Ombly vs Adobe Acrobat Pro
Acrobat Pro is a full PDF editor with a capable redaction tool, as long as you leave its option to remove hidden information switched on. Ombly does one job: it suggests what to hide, from IBANs to national IDs, and rebuilds every page, so there's no extra step to remember.
Scorecard
Rows in your favour, from the table below. A row counts only when the vendor's own page confirms it.
Where Ombly is ahead
- Runs on your company's own infrastructure
- Audit trail for compliance
- Automatic detection
- National ID and bank formats (IBAN, SSN, NI…)
- Metadata and hidden content
Where Adobe Acrobat Pro is ahead
- You need a full PDF editor for forms, signatures, comments and page edits, not only redaction.
- You want the rest of the document to stay searchable and selectable after redacting.
What Ombly does
- 01
Runs on your computer
Your document is opened, checked and redacted on your own machine. Nothing is uploaded.
- 02
Finds what to hide
Card and account numbers, IBANs, national ID numbers, names, addresses, contact details and file paths are suggested for you to accept.
- 03
Leaves nothing behind
Every page is rebuilt from pixels, so there's no hidden text, metadata or old revision in the copy you share.
For firms: run Ombly on your own servers or cloud, with encrypted storage and an audit trail, and add your own patterns for matter, case or reference numbers. The personal app is coming soon.
Redacting a 200-page client bundle
Statements and contracts going to an auditor or the other side, wherever your firm works.
With Adobe Acrobat Pro
Each reviewer opens the files in their own copy of Acrobat Pro, searches for and marks names and account numbers, and keeps the option to remove hidden information switched on for every file. IBANs and most national ID formats have to be searched for by hand.
With Ombly for teams
With Ombly, the bundle stays on your firm's own servers or cloud. Account numbers, IBANs, national IDs, names and file paths are suggested on every page, a reviewer checks them, and the audit log records each step without keeping the private text. You add your own patterns for matter, case or client reference numbers.
Book a demoSharing a bank statement with a landlord
The same everyday job, done both ways.
With Adobe Acrobat Pro
In Acrobat Pro, you'd mark the account number and IBAN yourself or search for each one, keep the option to remove hidden information switched on, and save. It works well if you have Acrobat Pro and remember that option.
With Ombly
With Ombly, the statement never leaves your computer. The account number, IBAN and phone are suggested for you to accept, and you send a copy rebuilt from pixels, with nothing left to copy.
How the workflows differ
Side by side
- In your favour: In your favour
- Partly: Partly
- Not in your favour: Not in your favour
- Not stated by the vendor: Not stated by the vendor
| Feature | Adobe Acrobat Pro | Ombly |
|---|---|---|
| Where it runs | Desktop app (Acrobat Pro) | On your own computer (personal app coming soon) or on your company's own servers |
| Is the original uploaded? | In your favour: No, for redaction in the desktop app | In your favour: No. The original stays on your device or inside your network |
| Runs on your company's own infrastructure | Partly: A desktop app on each person's computer | In your favour: Yes. Teams run it on their own servers or cloud; processing workers have no internet access |
| Audit trail for compliance | Not stated by the vendor: Not covered in Adobe's redaction guide | In your favour: Yes. Every upload, review, export and download is logged, without storing the private text itself |
| Automatic detection | Partly: Find Text for words and phrases, plus patterns such as phone numbers, card numbers, email addresses, US Social Security numbers and dates | In your favour: Yes. Suggestions you review: ID, account and card numbers, contact details, names, addresses and file paths |
| National ID and bank formats (IBAN, SSN, NI…) | Partly: US Social Security numbers are among its patterns; IBANs and other national IDs aren't listed, so you search for them yourself | In your favour: Yes. Card numbers, IBANs and Aadhaar numbers must pass their checksums; US SSN, UK National Insurance, PAN and IFSC formats are checked, and you can add your own |
| Metadata and hidden content | Partly: Removed when the option to remove hidden information and metadata stays on as you apply redactions | In your favour: Nothing from the original file is carried over. Exports carry fixed, neutral metadata |
| Output | In your favour: The same PDF with redacted content removed. The rest stays searchable text | In your favour: A new PDF rebuilt from page images. Not searchable, nothing left to copy |
| Best for | People who already use Acrobat Pro and edit PDFs in many other ways | Firms and individuals with documents that shouldn't leave their own machines or network |
| Pricing | Paid subscription (Acrobat Pro) | Teams: book a call to talk through a pilot. Personal app: join the waitlist |
- Where it runs
- Adobe Acrobat Pro: Desktop app (Acrobat Pro)
- Ombly: On your own computer (personal app coming soon) or on your company's own servers
- Is the original uploaded?
