PDFCreator
German virtual PDF printer with automation profiles and a Terminal Server edition for IT teams
Quick Overview
| Company | Avanquest pdfforge GmbH |
|---|---|
| Category | PDF Tools |
| Headquarters | Hamburg, Germany |
| EU Presence | EU (Germany) |
| Open Source | AGPL-3.0 (Free edition) |
| Pricing | Free edition free; Professional from about $22-29 per workstation per year (volume discounts from 10 units), excl. VAT; Server and Terminal Server editions quoted separately |
| Free Option | 30-day free trial (Professional) |
| Replaces | Adobe Acrobat, doPDF, CutePDF |
Detailed Review
PDFCreator installs as a virtual printer, so any Windows application that can print can produce a PDF instead — the same trick doPDF and Bullzip use, but built out into a genuine automation platform rather than stopping at conversion. The Free edition, released under the AGPL, covers PDF creation, merging and page rearranging with no cost and no time limit, which is the same territory as doPDF but with a heavier, more configurable interface around it.
Where PDFCreator earns its place above a simple printer driver is Professional and the server editions: customisable profiles that auto-save, FTP, email or run a custom C# script after every conversion, 256-bit encryption, digital signatures, PDF/A archiving and Group Policy management for rolling it out across a company.
A Terminal Server edition adds centralised management for Citrix and RDS environments, and a Server edition handles high-volume automated conversion with multiple simultaneous threads — the kind of deployment an IT department manages rather than a single desk.
Avanquest pdfforge GmbH is registered in Hamburg (HRB 185235) and trades under the pdfforge and PDFCreator names as part of the Avanquest software group.
Professional pricing runs per workstation per year through an online calculator rather than a published list price, with volume discounts starting at 10 licences; the Free edition carries no such cost but also none of the automation. It is Windows-only, and next to the broader suites in this category, PDFCreator does one thing — printing to PDF — very thoroughly rather than covering the rest of the category.
What PDFCreator does well
- Free edition is genuinely free, AGPL-licensed, no time limit
- Deep automation: profiles, scripting, FTP and email actions
- Terminal Server edition built for Citrix/RDS deployments
- Group Policy management for company-wide rollout
- German company, EU jurisdiction
Where PDFCreator falls short
- Windows only
- Professional pricing shown in USD, not EUR
- Narrower than Sejda: creation and merging, not editing
- Interface shows its age next to Smallpdf or Sejda
Standout feature. An AGPL-licensed virtual printer that scales from a free personal tool to Terminal Server automation for an entire company.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Free edition is genuinely free, AGPL-licensed, no time limit
- Deep automation: profiles, scripting, FTP and email actions
- Terminal Server edition built for Citrix/RDS deployments
- Group Policy management for company-wide rollout
- German company, EU jurisdiction
Cons
- Windows only
- Professional pricing shown in USD, not EUR
- Narrower than Sejda: creation and merging, not editing
- Interface shows its age next to Smallpdf or Sejda
Alternatives to PDFCreator
Frequently Asked Questions
What is PDFCreator?
PDFCreator installs as a virtual printer, so any Windows application that can print can produce a PDF instead — the same trick doPDF and Bullzip use, but built out into a genuine automation platform rather than stopping at conversion. The Free edition, released under the AGPL, covers PDF creation, merging and page rearranging with no cost and no time limit, which is the same territory as doPDF but with a heavier, more configurable interface around it.
Where is PDFCreator based?
PDFCreator operates from Hamburg, Germany, which places it under EU (Germany).
What does PDFCreator cost?
Free edition free; Professional from about $22-29 per workstation per year (volume discounts from 10 units), excl. VAT; Server and Terminal Server editions quoted separately. 30-day free trial (Professional).
Who is PDFCreator best for?
Turning any Windows print job into a PDF. An AGPL-licensed virtual printer that scales from a free personal tool to Terminal Server automation for an entire company.
What are the drawbacks of PDFCreator?
Windows only. Professional pricing shown in USD, not EUR. Narrower than Sejda: creation and merging, not editing. Interface shows its age next to Smallpdf or Sejda.
Is PDFCreator a good alternative to Adobe Acrobat?
PDFCreator is built as a European alternative to Adobe Acrobat: German virtual PDF printer with automation profiles and a Terminal Server edition for IT teams. It will not be a like-for-like feature match in every respect, so check the review above for where the two genuinely differ before switching.
How does PDFCreator compare to other PDF Tools?
PDFCreator is one of several European PDF Tools we cover. It is most often compared with Adobe Acrobat, doPDF, CutePDF.