SoftMaker
SoftMaker Software GmbH is a privately held German software company founded in 1987 that develops cross-platform office productivity software (SoftMaker Office) and a GDPR-compliant PDF editor (FlexiPDF), serving European consumers, SMBs, and enterprises seeking Microsoft Office and Adobe Acrobat alternatives with bundled AI features.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1987
- HeadquartersNürnberg, Germany
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingSoftware
What SoftMaker does
SoftMaker Software GmbH is a privately held, founder-controlled German software company founded in 1987 and headquartered in Nuremberg (Kronacher Str. 7, 90427). It develops and sells cross-platform office productivity software, with two flagship product lines: SoftMaker Office (comprising TextMaker word processor, PlanMaker spreadsheet, Presentations slide builder, and BasicMaker automation tool) and FlexiPDF, a GDPR-compliant PDF editor. The Office suite runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android, while FlexiPDF is a Windows product; both are available in perpetual license and subscription (NX Universal) editions, with a free FreeOffice tier serving as the top-of-funnel acquisition vehicle. The company operates a direct-to-consumer go-to-market via its own e-shop and the Apple App Store/Google Play, supplemented by Linux repository distribution (DEB/RPM), a reseller channel, and volume licensing for enterprise deployment through MDM providers (IServ, Jamf, Mosyle, Microsoft Intune).
The technology stack emphasizes Microsoft Office file format compatibility (DOCX/XLSX/PPTX) and bundles third-party AI integrations: ChatGPT (OpenAI) for text improvement, summarization, and image generation; DeepL for document and PDF translation with layout preservation; and LanguageTool alongside Duden Korrektor for multilingual and German-standard grammar checking. OCR capability is built into FlexiPDF for scanned documents. Distribution spans 15+ language localizations, including English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, Swedish, Polish, and Russian. The company has no disclosed external funding, parent company, or acquisitions, and remains independent under Managing Director Martin Kotulla after nearly four decades of continuous operation.
Revenue is generated through a mix of one-time software licenses, recurring annual/monthly subscriptions, and volume licensing for organizations, with pricing spanning $39.90/year for FlexiPDF NX subscriptions to volume deals of $5,950 for 100 seats of FlexiPDF 2025. Customer segments include European consumers and businesses prioritizing GDPR compliance and data residency, cross-platform users needing a single license across multiple operating systems, budget-conscious individuals seeking one-time-purchase alternatives to Microsoft 365, and enterprises requiring MDM-deployable volume licenses. No revenue, headcount, or unit volume figures are publicly disclosed.
SoftMaker firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SoftMaker
- Legal name
- SoftMaker Software GmbH
- Website
- https://softmaker.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1987
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- SoftMaker Software GmbH is a privately held German software company founded in 1987 that develops cross-platform office productivity software (SoftMaker Office) and a GDPR-compliant PDF editor (FlexiPDF), serving European consumers, SMBs, and enterprises seeking Microsoft Office and Adobe Acrobat alternatives with bundled AI features.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SoftMaker industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Office Productivity Software
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (5132)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Document Creation & Office Suites (BPAMAMAD)
Keywords
Where SoftMaker is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Nürnberg
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
SoftMaker business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Software Licenses - Perpetual: One-time purchase model for FlexiPDF 2025 at $99.95 (new) or $39.95 (upgrade). Customers own the license indefinitely with optional future upgrades at discounted prices.
- Software Subscriptions - Annual/Monthly: Subscription model for FlexiPDF NX ($39.90/year or $3.99/month) and SoftMaker Office NX Universal. Subscriptions include continuous updates and latest features.
- Volume/Corporate Licensing: Volume licenses for organizations with tiered pricing (5, 10, 25, 50, 100 computers) at discounted rates. Commercial use allows single computer per license with secondary portable use rights.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | FlexiPDF NX Annual Subscription |
| Subscription | Monthly | FlexiPDF NX Monthly Subscription |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | FlexiPDF 2025 Perpetual License |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | FlexiPDF Volume Licenses |
| Subscription | Annual | SoftMaker Office NX Universal |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
SoftMaker product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SoftMaker develops and sells office productivity software (SoftMaker Office with TextMaker word processor, PlanMaker spreadsheet, and Presentations) and a PDF editor (FlexiPDF), marketed as GDPR-compliant alternatives to Microsoft Office and Adobe Acrobat. Products are available across Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android via NX Universal subscription (cross-platform) and as standalone desktop perpetual-license versions, with integrated AI features including ChatGPT text improvement, DeepL translation, and OCR.
