Acrobat is a family of application software and web services developed by Adobe Systems to view, create, manipulate, print and manage PDF files.
The family members include Reader (formerly Acrobat Reader), Acrobat (formerly Acrobat Exchange) and Acrobat.com. The freeware Adobe Reader, available for several desktop and mobile platforms, can view, print and annotate PDF files. The commercial Acrobat for Windows and OS X, can also create, edit, convert, digitally sign, encrypt, export and publish PDF files. Acrobat.com complements the family with a variety of enterprise content management and file hosting services.
Since the very beginning, the Acrobat product has had several competitors: AnyView, Common Ground, Envoy, Folio, Replica, WorldView and DjVu. By the late 1990s, PDF became the standard. This has resulted in the development of both free and commercial programs that create or manipulate PDF. Adobe also allows Acrobat plugins to be developed by third parties, which can add extra functions to the Acrobat program.