Quick File Converter vs Adobe Acrobat vs PDF24
By Ankit Kumar · Acrobat and PDF24 facts checked 13 November 2026
We make Quick File Converter. This page compares it with Adobe Acrobat, PDF24 Creator, and the tools already in Windows. We say where the others are the better choice. Facts on Acrobat and PDF24 come from their own pages, linked at the bottom.
Side by side
| Feature | Built into Windows | Quick File Converter | Adobe Acrobat | PDF24 Creator |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | $8.49 one-time, free trial | Subscription, monthly or yearly; price varies by country | Free, including for businesses |
| Works offline | Yes | Yes, files stay on the PC | Desktop app, plus online tools | Yes, files stay on the PC |
| Merge PDFs | No (workarounds only) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Split or extract pages | One range at a time (Print to PDF) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Compress PDFs | No | Yes, four strengths or a target size | Yes | Yes |
| OCR for scans | One screen at a time (Snipping Tool) | Yes, to searchable PDF, Word, or Excel | Pro | Yes |
| Edit existing PDF text | No | No | Yes | Not listed for Creator |
| Redaction | No | Yes | Pro | Not listed for Creator |
| Signatures | Drawn, in Edge | Drawn only | Drawn and certificate-based | Not listed for Creator |
| Password protection | Word files only | Yes, AES-256 | Yes | Not listed for Creator |
| PDF/A for archiving | No | PDF/A-2b export | Not stated on plan pages | Yes |
| Batch jobs | No | Queue, recipes, watched folder | Not stated on plan pages | Not stated |
| File size limits | None stated | PDF 200 MB, Word and Excel 70 MB, images 75 MB | Not stated | None stated |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows 10 and 11 | Windows, Mac, mobile, web | Windows 10 and 11 |
"Pro" means Acrobat Pro; Acrobat Standard does not include it. "Not listed" means the product page does not mention it, not that the feature is missing.
Built into Windows: enough for one-off jobs
Edge opens, fills, and signs PDFs. Word opens a PDF for editing and saves any document as PDF. Microsoft Print to PDF turns photos and a single page range into a PDF. If you need one of these once, you do not need to install anything: see merging PDFs and splitting PDFs. What Windows cannot do is join finished PDFs, compress them, or read scans.
PDF24 Creator: the free choice
PDF24 Creator is free for home and business use, runs offline, and covers merging, splitting, compressing, OCR, and PDF/A. If price is the deciding factor, start there. The PDF24 website shows ads; check each installer screen when you set it up.
Adobe Acrobat: when you need to edit or certify
Acrobat is the one to choose when you have to change the text inside an existing PDF, sign with a certificate (a digital ID that proves who signed), use Adobe's e-signature workflow, or work on a Mac and phone as well as Windows. It is a subscription, so the cost keeps running.
Quick File Converter: one price, offline, Office and OCR in one app
Quick File Converter suits people who convert and tidy documents every week and do not want a subscription. It converts between PDF and Word, Excel, and PowerPoint (using Office when it is installed, then LibreOffice, then its own engine), runs OCR into searchable PDFs, Word, or Excel, redacts by replacing marked pages so nothing of the covered content survives, and runs batches, saved recipes, and watched folders.
It does not edit existing PDF text, sign with certificates, or open HEIC photos. If you need those, one of the others is the better fit.
Sources
- Adobe: Acrobat plans and pricing
- Adobe: Compare Acrobat plans
- PDF24 Creator
- Quick File Converter facts: our own product, version 2.0.0.
Prices and features change. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will correct it.