1

Update: When I posted this thread, I was misinformed by an Adobe employee. We actually spent a good 20 minutes on the phone discussing options based around her statement that they were no longer selling perpetual licenses. The poll, however, is still relevant because it seems it is just a matter of time before Adobe takes the axe to perpetual licenses.

One of the software titles we use throughout our entire company is Adobe Acrobat Standard. We would purchase a perpetual license (as in we own it – forever – one-time purchase) and it would stay with the computer it is installed on through the life of the computer. We don’t NEED the latest and greatest versions of Acrobat (other than when Adobe stops patching security issues in particular versions), so the perpetual license makes the most sense for us, or so I thought.

Today while placing my order over the phone for an Adobe Acrobat Standard perpetual license, I was informed that they no longer sell perpetual licenses. Well isn’t that special… I told the lady that we won’t be buying any more Adobe licenses. Over the productive life of the workstation, we would be paying literally more than twice the amount for their subscription software than if we bought the perpetual license. She kept talking to me as if I was missing out on a really big deal. She said I should be thinking more about the future rather than the total cost. Right… because money grows on trees; how silly of me. I love script readers (not really).

So I am asking you all, what is your company standard for non-free PDF software? Am I missing a software title? Add it! Why is this your top pick?

Adobe Acrobat no longer selling perpetual licenses?
  • Adobe Acrobat Standard / Pro DC
  • Bluebeam Standard / CAD / Extreme
  • Foxit Phantom PDF
  • Nitro Pro
  • PDF Architect
  • Nuance Power PDF
  • iSkysoft PDF Editor
  • Pdf-Xchange pro
0 voters
9 Spice ups
2

If you have belong to a volume licensing program, you can still get perpetual licenses. I just purchased a perpetual license of Acrobat DC last week for a user. Also, it looks like even without a VLP, you still can.

" Will Acrobat continue to be available as a desktop-only perpetual software license?

Yes, Adobe is committed to delivering a variety of Acrobat software purchase options to meet customer requirements. The Acrobat 2017 family of products will continue to be available via a perpetual software (desktop-only) license that is sold through volume licensing programs such as the Transactional Licensing Program, Cumulative Licensing Program, as well as through retail and e-tail stores via product key cards and digital delivery."

4 Spice ups
3

I too just purchased a perpetual license for a user last week (Thursday). We went through CDW, but it is still available.

1 Spice up
4

I just talked with Adobe Support themselves not more than an hour ago because I did not like the Creative Cloud Named Users licensing we had setup for us by our CDW rep and they told me you could still get machine based or a perpetual license.

1 Spice up
5

My understanding is it will still be available through retail channels (or volume licensing) but Adobe will stop selling it directly.

2 Spice ups
6

So, I have tried to go about purchasing licenses the least painful way possible…

About 3 months ago I could purchase a perpetual license for Acrobat Standard DC (or 2017, as they started to call it) on Adobe’s website and immediately have access to download the software and see the key. Then after that, they started placing a delay in the order. Sometimes it would take hours just to get access to the key after paying for it. And I know it wasn’t a transaction issue because AMEX would notify me immediately after purchasing it online. I then started to purchase the licenses over the phone because the key would be available immediately after purchasing it that way.

Going to a reseller like CDW seems even more painful. I purchase licenses through them periodically and it is stupid slow.

I am going to try and call Adobe again directly and see if speaking to a different person produces different results. I will be sure to post what I find here…

7

I have been pricing it out as well. It is available but it is not nearly as discounted as before.

8

Amazon, Newegg

9

PDF Architect works well for us and I have a mixed of Nitro PDF users. THey have worked just as good as Adobe Acrobat Standard. Everything is moving into subscription based software and services so this is not a shocker.

10

I just called again and was able to place an order for two perpetual licenses. Apparently the first person I talked to earlier this morning was misinformed.

1 Spice up
11

I have a couple users that have tried the Nitro PDF Pro, and they love it. They can do everything they normally would with Acrobat (which we have on nearly every machine, and several versions across the company), and many things they have reported are just plain easier to do than it was with Acrobat. Of course the people I am talking about do not make Adobe Forms, so I have no idea in that respect, but they do make PDF’s, Edit them, and redact them (which is apparently super easy).

Those users I have given Nitro to, swear they would not want to switch back.

From an IT perspective, I have to say that after install of the program, I have NEVER had to go back and troubleshoot the application. In 4 years it has ALWAYS worked, always updated properly, and never given any problem whatsoever, which I have never been able to say about any Adobe product.

12

There are some Pro and Cons of Adobe Acrobat Cloud (replacement for Adobe Acrobat Professional X for example).

  1. We used to get 22 licenses for 22 Workstations, now we just 3 licenses for the 16 workstations as these are non domain Dell Precision lappy logged in with 3 shared IDs.
  2. If you do not need patches and updates for Adobe Acrobat Professional…then why are you using it (the 6 workstations as mentioned in #1) ?
    • Alternatives such as CutePDF
    • MS office comes with save as PDF
    • Can you ask them to send as xls ot doc instead of PDF in the first place ?
    • Do you need to “undo” a PDF file …“like vendor send you a quotation & you need to remove a “zero” from his pricing” ?
13

Two other suggestions for you, depending on the features you need…

http://fineprint.com/pdfp/

I agree with you however, that any company not offering a perpetual (or non-subscription) software license, is a company I will not be buying anything from.

Subscription licensing is completely absurd for most products.

1 Spice up