Product overview
SoftMaker offers a comprehensive office productivity software portfolio centered around its SoftMaker Office suite available in NX (subscription) and numbered version (one-time purchase) editions. The core SoftMaker Office suite includes three main applications: TextMaker (word processor), PlanMaker (spreadsheet), and Presentations (presentation software), with BasicMaker for automation. These are available across Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android platforms through the NX Universal subscription or as standalone desktop versions. Complementing the office suite is FlexiPDF, a GDPR-compliant PDF editor offered in NX (subscription) and 2025 (one-time purchase) variants with AI-powered features including DeepL translation and ChatGPT summarization. The company also provides a Fonts product line featuring premium OpenType/TrueType fonts and free monthly offerings.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- SoftMaker Office NX Universal: Cross-platform office suite for Windows, Mac, and Linux with AI integration, grammar checking, and document translation features.
- SoftMaker Office 2024
- SoftMaker Office 2021
- SoftMaker FreeOffice
- FlexiPDF NX
- FlexiPDF 2025
- TextMaker
- PlanMaker
- Presentations
- BasicMaker
Products and services
- SoftMaker Office NX Universal Cross-platform subscription office suite supporting Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, iPad, and Android with TextMaker, PlanMaker, and Presentations, including AI features such as ChatGPT SmartChat, DeepL translation, and LanguageTool grammar checking.
- SoftMaker Office NX Home Entry-level subscription office suite for Windows, Mac, and Linux offering core word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation capabilities for personal and household use.
- SoftMaker Office 2024 Desktop office suite for Windows, Mac, and Linux with TextMaker, PlanMaker, and Presentations, licensed as a one-time purchase with optional upgrade discounts.
- FlexiPDF NX GDPR-compliant subscription PDF editor for Windows offering automatic DeepL translation of PDF pages, AI document summarization via ChatGPT, OCR, spell checking, digital signatures, and AES encryption.
- FlexiPDF 2025 One-time-purchase PDF editor for Windows providing full PDF editing capabilities, scanning and OCR, with optional discounted future upgrades.
- SoftMaker Fonts Premium OpenType and TrueType font packages for Windows, macOS, and Linux including web fonts with unlimited pageviews and monthly free font offerings.
Quantifiable outcome
- 5 million characters per year of ChatGPT AI text processing included in SoftMaker Office NX Universal subscription
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use SoftMaker
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
SoftMaker technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration8 records
AI capability6 records
Feature8 records
SoftMaker partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- LanguageToolcoreLanguageTool provides grammar and style checking in over 30 languages integrated into TextMaker NX Universal. This partnership adds multilingual grammar checking alongside the existing Duden Korrektor for German, enabling comprehensive proofreading across major languages including English, French, Spanish, and German.
- DeepLcoreDeepL provides document translation capabilities integrated into SoftMaker Office NX Universal (TextMaker) and FlexiPDF NX. Enables automatic translation of entire documents or PDF pages while preserving original formatting and layout.
- OpenAI (ChatGPT)coreChatGPT integration provides AI-powered text improvement, rephrasing, shortening and stylistic enhancement in SoftMaker Office NX Universal. Includes SmartChat function for text review, summarization, and content creation. Revision 1218 increased AI capacity to 5 million characters per year.
- Duden KorrektorcoreDuden Korrektor provides professional German grammar and spell checking following Duden standards. Integrated into TextMaker NX with support for latest German spelling reforms. Regular updates ensure compliance with German language standards.