- In your favour: Adobe Acrobat Pro: No, for redaction in the desktop app
- In your favour: Ombly: No. The original stays on your device or inside your network
- Runs on your company's own infrastructure
- Partly: Adobe Acrobat Pro: A desktop app on each person's computer
- In your favour: Ombly: Yes. Teams run it on their own servers or cloud; processing workers have no internet access
- Audit trail for compliance
- Not stated by the vendor: Adobe Acrobat Pro: Not covered in Adobe's redaction guide
- In your favour: Ombly: Yes. Every upload, review, export and download is logged, without storing the private text itself
- Automatic detection
- Partly: Adobe Acrobat Pro: Find Text for words and phrases, plus patterns such as phone numbers, card numbers, email addresses, US Social Security numbers and dates
- In your favour: Ombly: Yes. Suggestions you review: ID, account and card numbers, contact details, names, addresses and file paths
- National ID and bank formats (IBAN, SSN, NI…)
- Partly: Adobe Acrobat Pro: US Social Security numbers are among its patterns; IBANs and other national IDs aren't listed, so you search for them yourself
- In your favour: Ombly: Yes. Card numbers, IBANs and Aadhaar numbers must pass their checksums; US SSN, UK National Insurance, PAN and IFSC formats are checked, and you can add your own
- Metadata and hidden content
- Partly: Adobe Acrobat Pro: Removed when the option to remove hidden information and metadata stays on as you apply redactions
- In your favour: Ombly: Nothing from the original file is carried over. Exports carry fixed, neutral metadata
- Output
- In your favour: Adobe Acrobat Pro: The same PDF with redacted content removed. The rest stays searchable text
- In your favour: Ombly: A new PDF rebuilt from page images. Not searchable, nothing left to copy
- Best for
- Adobe Acrobat Pro: People who already use Acrobat Pro and edit PDFs in many other ways
- Ombly: Firms and individuals with documents that shouldn't leave their own machines or network
- Pricing
- Adobe Acrobat Pro: Paid subscription (Acrobat Pro)
- Ombly: Teams: book a call to talk through a pilot. Personal app: join the waitlist
When Adobe Acrobat Pro is the better choice
- You need a full PDF editor for forms, signatures, comments and page edits, not only redaction.
- You want the rest of the document to stay searchable and selectable after redacting.
- Your organisation already licenses Acrobat Pro and has trained people to use it.
When Ombly is the better choice
- You want IBANs, account numbers and national IDs suggested, not searched for one by one.
- You don't want correct redaction to depend on remembering an option.
- You only need to share a clean copy, and a simpler, single-purpose tool suits you.
Questions
Does Acrobat Pro remove hidden information when redacting?
Adobe's guide says the pop-up shown when you apply redactions has a toggle to remove hidden data and metadata, and recommends leaving it on. If it's switched off, comments, hidden layers and revision history can remain.
Can Acrobat Pro find IBANs or ID numbers automatically?
Adobe's guide lists patterns such as phone numbers, card numbers, email addresses, US Social Security numbers and dates. IBANs and other national ID formats aren't listed, though you can search for a specific number.
Is an Ombly export searchable like an Acrobat one?
No. Ombly rebuilds each page as an image, so there's no text layer to search or copy. That's the trade-off for knowing nothing hidden survives.
Last checked 18 October 2026
Facts about Adobe Acrobat Pro come from the pages below, as they read on that date. Products change; if something here is out of date, email dilpreetgrover2@gmail.com.
Share the document. Keep the secrets.
Ombly removes private details from your documents, on your own computer.