Foxit PDF Editor vs PDF Reader Pro (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, PDF Reader Pro grades higher than Foxit PDF Editor: 3.0 against 2.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
PDF Reader Pro grades higher on value for money. They get the same grade on the free plan, features, ease of use and platforms.
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 Reader Pro
PDF viewer and editor for Mac, Windows, mobile and web
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 Reader Pro if
- Fits if you want one PDF app on a Mac, a PC and a phone
- Works for people who prefer a one-time license over a subscription
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you plan to stay free, because OCR and eSign are one-time trials and uploads stop at 10 MB
- Watch out: the one-time license covers 1 device, while yearly plans cover 4
- Skip it if you want the AI assistant on a phone, as it runs only on Windows and Mac
- Watch out: 500 AI points come with the first purchase only
- Watch out: the store showed a Black Friday sale to Nov 30, 2026, so regular prices are higher
How we grade them
| 2.8GPAFoxit PDF EditorGood | 3.0GPAPDF Reader ProVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | BThe $99.99 one-time license is under two years of the $6.67 middle subscription; the $59.99 yearly Standard is about $5 a month. |
| 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. | CFree version for reading and annotating, but OCR and eSign are one-time trials and uploads are capped at 10 MB. |
| 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. | BEdit text and images, convert, OCR, forms, signatures, redaction and an AI assistant. The listing shows no gap in the core work. |
| 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 rating on record; a program you install and use, 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. | AWeb, Mac, Windows, iOS and Android, with two integrations listed. |
| Best for | an Acrobat-style editor you can still buy outright | PDF editing across Mac, Windows, phones and the web |
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 Reader Pro. 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 Reader Pro starts at $5 a month when paid by the year and scores 3.3.
They score the same, and PDF Reader Pro starts $5.83 a month lower. Of the other PDF editors on the chart, none scores higher than Foxit PDF Editor for less, and none scores higher than PDF Reader Pro 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 also covers forms.
At a glance
| Foxit PDF Editor | PDF Reader Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free plan |
| Starts at | $129.99 per user / year | $59.99 per year (Standard), or $99.99 one-time |
| Free plan | None | Free version with reading and annotation; OCR and eSign are one-time trials, 1 GB cloud space, 10 MB upload limit. |
| 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 | PDF Technologies, Inc. |
| Price read from | foxit.com | pdfreaderpro.com |
| Checked | Oct 18, 2026 | Nov 12, 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 Reader Pro
- The one-time Permanent license covers only 1 device, on Mac or Windows; the yearly plans cover 4 devices across all five platforms.
- The AI assistant runs only on Windows and Mac, and 500 AI points come with the first purchase only.
- OCR and eSign are one-time trials on the free version; the yearly plans differ in eSign trials (1 on Standard, 3 on Advanced).
- The store showed a Black Friday sale through Nov 30, 2026; prices here are the regular ones.
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 Reader Pro
- Edit text and images
- Change text with its formatting, crop, replace or rotate images, and add headers, footers, watermarks and backgrounds.
- Convert and OCR
- Converts PDFs to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, images, CSV, HTML and more; OCR turns scans into editable, searchable files.
- Forms and signatures
- Creates fillable forms, adds digital or ink signatures, and offers eSign workflows for sending and tracking signers.
- Annotate and organize
- Has 15+ annotation tools, stamps, and page tools to merge, split, extract, rotate and reorder pages.
- AI assistant
- Translates, summarizes, rewrites and answers questions about a document, with ChatGPT and DeepSeek models. Desktop apps only.
- Redaction and protection
- Search-based redaction, open passwords, and copy and print permissions.
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 Reader Pro
Free Version$0
4 devices, 20 AI credits valid for 30 days, 1 GB cloud space and one-time trials of eSign and OCR.
Standard$59.99
per user / year, auto-renewing, tax included
Annual plan for 4 devices with 20 GB cloud space, 100 MB uploads and 500 AI points with the first purchase.
Advanced$79.99
per user / year, auto-renewing, tax included
Annual plan for 4 devices with 20 GB cloud space, 3 eSign trials and 500 AI points with the first purchase.
Permanent$99.99
one-time, for 1 device, tax included
Lifetime license for 1 Mac or Windows computer, with a 14-day conditional money-back guarantee.
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 Reader Pro
- Other savings
Black Friday sale, 20% off first purchase
The home page advertises 20% off a first purchase, with bonus AI credits and eSign tasks, until Nov 30, 2026.
- Lifetime license
Permanent one-time license
A single payment of $99.99 covers 1 Mac or Windows device with no renewal.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Foxit PDF Editor or PDF Reader Pro?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Foxit PDF Editor starts at $129.99 per user / year, and PDF Reader Pro starts at $59.99 per year (Standard), or $99.99 one-time. One is priced for each person and the other is not, so which costs less depends on how many of you use it.
Which has a free plan, Foxit PDF Editor or PDF Reader Pro?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only PDF Reader Pro has a free plan. Foxit PDF Editor does not, though it has a free trial.
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.