Review of Ashampoo PDF Pro | Easily Create & Edit PDF’s
“PDF or Portable Document Format” is one of the most used file formats around the world and is invented by Adobe. It has now become standard and used everywhere, whether it is an office, home, schools, etc. Sometimes we need a multipurpose PDF editor which can easily create a new PDF, edit & merge them, convert the document or even protect our files. These all things can be done by many software available online including Adobe, and in this article, I am going to review Ashampoo PDF Pro which is one of them.
As per the Ashampoo website, “Ashampoo PDF Pro is the complete solution to manage and edit your PDF documents. The program has everything you need to create, convert, edit and protect your files“.
Using this software you can create perfectly sized documents that are readable on any device and use encryption to protect your property when needed. Your PDFs are now as easily editable as Word documents!”
Want to Edit PDF’s, Create & Edit Interactive/fillable forms? Check Ashampoo PDF PRO 2
Features of Ashampoo PDF Pro
- Merge PDF documents into a single file
- Edit PDFs very easily.
- Optical Character Recognition (OCR).
- Flexible text editing
- Easily extract images from PDFs.
- Track document changes.
- Use headers and footers.
- Built-in spell checker.
- Create PDF portfolios.
- Drag and drop to merge PDF documents into a single file.
- Insert, corp, sort, delete and rotate pages.
- Merge PDF documents into a single file
- Edit PDFs very easily.
- Optical Character Recognition (OCR).
- Flexible text editing
- Easily extract images from PDFs.
- Track document changes.
- Use headers and footers.
- Built-in spell checker.
- Create PDF portfolios.
- Drag and drop to merge PDF documents into a single file.
- Insert, corp, sort, delete and rotate pages.
Above were the key features and functions of “Ashampoo PDF Pro”.
I really like the easy interface of this software, which lets you edit any PDF document easily. Editing mode is quickly enabled just by clicking on the text and you are good to edit the text.
To review and try this PDF editor, I tried to edit one PDF document in “Adobe Acrobat X Pro” and the same in Ashampoo PDF Pro, and to my surprise, the biggest difference which I noticed was that Adobe was not able to recognize some of the fonts, whereas Ashampoo PDF Pro had no problem.
Note: Ashampoo has now released Ashampoo PDF Pro 3
It may happen that you don’t have any editable text on your PDF because the PDF was created from the scanned image. In that case, Ashampoo PDF Pro can convert your pdf to editable text using OCR technology.
I tried editing some pdf’s which were made from scanned images, OCR was able to convert and give editing option, and also most of the text from the image was editable. Though, some text was also converted to some dummy text like the signature.
Note: While using OCR functionality, keep “PDF Style” to “Editable Text”.
However, I did not get same results with “Adobe Acrobat X Pro”. To some extent, I think we should not expect pdf editors to convert images into editable text.
I will try to edit more different kind of scanned documents to try OCR and if I get success will update this post. Also, please check the below video to see live how to edit the scanned document using this software.
This pdf editor also has built-in stamps, like ‘Top Secret’, ‘Void’, ‘Draft’, etc. which you can put in the document as per your requirement. You can also put the custom stamp.
Compatibility of Ashampoo PDF Pro
This software can work on Windows® 10, Windows® 8 / 8.1, Windows® 7 having adequate speed. Sorry for Windows XP users as it does not work on that. Hope all have migrated their operating system already.
Price of Ashampoo PDF Pro
The actual price of Ashampoo PDF Pro is $69.99, but right now it is in discounted rate and you can get it at $19.99 for up to 3 PCs in one household or company.
I think this is a good deal, but please first use its demo version, try it and then only decide if you want to buy or not.
I would request you to try this PDF editor if you frequently edit pdf documents and see the difference. I am sure you will be amazed to see how easily you can do your work. Though this is not a free pdf editor, but I am sure everyone can afford its price. Hope you like this quick review of “Ashampoo PDF Pro” and if you have any questions do let me know through your comments.
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About the Author
Hey Ashampoo is DVD burning software. Isn’t it ?
Hi Anand,
Ashampoo has many products and this is one of them.
I just bought 2 copies, one for personal use and one for my employer.
I also have Acrobat Standard 9.5 and Nuance PDF Converter Pro versions 6 and 8 (and Nuance PowerPDF 1.0, which I haven’t installed.)
It looks like Ashampoo PDF Pro cannot create fillable forms, which the others can do. So if you do need fillable forms, that’s something to check for.
Thanks Rick for letting us know about Nuance.
We will try their software and if possible will also make the review. It is good to know that Nuance PDF Converter Pro can also be used to create the fillable forms.
