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Switch from Adobe Acrobat to Foxit: Step-by-Step Guide

How to switch from Adobe Acrobat to Foxit step by step: default PDF app, digital IDs, certificates, JavaScript forms, Action Wizard, stamps, team rollout.

The decision is made; now you need to switch from Adobe Acrobat to Foxit without disrupting anyone’s work. That means making Foxit the default PDF app, carrying over digital IDs and trusted certificates, testing JavaScript forms, rebuilding automated actions, moving custom stamps and rolling out to the whole team. This is a hands-on guide, with command names checked against Foxit’s user guide and Adobe’s help pages. If you’re still weighing whether to switch, start with the price and feature summary on Foxit vs Adobe Acrobat.

Key differences when you switch from Adobe Acrobat to Foxit

Only the differences that affect migration are summarized here; the full price and feature breakdown is on the comparison page:

  • Interface: Foxit uses a tabbed ribbon like Microsoft Office (Home, Edit, Convert, Comment, Form, Protect…). Acrobat is moving to its new experience built around an All tools menu.
  • Plan mapping: OCR, document comparison and redaction are in the base Foxit PDF Editor plan; sending documents out for signature (eSign) and the iOS/Android apps require Foxit PDF Editor+.
  • AI: every Foxit subscription includes AI Assistant with 300 credits a month, with no add-on required.
  • Your files: PDF is the open ISO 32000 standard. Files created in Acrobat open, edit and sign normally in Foxit, with bookmarks, comments and form fields intact. You do not need to convert your document archive.

What actually needs moving is per-user settings and assets: digital IDs, trusted certificates, stamps, actions, scripts — and habits.

Step 1: Inventory what people use in Acrobat

Before removing Acrobat from any machine, build a list per department:

Acrobat itemWhy it mattersHandled in
Digital IDs (USB token, .pfx/.p12 file)Signing contracts and invoicesStep 3
Manually trusted certificatesValidating partners’ signaturesStep 3
Forms with calculations, buttons, JavaScriptInternal templatesStep 4
Actions (Action Wizard / Guided actions)Batch processingStep 5
Custom stamps (Approved, Received…)Approval workflowsStep 6
SharePoint and cloud storage connectionsOpening and saving in placeStep 7

Tip: asking people “which buttons did you click in Acrobat last week?” is faster than walking them through a feature list.

Step 2: Make Foxit the default PDF app

Per machine: in Foxit PDF Editor, go to File > Preferences > File Associations. Optionally tick the Advanced options so Foxit also handles PDFs in web browsers, the Explorer preview pane and thumbnails, and PDFs embedded in Office documents, then click Make default PDF viewer. If Windows 11 still asks, open Settings > Apps > Default apps, search for .pdf and choose Foxit PDF Editor.

Company-wide: Foxit’s Deployment and Configuration guide documents the MSI property MAKEDEFAULT (default “1”), which sets Foxit as the default PDF application at install time, and VIEW_IN_BROWSER for opening PDFs in browsers. The Group Policy templates add a Default PDF Viewer setting and an option to stop users changing the default handler. The guide notes that on Windows 11 this GPO setting only applies to versions earlier than 2025.2 (subscription) and 13.2 (perpetual) — for newer builds, rely on the MSI property or Windows’ own default-app policy.

Step 3: Digital IDs, signatures and certificates

Certificates on USB tokens or smart cards: the certificate lives on the token, not inside Acrobat, so there’s nothing to export. Install the token driver; the certificate appears in the Windows Certificate Store and Foxit can use it immediately. If the token needs a PKCS#11 module, open Foxit’s Signature preferences and choose Module Settings… > Attach Module.

Digital IDs stored as .pfx/.p12 files: reuse the original file (with its password) that you received from your provider or backed up. Note that the Export button under Acrobat’s Preferences > Signatures > Identities & Trusted Certificates exports your public certificate so others can validate your signatures; it isn’t a way to move your private key. In Foxit, Protect > Digital IDs lists and adds digital IDs, and Foxit supports both PKCS#12 files and the Windows Certificate Store.

Trusted certificates: if you previously trusted partners’ root certificates by hand in Acrobat, repeat it in Foxit: open a signed file, right-click the signature, choose Show Signature Properties > Show Certificate, go to the Trust tab and click Add to Trusted Certificates. The list is managed under Protect > Sign & Certify > Trusted Certificates, and IT can enable automatic Foxit Approved Trust List updates through Group Policy.

Signature appearances (scanned handwritten signatures, logos): recreate them once in Foxit, ideally during the user’s onboarding session.

Step 4: Forms and JavaScript

Foxit supports JavaScript in PDF, so most calculation forms (totals, date formatting, validation) behave as they did in Acrobat. The tools to know in Foxit:

  • Form > JavaScript > JavaScript Console to run code and see error messages.
  • Document JavaScript and Document Action for document-level scripts, such as running a script after saving.
  • Form > JavaScript > Edit All JavaScripts to review and edit every script in a file.
  • Script permissions live in File > Preferences > Trust Manager, and IT can enable or disable JavaScript via Group Policy.

How to test: pick your 5–10 most important forms, fill in every field, press every button, then print and save. Scripts that call Acrobat-specific APIs are the most likely to fail, so keep the JavaScript Console open while testing. For batch processing and automation beyond forms, see Foxit batch OCR and PDF automation.

