Even though they’re over 25 years old, PDFs are still one of the main types of documents on the internet. Whether you’re trying to access your W-2, a contract, or an ebook, it’ll probably be in the form of a PDF. But to view these important documents, you need to download a PDF reader on your computer.
There are hundreds of PDF readers and some can cost you almost a thousand dollars per year, so we sifted through the internet to find the best free PDF readers that you can download online.
Below, we created a list of 15 of the best free PDF readers whose capabilities range from only viewing PDFs to creating, editing, and securing them.
The 5 Best Free PDF Readers for Windows and Mac
1. Foxit Reader
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Foxit Reader is like the Google Docs of PDF readers. You can create, share, and secure your PDFs all on the cloud. To create PDFs, you can upload scans, convert Word documents, PowerPoint presentations, and Excel sheets, and even combine multiple PDFs into a new file.
If you want to collaborate with someone on a PDF, you can grant and revoke document access, track who opens your document and view their activity, edit, comment, and also notify readers about new updates to your PDF.
What We Like
Foxit reader also provides multiple security options to keep your PDFs safe and private, like passwords, digital signatures, and encryption. If you create PDFs regularly for your job and need a way to collaborate on the same file, Foxit would be a good option.
2. Adobe Acrobat Reader DC
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Adobe’s free PDF reader, Adobe Acrobat Reader DC, connects to the Adobe Document cloud and other cloud storage systems like Box, Dropbox, and Microsoft OneDrive, letting you open, view, share, and comment on PDFs from anywhere and on any device you want.
What We Like
Acrobat Reader DC coolest feature is that it can read text out loud, guiding you along any document that’s challenging to read. Adobe’s free PDF reader is great for any busy professional who needs to annotate PDFs on the go or on their commute.
3. Javelin PDF Reader
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Javelin PDF Reader is a straightforward PDF reader that lets you launch and print standard and encrypted PDFs, annotate them, and bookmark them. Since its download size is two MB and it doesn’t have extra features like editing, the PDF reader is fast with a simple and clean user interface. If you want to read and take notes on PDFs quickly, Javelin is probably the PDF reader for you.
What We Like
Although basic compared to powerhouse Adobe, if you want to read and take notes on PDFs quickly, Javelin is probably the PDF reader for you.
4. Google Drive
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Google Drive is the most accessible PDF converter and PDF storage system. On the platform, you can convert any of your documents, presentations, and sheets into PDF files and upload any PDFs to it for your own viewing purposes. If your only use for PDFs is viewing them or converting files into them, Google Drive is the best option for you.
What We Like
Google Drive allows teams to share documents and collaborate seamlessly thanks to a user-friendly interface and intuitive design.
5. Your Web Browser
Web browsers like Google Chrome, Firefox, and Safari all have integrated PDF readers. To view a PDF on your browser, all you have to do is click on the PDF link. You can also open PDF files that are already stored on your computer by dragging them to an open tab in your browser.
Additional features included in most browsers’ PDF readers: rotate, download, print, and adjust text size.
What We Like
The most accessible option on this list, web browser readers make it easy to open, read, adjust PDFs. If you don’t need to convert files into PDFs and you only need to view PDFs, you don’t need to download a PDF reader. You can just use your web browser.
The 5 Best Free PDF Readers for Windows
1. Nitro Reader
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Nitro Reader has a reputation for striking a good balance between usability and advanced features. The platform has an intuitive and slick interface, but you also have access to a wide variety of tools to create, review, secure, and share PDF files. To create new PDFs, all you have to do is drag and drop your documents into the reader. Then, you can design your PDF draft with custom colors, font embedding, and orientation.
When you want to review a document, the PDF reader’s review pane helps you edit, comment, and address feedback. If you’re a PDF power user, Nitro Reader could be your best option.
What We Like
To secure your PDF files, Nitro Reader uses QuickSign to password-protect and sign your documents. Sharing documents is also simple and secure — you can share documents with anyone since the PDFs you create in Nitro Reader are compatible with almost every other PDF reader.
2. PDF-XChange Editor
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PDF-XChange Editor is one of the more robust free PDF readers out there. You can create, view, add notes, record and attach audio, highlight text, attach files, strikethrough words, and add signatures. If you need to create, edit, and share PDFs at work a lot, PDF-XChange Editor could be the PDF reader for you.
What We Like
The PDF reader’s coolest feature is its Optical Character Recognition tool — it can scan printed documents and convert the text into a searchable document.
3. MuPDF
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MuPDF is a standard PDF reader for viewing and editing PDF files. You can fill out text forms, annotate documents, and use it to convert PDF files into other file types like HTML, SVG, and CBZ. You can also write scripts in Javascript to alter your documents.
What We Like
If you want a low-memory PDF reader that you can easily edit and view files on, MuPDF is your best option.
4. SumatraPDF
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Even though SumatraPDF lacks some advanced features like annotation, document signing, and form-filling, Sumatra PDF provides an intuitive and fast reading experience — it has multiple viewing modes like single page, book, and presentation and shortcuts that help you navigate any PDF file. If you just need to read PDFs for work, consider using SumatraPDF.
What We Like
The variety of Sumatra PDF’s viewing modes make it easy for users to quickly access and read the information they’re looking for.
5. Slim PDF
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Slim PDF is one of the smallest PDF readers in the world, taking up just 15 MB of space on your computer. Despite its tiny size, this free PDF reader comes with a lot of advanced features that complement core functionalities such as those allowing you to print, search, zoom and rotate PDF files.
It’s available for Windows, Mac, and Linux.
What We Like
Slim PDF is small but mighty. If you are looking for a solution that strikes the perfect balance between being lightweight and powerful, Slim PDF is a great choice.
The 5 Best Free PDF Readers for Mac
1. PDF Reader Premium
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With over 50 million downloads, PDF Reader Premium is one of the most popular PDF readers for Apple Devices. It has powerful functionality that lets you view your PDF in multiple tabs, annotate your document with images and sticky notes, organize your files with tags, sign signatures and fill out forms on your PDF, and store and transfer PDFs through a variety of cloud services. Anyone who frequently uses PDFs for work should consider downloading PDF Reader Premium.
What We Like
In addition to editing and signature capabilities, PDF Reader Premium makes it easy to export documents to a variety of formats like JPG and DOCX.
2. Preview
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Even though Preview is the pre-installed PDF reader on every Mac, it’s more powerful than you think. On Preview, you can view and annotate your documents, combine documents, fill out and sign forms, edit images, share files, and even export a password protected PDF, if there’s sensitive information on your document. Preview is the best choice for someone who wants to use one PDF reader for personal and professional matters.
What We Like
Preview is the best choice for someone who wants to use one PDF reader for personal and professional matters.
3. Skim
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Skim is a PDF reader that was originally designed to help academics read and annotate scientific papers in PDF format, but they’ve now improved their functionality to let anyone view any type of PDF file on the reader. On Skim, you can highlight text, take notes, take snapshots, export notes as text, and integrate with third party apps like BibDesk, a bibliography manager.
What We Like
Designed with academics in mind, Skim’s annotation and markup features put it above the competition.
4. Soda PDF
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Soda PDF is one of the best PDF readers for reading visual documents like digital catalogs, magazines, and comic books — you can even view files in 3D. The app also lets you create and edit PDFs from scratch. Soda PDF sells an online PDF platform too, so they drive demand for it by offering free PDF tools on their website like convert to PDF, convert from PDF, merge, split, & compress, sign & secure, and insert elements like watermarks and page numbering. You can use these online tools as a proxy for a downloadable PDF reader if you want to save space on your computer.
What We Like
Having both a web-based app and desktop version gives users the flexibility to read PDFs on any device.
5. Wondershare
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While Wondershare isn’t completely free, it does offer a free trial. However this may be a good option for someone who needs a pdf editor for one-off projects.
With Wondershare PDFelement, you can not only edit documents and convert them to PDFs, but it also allows for digital signatures, watermarks, and makes it easy to create forms.
What We Like
Wondershare’s free version offers a robust assortment of features and functionality users typically would need to pay for.
Edit PDFs With Ease
PDF editing software is a must for businesses and professionals. Having the right PDF editor can aid your team with collaboration and file management.
This article was originally published in August 2018 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.
by Ivan Jenic
Passionate about all elements related to Windows and combined with his innate curiosity, Ivan has delved deep into understanding this operating system, with a specialization in drivers and… read more
Updated on October 3, 2022
- PDF files are the most popular file formats in the business industry, so people save a lot of documents and photos in this format.
- PDF reading software offers a lot more extra features besides only viewing such files, so you may consider a 3D PDF viewer for Windows 10.
- The Adobe suite offers the most popular PDF reader on the market, so be sure to check it out below for more information.