Thanks for the review.
The program is very interesting and easy to use. But still requires improvement.
Thanks for your comment. Please let us know what can be improved, so that we can pass your comments to developers.
One feature that Adobe Acrobat Pro has is very valuable to me – straightening of scanned text. I cannot find this feature on any other PDF conversion programs. Does Ashampoo PDF Pro has it?
Can this program do a good job of converting pdf’s to word ?
No, it can’t. Its main job is to edit the PDF. But, you can edit any pdf like a word document.
How I get a number of pdf’s that need to edit. Converting to Word seems like the easiest way to do that. For example, I have a form I used last year and now need to update to this year. To do so requires a lot of changing the text in the form. Can Ashampoo PDF pro do this, or am I better off getting a good PDF to work converter?
Yes, Ashampoo can edit any PDF’s. But, if the PDF is created using XML data (like forms), it can have an issue.
Great review. Thanks for this detailed info as well as your awesome giveaways! Looking forward to many more. 🙂
Thanks Jaff.
We organize giveaway from time to time, so don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter.
The program is very interesting and easy to use.
Thanks for your views. Keep visiting.
The best OVERALL product FOR THE PRICE is Nuance PowerPDF. As mentioned above, I have their much earlier PDF Converter Pro ver 6 and its OCR blows away Acrobat Standard 9.5. The advantage of Acrobat is the Help is MUCH better. I mainly use Acrobat unless I need particularly good OCR (small typefaces, etc.) A lot of times the only way I figure out how to use a PDF Converter feature is by checking ACROBAT’s help.
i don’t know whether Nuance improved the Help for PowerPDF, since I haven’t installed it.
Ashampoo FREQUENTLY sells this discounted to $20 for THREE PC’s. Frankly, at that price EVEN IF YOU HAVE PDF editing software — WHY NOT buy it? EVERY program has SOME features that are better than other programs–where else are you going to find Windows PDF EDITING software for $6.67 PER INSTALLATION?
Sometimes the BENEFIT of a program is NOT having all sorts of “bells and whistles”. Or being able to tell someone else, “Look, GET THE ASHAMPOO program. It’s inexpensive and will do what YOU want. In case YOU have a problem, *I* have a copy on MY PC, so I can check on MINE how to do it and tell you ON YOURS.”
(PARTICULARLY GOOD ADVICE if you have parents, relatives, co-workers, or others who are not very tech-savvy …)
Using this software for all my PDF editing. It is an awesome software.
Thanks for leaving your comment. I appreciate your efforts.
Regards,
Pawan
RE ASHAMPOO PDF PRO – I would to know if the SIGNATURE Feature is included in the software. I note that there is a feature of 125 Encryption – why is it not 256 Encryption?
I hope to hear from you before I decide to buy. Thank you.
No, it does not have a signature feature. Yes, it uses 125-bit encryption.
You can use Able2Extract Professional for 256 encryption and signature feature.
Please check our article on 3 best Adobe Acrobat PDF editor.
A word of caution about PDF Pro 10.
Before you install it create a revert point do if things go wrong you can go back to where you started. But even that might not work. On my ordinary Win 7 machine, installing PDF Pro 10 for some reason completely messed up my Dropbox by downloading all sorts of files into it and leavng it unusable. No warnin given that this might happen, or that Dropbox had any connection to PDF Pro 10. Even after I reverted and unistalled PDF PRO 10, some trouble remained. Dropbox was still full and unusable; for some reason font sizes in several programs messed up, showing tiny illegible fonts. The fonts can be fixed but it all takes time.
Wherever you turn for help, don’t bother with Ashampoo which is totally unresponsive, though I did persuade them to give me my money back at last.
Once you’re in PRO 10 and you want to edit a pdf by converting it to Word, you’re told it’s difficult, unreliable, and you’re better off not even trying.
So the best way to convert a PDF text into Word into Word or NB or some other WP is to select the PDF text, copy it and paste it to a blank Word, etc. document. For a pdf with different fonts and sizes and graphics, ABBY 10 Fine Reader will often do an OK, but not perfect job. I haven’t tried any of the Adobe programs (other than Acrobat reader) since they’re all rather pricey.
Maybe some can get this program to work better than I. Good luck, but watch out for unexpected and troublesom results. I’m still trying to clean out my Dropbox files.
Hi Nicholas,
Sorry to hear about your problem.
I am using this software from quite a while now and has never faced any issue with Gdrive or Dropbox.
It doesn’t have any relation to those storages. Did you try to save edited PDF document to those dropbox? How exactly that happened?
