pdfFiller vs Foxit PDF Editor: Why Businesses Shouldn’t Pay Extra for eSignature

When looking for document management software, businesses are expecting to get a comprehensive solution without spending extra money on features that should come as default. 

The market is saturated with multiple PDF editors promising to streamline enterprise document management by digitizing paper-based workflows. Surprisingly, not all of them have a built-in electronic signature. 

PDF editing software solutions, such as pdfFiller, not only have a user-friendly interface, but also offer a wide range of must-have business features, eSignature included. 

Previously, we compared pdfFiller against market-leading PDF solutions for business, such as Nitro PDF and Adobe Acrobat. In this blog, we’ll compare Foxit PDF Editor vs. pdfFiller. 

We’ll take an in-depth look at the features, pricing, and usability to determine whether pdfFiller for business is an effective alternative to Foxit PDF Editor Pro. Let’s get started!

 

Table of Contents
1. Foxit PDF Editor vs. pdfFiller: Product Overview
2. Foxit PDF Editor Pro vs. pdfFiller for Business: In-depth Comparison & What Users Say
3. Customer Validation and Social Proof
4. The Verdict: pdfFiller for Enterprise or Foxit PDF Editor?

 

Foxit PDF Editor vs. pdfFiller: Product Overview

We used the most recent (Winter 2023) data by G2 as a reference when comparing pdfFiller by airSlate and Foxit PDF Editor across different capabilities. 

Foxit PDF Editor for Business: Features & Pricing

Foxit PDF Editor is a full-featured document management platform that allows for viewing, creating, editing, sharing, organizing, collaborating, exporting, and scanning PDF documents. Foxit PDF Editor Pro and Pro+ for large businesses and enterprises are pre-installed solutions that require separate licenses for Windows and Mac OS.

Take note: eSignature is partially supported in Foxit PDF Editor Pro, and requires a separate Foxit eSign purchase. Foxit PDF Editor doesn’t support document notarization. 

Businesses and enterprises looking to integrate PDF capabilities into their software, can use PDF libraries provided in the Foxit SDK. 

Foxit PDF Editor has two pricing options for businesses:

 

• Foxit PDF Editor Pro (for Windows)
  
  • Offers a wide range of PDF creation, conversion, viewing, printing, editing, reviewing, and sharing features
  • Limited eSignature options – users can fill out and sign PDFs using a handwritten signature or an image of their signature, but can’t use legally-binding eSignatures.
  • Allows for designing and signing forms, editing form fields and creating form templates
  • Gives control over the PDFs security features – password protection, encryption, and permission controls to PDF files, etc
  • Has flexible deployment options.

Pricing: $99/user for annual subscription, $179/user for one-time purchase + $300 for eSign Pro annual subscription = $399 / $479 

• Foxit PDF Editor Pro+ (for Windows or Mac)
  
  Offers all of the Pro features. However, PDF creation and conversion capabilities, integrations with ECM systems and cloud services, and deployment options are partially supported for Mac.

Pricing:
$149/user for an annual subscription

Foxit PDF Editor has a free 14-day trial period.

Customer Support

An Enterprise Support Agreement is required to apply for support services. Foxit doesn’t offer a dedicated support manager for enterprise customers

• Foxit Support Center (Enterprise Deployment Resources with instructions)
• Self-service support options:
  • Upgrade Portal
  • Foxit Account Portal
  • User Forum
  • User Manual
  • Video Tutorials
  • Submit a Ticket
  • Phone Support

pdfFiller for Business: Features & Pricing

pdfFiller is a cloud-based document management platform that allows users to create, edit, manage, save, share, and securely store their PDF files. 

Take note: pdfFiller for business has a built-in eSignature at no extra cost. Users can sign documents with an image of a handwritten signature, by drawing one, typing a full name, using a secure QR code, and even legally notarizing a document directly from the platform.

The API integrations are available in both Basic and Premium plans for Enterprise. Using API empowers developers to integrate an advanced and intuitive editor and form builder into their software. 

pdfFiller has two pricing options for businesses:

• The Basic plan for business offers powerful PDF editing, collaboration, and document management capabilities for 20+ users. The key features of this plan also include PDF annotation, automatic field detection, direct delivery of the selected tax forms to the IRS, and access to an online library of 25M ready-made forms and templates.
  
  Pricing: $96/user/year, or $8/user/mo.
• The Premium plan for business offers custom branding, SSO, audit trails, and premium support capabilities for 10+ users. One of the key benefits of this plan is access to the enterprise-grade eSignature solution to send PDFs for signature with signNow.
  
  Pricing: $180/user/year, or $15/user/mo.

pdfFiller for business has a free 30-day trial period.

Customer Support

pdfFiller offers a wide range of customer support channels – Help Center, FAQ, 24/7 live chat, and phone support. 

Business users get a 24/7 dedicated customer support manager for both Basic and Premium plans. No need to pay extra for dedicated support.