- You can further enrich your digital life by choosing a PDF reader with night mode for Windows 10, so read on!
How about using the best document manager?Make all your documents accessible and secure using Adobe Acrobat Reader. This document management tool will also let you e-sign and create official forms to save your time at work. Get it for your PC and you will be able to:
- Open, print, and edit all your PDF and other file types
- Fill PDF forms easier
- Keep your essential documents encrypted
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The world’s Nr.1 document management software is now at a great price so hurry up!
Are you a Windows 10 PC owner stuck with a premium PDF reader with limited capabilities? How about 5 best free PDF reading software? This post is meant for you.
Portable Document Format (PDF) is a common file format that was developed by Adobe Systems in the 1990s for document presentation.
PDF files can contain items such as text, images, hyperlinks, interactive buttons, forms, embedded fonts, video, and many more.
However, some PDF readers are available at a premium price though they come with extended features.
There is some free PDF reading software available which can work more wonders compared to premium PDF readers.
What is the best free PDF reading software?
Adobe Acrobat Reader DC (recommended)
Adobe Acrobat Reader DC has a free version and is a user-friendly PDF reading software. Adobe Reader, as its name suggests, is perfect for viewing and printing PDF files.
This tool supports different files as Microsoft Office formats, Encapsulated PostScript, text, images, Autodesk Autocad, 3D files, MS Visio, and many more.
If you want to fill out PDF forms, you can do that as well. Adobe Reader enables you to navigate using outlines, links, and bookmarks. In addition, you can also use various viewer layouts, fit modes, and zooming tools within the program.
Moreover, this tool incorporates collaboration features like getting comments from different users on a shared online PDF.
As more people from the business industry spend more time on their smartphones, Adobe Reader adapted the application to mobile users.
Directly from your phone, you can edit, review, sign any PDF file and you can capture documents with your phone camera in order to save them as PDFs.
This application eases the process of collecting PDF files, as Adobe Reader is linked with Adobe Document Cloud in order to allow easy access of the PDFs anywhere you are.
Adobe Acrobat Reader
What better way to get rid of all PDF-related issues than by using the world’s most well-known PDF editor and reader.
Icecream Ebook Reader
Although not a dedicated PDF reader per se, Icecream Ebook Reader is very much capable of opening PDF files too, since many Ebooks come in that format anyway.
The application has a very lightweight overall feel to it, and the system impact is minimum, so you can run it even on very dated PCs.
As for the PDFs, it can open them without a problem, supporting internal linking, images, and pretty much any elements included inside.
Some PC issues are hard to tackle, especially when it comes to corrupted repositories or missing Windows files. If you are having troubles fixing an error, your system may be partially broken.
We recommend installing Restoro, a tool that will scan your machine and identify what the fault is.
Click here to download and start repairing.
Besides, you can use it to track reading progress, add notes, translate text, use bookmarks, and more.
Icecream Ebook Reader
Read your favorite eBooks as well as any PDF that you need with the help of this extremely useful software tool.
Xodo PDF Reader
This free program is an excellent PDF reading software. You can view PDF files and also edit them as well.
In addition, you can Xodo PDF Reader to convert images into PDF documents. Some great features of Xodo PDF Reader include:
- Fill out, save and send PDF forms
- Draw and type text on the PDF document
- Attach comments and bookmark for references
- Use a table of contents to navigate to sections and chapters
- Insert, delete, and rearrange pages of PDF documents
- Night Mode for reading in a dark environment.
⇒ Get Xodo PDF Reader
Reader
Reader is a Windows built-in PDF reading software. This program has a user-friendly interface, and it is easy-to-use even by novice PC users. Reader is lightweight and only requires 15MB of your disk space.
Reader has the following amazing features:
- View PDF documents
- Fill out, save and send PDF forms
- Print PDF documents
- Search for phrases or words
- Register comments and take notes
- Support for TIFF and XPS files
However, the downside feature of Reader is its bookmark navigation which is very poor.
⇒ Get Reader
Soda PDF 3D Reader
This program enables you to view your PDF files in 3D. Soda PDF presents the PDF document with a real life view. You can view PDF files in regular modes, such as: single, continuous, facing, and facing continuous.
Other noteworthy features of Soda PDF 3D Reader include:
- Convert PDF files into Microsoft Word format
- Mark PDF documents
- Add text, shapes, and images to documents
- Flip through pages to view PDF documents.
⇒ Get Soda PDF 3D Reader
PDF Annotation Lite
Last but not the least; PDF Annotation Lite is an ideal free PDF reading tool for Windows 10 PC.
This program is commonly regarded as the Photoshop of PDF readers; in addition to viewing PDF documents, you can edit them as well with this program.
PDF Annotation Liteenables you to add text, shapes, edit elements, and of course draw on PDF documents.
⇒ Get PDF Annotation Lite
Have you already used some of the software we mentioned above? Share your experience with us in the comment section below.
Newsletter
PDF documents are very popular as they can be opened on any operating system, and they are easy to attach with an email, message, or website. A PDF document also provides the advantage of not being altered easily. So, it is extensively used by individuals and organizations for digital copies of resumes, study material, documents, and manuals for peripherals and devices.
A PDF reader software helps you create, manage, and secure your PDF files all in one place. It allows you to simplify complicated tasks involved in PDFs. There are many dedicated Windows PDF readers available in the market. Therefore, selecting the best PDF reader for editing, altering, or managing your PDF files is difficult. We have created the best PDF readers list for your needs.
Following is a handpicked list of Top PDF Reader tools, pros, cons, and the latest PDF reader download links. This list contains Free (open source) as well as Commercial (paid) tools.
Name | Price | Windows Supported versions | Link |
---|---|---|---|
Adobe Acrobat Reader DC | Reader is Free. Adobe Acrobat is paid | Windows XP, 7, 8, 8.1, and 10 | Learn More |
PDF Xchange | The reader is Free, and the Editor version is paid | Windows XP, 7, 8, and 10 | Learn More |
Foxit Reader | The reader is Free, editor is paid. | Windows XP, 7, 8, and 10 | Learn More |
ABBYY FineReader | Free Trial. | Windows 8.1, 10. | Learn More |
Icecream Apps PDF-Editor | Free and Paid Version with more features | Windows XP, 7, 8, 8.1, and 10 | Learn More |
1) Adobe Acrobat Reader DC
Adobe Acrobat Reader DC is a free PDF review software for viewing, printing, and commenting on PDF documents. It provides multiple viewing modes to reduce eyestrain.
Pros:
- Hides unnecessary menus when switched to full screen.
- Offers multiple viewing modes to reduce eyestrain.
- It offers an easy-to-use drag-and-drop to manage PDFs.
- This free PDF reader software works across multiple devices.
- Easy integration with the Adobe Cloud system.
- Supports extraction of words and images.
Cons:
- The export function has a slow speed.
- Its free version offers very limited features.
Supported platforms: Windows XP, 7, 8, 8.1, 10, Mac, and Linux.
2) PDF Xchange
PDF-XChange Editor is a free PDF reader tool that offers buttons, toolbars, and side panels to edit PDFs with ease. It is one of the fastest PDF readers that allows you to disable unnecessary stuff for a cleaner viewing experience.
Pros:
- Adding and placing text is exceptionally easy.
- Well-organized and user-friendly interface.
- It is one of the best PDF reader software that helps you edit PDF files by attaching notes.
- This free PDF software offers additional functionality for the creation and editing of fillable forms.
- Supports adding comments before sharing files.
- It is the best portable PDF reader for Windows.
Cons:
- Watermark on the output.
Supported platforms: Windows XP, 7, 8, and 10.
Link: https://www.tracker-software.com/product/pdf-xchange-editor
3) Foxit Reader
Foxit Reader is an easy-to-read PDF reader tool that allows you to view, annotate, form-fill, and sign PDFs across desktop, mobile, and web. It enables you to grant access for collaborating with your friends and colleagues on the same PDF document. You can keep track of people who opened the doc, edit it, and view all their activities in real-time.
Pros:
- This free PDF software allows you to read PDFs anywhere.
- You can leverage existing forms and workflows with standard PDF and XFA form filling.
- Helps you to customize mass deployments and the setup customization tool for installer configuration.
- You can integrate it with leading cloud storage services and popular enterprise CMS.
Cons:
- Only available for Windows; the macOS version requires purchase after a free trial.
- No Linux version.
Supported platforms: Windows XP, 7, 8, and 10.
Link: https://www.foxit.com/pdf-reader/
4) ABBYY FineReader
ABBYY FineReader PDF is a PDF reader for Windows that allows you to share and collaborate with different documents in the same workflow. This free PDF software also helps you to streamline document conversion.
Pros:
- Allows you to scan and convert paper documents to Word, Excel, or PDF.
- It optimizes document processes.
