Adobe Acrobat Pro is the best PDF editing software out there but not everyone needs or wants to pay a subscription for it.
Although there are other options out there, we found that it’s the best one time purchase PDF editor available which is no surprise since Adobe invented the PDF format.
Unfortunately though, it’s only available on subscription nowadays.
The good news is that you can still buy the older version of Acrobat Pro 2020 with a lifetime license.
However, there are a few catches to be aware of when buying it with a perpetual license on both Mac and Windows as we’ll explain.
Quick Navigation
Acrobat Pro 2020 For Mac & Windows
The 2020 version offers pretty much all of the features of Acrobat Pro minus the Adobe Document Cloud integration (hence the lack of “DC” in the name).
Acrobat Pro 2020 For Mac costs $538.80 for a lifetime license.
It works on both Intel and M-series chip Macs thanks to Rosetta in macOS which translates Intel only apps to work with Apple Silicon Macs.
Acrobat Pro 2020 For Windows meanwhile is also available for $538.80 from Adobe with a lifetime license.
It’s compatible with all recent versions of Windows including Windows 11, 10, 8.1 and 8.0.
There are however disadvantages to the 2020 version such as a lack of feature updates or Adobe Document Cloud Access as you can read here.
Teachers & Student Edition
Educators can get the 2020 Edition cheaper for just $142.99 with a lifetime license.
However, it seems that students and teachers can no longer get this offer from Adobe but you can still purchase the Student Edition from Best Buy for $142.99.
The Windows Student and Teacher Edition is also available on digital download with a lifetime license for the same price:
You can also read more on the student editions of Acrobat Pro here.
Acrobat Standard 2020 (Windows only)
Windows users can also purchase Acrobat Standard 2020 with a lifetime license for $358.00 but this version is not available to Mac users.
Is It Better To Buy Adobe Acrobat Pro On Subscription?
Over the short term, it’s better to subscribe to the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Pro DC because one year at $19.99 will cost $239.88 annually compared to $538.80 for a lifetime license of the 2020 edition.
However, over two years a subscription will have cost you $479.76 which is close to the price of a one-off purchase of Acrobat Pro 2020.
So as long as the 2020 version still works on future versions of Windows and macOS in two years time, you’ll save money over the long time by buying it.
A subscription does have other advantages though including integration with Adobe Document Cloud and Adobe Creative Cloud which the 2020 version does not.
Adobe Document Cloud integration (hence the “DC”) includes Adobe Sign for legally binding document signing and document management in Adobe Cloud.
Bear in mind, the 2020 version will probably require security and feature updates to work with future versions of macOS and Windows and there’s no guarantee Adobe will issue these for what is now a legacy product.
Can You Still Buy Adobe Acrobat Pro 2017?
You can still download Adobe Acrobat Pro 2017 but it’s no longer available for purchase.
The company discontinued Acrobat 2017 in June 2022 so you cannot buy it with a perpetual license anymore.
End of support means that Adobe will no longer issue security fixes, technical support or bug fixes it.
For Mac users, the 2017 version also only works up to macOS 12 Monterey. It does not work on any version of macOS later than this.
Alternative PDF Software With Lifetime Licenses
If this all comes as a disappointment, there are other PDF software with perpetual licenses you can consider as an alternative to Acrobat Pro.
Examples include PDF Expert, Foxit PDF Editor and Nitro PDF Pro all of which can be purchased with a lifetime license.
