I replaced Adobe Acrobat with a free PDF editor, and I regret not doing it sooner ‣ Diverse Daily

At the start of 2026, I set a simple financial goal for myself: cut down on the number of subscriptions I pay for. It’s something that’s almost unavoidable in our ever-growing digital world, but it’s incredibly easy nowadays to rack up a ton of monthly subscriptions, such as streaming services, cloud storage, gaming, news, and productivity apps.

Cutting down on streaming services was the first thing I set out to do. I said goodbye to Netflix and Disney+ without a second thought because I simply wasn’t watching them enough to justify paying for them still. But when it came to apps and services I use, that was a lot trickier. I rely on apps like Photoshop, iCloud, and OneDrive every day, and they make my life easier and boost my productivity, so I had to keep them. But I found myself determined to cut one app subscription in particular: Adobe Acrobat.

In both my work and personal life, I edit PDFs fairly often, whether I’m filling out a form or quickly signing a document. I’ve always relied on Adobe Acrobat simply because it’s what I used in college, so I was familiar with it. But in reality, I don’t think I’m editing enough PDFs every month to justify paying $15 a month for it, almost equivalent to the price I pay for Apple TV every month, which I’d argue is a much better value.

That’s when I decided to take the plunge into the world of free PDF editors to find a worthy Acrobat replacement. That’s when I stumbled upon Stirling PDF.

You can merge, split, sign, and convert PDFs and more

My biggest frustration with the free version of Adobe Acrobat, after trying it again after canceling my subscription, is that you can hardly do anything with it. You can’t edit, merge, or convert PDFs. The only really useful things you can do are view and print a PDF.

Stirling PDF was the first free PDF editor I came across that seemed like a worthy replacement because it’s open-source, secure, and runs its tools entirely on-device. No cloud processing required, so your documents stay entirely on your PC.

But what I’ve really enjoyed about using Stirling is how many free tools it has, with over 60 available. You can merge, split, convert, annotate, redact, password-protect, and even compress PDF files entirely for free. All things that Adobe requires you to pay for.

Admittedly, one of the main reasons I stuck with Acrobat for so long was that I was so familiar with the interface after using it for well over a decade. Stirling’s interface didn’t take me long to adjust to, and I really like how easy it was to manage all the different files I have on the go. All the PDFs you have opened are listed on the left side of the app, and you can easily drag and drop more files into it as needed. Once you open a PDF, all the tools you need are listed on the right-hand side of the document, including signing and editing, and there are also tons of page formatting tools, like splitting a page, rearranging pages, or rotating them correctly. Again, all handy tools Adobe wants you to pay for.

Editing PDFs works, but Acrobat has an advantage

It’s still worth making the switch

One of Acrobat’s best paid features is the ability to edit a PDF, and Stirling lets you do this entirely for free. However, there is a caveat. Stirling makes it clear that its PDF Text Editor tool is currently in an Alpha phase, which means it’s still being developed and may not work perfectly.

That said, based on the files I’ve edited so far, I’ve had no issues with basic PDF text edits, and Stirling has matched the font and formatting just fine. I also tried a few more complex documents, like a car manual, and that’s where Stirling struggled a bit more with formatting, but I was still able to make the tiny edits I wanted.

Typically, I don’t edit complex PDFs that often, so Stirling’s tool not being as feature-complete as Acrobat’s isn’t the end of the world for me. But if you find yourself editing the content of PDFs often, not just filling them out, it is something to be aware of, and where Acrobat still has an edge. Since I’m not paying a dime for Stirling though, I can’t really complain.

I also want to point out that Stirling offers a paid version, but it’s a team plan meant for businesses rather than individuals. If you’re just looking for a free PDF editor you can rely on for signing documents and making small edits yourself, and you’re not trying to run a company with 100 people using it, it’s not something you should worry about at all.

All things considered, I don’t like spending a lot of time editing PDFs, and the last thing I want is to pay for it anymore. Stirling PDF checks all the boxes I was looking for in a free PDF editor. It’s simple to use, and I’m impressed by how many editing tools it offers for free that Acrobat charges for. If you’re hesitant about switching, I’d recommend downloading Stirling and giving it a try. If you like what it can do and feel comfortable, go ahead and cancel Acrobat. That’s what I’ve done, and I regret not doing it sooner.