- You can standardize software assets.
- Helps you digitize the document workflow.
- It allows you to find out changes between various versions of the documents.
Cons:
- It lacks full-text indexing, which is necessary for fast searches.
Supported platforms: Windows 8.1, 10.
5) Icecream Apps PDF Editor
Icecream Apps PDF-Editor is an easy-to-use software that enables you to create and make changes in the PDF file. It is one of the best PDF software that helps you edit, manage pages, annotate, and more.
Pros:
- Icecream PDF Editor helps you to move, rotate, and resize PDF objects.
- This PDF viewer allows you to set a password to protect PDF files.
- You can draw, add shapes, arrows, and lines to a PDF document.
- It helps you to merge PDF documents into one file.
- Offers built-in forms in PDF documents.
- Allows you to add notes in your PDF file.
- It allows you to search through the document before making changes to it.
Cons:
- The free version offers very limited features.
- This PDF software does not have the option to import multiple PDF files.
Supported platforms: Windows 7, 8, 8.1, and 10.
6) Nitro Reader
Nitro Reader is a powerful PDF editor that allows converting PDF to Excel and PowerPoint formats. This PDF reader software comes along with the OCR engine for scanning paper documents. It helps you to make your working with digital documents stress-free.
Pros:
- Allows you to convert your PDF file to Excel and PowerPoint formats.
- You can customize the toolbar for quick access.
- This PDF reader software allows you to convert other file types to PDF.
- This Windows PDF reader helps you to access shared files quicker with your team and colleagues.
- It is one of the fastest PDF readers, which allows you to export pages to different image files.
- Offers multitasking feature to modify PDF files easily.
Cons:
- This software only has the paid version.
- Does not have a tool to edit the document text.
Supported platforms: Windows XP, 7, 8, and 10.
7) Slim PDF
Slim PDF is a PDF reader software that helps you open and view your PDF documents, add comments and other annotations. You can also fill out interactive forms and validate digital signatures by using this tool. It provides a full range of advanced and customizable annotation tools.
Pros:
- Provides the best navigation for a simplified PDF viewing experience.
- Offers a full range of advanced and customizable annotation tools.
- It offers interactive PDF form filling and signature verification features.
- You can sign PDFs with electronic and digital signatures.
- Allows you to create a PDF from any printable file format.
Cons:
- Sometimes it acts buggy and fails to load elements such as signatures.
Supported platforms: Windows, Mac, and Linux.
Link: https://www.investintech.com/resources/freetools/slimpdfreader/
Ashampoo PDF
Ashampoo PDF helps you to manage and edit your PDF documents easily. This PDF software application helps you to create, edit, and protect your PDF files. It creates perfectly sized documents which are readable on any device. It also uses encryption to protect your intellectual properties.
Pros:
- You can compare two PDFs side by side.
- It allows you to edit open images in place with an external image editor.
- This Window PDF reader helps you to find out and replace colors throughout documents.
- It helps you to split your PDF files into smaller documents with a custom number of pages.
- You can replace document fonts for easier file exchange with other PDF programs.
Cons:
- Editing files is a bit hard, unlike in words.
Supported platforms: Windows 7, 8, and 10.
9) Google Drive
Google Drive also offers a PDF viewer feature. It is free PDF software for anyone who has a Google account. It allows you to open, view, convert and share any of your PDF Files across the cloud on the platform. Moreover, you can convert your PDF files into an editable doc format with just a few clicks.
Pros:
- Easy to use and clean interface.
- Offers secure access to all of your content.
- Supports SSL encryption.
- This free PDF software allows you to store PDFs, presentations, and photos.
- It helps you to access your docs from anywhere.
Cons:
- You need to be connected to the Internet to use Google Drive.
Supported platforms: Windows, Android, and iOS.
10) PDF Element
PDF Element is a powerful PDF-viewer application for creating and managing PDF forms and documents. It allows you to extract data from forms and export them into spreadsheets.
Pros:
- You can manage all your digital workflows with tools to easily create and edit documents.
- Allows you to convert, review, protect and sign documents all in one place.
- This PDF viewer allows you to customize fonts, personalize text style, and add graphics.
- PDF element helps you to track comments, monitor changes, and add highlights.
- You can convert PDF files into MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and RTF documents.
- Allows you to permanently black out sensitive information before sharing the documents.
Cons:
- Watermark in the free version.
- OCR feature is exclusive to the paid version.
Supported platforms: Windows, iOS, and Android.
11) Soda PDF
Soda PDF is a portable PDF reader software. You can use this application at your home and on the go. It is a fully functional online PDF reader that helps you create professional PDFs from various file formats.
Pros:
- You can efficiently make changes to your PDF documents.
- It makes the document revision process easy.
- You can send and track various contracts for e-sign.
- Offers a cloud-based management suite.
Cons:
- It is a very expensive tool compared to its peers.
Supported platforms: Windows, Mac, Linux, and mobile devices.
Link: https://www.sodapdf.com/
How do I get Adobe Acrobat Reader for free on Windows 10?
Step 1) Download the PDF reader on your PC
Open: https://get.adobe.com/reader/otherversions/ and select Adobe Acrobat Reader DC
Step 2) Select your operating system
You will be asked about your operating system; I am selecting Windows 10. However, you need to select the Windows version according to your PC.
Step 3) Select language
You need to select the language of your choice. I have selected English.
Step 4) Select the version
Lastly, select the 64-bit version for the 64-bit PC.
Step 5) Download the Acrobat Reader
Now, go to the upper right corner of the screen and start downloading Acrobat reader
Step 6) Save and run the .exe file on your PC
Click on the finish button when the process is completed and install the software by double-clicking on the .exe file
Step 7) Start the PDF reader application
You can see that the Acrobat PDF DC application has been launched
FAQ:
❓ What is PDF?
Portable Document Format (PDF), standardized as ISO 32000 is a file format. It was developed by Adobe in 1992 to present documents, including text formatting and images, independent of application software, hardware, and operating systems.
✔️ What are the Best PDF Reader Software for Windows 10?
Following are some of the best PDF reader software:
- Adobe Acrobat Reader DC
- PDF-Xchange
- Foxit Reader
- ABBYY FineReader
- Icecream Apps PDF Editor
- Nitro Reader
- Slim PDF
- Ashampoo PDF
- Google Drive
- PDF Element
- Soda PDF
⚡ Why use PDF Editor Software?
PDF editor software helps you edit your .pdf files efficiently and easily. It also allows users to create, secure, and distribute various PDF documents. A PDF editor tool also helps optimize PDF documents for various applications to print and manipulate PDF files.
🚀 Which Factors should you Consider while Selecting a PDF Reader Software?
You should consider the following factors while selecting a PDF reader software:
- Easy to use.
- Scan and OCR(Optical Character Recognition) features.
- Functionalities for PDF operations like Create, Edit, Share, Print, etc.
- Collaboration for multiple users.
- It should offer the security of your data.
- Mobile-friendliness.
- Support and customer care service.
🏅 Is PDF Better than a Word File?
The best method is one that incorporates the use of both of these formats. The Word format is surely the best choice for editing and making changes to work-in-progress. In contrast, the PDF format is the preferred option for viewing and sharing documents.
Therefore, you can maintain your original document in Word format and then convert your document to PDF format for easily sharing it with other people.
👉 What is the difference between Adobe Acrobat and Adobe Reader?
Adobe Reader is a free PDF reader software that allows users to read PDFs and other portable document file formats, while Adobe Acrobat is a paid version of the Reader which offers additional functionalities like edit, modify, print, protect, and manipulate PDF Files.
If you want to open a PDF document these days, the first solution that comes to mind is the web browsers, most of which now have an inbuilt PDF reader. This has reduced the need for a dedicated PDF reader or PDF viewer software. However, features like digital signature, form filling, annotation, etc. are still the cup of tea for an advanced PDF reader software.
For Windows 10/11, there are already tons of options if you want to download PDF viewer apps. But what are the ones you should go for? So, we’ve compiled a list of the 10 best PDF readers for Windows PCs. The 2022 list includes the likes of Adobe Acrobat Reader DC, SumatraPDF, Foxit Reader, etc. which are already a known name.
10 Best PDF Readers for Windows (2022)
- 1. Adobe Acrobat Reader DC
- 2. SumatraPDF
- 3. Foxit reader
- 4. Expert PDF Reader
- 5. Nitro Free PDF Reader
- 6. Google Drive
- 7. Web Browsers – Chrome, Firefox, Edge
- 8. Slim PDF
- 9. Javelin PDF Reader
- 10. PDF-XChange Editor
Choosing the right PDF reader for Windows that suits your needs in the year 2022 isn’t a tough task, but you need to know about the available options. So, let’s tell you about different software for viewing and reading PDF documents and help you decide which one’s best for you:
1. Adobe Acrobat Reader DC
If you’re looking for a powerful program to read PDF files, I’d like to recommend Adobe Acrobat Reader. It’s not uncommon to come across a PDF file that demands an advanced PDF reader. Here, I’m talking about the fillable forms that you can’t take care of using a basic PDF reader software for Windows.