Step 5: Action Wizard ↔ Guided actions

Both products record sequences of commands to run on many files, but under different names:

  • Adobe Acrobat Pro calls them Guided actions (formerly Action Wizard), found under All tools > Use guided actions.
  • Foxit PDF Editor for Windows still calls it Action Wizard: File > Action Wizard, then Create for a new action, and Actions > Manage to reorder, Export and Import actions.

Neither vendor documents sharing action files between the two products, so the safe route is to rebuild each action in Foxit: open the old action in Acrobat to note its steps and settings, then create a new one — pick tools from the left column, add them to the right, predefine options (watermark, header/footer and so on) or tick Prompt User to ask at run time. When it works, Export the action and share the file with colleagues.

Step 6: Custom stamps

Acrobat custom stamps are PDF files stored in the Stamps folder of the user profile. There are two ways to bring them over:

  1. Recreate from the file: in Foxit, go to Comment > Custom Stamp > Create Custom Stamp and select the stamp’s PDF or image file, then set a category and name. For stamps that insert the date, time or approver name, use Create Custom Dynamic Stamp…
  2. Copy the stamp files: Foxit’s own blog describes copying Acrobat stamp files into Foxit’s Stamps/UserStamps folder so Foxit recognizes them (documented for macOS) — test it on one machine first.

For organizations, Foxit’s Group Policy templates can point everyone to a shared location for watermark, background, header/footer and stamp templates, and prevent users from editing administrator-defined stamps — a simple way to keep the official “Approved” stamp consistent.

Step 7: Comments, storage and integrations

  • Comments live inside the PDF, so they travel with the document. If your review workflow exchanges FDF files, Foxit imports them via Comment > Import and exports via Comment > Export.
  • Document management: Foxit’s Group Policy templates include connection settings for SharePoint, iManage and Alfresco, and popular cloud storage (OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox, Box) opens directly from Foxit.

Step 8: Deploying to the whole team

Foxit’s Deployment and Configuration guide gives IT the familiar tools:

  • MSI package with silent install (msiexec /i "Foxit PDF Editor.msi" /quiet), component selection (ADDLOCAL), install location and shortcuts.
  • Group Policy templates in .adm/.admx (+ .adml) to lock settings such as language, JavaScript, internet-connected features, the ribbon and the Quick Access Toolbar.
  • Microsoft Intune (.intunewin packaging) and Configuration Manager.
  • Foxit Customization Wizard to modify the MSI into an .mst transform or save settings as .xml, license the product at volume scale so users don’t activate individually, and control which digital ID files may be used.

Install Foxit alongside Acrobat for a pilot group first, and remove Acrobat afterwards. For 30+ users, Volume Licensing and Admin Console let you assign and revoke licenses centrally — see how to buy a Foxit PDF Editor license.

Training tips

  • One 45–60 minute session is enough for most office staff: focus on the Edit, Convert, Comment and Protect tabs plus signing.
  • Hand out a one-page “where did it go?” sheet: Edit PDF → Edit tab; Export PDF → Convert tab; Request e-signatures → Foxit eSign (Editor+); Use guided actions → File > Action Wizard; Stamps → Comment > Stamp.
  • Add frequent commands to the Quick Access Toolbar (IT can pre-set it through Group Policy).
  • Name one champion per department with extra training to answer questions on the spot during the first two weeks.
  • Switch the interface language where staff prefer Vietnamese.

What to test first

During the first trial week, test in order of risk:

  1. Signing with a USB token on a real contract, then opening the signed file in Acrobat Reader to confirm partners see a valid signature.
  2. Your most important JavaScript form: fill, calculate, save, print.
  3. Your heaviest documents: large drawings, multi-hundred-page scans — check opening speed and OCR.
  4. Printing: office printers, paper sizes, duplex.
  5. PDF to Word/Excel conversion with real report templates.
  6. Rebuilt actions and stamps from steps 5 and 6.

The 14-day trial is free with no credit card: download it here.

FAQ

Do I need to convert my PDFs when I switch from Adobe Acrobat to Foxit?

No. PDF is an open standard; Foxit opens, edits, signs and saves Acrobat files without conversion. Just test forms that contain Acrobat-specific JavaScript.

Can I import my Acrobat preferences into Foxit?

Foxit doesn’t document a tool for importing Acrobat preferences. In practice, what needs moving is certificates, stamps and actions, as covered above; general settings are best standardized once by IT with the Customization Wizard or Group Policy.

Do USB token signatures need reconfiguring?

Usually not. Install the token driver and the certificate appears in the Windows Certificate Store, ready for Foxit. Tokens that require PKCS#11 need the module attached in Signature preferences.

Can Acrobat and Foxit run side by side?

Yes. Many companies install Foxit alongside Acrobat during the trial, then make Foxit the default and remove Acrobat when the Adobe subscription term ends.

Which Foxit plan should an Acrobat Pro user move to?

Choose Editor+ if you send documents for signature or work on mobile; desktop-only users are well served by Editor. Prices are on our Foxit PDF Editor pricing page.

Start your migration with FoxitPDF.vn

Download the 14-day trial for a pilot group, check Foxit vs Adobe Acrobat to settle on plans, or contact us — hotline/Zalo +84 977 893 681. FoxitPDF.vn technicians help configure digital signatures, stamps and mass deployment in Vietnamese or English at no extra cost.

Command names reflect Foxit PDF Editor for Windows and Adobe Acrobat’s new experience as checked in October 2026; locations may vary between versions.

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