What Is Adobe Acrobat and How Does It Compare to Free PDF Tools Like Pdf995?
Adobe Acrobat is the paid, full-featured PDF application family from Adobe, used to create, view, edit, sign, and manage PDF files. Pdf995 is a free Windows printer-driver suite that creates PDFs by "printing" from any application, and it also bundles editing, combining, and encryption utilities. The practical difference: Acrobat is a document platform with deep editing and workflow tools; Pdf995 is a lightweight, no-cost way to produce and lightly manipulate PDFs. If you mainly need to turn existing files into PDFs and do occasional page-level edits, a free tool is usually enough. If you need heavy text editing, form creation, or cross-platform collaboration, Acrobat's paid features matter more.
What Adobe Acrobat actually does
Acrobat is the commercial counterpart to the free Adobe Acrobat Reader. Reader only views and annotates; Acrobat adds authoring and editing. Core tasks include:
- Create PDFs from other formats or from a virtual printer.
- View and navigate documents, including bookmarks and links.
- Edit text, images, and page content directly in the PDF.
- Combine multiple files into one PDF and reorder, split, or delete pages.
- Sign documents and manage digital signatures.
- Encrypt and apply permissions (restrict printing, copying, or modifying).
- Convert PDFs to Word, HTML, images, or text.
- Build forms and collect responses.
The exact feature set depends on the Acrobat edition and subscription you have, so check Adobe's current product pages for the version you're considering.
How Pdf995 works as a free alternative
Pdf995 is a printer driver. You install it, then in any application choose Print and select the Pdf995 printer instead of a physical printer. The driver sends the job to a PostScript-to-PDF converter, and you get a PDF file. That single mechanism is why it works with "any application" — the source program only needs a print command.
The Pdf995 suite is described as three products, all offered at no cost on the source page:
| Component | What it adds |
|---|---|
| Pdf995 | The printer driver plus a free converter for basic PDF creation |
| PdfEdit995 | Combining documents, automatic links, hierarchical bookmarks, PDF-to-HTML/DOC conversion, Word toolbar integration, email attach, stationery and stamping |
| Signature995 | Security, encryption, and digital signatures |
The suite's listed features include automatic embedded links, hierarchical bookmarks, digital signatures, Triple DES encryption, append/delete/reorder pages, batch printing from Microsoft Office, Asian and Cyrillic fonts, PDF/A and PDF/X support, Word toolbar integration, combining multiple PDFs, burst/split, sticky notes, draft/confidential stamps, large-format architectural printing, conversion to JPEG/TIFF/BMP/PCX, HTML and Word DOC conversion, PDF-to-text, automatic table of contents, standard PDF encryption, optimized/compressed PDF, custom page sizes, shared network printing, and dynamic page and Bates stamping.
The source page also notes an Upgrades section and an Enterprise option, so some paths lead beyond the free download — treat "free" as applying to the suite's core downloads as described, and check the site for current terms.
Acrobat vs. Pdf995: same dimensions, different depth
| Dimension | Adobe Acrobat | Pdf995 suite |
|---|---|---|
| Platform | Cross-platform (Windows/macOS, plus mobile/web apps) | Windows (source lists Win 95 through XP era; verify current OS support) |
| Creation method | Virtual printer plus native export from many apps | Virtual printer driver; print from any application |
| Editing text/images | Yes, direct editing | Page-level operations (append, delete, reorder); not full text editing |
| Combining PDFs | Yes | Yes (PdfEdit995) |
| Encryption/signatures | Yes | Yes (Signature995, Triple DES) |
| Conversion out | To Word, HTML, images, text | To HTML, DOC, text, JPEG, TIFF, BMP, PCX |
| Cost model | Paid license/subscription | Free downloads, with upgrade/enterprise options |
| Best for | Heavy editing, forms, signing workflows, teams | Quick, no-cost PDF creation and light editing |
When a free tool is enough — and when it isn't
A free tool like Pdf995 is likely enough if you:
- Just need to turn documents, spreadsheets, or drawings into PDFs.
- Want to combine a few PDFs, add bookmarks, or stamp "Draft."
- Need basic encryption or a digital signature without a subscription.
- Work on Windows and don't need mobile or browser-based editing.
Acrobat's paid features are more likely worth it if you:
- Edit the actual text and layout inside a PDF, not just its pages.
- Create fillable forms and collect responses.
- Need consistent cross-platform or team collaboration.
- Rely on advanced accessibility, redaction, or comparison tools.
How to create a PDF by printing (the shared mechanism)
This works the same way in Acrobat and Pdf995 once the virtual printer is installed:
- Install the PDF printer driver (Acrobat's Adobe PDF printer, or the Pdf995 driver).
- Open your source document in any application that can print.
- Choose Print (usually Ctrl+P) and select the PDF printer from the printer list.
- Confirm settings — page range, paper size, orientation. Pdf995 supports custom page sizes and large-format printing.
- Print/OK. Instead of paper output, a dialog appears asking where to save the PDF.
- Name and save the file. Open it in any PDF viewer to verify.
Common snags: if the PDF printer doesn't appear, the driver may not have installed correctly or the app needs a restart; unusual fonts may substitute if they aren't embedded; and very old drivers may not support newer Windows versions, so confirm compatibility before relying on them.
Bottom line
Acrobat is the broad, paid PDF platform; Pdf995 is a free Windows printer-driver suite that covers creation plus a surprising amount of editing, combining, and security. Match the tool to the task: printing to PDF and light edits favor the free option, while deep editing, forms, and cross-platform workflows favor Acrobat.