Adobe Reader for Windows provides different reading modes, text highlighting, adding notes, filling forms, digital signatures, add stamps, etc. Adobe’s free PDF reader for Windows also supports a tabbed view, which means that you can open multiple PDF files simultaneously.
So, if your needs aren’t simple, you don’t want to just “read” PDF files, and you need advanced features, downloading Adobe Acrobat Reader DC is the right choice. It’s also the best PDF reader for large files that some lightweight programs are unable to process fully.
Pros | Cons |
+ Can convert and edit PDF files + Offers advanced editing and signing tools + Offers multi-platform support |
– Pro version with extra functionality is paid – Minor app glitches |
Supported Platforms: Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 7, XP
2. SumatraPDF
SumatraPDF is an open-source and lightweight PDF reader software that you can install and use on your Windows computer. Licensed under GPLv3 license, SumatraPDF supports formats other than PDF as well, including the likes of EPUB, MOBI, FB2, CHM, XPS, and DjVu.
As I mentioned above, this free and best PDF reader is very light, and its 64-bit installer is just about 5MB in size. So, if you’re looking for a good PDF reader software that can deliver a fantastic reading experience with fast performance and essential features, SumatraPDF is the right PDF reader for you. But, it lacks advanced features like annotations, document signing, and form-filling.
It supports various keyboard shortcuts to help you navigate quickly and improve your reading experience. Sumatra also comes with easy previewing of LaTeX documents, and you can configure different text editors to integrate Sumatra. The free PDF viewer also supports running in restricted mode.
Pros | Cons |
+ Offers support for various file formats including ePub + It’s a lightweight app |
– No editing tools – No support for any advanced features |
Supported platforms: Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 7, XP
3. Foxit reader
If you’re looking for a robust and free PDF reader for Windows 10/11 or older versions of Microsoft Windows, your search might end with Foxit Reader.
Just like Adobe Acrobat Reader DC, Foxit is a popular name in the world of document readers. However, compared to Adobe’s PDF reading solution, Foxit is comparatively lighter.
A while ago, Foxit also introduced its new online ConnectedPDF Document Management System. Its Text Viewer mode removes complex formatting and displays a plain Notepad-like view of the file.
The collaboration features further improve your PDF experience by letting you work online and share it with others. It’s an advanced software for reading PDF files, and it comes will all the necessary features.
Pros | Cons |
+ Offers cloud sharing tools + Offers collaborative feature to work with others + Contains advanced editing features |
– Minor app glitches on older Windows versions – Consumes a lot of system resources |
Supported platforms: Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 7, XP
4. Expert PDF Reader
Another free to use the software you can find is the Expert PDF Reader which is developed by Visagesoft. In terms of look and feel, it will give you the feels of old MS Office apps. But the fact that it’s great at doing its job makes Expert PDF Reader an option worth considering.
Speaking of features, this Windows PDF reader can handle almost any document you throw at it. Also, you can modify annotations, add rubber stamps, etc. in existing files even if they’re created using other software.
Furthermore, you can bookmark files, view page thumbnails, and use the tabs feature open to multiple PDF files at the same time with this free PDF viewer.
Pros | Cons |
+ Supports various file formats + Handles large files efficiently |
– Lacks advanced tools and features – Not convenient for advanced users |
Supported Platforms: Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 7
5. Nitro Free PDF Reader
Nitro Reader is another famous name in the world of office and productivity software. I personally like this free PDF document reader as it tries to strike the perfect balance between usability and features. It doesn’t come loaded with tons of unnecessary features that one never uses. Its slick interface looks like just any other application from Microsoft’s Office suite.
Apart from all the basic features, Nitro Reader also comes with a handy QuickSign feature that makes digitally signing documents a simple task. You can also secure your documents and make sure that they are opened by the people who’ve received a digital certificate from you. So, go for Nitro Reader if you wish to use a no-nonsense PDF reader for Windows that also has a beautiful UI.
Pros | Cons |
+ Easy to use interface + Offers various advanced features + Some features are unique to this app |
– Forces users to use a free trial of the pro version – Disables various features in the free version |
Supported Platforms: Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 7, XP
6. Google Drive
Just like your web browser, Google Drive is another way of opening a PDF file without any external tools. However, what it offers is an online PDF reader instead of other full-blown Windows apps on this list.
It offers basic features such as PDF printing, download, and lets you find content in the document. You can simply choose the option to open a PDF via Google Docs and convert that PDF into an editable doc format.
Apart from opening a PDF in its bare minimum format, you can connect external Chrome apps to this PDF reader and extend its functionality. Overall, it can turn to be a great alternative to traditional PDF viewers if you mostly store documents in your Google Drive.
Pros | Cons |
+ Convenient usage via browsers or other devices + Can access PDF files from any device |
– Lacks advanced editing features – Only has an online version |
Supported Platforms: Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 7, XP
7. Web Browsers – Chrome, Firefox, Edge
If your primarly goal is viewing PDF files and you don’t need features that come with advanced PDF reader software for Windows, you don’t need dedicated software. Your web browsers, like Google Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or Opera, come with a free PDF reader built-in.
They are a part of your web browser and updated regularly with new features alongside your browser. As you click on a PDF link, the web browser starts opening the PDF file on its own and provides you a clutter-free reading experience. All browsers allow you to use features like adjustable text size, rotation, download, and printing.
Just in case you want to open locally stored PDF files using your web browser, you need to simply drag it to an open browser window. You can also right-click on the file to choose your browser using the “Choose Another App” option. If you don’t open or view PDF files regularly, your web browser is the best PDF viewer you can get.
Pros | Cons |
+ Efficient PDF handling + Convenient for most users |
– Lacks editing features – Unsuitable for advanced users |
Supported platforms: Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 7
8. Slim PDF
Just like SumatraPDF, Slim PDF is another lightweight to consider if you’re searching for the best PDF reader for Windows 10/11 OS. Slim PDF calls itself the world’s smallest desktop PDF reader.
It’s an easy to use PDF reader for PC users and has recently been updated with a redesigned UI and support for the dark mode the many would fancy. Just as one would expect, this free PDF software is simply focused on reading, viewing, and printing your PDF files.
Slim PDF loads very quickly and lets you complete your job in less time. Please note that this Windows PDF reader doesn’t support many popular keyboard shortcuts, so don’t get disappointed. Also, it doesn’t let you highlight your text word by word. Anyway, it’s a portable PDF reader software that just works.
Pros | Cons |
+ It’s a lightweight application + Easy to use interface |
– Lacks advanced features – Less efficient file handling |
Supported Platforms: Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 7, XP
9. Javelin PDF Reader
The second-last entry on our top PDF readers list for 2022 is Javelin PDF Reader. It comes with all the basic PDF reading functionality that one needs to complete daily chores. The overall interface is super clean, and you can choose from most of the common reading modes like full screen, continuous, side by side, etc.
With just 2MB download size, Javelin is pretty lightweight when compared to the likes of Adobe Acrobat Reader DC and Foxit Reader. This free PDF viewer for PC can open DRM-protected files with any issues and provides markup and annotation.
Pros | Cons |
+ It’s a lightweight application + Convenient for users who only want to view PDFs |
– Lacks editing features – Unsuitable for advanced users |
Supported Platforms: Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 7, XP
10. PDF-XChange Editor
PDF-XChange Editor is a free PDF reader for Windows 10/11 that has been completely revamped and simplified. It delivers quick loading times and provides a lightweight experience for reading, printing, annotating, saving images and text, etc. from a PDF file.
Prior to this, the software was called PDF-XChange Viewer, and it didn’t have the basic editing functions available for free. You also get features like OCR and digital signature as well. However, the UI might seem a little cluttered with too many options, maybe, a redesign would give some room to breathe.
As claimed by the developers, the free version of PDF-XChange Editor provides more than 60% of the features that ship with the paid version.
Pros | Cons |
+ Easy to use interface + Offers basic features + Can create PDF files from existing files |
– Editing features require paid version – More expensive than the competition |
Supported Platforms: Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 7, XP
Btw, What is PDF? Who created it?
PDF stands for Portable Document Format and it was developed by Adobe – the makers of Acrobat Reader – in the 1990s.
One of the biggest advantages of PDF is it retains the document attributes and formatting as intended by the creator. For example, you might have seen how an MS Word file looks different when opened in some other word processor app.
Also, PDF makes documents tamper-proof which means unauthorized people can’t make any changes to the original document. It’s a much-needed feature in the case of confidential information and in times when we are dealing with tons of fake news.
