Power PDF Standard and Power PDF Advanced Compared

Compare Power PDF Product Features

Power PDF Advanced vs Power PDF Standard: What’s the Difference?

With the Power PDF family of products, Kofax aims to deliver a robust, yet cost-effective software solution for users who rely on PDFs. The goal is to provide both individuals and entire organizations with the tools to tap into the full potential of these types of files. In turn, this can open up new possibilities, save valuable time, and maximize productivity.

The essence of Power PDF lies in the ability to easily manage and edit these documents. Whether it’s creating PDFs from a variety of sources, converting them to other types of documents (such as Word or Excel), changing or adding content, or a myriad of other options – Power PDF can fulfill a wide variety of needs.

However, once you look a bit closer, you will notice that you have two editions available: Standard and Advanced. While both versions rely on the previously mentioned core features, there are elements which set the two apart. In short, Power PDF Advanced is there to cater to the more demanding or specialized users.

Consequently, choosing between them is important as you want the package which is better suited to your specific needs. Therefore, this text will highlight the differences between the editions by pointing out the features which are exclusive to Power PDF Advanced.

DocuSign Integration

The business world of today revolves around speed. And when it comes to this, the process of actually getting your documents signed can often be a hindrance. If you need to fax the paperwork or send it via courier service, matters can slow down considerably.

But, you can avoid all this by using DocuSign. This company is one of the leading providers of electronic signature services and makes the entire procedure much quicker. And with the way Power PDF Advanced integrates it into its menus, getting signatures can be effortless.

Whether you’re signing the PDF yourself or sending it to the other party, you can have the approvals you need faster than ever. As a bonus, you can also sidestep a lot of administrative bothers. As a result, waiting on signatures can become a thing of the past with Power PDF Advanced.

Real-Time Collaboration

Many hands make light work, as the saying goes. Sometimes you’ll be working on a PDF document and you’ll want to involve your colleagues to help things move along more quickly. Other times, you simply need the input from several people in order to get anything done.

Either way, Power PDF Advanced allows for this kind of collaboration in real time, without the need to send documents back and forth. As long as they are on the same network, multiple users can work on and edit the same PDF simultaneously. This is an excellent way to boost efficiency because it ensures everyone is on the same page, literally if needed.

Redaction

Sharing documents and disclosing information has always been a tricky proposition. There are things you don’t want the other side to see as well as data you’re legally obligated to protect. This can be anything from trade secrets to personal information.

Thankfully, Power PDF Advanced comes with a powerful redaction feature. It can not only black out sensitive information from text but also from graphics. In addition, it will also remove all hidden data to ensure nothing escapes notice. With it, you can rest easy knowing that the things you choose to omit will stay hidden.

Automation

It’s no secret that virtually all industries are looking to automate as many tasks as possible. The reason is simple – it saves time and, therefore, money. Converting different documents into PDFs is a process which can undoubtedly benefit from this approach and Power PDF Advanced allows you to do just that.

With the Advanced version, you have a convenient tool at your disposal – watched folders. Simply put the appropriate documents into them and the program will handle the conversion on its own. Such automated workflows can be a tremendous boon to your productivity, particularly when you have a constant demand for it.

Connectivity with Document Management Systems

Document management is no easy task and many individuals and businesses rely on systems, such as NetDocuments, for help. Power PDF Advanced supports a host of such systems and allows you to connect with them directly. This ensures you do not miss out on any of the benefits.

Bates Stamping

Depending on the occasion, you might need to take extra measures when it comes to identifying or labeling documents. Power PDF Advanced makes this easy by providing Bates Stamping with advanced options for formatting and positioning. You can even handle whole sets of documents at once, to further expedite matters.

