This FAQ applies to customers purchasing Acrobat Classic from Adobe.com or authorized resellers. Adobe Enterprise Term License Agreement (ETLA) customers deploying the Acrobat Classic product track can find it in the admin console. For ETLA product questions, contact your Adobe sales representative.
Basics
Adobe Acrobat Classic is an updated version of Acrobat desktop software designed to replace the older perpetual software versions. It's available as a 3-year term license, non-renewing, and paid upfront. Once activated, you can use it offline for the entire term. It includes all the features of Acrobat Pro 2020, plus additional enhancements, including a new interface, the ability to star a document, improved accessibility tagging, and more. It doesn't include Adobe Document Cloud services.
With Acrobat Classic, you have full access to PDF tools on your desktop only (no web or mobile access). If you want additional features and cloud services, you can choose an Acrobat subscription instead.
Acrobat Pro is the essential PDF and e-signature solution. It offers the latest desktop, web, and mobile features and includes regular security updates, feature updates, and advanced tools.
Acrobat Classic is a desktop-only software that you purchase with a one-time payment. Acrobat Classic doesn't receive feature updates and lacks web-based features like e-signing, sharing for review, and AI capabilities. With Acrobat Classic, paid features are not available on web browsers and mobile devices.
Adobe will continue to sell Acrobat perpetual software (Acrobat Pro 2020 and Acrobat Standard 2020) through the CLP buying program until November 30, 2024, and through the TLP buying program until May 31, 2025. Please view Adobe Acrobat 2020 FAQ for more information.
Acrobat Classic term license gives you up to 3 years of access to Acrobat desktop software. Here are the main updates since Acrobat 2020:
- New Acrobat experience: A modern interface that makes finding and using PDF tools easier.
- Accessibility updates: Improved tagging for better accessibility for people with disabilities.
- Star a document: Mark documents as favorites or tag them for follow-up.
- Extract discontinuous pages: Remove specific pages from a PDF to focus on what you need.
- Security integrations: Protect and label files with Microsoft Purview Information Protection (requires a separate purchase).
- Enhancements to existing features: Includes updated edit and crop tools, better handling of objects in Word and PowerPoint, and a simpler protect and redact experience.
For more information, please visit the Acrobat Classic new features summary.
See the Acrobat technical specifications page for information.
See the Acrobat technical specifications page for information.
Adobe Acrobat online services
Acrobat online services connect with Acrobat desktop, web, and mobile apps to keep you productive wherever you are.
Sign up for free Adobe Acrobat online services to get:
- Adobe cloud storage: Store and access files online with 2GB of free storage.
- Fill & Sign: Quickly fill out and e-sign forms with access to your autofill collection across desktop, web, and mobile.
Purchase an Acrobat Standard or Acrobat Pro subscription to use essential PDF tools on your web browser or mobile device and enhance your Acrobat desktop software.
- Create PDF: Convert documents, images, or photos into PDF files (web and mobile).
- Export PDF: Convert PDFs into editable Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or RTF files (web and mobile).
- Edit PDF: Add or edit text in a PDF on your iPhone, iPad, Android phone, tablet, or Chromebook (with an Acrobat Pro subscription only).
- Organize PDF: Reorder, delete, or rotate pages in a PDF (web and mobile with Acrobat Pro subscription only).
- Combine PDF: Merge multiple files into a single PDF (web only).
- Share for review: Simplify document reviews with the Document Cloud review service. Send one link to collect comments online in a single PDF and track progress.
- Send for signature: Send documents for signatures and track, manage, and store them online (available on desktop, web, and mobile).
- Fill & Sign: Quickly fill out and e-sign forms with instant access to your personal autofill collection (available on desktop, web, and mobile).
- Adobe cloud storage: Store and access files online with up to 100GB of storage.
No. You can use Acrobat Classic desktop software on its own without needing Adobe Acrobat online services.
The first time you open Acrobat Classic, you need an internet connection to activate the software. After that, you can use it offline without any issues.
Acrobat Classic is installed directly on your desktop and does not run in the cloud, so you can use it without an internet connection.
Yes. At Adobe, the security of your digital experiences is our priority. Industry-standard security practices are deeply ingrained into our internal culture, software development, and service operations processes. Whether related to identity management, data confidentiality, or document integrity, Adobe Document Cloud employs industry-standard security practices to protect your documents, data, and personal information. For additional information about our security practices, the Adobe Secure Product Lifecycle, or Adobe Document Cloud solution security, see www.adobe.com/security.