I am currently using “Version 1.11 Win” and why you want to convert PDF to word to edit it? This software can directly edit any pdf document.
I can try to reproduce your issue on my machine if I can get exact information.
PDF Pro 10 is not Ashampoo product. It is a different software/company. https://www.pdfpro10.com/
Thanks for mentioning that.
PDF Pro 10 is produced by PDF Pro, a completely different company from Ashampoo. Not surprising that they couldn’t help.
Ashampoo has released a new version, PDF Pro 2, which has additional features such as being able to create fillable forms, and Bates numbering.
(Bates numbers are used in court cases. Document pages are numbered consecutively across documents, e.g., if you have Plaintiff’s Exhibit 1, Plaintiff’s Exhibit 2, etc., and Exh 1 has 30 pages it would be PLF-00001 thru PLF-00030, then Exh 2 with 15 pages would be PLF-00031 thru PLF-00045, etc. If 5 months later you add Expert Smith’s Report, it would be PLF-00552 thru PLF-00596 (or whatever). )
By the way, Acrobat Standard DOESN’T include Bates numbering capability–you need Acrobat Pro for that.
https://www.ashampoo.com/en/usd/pin/0474/office-software/pdf-pro-2
Thanks Rick.
Looking forward to Ashampoo® PDF Pro 2.
Its release date is 18th April 2019. We will try and review it once it is available to us.
The OCR engine converts scanned characters into computer-editable text. Of course, the program can also exchange documents seamlessly with Microsoft Word.
I am interested in a PDF editing software that allow me to use a tablet pen during touchscreen mode, in order to mark up pdf documents or make notes directly on the pdf. Does your PDF Pro software allow for this capability?
If you are able to write using a tablet pen, then I think it should work in any software.
Hey, I’m willing to give it a shot. When I was getting a master’s degree a few years ago, I was looking for a program that would merge PDFs, do some basic editing, and be able to add comments. I found a $10 program that was just alright. Now that I have a new computer, I’d like to upgrade to something decent. By the way, I considered buying a level of Acrobat that would do some basic things besides just being a reader. I’d bite the bullet for $70 or $80, what the hey! Forget that, the cheapest version I could find was like $800. I used Adobe Pro at work and I don’t like it, it’s bloatware that does a lot of things but none of them very well. If this thing is marginally decent for the asking price, it will be a real improvement.
It is a very good software to edit PDF’s, I am using it for few years now. Do give it a try.
As I mentioned above, I have Acrobat Standard 9.5 (Standard retails for US $300) and various versions of Nuance’s PDF Converter Professional as well as Ashampoo 1.0. I also have Nuance’s PowerPDF 1 program although I never installed it because their older program works fine for me.
At work I had to switch from Converter Pro 6 to the Ashampoo program because I reached maximum installs on Converter Pro. The Ashampoo program is MUCH slower at scanning.
OVERALL, FOR THE PRICE Nuance’s software is the best. PowerPDF Pro STANDARD sells for around $100. And as mentioned, Nuance’s OCR blows away Acrobat’s. Realistically, if you need things like creating forms, OCR, editing PDF’s, etc., and you’re on a budget, get the Nuance product.
ALSO BE AWARE THAT, LIKE MICROSOFT WITH OFFICE 365, ADOBE IS MAINLY INTERESTED IN MOVING TO A SUBSCRIPTION-BASED ON-LINE PRODUCT MODEL (US $15/month) and so far Nuance hasn’t shown that it plans to do so with PowerPDF.
Very nice review. Thank you, Stay safe. Fraser
About PDF Pro 2: My question is that this product should be able to do OCR of English or Alphabetical documents without any problems. The last time I asked if the OCR included languages such as Chinese, or does PDF Pro OCR Chinese documents after scanning. Please write to me to explain whether OCR of Chinese documents was possible.
It is highly unlikely that that a German product can provide Chinese characters OCR.
Have you checked with their support yet? I know they support many languages, but not sure if OCR is supported for that language.
Maybe I will try myself and let you know.
Some additional comments about Nuance’s product. I had to go BACK from PDF Converter Pro 6 to 5 because I needed some advanced features and I had hit the maximum number of installs for 6. Converter Pro 5 is from 2008.
It includes PDF REDACTION capability and ability to create MULTI-LINE text boxes in forms. Even $300 Acrobat Standard doesn’t include those (Acrobat Pro does). I haven’t checked, but since ver 5 had it, I’m sure it’s still in the newer versions, including PowerPDF.
The review doesn’t mention about the advertisement popup every time the app starts. Although I already bought the program, I am more than willing to write this off and buy another one.