CCH ProSystem fx PDFlyer is a familiar name in firms that run on Wolters Kluwer software. If you are reviewing licenses, moving away from the CCH stack, or just want the same review tools for someone outside it, here is how the alternatives compare.
What PDFlyer does
Wolters Kluwer describes PDFlyer as an Adobe Acrobat plug-in for preparing engagements across multiple PDF files in a paperless office. Its listed features are tickmarks, connectors, annotation and user stamps, a calculator tape, notes and file merging. Pricing is available on request from Wolters Kluwer.
The alternatives
Debits plug-in for Adobe Acrobat (free)
The Debits plug-in covers PDFlyer’s core review tools and adds a few of its own:
- Tick marks and stamps: 40 tick marks, 10 named workpaper stamps such as Footed, Agreed and Traced to balance, and up to 24 custom marks.
- Calculator tape: a 10-key tape that can pull figures from text you select on the PDF, cross-foot against a figure on the page, and be stamped onto the workpaper.
- Cross-references: link a figure to its supporting page, like PDFlyer’s connectors.
- Sign-offs: preparer, reviewer, manager and partner, with initials and the date.
- Markup and navigation: highlights, notes, shapes, freehand ink, bookmarks and a one-click workpaper index.
It is free, with no account. It runs on Windows 10 and 11 with Acrobat Standard or Pro. It does not merge files; Acrobat’s own Combine Files handles that.
TicTie Calculate
Sold by SafeSend (Thomson Reuters) and offered through Drake, TicTie Calculate lists customizable tick marks, sign-offs for a preparer and up to two reviewers, hyperlinked cross references, calculator tapes, automated bookmarking and repagination. Pricing and a trial come from SafeSend.
Scriptor
Scriptor lists custom markup stamping, an editable calculator tape, sign-off blocks for up to four roles, a document organizer and page resizing, for $59 a year after a 7-day trial that needs an account.
Which should you choose?
- You want the review tools without another license: start with the free Debits plug-in.
- You merge many PDFs inside the plug-in every day: PDFlyer’s file merging may matter more to you, or use Acrobat’s Combine Files alongside a free plug-in.
- You need automatic repagination: TicTie Calculate lists it; the others do not yet.
Whatever you pick, choose a tool that saves marks as standard PDF annotations, so your workpapers stay readable in any viewer for as long as you keep them. Compare all the tools side by side.
Features and prices as listed on each vendor’s own product page in October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free alternative to PDFlyer?
Yes. The Debits plug-in for Adobe Acrobat provides tick marks, workpaper stamps, a calculator tape, cross-references and sign-offs for free, with no account.
Do I need CCH software to use the Debits plug-in?
No. It works with any PDF in Adobe Acrobat Standard or Pro on Windows.
How much does PDFlyer cost?
Wolters Kluwer does not publish a price on the PDFlyer product page; pricing is available on request.