Purchasing Acrobat Classic
Acrobat Classic is offered as a one-time desktop purchase.
Purchase through Adobe.com or contact an Adobe Authorized Reseller. To purchase Acrobat Classic for your organization, learn more about Acrobat volume licensing.
When you subscribe to Acrobat Pro or Acrobat Standard, you unlock:
- Low monthly fee: Pay a low monthly fee for access.
- Ongoing updates: Get Acrobat Pro or Acrobat Standard desktop software with new features and updates regularly.
- Premium cloud services: Full access to Adobe Acrobat online services for various PDF tasks on mobile and web, including:
- Storing and sharing files online.
- Editing, sending, e-signing, tracking, and managing documents.
- Accessing PDF files from Dropbox, Microsoft SharePoint, OneDrive, Box, and Google Drive.
- Latest features: Always have the latest features, security updates, and upgrades at no extra cost.
When you buy an Acrobat Classic license as a one-time purchase, you get:
- Single payment: Make a one-time purchase for Acrobat Classic desktop software.
- Basic cloud services: With a free Adobe Document Cloud account, you can:
- Use the Acrobat Reader mobile app or web browser for basic PDF tasks.
- Store and share files online.
- Security updates: Get quarterly security updates for your software at no extra cost.
Functionality and support
Yes, many Acrobat tools and utilities are available to streamline enterprise deployments and help control IT costs. To learn more, visit the Adobe Help Center.
Yes, Acrobat Classic is a 64-bit app. For more information, see System requirements.
Adobe currently supports Acrobat, Acrobat Classic, and Acrobat 2020. Acrobat 2020 reaches the end of support on November 30, 2025. Learn more about the supported product versions.
With an Acrobat Classic license, you’ll get bug fixes and security updates throughout the product's supported lifecycle. Acrobat Classic uses a quarterly update cadence to deliver security and platform enhancements and bug fixes only. It doesn’t provide access to new or enhanced features and enables access to free Adobe Document Cloud services only. IT administrators can stop Adobe Acrobat online services if desired. Learn more.
For organizations that prefer to manage their updates on their schedule, Acrobat also provides flexible tools for IT administrators. Learn more about IT resources.
Acrobat and Microsoft
Acrobat integrates seamlessly with Office 365, Office 2021, and Office 2019 applications.
From Windows environments, you can:
Create high-quality Adobe PDFs from the Acrobat task ribbon in Office apps (Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or Outlook).
Add protection to PDFs created from the Acrobat ribbon in Office to restrict others from copying or editing sensitive content.
Use the Acrobat ribbon in Word, Excel, or PowerPoint to execute many steps simultaneously. Email a PDF file, password-protect it, set file usage restrictions, or send a file for shared review. In Acrobat Classic, you can create a PDF and immediately run a preset Action to run predefined tasks, such as preparing a document for archiving or public distribution.
Use the Adobe Acrobat plug-in for Microsoft Outlook to send large or small files to others and set tracking options to get notified when people view your file (Acrobat subscription only).
Import comments from a PDF file into the source Word document as markups that can be accepted or rejected with the Microsoft Word Track Changes tool.
Simplify email search and retrieval. Archive emails or email folders from Microsoft Outlook with one-button ease.
Create high-quality Adobe PDFs directly from Microsoft Project or Visio.
Additional ways to work with Microsoft tools:
Use the Acrobat ribbon in Microsoft Word for Mac to create high-quality PDF files with interactive links.
Work in Acrobat Classic to turn existing PDFs into Word, Excel, or PowerPoint files with industry-leading formatting accuracy. Keep layouts, bulleted lists, and tables intact for easy editing in Office applications.
Work with Windows touch-enabled devices.
Use your finger or a hardware pen to draw and write more smoothly on PDFs on Windows devices, leveraging Microsoft's DirectInk technology.
Capture web pages as PDF files with a single click from Microsoft Edge. Convert all or part of the page, keeping links, layouts, and formatting intact.
Yes. From SharePoint document libraries, you can:
Open a PDF file, edit it in Acrobat, and save it back into the repository.
Turn any repository file into a PDF and save it
Turn any repository file into a PDF and email it
Combine multiple files into a single PDF
You can also automate processes by hosting shared document reviews or data collection for PDF forms on Office 365 or your SharePoint server.
Acrobat Classic works with 64-bit versions of Microsoft Windows. For more information, see System requirements for Acrobat Classic.