 

  Power PDF Standard Power PDF Advanced  
Features Power PDF Standard Power PDF Advanced Notes
MSRP $129 $179  
  Shop Power PDF Standard Shop Power PDF Advanced  
PDF Creation
Create PDF documents from any application that prints  
Print Driver performance enhanced for faster PDF creation Improved
Support for PDF/A-4 in Power PDF, Printer Driver, Create Assistant, Office Add-ins to allow lossless archiving of PDF 2.0 NEW
Set Header/Footer in Print Driver when printing from another application NEW
Printer Profiles to provide re-use of custom configurations of printer settings NEW
Add Logos within header/footer settings NEW
Create PDF documents directly from your scanner  
One-click professional scanning with auto find-and- mark technology. Automatically find words in the scanned document  
Proofread text recognition results automatically after scanning and review and correct suspected errors  
Support for WIA, TWAIN and ISIS scanners  
One-step PDF creation from Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint  
Save as PDF/A-1, 2, 3, 4 Improved
Support for PDF/UA compliant document creation from MS Office  
Exporting PDF documents from Microsoft Office applications supports PDF/UA compliant content  
Create and send PDF-to-email attachment with Microsoft Outlook  
One-step PDF creation and archive of Microsoft Outlook and Lotus Notes emails  
New Header Options in Mail Archive Settings, Add New Letterhead to each email or include archival date and timestamp in header  
One-step PDF creation from web pages from Internet Explorer, Firefox and Chrome  
Create PDF of some or all pages of a website from within Power PDF  
Retain hyperlinks embedded in web pages when converting to PDF  
Batch create PDF from multiple files and file types  
Watched folder processing to automate routine PDF and TIFF creation tasks from a wide range of formats    
Create a single PDF document by merging multiple files  
Support for creating PDF Version 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6 and 1.7 files  
Support for creating PDF Version 2.0 files  
Create ISO-standard PDF/A files (PDF/A-1, PDF/A-2 and PDF/A-3 levels)  
Accessible PDF Creation that meets PDF/UA and WCAG 2.1 AA Standards  
Create and send PDF portfolios  
Create PDF-MRC high compression color PDF image files (up to 8 times smaller)  
Create Assistant desktop utility  
Customizable PDF creation profiles  
Merge PDF image files with PDF text files  
Insert pre-made and custom watermarks at creation  
Apply security settings at creation  
Add custom headers & footers to PDF documents (page numbering)  
Adjust compression levels for smaller files  
Preserve hyperlinks and metadata, add bookmarks and comments from Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint  
  Shop Power PDF Standard Shop Power PDF Advanced  
PDF Security and Signing
Add passwords with 128-bit and 256-bit AES secure encryption and permission controls to PDF files  
SignDoc embedded in application allows users to complete entire SignDoc experience without leaving Power PDF (requires SignDoc service)   NEW
Create and apply self-sign digital signatures  
Sign or send PDFs for signature with integrated DocuSign® actions    
Microsoft Crypto API/3rd party digital signature compatibility  
Support Microsoft Information Protection NEW
Add, manage, view and navigate document digital signatures  
Drag and drop security profiles to quickly and easily secure documents  
Support for FileOpen-protected documents (digital rights management)  
Support Watermarks with FileOpen Protected Documents   NEW
View protected PDF files and apply protection to PDF documents using Microsoft Active Directory Rights Management Services (AD RMS)    
Automatically verify against European Union Trusted List of digital root certificates allowing globally trusted certificates without user required to install certificate NEW
Enable server-side protection to be applied to PDF documents stored on SharePoint 2007/2010/2013 using AD RMS    
DMS password retention    
Redact text and graphics from PDF files    
Apply redaction text properties including color, redaction codes and custom overlay text    
Inspect document to remove comments and metadata (Remove Document Elements)    
Organize and manage a library of security profiles  
Organize and manage a library of digital signatures  
Organize and manage a library of PDF security envelopes  
Option to require a secure certificate to execute Javascript code (Deployable via Customization Kit in Advanced Volume version)  
