Foxit PDF Editor vs Readiris (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Foxit PDF Editor and Readiris share a 2.8 GPA, neither has a free plan and their prices can't be set side by side, so the choice depends on whether you care more about platforms, where Foxit PDF Editor grades higher, or value for money, where Readiris does.
Checked Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
They get the same grade on 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
Readiris
OCR, scanning and PDF editing software sold as a perpetual license
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 Readiris if
- Fits if you scan paper and need searchable PDFs on Windows or Mac
- Works for people who would rather pay once
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a web or phone version, as it is desktop only
- Tight if you need redaction, form design or PDF/A, which are Elite at $149
- Watch out: version 27 is a version-specific license and the cost of upgrading later is not stated
- Watch out: each price is shown beside a crossed-out higher one with no end date
- Watch out: the trial's limits are not stated
How we grade them
| 2.8GPAFoxit PDF EditorGood | 2.8GPAReadirisGood | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | A$79 one-time is under a year of the $7.99 middle subscription for PDF editors ($95.88). Elite at $149 is under two years. |
| 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. | CA free trial can be downloaded, but its limits are not stated on the page. |
| 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. | BScan and OCR, edit, annotate, fill forms, batch convert to Office. Form design, redaction, multiple e-signatures and PDF/A need Elite. |
| 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 store rating on record. It installs and runs on your computer; scanner setup may add steps. |
| 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. | CWindows 10/11 and macOS 11 or later, desktop only: no web or mobile edition. |
| Best for | an Acrobat-style editor you can still buy outright | scanning paper to searchable PDFs |
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 Readiris. How we grade
Where they differ
- Foxit PDF Editor also covers documents.
At a glance
| Foxit PDF Editor | Readiris | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $129.99 per user / year | $79 one-time (crossed-out price $129) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial of PDF Editor+, no credit card required | Free trial available to download; its limits are not stated on the page |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Foxit Software Incorporated | IRIS |
| Price read from | foxit.com | irislink.com |
| 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.
Readiris
- It is desktop software for Windows 10 or 11 (64 bit) and macOS 11 and later; there is no web or mobile edition.
- Form design, redaction, multiple e-signatures, PDF/A and cloud sharing need the Elite edition.
- The store shows each price beside a crossed-out higher one with no end date.
- Version 27 is a version-specific license; the page does not say what upgrading to a later version costs.
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.
Readiris
- Scan and OCR
- Scans paper into searchable PDFs, with OCR in 138 languages and driverless network scanning through eSCL and WIA, plus TWAIN.
- Edit and organize PDFs
- Merge, split, rotate and delete pages, compress files, and add markups, annotations and highlights.
- Forms
- Fills interactive forms in Essential; Elite adds designing forms with labels, text fields, check boxes and combo boxes.
- Batch conversion
- Converts files to and from PDF, including Word, Excel and PowerPoint, many at a time, and exports to PNG and JPG.
- Elite security and automation
- Elite adds protection, multiple e-signatures, redaction, PDF/A archiving, smart page separation and automatic naming.
- Cloud sharing
- Elite shares documents to Dropbox, OneDrive and SharePoint.
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.
Readiris
Readiris PDF 27 Essential$79
one-time, perpetual license
Scan and OCR, PDF editing, annotation, forms, Office export, batch conversion; shown as $129 crossed out, no end date.
Readiris PDF 27 Elite$149
one-time, perpetual license
Essential plus form design, multiple e-signatures, redaction, PDF/A, auto-naming, barcode extraction, cloud sharing; $189 crossed out.
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.
Readiris
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Foxit PDF Editor or Readiris?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Foxit PDF Editor starts at $129.99 per user / year, and Readiris starts at $79 one-time (crossed-out price $129).
Which has a free plan, Foxit PDF Editor or Readiris?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither Foxit PDF Editor nor Readiris has a free plan. Both have a free trial.
Which platforms do Foxit PDF Editor and Readiris run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Foxit PDF Editor lists a web app and iOS and Android apps. Both list macOS and Windows apps. 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.