So, which one is the best PDF reader for Windows 10/11?
So, we have listed down the best PDF reader software for Windows 10/11 and older versions that you can try out in 2022. Depending on your usage and needs, your choices might defer. For example, you might need an open source PDF reader or a free one, or a paid one with more features.
In my opinion, you have got full-fledged PDF readers like Acrobat DC, Foxit, and Nitro. The Windows PDF readers pack all the features that you would need for everyday usage. But if you don’t want the hassle of installation, you can either go with your web browser or the online PDF reader in Google Drive.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the default PDF reader on Windows 10?
Windows 10 doesn’t come preloaded with a dedicated PDF reader app. However, it’s default Edge browser lets you open PDF files easily when required.
How can I edit PDF file on my PC?
Most PDF viewer apps and your web browser don’t come with the capability to modify the file. You can find various free PDF editor apps that allow you to changes the content of a PDF file.
Is PDF better than a word file?
There is no straight answer to this question. But given the fact that PDF documents are not editable in most cases gives it an edge when the document includes an important piece of information.
Whether it’s about reading a document or downloading a course material, PDF readers are still relevant in 2021. In fact, they are still as important as they were 20 years ago. While even the web browsers these days are equipped with the ability to read PDFs, you would still need advanced features like digital signature, annotation, etc.
As a PDF reader, the first name that comes into your mind is Adobe Reader. But there are many other PDF readers that are free and without the annoying adverts.
The 10 Best Free PDF Readers for Windows 10 and Earlier Version
To make it easier for you, we have handpicked some of the best free PDF readers for Windows. While some of them are lightweight, there are others that include work as a simple PDF editing tool and not so complicated.
Adobe Acrobat Reader
Adobe needs no introduction. It’s one of the most popular and widely used PDF readers across the world. Adobe falls in the category of advanced PDF readers because of its features that do a lot more than the basic. For instance, designing fillable forms that are beyond the capabilities of a basic PDF reader.
Features:
- It converts almost any file or format into a top-quality PDF.
- Easy to share and looks attractive.
- It allows you to convert MS Word, MS Excel, and even MS PowerPoint to PDF format.
- Option to convert camera clicks directly to PDF.
- Facility to get a print of the PDF, turn HTML pages to PDF, and even convert the PDFs to Office use formats.
- Option to edit data in scanned tables and right into the PDF.
- Allows you to review the PDF generated, comment on it, merge or compare two files.
- It makes it easy to get legal e-signatures, and even fill or sign any form, all online.
- Lets you send the PDF files online and also keep track of them.
Interesting Fact:
Acrobat Reader allows you to turn the current forms to the fillable PDF version, effortlessly.
Get it here: https://get.adobe.com/reader/otherversions/?red=a
Price: Free trial available; pro version starts from $12.99/month
Foxit Reader
Foxit Reader is another great PDF reader that lets you read files in PDF format for free. It’s a simple application, where all you need to do is to choose and upload the file or simply drag and drop the file to be converted in the empty space. It allows you to convert the document to Word, JPG, or Excel. You can also merge the PDF, convert from Image to PDF, or Word to PDF.
Features:
- Simple and easy to use application with the option to upload file or drag-and-drop.
- It allows you to edit the PDF file when opened in Phantom PDF Online. Lets you fill forms, edit current texts in PDF and modify fonts, style, color, and size.
- You also have the freedom to modify the document format by shifting the boxes, and even add or remove the text in the PDF.
- From Windows or Mac to Linux, it’s compatible with a wide range of operating systems.
- It also works seamlessly with different browsers such as Chrome, Edge, Safari, Opera, and Firefox.
- It offers more editing PDF tools with the desktop version.
- It can be accessed anywhere and all the time.
Interesting Fact:
Foxit Reader is cloud-based that offers similar functions to the PhantomPDF in editing PDF or adding text to PDF just like a word processor.
Get it here: https://online.foxitsoftware.com/
Price: Free limited version; pro version starts from $129.
PDFelement
With PDFelement, it’s easier to create PDFs. Moreover, you can also edit, convert, and sign the PDF documents online, on major platforms like Mac and Windows. Best of all, it enables you to read PDFs on desktops, laptops, Kindles, and more.
Features:
- It offers a fully-featured word processor that allows you to create PDFs, effortlessly.
- It helps you create some of the richest and most attractive PDF communications.
- It allows you to turn PDFs to office documents with the same tables, formatting, and layout.
- Teams can collaborate more efficiently and collect feedback from customers and co-workers, much faster.
- Makes creating and sharing PDF forms effortless.
- Easy to join gathered forms for investigation and export gathered information in a spreadsheet.
Interesting Fact:
Manages documents in a manner that safely keeps sensitive data away from unauthorized access.
Get it here: https://pdf.wondershare.com/
Price: Free trial available; pro version starts from $6.99
PDF-XChange Editor
PDF-Xchange is Editor is known for its compact size, fast performance, and a gamut of features all for free. With the PDF viewer/editor, you can create, edit, view, digitally sign, annotate or OCR PDF documents. But, that’s just the start as it allows you to do a lot more beyond that.
Features:
- It equips you with a wide range of Editing Tools, documents improvement features, navigation panel, and options to edit pages. This helps you to edit and update your PDF documents.
- It allows you to change between the Classic/Ribbon interface and adjust the user-interface for mouse and touch-based actions.
- Comes equipped with an improved OCR plugin which is optional.
- Option to add comments and annotations to files in different formats that include shapes, audio files, hyperlinks, and text boxes.
- Facility to create email documents and even get a print. You can also join the PDFs into one, create PDF files straight from the scanned material, and also convert files to Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
- It allows you to add or delete images, barcodes, backgrounds, and watermarks.
- Freedom to create customized toolbars and include comfortable links to third-party applications using the launch preferences.
Interesting Fact:
On purchasing a license of the PDF-Xchange Editor you get a PDF-Xchange Life by Tracker Software, absolutely free.
Get it here: https://www.tracker-software.com/product/pdf-xchange-editor
Price: Pro version starts from $43.50
You may also like to know free Flowchart Software for Windows here in detail.
Sumatra PDF
Apart from being a PDF reader, Sumatra can also read eBooks, Comic books, XPS, DjVu, and CHM on Windows. This free and open-source PDF reader is known for its compact size, portability, and fast performance.
Features:
- It helps you to view PDFs as quickly as possible.
- Goes easy on system resources since it’s just a window that launches pretty fast.
- Comes loaded with keyboard shortcuts and provides support for tabs that helps read PDFs even faster.
- Supports different types of files like ebooks in Mobi and ePub, or comic books in CBZ and CBR formats.
Interesting Fact:
It comes with an integrated EasyStart function that saves your time and lets you convert previews.
Get it here: https://pdf.wondershare.com/top-pdf-software/free-pdf-reader.html
Price: Free
Javelin PDF Reader
Whether you want to view a standard PDF file or encrypted PDF files, Javelin PDF Reader makes it easy to read for you. This simple PDF reader also allows you to annotate the PDFs and even bookmark them.
Features:
- It offers fast performance and comes with a straightforward and clean user interface.
- Best option to read and take notes quickly on PDFs.
- Provides support for internal and external hyperlinks, a variety of page display formats, markup, navigation trees, document text searching feature, and ore.
- Digitally signed and virus free products.
Interesting Fact:
Option to apply limitations to printing permissions, the flexibility of expiring at a fixed time, or not viewable anymore.
Get it here: https://www.drumlinsecurity.com/javelindownloads.html
Price: Free
Nitro Pro 10
Although it’s a pro version, Nitro Pro 10 also comes with a 30-days free trial for users. It offers PDF solutions at the business level helping you get rid of the complex licensing process while focusing on user satisfaction. It helps you boost business productivity by providing employees with a profitable PDF solution. It helps employees to focus on boosting data security, lowering printing requirements, and minimizing paper waste.
Features:
- It offers powerful performance and strong features at half the cost compared to other leading PDF readers.
- Responsive interface inspired by MS Office and curtailed learning curve which is perfect even for beginners.
- It helps you create universally compatible PDFs and printable file types.
- It allows you to edit the PDF text like adding, removing, and changing text and images in different windows at the same time.
- Converts any PDF file quickly and accurately to and from MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint on any device.
- Facility to merge PDFs and other file formats into a single PDF file.
- Option to organize pages into PDF with the help of a useful Pages window.
- Converts scan into editable, and searchable PDFs that are also size-optimized.
- It allows you to create fillable forms so that others can fill or add their own details to a current form.
- Option to add eSignature on your PDFs and send requests to others for adding their eSigns.
- Facility to carry out uniform review and collaboration by implementing searchable commenting, markup, and version control.