- MDM System Providers (IServ, Jamf, Mosyle, Microsoft Intune)minorEnterprise volume license product keys for SoftMaker Office NX can be distributed via MDM software (IServ, Jamf, Mosyle, Microsoft Intune) supporting AppConfig standard for iOS. Enables organization-wide deployment on iOS devices.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
SoftMaker competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Adobe Acrobat: Adobe Acrobat is the incumbent PDF editor that FlexiPDF explicitly positions against as a 'GDPR-compliant alternative,' competing in the same product category (PDF editing, OCR, translation) for SMB and European buyers.
- Foxit Software: Foxit PDF Editor is a direct competitor to FlexiPDF, offering PDF editing, OCR, and document workflows for enterprise and SMB customers with similar cross-platform availability and subscription/perpetual licensing.
- LibreOffice (The Document Foundation): LibreOffice is a free, open-source office suite (Writer, Calc, Impress) that competes head-to-head with SoftMaker Office on Windows, Mac, and Linux, targeting the same cost-sensitive users and serving as the strongest free alternative to SoftMaker's paid offerings.
- Nitro Software: Nitro PDF is a subscription-based PDF editor positioned for enterprise document workflows, broadly comparable to FlexiPDF's Windows-centric PDF offering with overlapping target customers.
- ONLYOFFICE: ONLYOFFICE offers a cross-platform office and document-editing suite with DOCX/XLSX/PPTX compatibility and self-hosted/enterprise options, directly competing with SoftMaker in the SMB and privacy-conscious EU segments.
- WPS Office (Kingsoft): WPS Office is a cross-platform (Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, Android) office suite sold on perpetual and subscription tiers as a Microsoft Office alternative — directly comparable to SoftMaker Office in feature set, distribution channels, and target SMB/consumer segments globally.
Broad incumbents
- Apple iWork (Pages/Numbers/Keynote): Apple's free iWork suite (Pages, Numbers, Keynote) is bundled with iOS/macOS devices and competes directly with SoftMaker's mobile and Mac office offerings for users within the Apple ecosystem.
- Microsoft 365 / Office: Microsoft Office/365 is the dominant office suite and the primary competitor SoftMaker positions against, but operates at vastly greater scale as part of a broad portfolio (Windows, Azure, Copilot) with deep enterprise lock-in.
- Google Workspace: Google Docs/Sheets/Slides compete with SoftMaker Office, especially on mobile and in education/SMB, as part of a broader productivity and collaboration portfolio rather than a standalone desktop suite.
Others
- Corel (WordPerfect): Corel's WordPerfect office suite has historically competed with SoftMaker in the legacy and European office suite market; weaker current traction makes it adjacent rather than direct, but it remains in the same product family.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
SoftMaker social profiles
Digital presenceSoftMaker compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
SoftMaker financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SoftMaker leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
SoftMaker funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SoftMaker M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about SoftMaker
What does SoftMaker do?
SoftMaker develops and sells office productivity software (SoftMaker Office with TextMaker word processor, PlanMaker spreadsheet, and Presentations) and a PDF editor (FlexiPDF), marketed as GDPR-compliant alternatives to Microsoft Office and Adobe Acrobat. Products are available across Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS, and Android via NX Universal subscription (cross-platform) and as standalone desktop perpetual-license versions, with integrated AI features including ChatGPT text improvement, DeepL translation, and OCR.
Is SoftMaker a public or private company?
SoftMaker is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was SoftMaker founded?
SoftMaker was founded in 1987.
Where is SoftMaker based?
SoftMaker is headquartered in Nürnberg, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does SoftMaker make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Software Licenses - Perpetual is the primary driver. The others are software Subscriptions - Annual/Monthly and volume/Corporate Licensing.
Who are SoftMaker's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Adobe Acrobat, Foxit Software, LibreOffice (The Document Foundation), Nitro Software, ONLYOFFICE and WPS Office (Kingsoft). Broad incumbents are Apple iWork (Pages/Numbers/Keynote), Microsoft 365 / Office and Google Workspace. Corel (WordPerfect) is listed as an others.
Does SoftMaker have an API?
No public API is recorded for SoftMaker.
What industry is SoftMaker in?
SoftMaker's product category is Office Productivity Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAMAMAD, Document Creation & Office Suites. Its NAICS code is 5132 and its SIC code is 7372.