PDF Drawing Markup

Purpose-built AEC PDF markup platform with scale-accurate redlining, Studio collaboration sessions, and Compare Documents drawing-set revision overlays.

The AEC industry standard for a reason -- solo use is straightforward at $260/year Basics, though Compare Documents requires the $330/year Core plan.

General-purpose PDF editor with annotation, commenting, document comparison, OCR, and e-signatures -- the universal baseline before AEC-specific tools existed.

Solid for everyday PDF markup at ~$240/year, but its comparison is document-level, not drawing-set-aware, and it lacks scale measurement -- use Bluebeam for anything AEC-critical.

Full-featured PDF editor with annotation, document comparison, OCR, form creation, and AI-assisted redaction -- positioned as a cost-effective Acrobat alternative.

About half the price of Adobe Acrobat Pro with comparable markup depth; good fit for a solo practitioner who needs PDF comparison and AI redaction without paying Acrobat rates.

Mobile field-drawing app for creating scale drawings on-site with photo markup, layer versioning, and automated material takeoffs that feed directly into estimates.

Best for solo MEP, HVAC, or specialty contractors who sketch drawings in the field and need immediate takeoffs -- less useful for architectural PDF redline review at a desk.

Stylus-optimized PDF markup app for Windows and Surface devices rated the number-one engineering productivity app on the Windows Store, with a free tier for basic annotation.

Best free option for Surface/stylus PDF annotation; drawing-set comparison requires upgrading to the separate Drawboard Projects product.

iPad-native sketch and overlay markup app that layers freehand drawing and annotation over imported PDFs, photos, and 3D models at true drawing scale with DXF export.

Exceptional solo value at $24.99/year for Pro Annual; purpose-built for architects who sketch on an iPad, not for structured review workflows or drawing-set comparison.

Cross-platform PDF editor with overlay and side-by-side drawing-set comparison, scale measurement, DWG-to-PDF conversion, and e-signatures at a lower price than Acrobat.

The most affordable path to overlay drawing comparison and scale measurement across Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android -- a compelling Bluebeam alternative for the budget-conscious solo practitioner.