | CThe free edition covers viewing, creating, merging and page management for personal use only; conversion, forms, OCR and security are left out. |
| 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. | BPro edits text and images, converts, builds forms, redacts, runs OCR and signs. The listing names no gap in the core job. |
| 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. | BNo usable store rating is on record. It installs on Windows and works with nothing to set up. |
| 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. | DWindows only; no Mac, mobile or browser edition. |
| Best for | an Acrobat-style editor you can still buy outright | Windows PDF editing, paid by the year |
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 PDF Architect. How we grade
Price against what you get
Foxit PDF Editor starts at $10.83 a month when paid by the year for each person and scores 3.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. PDF Architect starts at $10.58 a month when paid by the year for each person and scores 2.3.
Foxit PDF Editor scores higher, and starts $0.25 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other PDF editors on the chart, none scores higher than Foxit PDF Editor for less, and 13 score higher than PDF Architect for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Foxit PDF Editor can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Foxit PDF Editor also covers documents.
At a glance
| Foxit PDF Editor | PDF Architect | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | $129.99 per user / year | $127 per user / year, billed annually |
| Free plan | None | Free edition for personal use: view PDFs, create from Word, Excel and PowerPoint, merge, and rotate, delete or rearrange pages. |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial of PDF Editor+, no credit card required | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Foxit Software Incorporated | Avanquest pdfforge GmbH |
| Price read from | foxit.com | pdfforge.org |
| Checked | Oct 18, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
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.
PDF Architect
- The vendor's pages list Windows only; there is no Mac, mobile or browser edition.
- The free edition is for personal use and leaves out conversion, forms, OCR and security tools.
- Pro and Business are billed yearly; the page says to contact sales above 10 licenses.
- The shown prices were read from a page that fills them in with a script, so confirm them at checkout.
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.
PDF Architect
- Edit text, images and pages
- Edits PDF content directly, merges files and inserts or reorganizes pages without exporting to another format.
- Convert
- Converts PDFs to Word, Excel, HTML, text and image formats, and creates PDFs from printable files.
- Forms
- Builds fillable forms such as invoices and surveys and fills in existing ones.
- Secure and redact
- Adds passwords and permissions, redacts content and applies digital signatures.
- OCR with batch recognition
- Makes scanned documents searchable, and can recognize several files at once.
- E-sign
- Prepares, sends and tracks documents for e-signature; the free plan allows 50 a year and Business is unlimited.
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.
PDF Architect
Free$0
Personal use only: viewer, PDF creation and merging, page management; editing is partial and 50 e-signatures a year.
Pro$127
per user / year, billed annually
Edit, convert, forms, redaction and protection, OCR, comments and signing, batch processing; 24-hour email and chat support.
Business$197
per user / year, billed annually
Pro plus unlimited e-sign, admin dashboard, SSO / SAML, MSI and GPO deployment, Advanced OCR in 100+ languages, invoice billing.
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.
PDF Architect
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Foxit PDF Editor or PDF Architect?
As of Nov 13, 2026, PDF Architect is cheaper to start with: $10.58 a month when paid by the year for each person, against $10.83 a month when paid by the year for each person for Foxit PDF Editor. Foxit PDF Editor starts at $129.99 per user / year, and PDF Architect starts at $127 per user / year, billed annually.
Which has a free plan, Foxit PDF Editor or PDF Architect?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only PDF Architect has a free plan. Foxit PDF Editor does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do Foxit PDF Editor and PDF Architect run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Foxit PDF Editor lists a web app and macOS, iOS and Android apps. Both list a Windows app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.