Everyone who uses a computer has heard of Adobe. For many people, Adobe is synonymous with PDFs—so much so that it’s commonly assumed Adobe is the only way to view or edit them. The reality, however, is much simpler: PDF is just a file format, like Word or Excel.
Today, most modern web browsers—such as Chrome, Firefox, and Microsoft Edge—can open, view, and even perform basic edits on PDF files without any additional software.
A Brief History of the PDF
PDF, short for Portable Document Format, was developed in 1993 by Adobe co-founder John Warnock. The goal was to create a universal document format that would look the same regardless of device, operating system, or software.
While Adobe played a major role in developing the PDF standard, they no longer control it. In 2008, PDF officially became an open standard, with Adobe relinquishing control to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). Since then, many software companies have entered the PDF space—and some do it very well.
Adobe: More Than Just PDFs
Over the years, Adobe has evolved into a powerhouse for the creative industry. Products like Photoshop, Lightroom, and Premiere Pro dominate their respective markets, and the Adobe Creative Cloud is an excellent toolset—for the right audience.
However, most small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) don’t need an entire creative suite. In practice, the majority of businesses simply need reliable software to view, edit, sign, and manage PDFs—without unnecessary complexity or cost.
Enter Foxit
Foxit has been quietly building momentum in the PDF world for years. Founded in 2001 by Eugene Xiong, Foxit set out to challenge Adobe’s dominance in the PDF market. Fast forward to today, and Foxit is gaining traction with SMBs at a faster rate than Adobe in many environments we support.
Foxit PDF Editor offers feature parity with Adobe Acrobat Pro—and in some cases, even more—at a significantly lower cost. For businesses watching their software spend, this matters.
Contracts, Support, and Real-World Experience
One of the biggest pain points we see with Adobe is licensing. Most Adobe products require annual contracts that are billed monthly, making it difficult and time-consuming to make changes or cancel services. Whereas Foxit’s contracts can operate month to month, allowing customers to cancel their licenses anytime, rather than waiting a whole year for the renewal date.
As an MSP, we’ve spent countless hours on the phone with Adobe support trying to recover documents from their cloud or unwind licensing agreements. Often, this involves long wait times and communication challenges with overseas support teams.
Foxit’s support, on the other hand, is U.S.-based and has consistently been responsive and easy to work with. That alone has been a major win for our clients.
On top of that, Foxit PDF Editor+ includes built-in e-signature functionality, allowing businesses to send documents for signature that are considered legally binding—without needing a separate platform.
So, Which Is Better?
We’ve heard this phrase directly from the Foxit team:
“No one drives people away from Adobe more than Adobe.”
In our experience supporting SMBs across Central Arkansas, many organizations are moving to Foxit because of its ease of use, affordability, and reliability.
This isn’t to say Adobe is a bad product—it absolutely has its place. But for most businesses that just need dependable PDF functionality without long contracts or high costs, Foxit has become our go-to recommendation.
If you’re curious whether Foxit could be a better fit for your business, our team is always happy to help evaluate your current setup and make recommendations that actually make sense for how you work. Fill out our contact form or give us a call at 501-758-6818.
Sources:
A Brief History of PDF
History of PDF - Wikipedia
Foxit PDF Editor+ vs Adobe Acrobat Pro | Feature Comparison | Foxit Resource Hub