Foxit PDF Editor Pro vs. pdfFiller for Business: In-depth Comparison & What Users Say

Let’s start our comparison with customer reviews. For this, we used the most recent 2022 data by G2, where both pdfFiller by airSlate and Foxit PDF Editor are compared across similar product categories: PDF editors, Document Creation, and Electronic Signature.

The cross-feature analysis of Foxit PDF Editor vs. pdfFiller for business shows that both solutions’ rankings go toe-to-toe. And yet, pdfFiller outranks Foxit when it comes to being “a great partner for doing business.”

It also needs mentioning that despite being positioned as a pre-installed solution for Windows or Mac operating systems, Foxit has lower ratings compared to pdfFiller.

eSignature

As mentioned above, eSignature is essential for completing document transactions on time.  While pdfFiller by airSlate has a legally-binding eSignature as built-in functionality, Foxit PDF Editor Pro requires separate Foxit eSign purchase to eSign PDF files. 

When it comes to electronic signature capabilities, pdfFiller outranks Foxit PDF Editor Pro across many parameters, such as ease of document signing, bulk send, reminders and expirations, and reporting. Most importantly, pdfFiller enables remote online notarization procedures owing to its integration with Notarize.

Here’s what users have to say about Foxit PDF Editor when comparing it to Adobe Acrobat:

Document Management and Collaboration

Apart from eSignature, document management and team collaboration are the most sought after features for businesses. Customer ratings suggest that Foxit PDF Editor Pro somewhat outranks pdfFiller regarding document management and protection. And yet, pdfFiller beats Foxit when it comes to multi-user collaboration and real-time communication.

pdfFiller for business allows users to perform different actions to their PDF files, such as:

• add, delete, merge and rearrange pages in PDFs 
• use smart folders and tags
• share documents and folders with roles
• eSign and email PDFs, etc. 

Sending PDFs for signature with a standalone signNow eSignature is available only in the Premium for Enterprise plan.

Security and Compliance

Customer review platforms rank pdfFiller higher than most of its competition as regards security and compliance. Both Foxit PDF Pro and pdfFiller for business provide an Audit Trail for everything that requires eSignature. pdfFiller also provides document history to make sure even the slightest changes to a document can be tracked. As for Foxit, no such feature is offered. 

In terms of security and compliance, Foxit eSign has two-factor and knowledge-based authentication, and intuitive visibility control. It complies with SOC2 Type II, HIPAA, FINRA, CCPA, and 21 CFR Part 11 certifications, but doesn’t mention GDPR compliance. 

As for pdfFiller, apart from SOC2, HIPAA, FERPA, and CCPA, it’s also GDPR compliant. HIPAA compliance is an Enterprise feature not available via self-serve so users can purchase it as an add-on.

Customer Validation and Social Proof

Let’s find out what customers say about pdfFiller and Foxit PDF on popular review platforms. Users recognize pdfFiller’s intuitive interface, user-friendliness, comprehensive nature, ability to work with popular file types, integrations with third-party apps and platforms. Most users agree that pdfFiller delivers better value for money when it comes to electronic signing, compared to Foxit. 

Although Foxit PDF Editor is a powerful PDF editing tool, it doesn’t have the cloud storage option — users need to download documents after completion and then upload them into the cloud. Windows users can get the maximum out of Foxit PDF Editor Pro, while some features are limited for Mac OS users. On top of that, users that utilize pre-installed Foxit PDF software mention occasional glitches.

For more information on pdfFiller for business:

1. Check out our detailed review of pdfFiller for Enterprise features and pricing.
2. Learn how pdfFiller for business eliminates printing costs and helps organizations transition to paperless offices.
3. Learn how pdfFiller business ensures HIPAA compliance in Healthcare.

The Verdict: pdfFiller for Enterprise or Foxit PDF Editor?

pdfFiller and Foxit aim to provide businesses with functional PDF editing tools to solve their daily document management issues. Both solutions differ in terms of deployment and features, which, as a result, affects their pricing. 

When comparing Foxit PDF Editor Pro to pdfFiller for business, the latter is more cost-efficient given the amount of business features it provides, including eSignature. Customer reviews suggest that purchasing a standalone Foxit eSign solution isn’t a viable option – more and more business line owners are looking to switch to less expensive solutions.

With pdfFiller, organizations save over 35% while getting more powerful PDF and eSignature functionality.

Choose pdfFiller for Enterprise, if:

• you need an easy to use PDF editing solution with form building capabilities;
• you’re looking for a built-in enterprise-grade eSignature that complies with industry-leading security standards;
• you want to handle your organization’s document management in the cloud; 
• you’re flexible with pricing and the number of seats needed for your organization;
• you need a library of ready-made forms and templates for your business operations. pdfFiller currently has a library with more than 25M forms. Additionally, pdfFiller also offers access to US Legal Forms, the largest online library of state-specific legal forms;
• your organization is already using other business apps and you need a PDF editor as a built-in integration, an API solution, or a Zapier integration.