- Compare files and detect disparities and evaluate anomalies in text and images.
Interesting Fact:
It offers total protection and security by offering you to fix access and activity authorizations, add encryption, and hiding sensitive data.
Get it here: https://www.gonitro.com/nps/pro/pdf-software
Price: Free trial available; pro version starts from $159.
You may also want to know about the best download manager software available for Windows.
Soda PDF
If you are looking for a dependable, responsive, and lightweight PDF software that can be used at home, Soda PDF could well be your answer. With the help of this program, you can access the features on any device in a web browser. From creating PDFs from more than 300 file formats, or converting to a wide range of file types to editing the content of the files, it can do anything you can think of.
Features:
- Option to read the PDFs in 3D using exclusive page-flipping technology.
- It allows you to create PDFs from any file, merge different files at one time, or convert PDF to Word, Excel, JPG, and PPT.
- Facility to edit and modify the text and change the structure of the documents on your own as per your requirement.
- Option to add notes into your PDF docs and collaborate with others.
- Professional quality data protection with 256-bit AES password encryption.
- Allows to create fillable forms, send and gather legal eSignatures.
- OCR features let you convert scanned files and images to PDFs.
Interesting Fact:
Features can be used on almost any device and connect to Google Drive, Evernote, Dropbox, OneDrive, and Box.
Get it here: https://www.sodapdf.com/
Price: Free download available; plans start from $63.
Slim PDF
If you intend to work with only PDF documents, then Slim PDF is an ideal choice for you. It’s simple and easy to use PDF reader, perfect for opening PDFs and reading them.
Features:
- A compact program that doesn’t occupy much space of your system.
- It features a clean interface with no bloatware.
- Converts PDF documents to MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.
- It allows you to create a PDF document from any file format that can be printed.
- Option to sign PDF files with eSignatures.
- Allows you to create fillable PDF forms, and even edit them.
- Facility to edit PDF texts and files, and protect them with a password.
Interesting Fact:
It’s the smallest desktop PDF viewer and reader in the world with just 1/10th of the size of the Adobe Reader.
Get it here: https://www.investintech.com/resources/freetools/slimpdfreader/
Price: Free download available; pro version priced at $149.95
MuPDF
MupDF is a portable PDF reader that also works as an XPS and e-book viewer. It comes equipped with a software library, command-line tools, and viewing tools for different platforms.
Features:
- Renderer designed for superior quality anti-aliased graphics.
- Compact, yet fast viewer that supports many document formats including PDF, EPUB, OpenXPS, XPS, FictionBook2, and CBZ.
- It allows you to add notes to the PDF docs and fill forms.
- Option to add notes, edit, and transform documents into different formats (PDF, HTML, CBZ, and SVG) using the command line tools.
- Facility to write scripts for manipulation of documents using Javascript.
Interesting Fact:
Option to add or delete features since the library is written in portable C. Also features a Java library with the help of JNI that runs on both Android and Oracle’s Java.
Get it here: https://mupdf.com/
Price: free
Conclusion
Apart from the top 10, you can also read PDFs on your web browser. Whether it’s Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, or Mozilla Firefox, all of these come with a built-in PDF reader. While these may not have advanced features, this is indeed quick to way to at least read PDFs when needed. Best of all, these save a lot of your system resources and are absolutely free. However, if you need advanced features like editing he PDF doc, signature facility, etc., it’s better to download one of the top 10 best free PDF readers for Windows or convenience.
PDF – стандартизированный формат для электронных документов, печатных буклетов и книг. По умолчанию у каждой системы есть встроенный инструмент для просмотра файлов такого формата – в Windows 10 этим инструментом является Microsoft Edge (в принципе, любой браузер подходит для этих целей). Также PDF можно открыть и встроенными средствами Microsoft Office, правда большинство пользователей находит данные программы не совсем удобными для данного формата.
Сегодня я расскажу вам о 7 программах, которые хорошо зарекомендовали себя не только в плане удобного просмотра PDF (бесплатно), но и редактуры и конвертирования данного формата (у большинства программ эти возможности открываются за деньги).
Adobe Reader
Adobe Reader — одно из самых популярных приложений для чтения различных форматов для печати. Оно работает быстро, имеет приятный интерфейс и полноценный набор функций, необходимый для работы с документами. С его помощью можно просматривать, печатать и рецензировать файлы формата PDF. Скачать программу можно с официального сайта Adobe.
На данный момент возможности бесплатной версии Acrobat Reader предельно ограничены – вы можете только смотреть и печатать файл PDF. В платной версии (сейчас она называется Acrobat Pro DC) можно создавать PDF, конвертировать файл в Word и даже защищать документ паролем. Кроме того, Adobe предоставляет доступ к облачному хранилищу.
Плюсы
- Программа хорошо оптимизирована под Windows 10.
- Обладает русскоязычным интерфейсом.
- Может работать в web-обозревателе в виде плагина.
- Обладает поиском по словам в распознанном тексте.
- Может открывать графику.
- Имеет несколько режимов просмотра PDF файлов.
- Также следует упомянуть очень крутую службу поддержки от Adobe.
Минусы
- Стало мало возможностей в бесплатной версии (по сути, кроме просмотра PDF в ней ничего и нет)
- Даже в платной версии недостаточно возможностей для полноценного редактирования документов (если сравнивать с аналогами).
- В ней нельзя создавать свои PDF файлы.
- Работает не очень быстро, может очень долго загружать документы (это не касается разве что обладателей высокопроизводительного железа).
Официальный сайт
Foxit Reader
Foxit Reader — это бесплатная программа, предназначенная для создания и чтения PDF-файлов. Разработчик Foxit позаботился о встроенном полезном функционале для открытия, просмотра и редактуры любых PDF документов. Можно ли назвать его полноценным аналогом адобовской продукции? Я думаю, что вполне.
Плюсы
- Приложение не занимает много места на жестком диске.
- Показывает хорошую производительность (вспомните загрузку крупного файла Adobe Reader – так вот, с Foxit такого нет).
- Позволяет читать электронные книги различных форматов! Да-да!
- Поддерживает русский язык.
- Позволяет частично редактировать PDF – добавлять пометки, графику и изображения, заполнять пустые формы и анкеты.
- Обладает дружелюбным интерфейсом.
Минусы
Лично я их не нашел. Программа подвисла при открытии 200 Мб файла, но при таком весе любой редактор зависнет даже на самых производительных машинах.
Официальный сайт
Free PDF READER
Free PDF Reader – небольшая программа для просмотра и печати PDF. Этот шустрый небольшой ридер на ходу оптимизирует файлы для максимально комфортного просмотра документов формата PDF в Windows 10. Также программа поддерживает и другие форматы, например, DjVu. Хорошая скорость масштабирования, удобное выделение текста, высокая скорость пролистывания тяжеловесных страниц – более чем замечательные характеристики для бесплатного софта, не так ли?
Плюсы
- Интерфейс программы можно настроить под себя.
- Можно редактировать такие форматы как DjVu и XPS.
- Распространяется бесплатно.
- Можно копировать данные из PDF в буфер обмена.
- Присутствует поиск слов в распознанном PDF
- Поддерживает русский язык.
Минусы
- Может подтормаживать.
- Не дает ставить метки в тексте.
Функционала для полноценной работы с PDF-файлами явно недостаточно, но если вам нужна только функция чтения, то программа подойдет идеально.
Soda PDF
Одна из лучших программ для просмотра файлов PDF благодаря уникальной технологии 3D чтения и распознавания текста. Программа очень быстро конвертирует документы и обладает мощным функционалом для редактуры.
Плюсы
- Весьма точно и быстро распознает текст.
- Идеально подходит для корпоративного использования.
- Обладает 3D режимом.
- Конвертирует файлы в офисные документы и обратно.
- Хорошо ищет по словам.
- В программе можно гибко настроить внешний вид.
- Soda потребляет мало ресурсов.
Минусы
- Перестали выходить обновления. Скорее всего, разработчики перестанут поддерживать программу.
PDF-XChange Viewer
Программа является популярным ридером PDF файлов. Главное достоинство программы – наличие встроенных плагинов, позволяющих комфортно просматривать документы в любых современных браузерах.
Плюсы
- Неплохой редактор текста.
- Плагины для работы программы прямо из браузера.
- Поддержка фотоформатов.
- Высокая скорость работы и превосходная производительность.
- Бесплатность.
- Наличие русского языка.
Минусы
- Инсталлятор с дополнительными программами и ненужным тулбаром (будьте внимательнее при установке, а то потом замучаетесь удалять непонятные приложения).
Movavi PDF Editor
Movavi умеет почти все, что нужно рядовому пользователю – читает, разделяет, склеивает, редактирует, поворачивает, разворачивает, вставляет картинки и делает еще кучу всего с документами формата PDF. Есть функция создания PDF из ховна и палок текста и картинок. Программа способна конвертировать файлы для мобильных устройств.
