Soda PDF review
by Avanquest Software · in PDF Editors, PDF Converters
Subscription PDF suite: Windows desktop app plus a browser app with AI and translation
Prices verified October 30, 2026 on the vendor's site
Overview
Soda PDF, from Avanquest, is a subscription PDF editor that bundles a Windows desktop app with Soda PDF Online, a browser app. All paid plans include editing, conversion to and from Office formats, forms, batch tools, security, e-signature requests and OCR. The AI assistant (ask questions and summarize) and page-layout translation work only in the online app. At the US checkout, Pro costs $12.50 a month, or $89 for the first year with renewal at $129. Team is the same as Pro for 3–19 seats with a 10% per-license discount. Business costs $20 a month or $198 a year. It adds 10 GB of storage, full OCR editing, deployment tools and phone support. There is no native Mac or mobile app; on those devices you use the web version. Free online quick tools are available for one-off tasks.
Who it's for
Windows users and small offices that want desktop editing plus browser access on other devices. It also fits teams of 3–19 who want a per-seat discount, and anyone who wants built-in AI Q&A and PDF translation without a separate tool.
Soda PDF pricing
| Plan | Price | Billing | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soda PDF Pro Monthly | $12.50 per month, billed monthly (rebills at $12.50 monthly until cancelled) | monthly | Online & Desktop access; price shown in US checkout |
| Soda PDF Pro (yearly) | $89.00 12 months for $89.00, then rebills at $129.00 every 12 months | annual | Checkout lists 'Regular: $125.00'; first-year price is promotional; renewal $129.00/year |
| Soda PDF Team Monthly (3 licenses) | $33.75 per month for 3 licenses ($11.25 per license monthly) | monthly | Team plan is for 3–19 licenses with a 10% per-license discount; monthlyEquivalentUSD is per license |
| Soda PDF Team (yearly, 3 licenses) | $240.00 12 months ($80.00 per license), then rebills at $129.00 every 12 months per license | annual | Per-license figures shown at checkout; monthlyEquivalentUSD is per license |
| Soda PDF Business Monthly | $20.00 per month, billed monthly | monthly | Adds self-serve plan management, deployment options, Ask-the-Expert phone support, 10 GB storage, OCR Edit |
| Soda PDF Business (yearly) | $198.00 12 months for $198.00, then rebills at $198.00 every 12 months | annual |
Source: www.sodapdf.com pricing page, checked October 30, 2026. Prices are in USD, before tax, as shown to US visitors; vendors change them often, so confirm before buying.
Features
- Edit text & images: yes
- Convert to/from Office: yes
- E-signatures: yes
- OCR (scan to text): yes
- AI assistant: yes
- Chat with PDF: yes
- AI summaries: yes
- Redaction: yes
- Fillable forms: yes
- Batch processing: yes
- Cloud storage: yes
- Team admin console: yes
- Works offline (desktop app): yes
Not confirmed on the vendor's site (so not credited in the score): Compare documents.
Platforms
- Windows
- Web
Good to know
- AI tools (ask questions, summarize) and Translate are only available in Soda PDF Online, not the desktop app source
- Cloud storage: 5 GB on Pro and Team, 10 GB on Business source
- Translate allowance: 1,200 pages per year on Pro and Team, 1,800 pages per year on Business source
- OCR level differs by plan: 'OCR Search' on Pro and Team, 'OCR Edit' on Business source
- Team plans cover 3–19 licenses with a 10% discount per license versus Pro source
- Desktop app is for Windows; on Mac, Linux, iOS and Android you use the web app source
- Business supports deployment via MSI/GPO, SCCM, Windows Terminal Server and Citrix source
- Checkout lists a 15-day refund guarantee source
Pros and cons
What we like
- Desktop and online access come in one subscription
- AI assistant and layout-preserving translation are included in all paid plans
- Team pricing for 3–19 licenses at a per-license discount
- Business adds deployment options (GPO, SCCM, Citrix) and phone support
Watch out for
- Yearly Pro price rises from $89 in the first year to $129 on renewal
- Desktop app is Windows-only; Mac and mobile users get the web app
- AI and translate features work only online, and translation is capped by pages per year
- Editable OCR is limited to Business; Pro and Team get searchable OCR
How we scored Soda PDF
Features: 7 of 8 key pdf editors features confirmed. Overall 3.8/5. Same formula for every product — read the methodology.
Soda PDF alternatives
Budget-friendly cross-platform PDF editor with perpetual and multi-year options
Low-cost PDF toolkit with web, desktop and mobile apps plus AI credits
Browser-first PDF toolkit with AI chat, e-signing and a 7-day Pro trial
OCR-first PDF editor with 198 recognition languages and cross-format document comparison