  Shop Power PDF Standard Shop Power PDF Advanced  
PDF Conversion
Superior conversion accuracy with Kofax OCR version 22 Updated
Convert PDF to Word (.doc, .docx) Improved
Convert PDF to Excel workbooks and worksheets (.xls, .xlsx) Improved
Convert multipage PDF table or spreadsheet into a single Microsoft Excel document  
Convert PDF to PowerPoint (.pptx)  
Convert PDF to WordPerfect (.wpd)  
Convert PDF to XPS (.xps)  
Convert XPS to PDF  
Convert PDF files without running Microsoft applications  
Auto-detects scanned (image) PDF files and offers to convert them to searchable PDF files  
Convert scanned (image) PDF files to searchable PDF files (text over image)  
Convert scanned (image) PDF files to editable PDF files and other formats  
Convert scanned color (image) PDF files to compressed MRC-PDF files (average 8x smaller)  
Proofread and correct text after OCR conversion to searchable PDF  
Batch conversion of PDF files to target formats (Convert Assistant)  
Batch conversion of PDF files into a single document (Convert Assistant)  
Batch convert to single page TIFF files    
Batch conversion of TIFF files to image-only or searchable PDFs and PDF conversion to TIFF    
Convert Assistant desktop utility  
Retains columns, tables, images and graphics (.doc, .docx, .wpd) Improved
Retains linked text flow of columns within a document (.doc, .docx, .wpd) Improved
Retains headers and footers (.doc, .docx, .wpd) Improved
Legal pleading conversion with stamp and line numbering options (Convert Assistant)  
Retains number formats in Excel (currency, percentage, etc.) Improved
Retains hyperlinks (.doc, .docx, .wpd, .xls,.xslx)  
Extract tables from a PDF file and place into Excel or Word Improved
Convert a select area of a page using OCR and convert to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, WordPerfect—for scanned (image) PDF files as well as text-based PDF files Improved
Convert and save PDF to audio file (.mp3)  
  Shop Power PDF Standard Shop Power PDF Advanced  
PDF Editing and Assembly
Edit your PDF files like in a word processor using the Advanced Editor  
Manage pages in a document (reorder, insert, extract, crop, rotate and delete pages)  
Swap and duplicate pages in a document  
Assemble documents in document assembly view (insert, extract, replace, delete, split, renumber, manage headers/footers, drag and drop pages)  
Combine all open PDF documents with one click  
Tabbed document previews let you see all your document pages in a floating dialog box to make the most of your screen real estate  
Batch process multiple documents at a time with varied sequence commands (insert, extract and delete pages; apply watermarks and stamps; search and redact; remove document elements; and print)  
Create custom batch sequence workflows and apply them as watched folder commands    
Sequencer command to Remove Blank Pages NEW
Sequencer Command to Batch Convert to Fillable Form NEW
Sequencer Command to Delete/Extract Pages on Search Results NEW
Sequencer Command to set or remove Header/Footer NEW
Create a table of contents from bookmarks  
Add, manage, view and navigate document bookmarks  
Add, manage, view and navigate document destinations  
Support for XMP (Extensible Metadata Platform) metadata in the document  
Edit, cut, copy and paste text  
Editing support for Right-to-Left languages  
Move, resize, rotate, flip, order, group, set transparency, cut, copy and paste graphics and images  
Document splitting by page range, blank page, page contents, bookmarks, or file size  
Extraction by page range, blank page, page contents, bookmarks or Search terms Improved
Maintain document links and bookmarking when replacing pages in a document  
Manage document layers. Turn on/off, show/hide and lock/unlock layers in PDF files created by programs such as AutoCAD, Microsoft Visio and Microsoft Project. Select, re-order, delete or merge layers, view and modify properties of layers and even control layers for printing.  
PDF Optimizer for reduced file sizes  
Reduce the file size of one or a batch of PDF files  
Custom actions for bookmarks or hyperlinks (open a file, play a sound, go to a web page, etc.)  
Attach application files or sounds to a PDF  
Resolve automatically fixable issues with Save as / Export PDF/A  
Fix PDF/A compliance problems with the compliance checker    
Accessibility Checker for compliance with standards such as PDF/UA and WCAG 2.1 AA    
Bates stamping with advanced formatting and page positioning    
Bates numbering is supported for all items included in a PDF Portfolio    