Плюсы
- Поддержка огромного числа графических форматов.
- Работа с PDF на уровне объектов (и создание документов из отдельных объектов).
- Удобный интерфейс.
Минусы
- Не самая лучшая производительность.
- Высокая стоимость за полную версию.
Sejda PDF
Очень простая и интуитивно понятная программа с расширенным функционалом. Для понимания интерфейса будет достаточно всего 5 минут.
В приложении можно добавлять аннотации, распознавать текст, конвертировать PDF во всевозможные форматы, ставить пароли, сжимать фотографии, обрезать площадь для печати и даже подписывать документы. Правда, программа стоит денег.
В бесплатной версии нельзя редактировать документы свыше 200 страниц и более 50 Мб. Еще расстраивает и ограничение до 3 операций в сутки.
Программа обойдется владельцу в 5,25 долларов в месяц – за эти деньги будет доступен полный функционал. Для постоянной работы с документами не такая уж и большая стоимость, но для рядового пользователя, который будет открывать программу от силы раз в полгода, все же дороговато.
Плюсы
- Приятный интерфейс.
- Хорошая производительность.
- Широкие функциональные возможности.
Минусы
- Высокая стоимость.
Официальный сайт программы
Установка штатной программы для чтения PDF
Если вы установили стороннюю программу для просмотра документов в PDF в Windows 10, то каждый раз при открытии подобного файла система будет спрашивать о том, каким приложением нужно открыть файл (по умолчанию эти документы открываются в Microsoft Edge). Если вы определились с редактором и хотите открывать файлы такого формата только им, то нужно выставить его как программу для чтения PDF по умолчанию.
Сделать это очень просто.
- Берем PDF файл и жмем на него правой кнопкой мыши. Далее переходим в «Свойства» – вкладка «Общие».
- Жмем на кнопку «Изменить».
- Выбираем из списка программу, которую хотим всегда использовать (по умолчанию в Windows 10, как я уже упоминал, стоит «Microsoft Edge»). Если нужного приложения на компьютере нет, то система предложит перейти в Windows Store.
- Сохраняем выбор, нажав кнопку «Применить», и закрываем все окна. Вот и все!
Заключение
В Windows Store также можно найти огромное множество условно бесплатных редакторов: Office Suite, Ultra Pdf Editor, PDF Reader, Sumatra и т.д. Функционал этих редакторов схож с функционалом программ из нашего рейтинга. Большую часть из них я, увы, не пробовал.
Кстати, на редактор Sumatra я нашел много положительных отзывов в сети, поэтому если среди читателей есть поклонники данной программы, то буду рад комментариям и отзывам.
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Portable Document Format or PDF reader tools allows a document to stay intact in the same condition irrespective of the different sources that you may use for reading or documenting these files. PDF viewer saves information in electronic format, which can be easily read, printed or forwarded to another source. Texts, images, pictures or graphics get saved with ease using the best PDF editor for Windows 10 and other operating systems.
PDF documents are easy to open in any computing system and can be shared conveniently as email attachments. The document management of the best free PDF reader software provides other add-ons such as highlighting tools, collaboration features, conversion system and other mechanisms for a friendly user experience.
How PDF Editor for Windows 10 & Mac Works?
PDF editor software for Windows 10, 7,
8 & other versions support a set of standard tools for recognizing the
scanned text and editing images. The best PDF editor for Windows 10 & other
versions can also be used for annotating documents, adding signatures and
filling forms. Popular PDF editors for Windows 10/XP/7/8 also offer support for
multiple file formats for converting pdf files on any computing device.
What’s the Use of Online PDF Editors?
Online
PDF editors are most importantly used for editing scans and PDF files. The best
free PDF editor and paid ones for Windows 10,7,8 & others also help with
transforming PDFs into Excel, PowerPoint and more. These best PDF editor for
Windows 10 and other versions further provide commenting tools for making PDFs
and defining signature workflows.
Which PDF
Editor Software Do Your Need?
Paid and
free PDF editor for Windows 10/7/8 are the popular types of PDF editor software
you can select based on your specific requirements. Other popular types of PDF
editor for Windows 10 are:
- Web-Based
PDF Editors- Web-based
PDF editors operate in a secured cloud environment. Web-based PDF editors can
also be accessed from any location on any mobile device. It could be any web
browser whether Safari, Chrome or Firefox. Online PDF editors support
cross-platform functionality, and because these are browser based, they can be
accessed online for editing purposes. No installation is required as such.
- Desktop-Based PDF Editor Software- Desktop-based PDF editor software helps with creating and editing PDF documents and files. Best PDF editor for Windows 10 and other versions depend on OCR technology for transforming scanned PDF files into editable texts. Popular PDF readers additionally support the aligning of objects in PDF, text/image editing, inserting PDF docs into word files and creating searchable PDFs.
Best Free PDF Editor for Windows & Other Platforms in 2023
- Adobe Acrobat
- Microsoft PDF Reader
- Foxit Software
- Gonitro
- Sumatra PDF
- SmallPDF
- ABBYY FineReader
- Movavi PDF Editor
- Systools PDF Unlocker
- PDFescape
- Inkscape
- PDFelement
PDF Reader | What Users Liked about these Best PDF Readers 2023 |
Adobe Acrobat | Easy to add and remove pages
Use the Pro or free PDF reader software version for quickly editing files Sign documents digitally Quickly export files into Word format with one of the best PDF readers for Windows |
Microsoft PDF Reader |
Convenient tool for those writing brief articles as you can draw, highlight and underline here Use the free PDF reader for splitting, merging and annotating PDF files Transfer files directly using FTP and Frequent updates for avoiding the issue of bugs |
Foxit Software |
One of the best free PDF readers, Foxit can be used for appending individual pages or entire PDF document Free trial and excellent customer support File encrypting for confidential and sensitive documents Lightweight and has intuitive user interface. |
Nitro Pro |
Efficient collaboration tools for review and markup As one other best Task based tabs for better organisation Create PDF files quickly from different file formats |
Sumatra PDF |
Sumatra free PDF reader software is portable in nature You can run this best free PDF reader for Windows 10 from Helps search for a text within PDF easily It allows viewing PDFs in the presentation mode This PDF viewer also helps select facing page, single page or book views. |
SmallPDF |
Shrink heavy files for viewing in this PDF reader software Use the best online PDF reader’s drag and drop interface for fast Easy to use Gmail integration available |
ABBY FineReader |
OCR function for identifying texts in a document Multiple language support Optical character recognition Screenshot feature attached for capturing graphics |
Movavi PDF reader |
Installation and setup is easy. Free trial version also provided to check for the software’s flexible design Simple PDF file editing process Page extracting feature is convenient for selecting parts of a file Legal form library for creating forms |
Systools PDF Unlocker |
Advanced scanning options for capturing graphical images and texts Feature attached for recovering PST files is fast SysTools is also one of the best free PDF readers for No formatting or other kinds of changes done to files once they have been |
PDFescape |
Simple interface that makes the software easy to use Desktop version has cross platform support You can use the pdf file viewer and editor as both desktop and online Possible to convert into PDF over a hundred different types of file formats |
Inkscape |
Inkscape is the best PDF reader for Windows that helps with drawing and designing within pdf files
Quickly converts bitmap images into vectors for attaching into PDF documents SVG file support that makes the software handy in nature File compression available for exported PNG files |
PDFelement |
You can resize the documents for sending them to third parties Batch processing available for pdf files Print directly from the application without worrying about additional You can easily remove watermarks from the files with PDFelement |
-
Adobe Acrobat – Best PDF Editor for Windows 10/8/7/XP
Adobe Acrobat is one of the most commonly used PDF reader, relied upon for viewing PDF documents. The best PDF editor for Windows 10 continues to be the pioneer in the field of PDF reading, as it was the first company to have invented and launched this structure in the market. You can make use of Adobe Acrobat reader for reading content available in different formats including multimedia ones.
The user friendly software is available in several languages. You can use the PDF to Doc Converter option to transform files into a more convenient format. Similarly documents can also be transformed into PowerPoint, RTF or Excel format. Adobe Acrobat PDF reader for Windows is also compatible with mobile devices supporting Android or iOS version.
How Can I Edit PDF Online for Free with Adobe Acrobat PDF Reader Software
Adobe Acrobat PDF editor software offers versatile tools for viewing, reviewing, editing and modifying text content. Convert all your PDF content into readable text with annotations, highlights, comments and signatures.
Step- 1: Open file
Go the file section
and select the folder you want to edit. From the folder select file and click
the open option to start working.
