Adobe uses pattern-matching. SafeRedact uses AI. Here's why that matters for finding sensitive information in your documents.
| Feature | SafeRedact | Adobe Acrobat Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Detection Method | AI-powered (Claude) | Pattern-matching (regex) |
| Detects Names | Yes | No |
| Detects Addresses | Yes | No |
| Detects SSNs | Yes | Yes (pattern only) |
| Context Awareness | Yes - understands meaning | No - patterns only |
| File Privacy | Files stay in browser | Local (desktop app) |
| Annual Price | $199/year | $240/year |
| Pay-as-you-go | $12 Day Pass | Not available |
Adobe Acrobat can only find data that matches specific patterns. SafeRedact's AI understands context and catches what patterns miss.
Pattern-matching (regex) looks for specific formats:
###-##-####
(###) ###-####
AI understands context and meaning:
"Patient John Smith (SSN: 123-45-6789) of 456 Oak Avenue, Boston MA was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. Contact: (555) 123-4567."
2 of 5 PII items found
5 of 5 PII items found
How each tool handles your sensitive documents during redaction.
Adobe uses pattern matching. SafeRedact uses AI. Here's what that means in practice.
Adobe's "Find & Redact" searches for patterns you define:
AI understands context and meaning, not just patterns:
Beyond subscription costs, consider time spent on manual review.
| Factor | Adobe Acrobat Pro | SafeRedact |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Cost | ~$240/year | $99/year |
| Time per document | 10-30 min (manual search) | 30 seconds (AI-powered) |
| Learning curve | Steep (complex interface) | Minimal (upload and go) |
| Miss rate | Higher (manual dependent) | Lower (AI catches context) |
Cost Calculation: If you redact 10 documents monthly at 20 minutes each with Adobe vs 30 seconds with SafeRedact, you save 3+ hours per month. At $50/hour, that's $1,800/year in time savings alone.
| Plan | SafeRedact | Adobe Acrobat Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Free Tier | Unlimited (with watermark) | 7-day trial |
| Day Pass | $12 | Not available |
| Monthly | $29/month | $23/month (billed annually) |
| Annual | $199/year | $240/year |
Note: Adobe Acrobat is a full PDF suite. SafeRedact is specialized for AI-powered redaction.
No. Adobe Acrobat uses pattern-matching (regex) to find data in specific formats like SSNs and phone numbers. It cannot understand context or detect unstructured PII like names, addresses, or medical information.
Yes. Like Adobe's desktop app, SafeRedact keeps your files local - they never leave your browser. The only difference is SafeRedact sends extracted text (not the file) to AI for analysis.
Yes. SafeRedact offers a $12 Day Pass for one-time projects, plus unlimited free documents (with watermark). Adobe Acrobat requires an annual subscription after the 7-day trial.
SafeRedact's AI can detect all 18 HIPAA identifiers including names, addresses, dates, and medical conditions. Adobe's pattern-matching can only find structured data like SSNs and phone numbers, missing most HIPAA-protected information.
See if it fits your workflow. No account required for the free tier.