  Shop Power PDF Standard Shop Power PDF Advanced  
PDF Review and Collaboration
Collaboration Server for enterprise access from anywhere in the world through self-hosted server   NEW
Fuzzy Search capability returns likely hits, more comprehensive than Stemming or Pattern Search NEW
Perform intelligent Looks Like Search™ to quickly find content, like phone numbers, email addresses and Social Security numbers, via an alphanumeric pattern rather than exact text. Choose from pre-defined patterns or create your own patterns.  
Automatically highlight, cross-out, underline or redact search results for faster, easier PDF review and editing Except redact  
Preview PDF email attachments in Microsoft Outlook  
Instant access to frequently used PDF files and online PDF Files (URLs) with favorites menu  
Side-by-side document comparison (PDF to PDF and PDF to Word)  
Open files directly from Cloud Storage or DMS via the Document Compare “Browse” buttons Cloud Storage only  
Open and save files through the File menu to DMS    
Open and save files through the File menu to popular cloud document storage services: Box, Dropbox, Evernote, Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive  
Save, track and open revisions within a PDF document  
Add, manage, view and navigate document comments  
Familiar comment and markup tools (notes, text boxes, typewriter, callouts, highlight, text underline, cross-out, stamps)  
Automatically populate comments with highlighted and annotated text  
Comment Tool Selection stays activated until user changes tool Improved
Create new stamps from selected page elements  
Select date and time formats for new dynamic stamps  
Apply stamps to one or all pages  
Organize and manage a library of stamps  
Spellchecking for comments and form fields  
Migrate comments from one PDF file to another for ease of collaboration and review  
Drawing (comment) tools including lines, arrow, rectangles, pencil, oval, polygon and cloud  
Measuring tool (with save as comment)  
Print with comments and form fields  
Organize and manage a library of watermarks  
  Shop Power PDF Standard Shop Power PDF Advanced  
Working with PDF Files
PDF viewing of all PDF types  
“Find a tool” search capability  
Customizable Quick Access Toolbar with shortcuts to the features and capabilities for each user  
Context-sensitive editing ribbons  
Change the interface color to blue, light gray, dark gray or purple  
Tabbed document viewing  
Restore Last View Settings when Reopening Document NEW
Advanced search and indexing for documents, text within a document, comments and bookmarks  
Search results list and screen highlighting of found words in the document  
Grid Lines while Editing when moving or resizing objects so it is easier to position objects NEW
iFilter utility for SharePoint for indexing and rapidly finding PDFs on SharePoint 2007/2010/2013    
Open PDF files created from Microsoft Office without having to save them first  
Limit file open and save locations to certain folders only  
Send a PDF file to a fax machine via email  
Support for network scanning and ShareScan with monitored Scan Inboxes    
Support for AutoStore workflows through AutoCapture tool panel    
  Shop Power PDF Standard Shop Power PDF Advanced  
PDF Forms
Automatic conversion of a PDF file into a fillable PDF form  
Intelligent creation of check boxes and radio buttons  
Support for Adobe dynamic forms (XFA)  
Draw and edit form controls (text fields, buttons, drop down lists, check boxes and radio buttons)  
Edit text and object attributes (font, color, line weight, display and print options)  
Digital signatures for forms  
Custom actions on form objects (import form data, play a sound, open a file, open a web page, etc.)  
Export form data from one or multiple filled in PDF forms  
Limited JavaScript support  
Set tab order for form fields  
Accessibility
Certified Section 508 compliant user interface  
Enhanced Power PDF UI navigation and access with Accessibility Reader such as JAWS Improved
Extended Document Reading Support with Jaws 2019   Improved
Create more precise Section 508 accessible tagged PDF files  
Tagging maintained when exporting Microsoft Word documents, resulting in PDF output optimized for processing operations such as Reach Aloud NEW
Adjustable high-contrast mode for PDF documents  
Edit PDF tags  
Adjust or fully define reading order of document content using the Reading Order panel updated with Table Editor Mode   Improved
Verify accessibility of PDF documents    