Accessibility standards
Acrobat Classic supports ISO 32000-1, the open standard maintained by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
Acrobat Classic supports the creation and validation of these workflow-specific PDF standards:
- PDF/A for archiving (ISO 19005): PDF/A-1a, PDF/A-1b, PDF/A-2a, PDF/A-2b, PDF/A-2u, PDF/A-3a, PDF/A-3b, and PDF/A-3u
- PDF/E in Acrobat Classic for engineering (ISO 24517): PDF/E-1
- PDF/X for print production (ISO 15930): PDF/X-1a, PDF/X-3, PDF/X-4, PDF/X-4p, PDF/X-5g, and PDF/X-5pg
- PDF/VT in Acrobat Classic for variable data and transactional printing (ISO 16612-2): PDF/VT-1 and PDF/VT-2
PDF/A provides specifications for creating, viewing, and printing digital documents for long-term preservation. Records managers, archivists, and industry-compliance professionals can use Acrobat Classic to preserve and help protect final documents of record as self-contained files.
PDF/E provides specifications for creating, viewing, and printing documents used in engineering workflows. Architects, engineers, construction professionals, and manufacturing product teams can use Acrobat Classic to facilitate the exchange of documentation and drawings with others in the supply chain. It can also help streamline the review and markup of documents.
PDF/X provides specifications for creating, viewing, and printing final print-ready or press-ready pages. This standard provides guidelines for PDF settings that affect critical aspects of printing, such as color space and trapping. Print professionals, graphic designers, and other creative professionals can use Acrobat Classic to create and deliver predictable, press-ready PDF/X-compliant files.
PDF/VT provides specifications for creating, viewing, and printing files such as bank statements and business invoices used in the variable data and transactional printing industry. Professionals who work with large documents containing variable data can use Acrobat Classic to ensure that their files comply with this international standard.
Yes. Acrobat Classic supports the creation and use of PDF in compliance with these additional standards and initiatives:
PDF/UA (Universal Accessibility): PDF/UA is an ISO standard (ISO 14289-1) that helps clarify PDF-specific technical requirements. It ensures that conforming PDF ISO 32000-1 files are accessible and usable to all, including users who rely on assistive technology.
W3C Web Content accessibility guidelines (WCAG): Adobe participates in the WCAG working group at the W3C to help develop the technology-independent WCAG 2.0 standard and advisory techniques. The guidelines and techniques help authors and developers meet this accessibility standard.
PAdES (ETSI): PDF advanced electronic signatures provides specifications to help ensure compliance with digital signature standards in the European Union. Adobe Acrobat Classic supports PAdES Parts 2, 3, and 4.
Acrobat Classic addresses the needs of users with disabilities and authors of accessible content. Using Acrobat Classic, virtually anyone can create accessible PDF documents that others can view using Adobe Acrobat Reader. It also helps users with disabilities more easily access and use PDF files and forms across multiple languages.
Using Acrobat Classic or Acrobat Reader on Windows, users and authors can:
Customize accessibility preferences with an easy-to-use wizard.
Work with magnifiers.
Read PDFs out loud using built-in functions or working with professional screen-reading software.
Set high-contrast colors for better visibility.
Read text easier in high contrast mode with dynamic background adjustment.
Enable large-type display by setting text to reflow through pages.
Using Acrobat Classic or Acrobat Reader on macOS, users can:
Work with the voice-over screen reader on macOS computers.
Work with magnifiers.
Set high-contrast colors for better visibility.
Read text easier in high contrast mode with dynamic background adjustment.
Enable large-type display by setting text to reflow through pages.
In addition, authors can use Acrobat Classic to make PDF files more accessible:
Add tags to control reading order and improve navigation.
Verify and adjust reading order for pages or columns of text.
Validate standards-compliant PDF documents, check for possible accessibility problems, and adjust files to meet accessibility standards.
Take advantage of enhanced tools to support the creation of PDF documents that meet WCAG 2.0 and PDF/UA standards.
Use the make accessible guided action to more easily prepare, verify, and fix standards-compliant accessible PDF files.
Learn more at the Adobe Accessibility Resource Center.
Adobe is committed to accessibility and strives to address it in its products and services. U.S. Section 508 was enacted to eliminate barriers in information technology and provide new opportunities for people with disabilities. It also encourages the development of technologies that will help achieve these goals. Adobe Acrobat Classic features that support accessibility for people with disabilities are summarized in the Adobe Acrobat Voluntary Product Accessibility Templates (VPAT).