Adobe’s Acrobat software has been the gold standard for working with PDFs for decades. But with the release of Acrobat Studio in August 2025, many users are wondering: What’s different, and do I still need the old Acrobat?
In this article, we’ll break down the key differences between Classic Acrobat and Acrobat Studio, so you can decide which one fits your workflow best.
📌 What Is Classic Acrobat?
Classic Acrobat (including Acrobat Pro and Acrobat Reader) is Adobe’s long-standing tool for creating, editing, and managing PDFs.
- Core strengths: editing, signing, commenting, and secure sharing.
- Widely adopted: used by businesses, schools, and individuals worldwide.
- Mature platform: reliable and feature-rich, but not designed for AI-powered workflows.
📌 What Is Acrobat Studio?
Acrobat Studio is Adobe’s next-generation PDF platform, built with AI and collaboration at its core.
- AI Assistant: ask questions, summarize, and simplify documents instantly.
- Cross-format conversion: move between PDF, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint with ease.
- Collaboration-ready: real-time sharing and commenting.
- Accessibility support: simplify content for readers of all levels.
📊 Feature Comparison
| Feature | Classic Acrobat | Acrobat Studio |
|---|---|---|
| PDF viewing & editing | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Digital signatures | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| File conversion (Word, Excel) | ✅ Yes | ✅ Enhanced AI |
| AI-powered summaries | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Ask your document (chat) | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Real-time collaboration | Limited | ✅ Built-in |
| Accessibility simplification | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Cloud-first experience | Optional | ✅ Core design |
📌 Who Should Use Which?
- Stick with Classic Acrobat if you only need reliable PDF editing, signing, and secure workflows.
- Switch to Acrobat Studio if you want AI tools, faster insights, and smarter collaboration.
Many professionals may even use both — Acrobat Studio for AI-driven tasks and Classic Acrobat for long-established document workflows.
✅ Final Thoughts
Acrobat Studio isn’t replacing Classic Acrobat — it’s evolving it. By adding AI and modern collaboration, Adobe ensures your PDFs don’t just store information but actually work for you.
🔗 Try Acrobat Studio Today
Want to see the difference for yourself? Get started with Adobe Acrobat Studio here and experience next-generation document workflows.
Acrobat Studio Pro 