Read document aloud—Text-to-speech capability  
  Shop Power PDF Standard Shop Power PDF Advanced  
Deployment and Customization for Advanced Volume
Support for Citrix and Remote Desktop Services (thin client deployment/use)    
Support for Microsoft Application Virtualization    
Support for Microsoft GPO (Group Policy Object)    
Installation Customization Kit to easily control the deployable options for each department    
Read only mode to enforce compliance and help control best practices and regulatory mandates    
Install or disable plugins and application functions (Customization Kit)    
Install selected UI languages only (Customization Kit)    
Install selected DMS connectors only (Customization Kit)    
Configure shared watermarks (Customization Kit)    
API capabilities (Programming interface)    
Power PDF Automation Interface Guide in PDF Format    
Power PDF Network Installation Guide    
Power PDF iFilter for SharePoint Guide in PDF Format    
Power PDF RMS Protector for SharePoint Guide in PDF Format    
Power PDF Command Line Reference Guide in PDF Format    
Power PDF JavaScript Reference Guide in PDF Format    
Power PDF Connector SDK Guide    
Power PDF RMS Protector for SharePoint Guide in PDF Format    
Subscriber Access Licensing for Advanced Volume
License Server with Silent Client Deployment, optional Backup License Server   NEW
Enforce Named Users and Term Expirations via Current User’s Logged Windows Name, User can employ Unlimited Devices   NEW
License Reporting for All Registered Users   NEW
License Security Registration Information Encrypted in Transit and at Rest   NEW
  Shop Power PDF Standard Shop Power PDF Advanced  
Compatibility
Microsoft Office style ribbon user interface streamlined to minimize learning curve and maximize productivity  
Mobile Solutions to read and annotate PDF, Store and Retrieve from OS supported storage NEW
Mobile Handwriting Signature on phone screen, save, re-use, re-size, apply saved signatures NEW
Mobile Form Filling on standard PDF Forms NEW
Microsoft Windows 10 touch-enabled device support with “Touch Mode” option  
Compatible with Microsoft Windows 8.1, 10, 11 (32 and 64 bit versions) Improved
Microsoft Windows 11 Snap Layouts to pre-set application window location and size NEW
Compatible with Microsoft Office 2010, 2013 and 2016, 2019  
Compatible with Microsoft Office 365  
Save as Kofax PDF in File Menu for Word, Excel, PowerPoint  
Integrated create and convert add-ons for Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Internet Explorer  
Support for directly opening PDF in Power PDF that are currently open in Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge browsers – Create extension in Chrome NEW
PDF Create add-ons in Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome NEW – for Chrome and Edge
Cloud Storage Connectors Support: Box, Google Drive, Evernote, OneDrive, DropBox Improved
Document Management Support DocuShare EMC Documentum, EnterpriseConnect, HP Trim, NetDocuments, OnBase, Worldox (Advanced & Advanced Volume Only)  
iManage 10 Web Client Contextual Menu   Improved
iManage FileSite/Worksite Client 9.3.7   Improved
Supports Evernote and Microsoft OneDrive cloud storage services (requires paid Evernote subscription)  
Integrated OneDrive Connector in Connectors Tab, including multiple OneDrive accounts  
Power PDF Online Help, Getting Started Guide, Technical Specifications, Release Notes  
Supports LexisNexis CaseMap  
Supports a subset of JavaScript  
Support for movies and audio embedded in a PDF  
Support for embedding .MP4 video format into a PDF  
Support for viewing the latest Adobe PDF portfolio animations and graphics  
PDF/A compliance checking for the full range of PDF/A-1, PDF/A-2, PDF/A-3 and PDF/A-4 levels
Checker Updated to detect WCAG 2.1 AA or PDF/UA issues
  Improved
       
  Shop Power PDF Standard Shop Power PDF Advanced  

 

Conclusion

Both the Standard and Advanced editions of Power PDF have a lot to offer. They can help you master PDF documents and utilize them to their fullest. Still, there are some possibilities that are only available with the Advanced edition. Now that you know about them, you can make a better-informed decision and find the perfect balance between affordability and additional features.

If you use Mac, the Power PDF Standard for Mac edition has a couple of more features than its Windows counterpart. Here is the comparison of Windows and Mac versions of Power PDF.

 

More information about and descriptions of Power PDF editions for Windows, and Power PDF for Mac.