Why it's a strong pick

This is the extension published by Adobe itself, so you are not installing a third-party wrapper. The everyday jobs are free: open a PDF, download or print it, add comments, fill a form and sign it. Adobe says no subscription is needed for that. The trade-off is that the heavier tools are not free. Convert, compress, merge and organize need a paid plan or a trial.

What it does

The extension opens PDFs in Chrome with Adobe's viewer. You can read, download and print them. You can add comments such as sticky notes, text and highlights. You can fill in forms and sign. It can also convert HTML content to PDF. For file conversion, compression and similar tasks, it points you to Adobe's paid tools and offers a "try convert" option.

Key features

View, download and print. Open a PDF in Chrome and use Adobe's viewer. Free.
Comments. Sticky notes, text and highlights. Free.
Fill and sign. Complete forms and add a signature. Free, with no account, according to Adobe's help pages.
HTML to PDF. Adobe lists converting HTML content to PDF as a reason for some of its permissions.
Convert, compress, merge and organize. These need a paid plan or a trial. Adobe's trial asks you to sign in or create a free Adobe account.
Usage-data setting. Sharing usage data is opt-out. You can turn it off in the extension's options.

Who it's for

It suits people who open PDFs all day and want Adobe's viewer inside Chrome, with free comments, form filling and signing. It also suits people who already pay for Acrobat and want its tools close at hand. If you only need a reader, the open-source PDF Viewer by Mozilla PDF.js is a lighter option. If you need free conversion with daily limits, look at Smallpdf or iLovePDF.

What is free in the Adobe Acrobat extension, and what is paid?

Viewing, downloading, printing, commenting, form filling and signing are free, and Adobe says no subscription is needed for them. Converting, compressing, merging, organizing and reducing file size need a paid plan or a trial. Adobe's trial asks you to sign in or create a free Adobe account. Check Adobe's current plan details before you rely on a paid tool.

What permissions does the Adobe Acrobat extension ask for?

Adobe's help page lists tabs, downloads, context menus, native messaging, history, and host access to all URLs (http, https and file). Adobe says it needs them to render PDFs in the Acrobat viewer or convert HTML to PDF, and that URL information is not sent back to Adobe. Permissions can change, so check the install prompt too.

Does Adobe Acrobat need an account?

Not for the free tasks. Adobe's help pages say you can view, comment, fill and sign without an account or a subscription. For the trial or the paid tools, you need an Adobe account. Sign-in is only needed when you decide to use those tools, so you can try the free features first.

Can I stop it sharing usage data?

Yes. Adobe says usage-data sharing is opt-out. Right-click the Acrobat icon in your toolbar, open Options, and clear the box that starts "To improve product features...". Do this if you want to limit what the extension sends. Adobe's help page describes this setting, so read it for the current wording.

FAQ

Is Adobe Acrobat free in Chrome? The viewing, commenting, form-filling and signing tools are free. Convert, compress and merge need a paid plan or trial.

Who makes it? Adobe publishes it. Its Chrome Web Store publisher page is Adobe, Inc.

Does it work on local files? Adobe lists host access to file URLs among its permissions. Check the install prompt and Chrome's extension settings for local-file access.

Good to know

The extension asks for access to all URLs and your history. Adobe explains why, and says URLs are not sent back to it. If that is more access than you want for simple reading, the PDF.js viewer is an option. Also remember that the advanced tools sit behind a paid plan or trial.

If you plan to send files to an online tool, do not upload sensitive documents unless you have read the vendor's privacy policy. We could not confirm where Adobe processes files or how long it keeps them.

Other pdf viewers & editors to compare

Adobe Acrobat is one of 7 picks in our PDF Viewers & Editors guide, which compares them side by side and explains how to choose. The other picks:

Smallpdf: A "Smallpdf Tools" tab for every PDF you open in Chrome. Compress, convert, merge, split, e-sign and AI summarize. The free tier has a daily task limit.
iLovePDF: PDF tools from ILOVEPDF S.L., the company behind ilovepdf.com. Merge, split, compress, convert, protect, sign and OCR.
Xodo: Online PDF tools from Xodo, part of Apryse. Edit, convert, compress, merge, redact and sign. Free use is limited per day.
Kami: A PDF and document annotation tool for classrooms. The Chrome extension is free, with basic markup tools and Google Classroom support. Some tools are paid.
Enhanced PDF Viewer: A PDF reader for Chrome from PlugMonkey, built on the PDF.js engine. Keyboard shortcuts, presentation mode, text-to-speech and smart printing.
PDF Viewer by Mozilla PDF.js: An open-source extension that opens PDFs in the PDF.js viewer instead of Chrome's built-in one.

Also see: Best Chrome extensions for students.