Step- 2: Select toolbar
The toolbar section
is located either on the right or left side of the panel. In the toolbar,
select settings option to search for Edit feature. Click on the edit section to
move to the next step in file editing process.
Step-3: Format
With the edit
feature, you can make changes in the text content. Use the format feature to
edit images and other graphical information.
Step-4: Merge
Merge different
documents into one concise document in case you have multiple PDF files.
Quickly view and share these merged files with your contacts.
Step-5: Password Protect
Password protect your files with file encryption and user permissions for safety of all confidential/sensitive information.
Key
Features of Adobe Acrobat Best PDF Editor for Windows 10:
- Adobe Scan
Adobe scan option lets you transfer any document into a
high-quality PDF file without much hassle.
- Protected Mode
Use the Protected Mode to prevent third parties from installing
malware into your computer system.
- Cloud Services
Cloud services let you access documents from any location, any place and from any device.
- Display Mode
Select from a range of available display modes the one that suits your style of working.
- Security Settings
Security settings option lets you pre-set names of those who can
edit, read, print or do any further modifications in the document.
Price to Upgrade: Acrobat Standard DC is available for Rs 879 per
month. The premium version provides an option for viewing comparisons between
two PDF files as well as converting scanned documents into editable document
format. You can also use the validation option for fixing PDFs for ISO and
accessibility standards.
Platform Supported: Windows,
MacOS, Android and iOS
Pros:
- Easy to add and remove pages
- Use the Pro or free PDF reader software version for quickly editing files
- Sign documents digitally
- Quickly export files into Word format with one of the best PDF readers for Windows
- Multiple display modes and strong security settings
Cons:
- Extract command can be made simpler
- Opening large files take time
-
Microsoft PDF Reader for Windows
Microsoft PDF Reader is one of the best free PDF Readers for Windows available in the market. This PDF software for Windows 10 & higher comes attached with features that make it easy to install and simple to use. You can go through the tutorial booklet attached with the software for understanding its functioning and the entire installation processes. Underlining, highlighting, strikethrough text and adding comments are the key highlights of this free PDF software.
This free PDF Reader is simple to use and prevents its user from the hassle of using complicated tools. You can easily add more sheets or fill/sign documents with the help of this free PDF software. The interface is user friendly as it closely resembles Microsoft Office. It is a perfect choice for those with less space in their system’s hard drive.
Key
Features of Best PDF Reader Free Software for Windows 10:
- Ribbon Style Menu
You
can use the ribbon style menu for navigating the reader with ease. This menu
can be easily hidden when reading in order to avoid unnecessary distractions.
- Pre-designed Annotations
This free PDF Reader offers options for pasting approved stamps and adding sticky notes.
- PDF Converter
The word to PDF converter online feature lets you transform documents from word to PDF with ease.
Price to Upgrade: This is a free PDF editor Windows 10 and its other versions.
Platform Supported: Free PDF software download for Windows 10 and higher is available for Microsoft PDF Reader.
Pros:
- Convenient tool for those writing brief articles as you can draw, highlight and underline here
- Use the free PDF editor for splitting, merging and annotating PDF files
- Transfer files directly using FTP and WebDAV
- Frequent updates for avoiding the issue of bugs
- Pre-designed sticky notes, stamps and annotations.
- Microsoft PDF Reader is a handy solution for adding images and signatures.
Cons:
- Too many advertisements
- The PDF online editor free online
version also can be heavy on a operating system.
-
Foxit Software
Foxit software PDF reader for Windows and Mac creates PDF files for convenient reading and sharing by users. The PDF editor software for Windows 10 has an in-built Doc to PDF converter as well as Excel to PDF converter online. Foxit is one of the best PDF readers available for streamlining work processes. It converts official as well as personal documents into neat PDF format for quick and easy reading/sharing experience.
Foxit software’s Microsoft Office style ribbon toolbar provides
a friendly user interface and helps you learn quick facts about the software.
You can also leverage existing forms with the help of standard PDF (Acroforms)
and XFA (XML Form Architecture) form filling.
Key Features of Foxit Software PDF editor for Windows 10:
- ConnectedSecurity
You can use this feature for granting
and revokingaccess to documents.
- Document Management
Track not only the ones who recently opened your document but also receive further information in the form of latest updates with the help of Foxit PDF viewer and editor.
- ConnectedCollaboration
Align each other in the
team about any information or a review related to files/documents with the help
of this PDF software.
- JAWS (Job Access with Speech)
Blind and visually impaired people can use JAWS option to read the screen either with the help of text-to-speech output or with refreshable Braille.
Price to Upgrade: Foxit Phantom PDF Standard 9 is available for Rs 5,628. The PDF editor software for Windows 10,8,7- 64-bit can be used by both large and small organizations without any hassle.
Platform
Supported: Windows, Mac, iOS and Android
Pros:
- One of the best PDF editors, Foxit can be used for appending individual pages or entire PDF document
- Free trial and excellent customer support
- File encrypting for confidential and sensitive documents
- Has an intuitive user interface
- JAWS feature & easy document management
- The software is a go to solution for editing, reading and exporting PDF files.
Cons:
- Using the graphics import option is
inconvenient at times - Text often gets unaligned when
filling out forms
-
Gonitro PDF Reader for Windows
Gonitro software eases the process of working digitally by providing quick and easy PDF file reading and creation option. The software creates PDF files and documents for reading, editing, signing and security purposes. Gonitro PDF reader and PDF viewer has Microsoft Outlook plugin for creating PDF files from email.
You can make use of the floating toolbar for easy access to editing/revision tools. Gonitro also offers the advantage of batch processing through which you can easily print and convert several documents together, all in one go. The ‘Add Tools’ feature is available for customizing the Home tab. It also provides the integration feature so that you can save PDF files into Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.
Key Features of Gonitro PDF Editor for Windows 10:
- PDF Editor
You can use the online PDF Editor option for inserting pages, modifying texts, swapping images and adding a logo, if required. You can try the PDF Editor free option to try its basic features.
- PDF Converter
Use the PDF Converter for
converting files into doc, excel or PowerPoint formats.
- Merge PDF Files
The Merge PDFfiles option lets
you combine or merge PDFs into single PDF file.
- PDF Annotator
To ensure coordination amongst teammates over a project, you can use the PDF annotator for tracking comments and reviews.
- Digital Signature
Create profiles based on digital signatures for one-step application of these signatures.
Price to Upgrade: Nitro Pro Basic Plus plan starts at Rs 14630 and is available on Techjockey.
Platform Supported: Gonitro PDF software download for Windows 10, 8, 7 & Vista.
Pros:
- Efficient collaboration tools for review and markup
- As one other best PDF editor software, Gonitro offers multiple security options.
- Task based tabs for better organisation
- Create PDF files quickly from different file formats
- Annotating, merging and converting PDF files
- Very easy to use with various signature tools
Cons:
- Option for adding watermarks is unavailable
- Multilingual support not provided
-
Sumatra PDF Reader for Windows 10
Sumatra is one of the best free PDF reader available in the market. This free PDF software is lightweight, simple and provides a friendly user interface. This open source PDF reader supports other document formats, such as EPUB, MOBI, XML and DjVu as well.
One of the most unique features of this free PDF software is that it is portable in nature, thus requiring no special installation process. You can easily install it through an external USB drive. This free PDF editor Windows 10 & other versions is portable and requires no additional space for storage. Simplicity of the software Sumatra PDF makes it an ideal choice for navigating, searching and organising PDF files.
Key
Features of Sumatra PDF Editor for Windows 10:
- Minimalist Toolbar
The minimalist toolbar of this free PDF software lets you access
basic features such as search, print, zoom in/out and skipping pages back and
forth.
- Search Box
You can easily locate the text you are searching for within a PDF
document with the help of search box option.
- Hotkey Commands
Use the hotkey commands, also called short cut keys, to easily
surf through the document.
Price to Upgrade: This a free PDF reader software.
Platform
Supported: Windows
Pros:
- Sumatra free PDF editor software is portable in nature
- You can run this PDF software from any USB device
- Helps search for a text within PDF easily
- It allows viewing PDFs in the presentation mode
- This PDF viewer also helps select facing page, single page or book views.
- Easily navigable toolbar for accessing all features
- PDF is speedy, easy to use and navigable. If you are looking for a pdf editor software with simple features, then this might be the software for you.
Cons:
- Does not have browser plugins
- Annotation tools missing
-
SmallPDF Reader for Windows & Mac
SmallPDF is an online PDF converter for transforming files from PDF into word, excel and powerpoint formats. All you need to do is drag and drop files into the application for performing tasks related to conversion.
You can merge, split and rotate documents with the help of SmallPDF
application. The application also provides a compression tool for attaching
PDFs to emails. Quality of the compressed document doesn’t change, and you can
also decompress the document if need arises.
Key Features of SmallPDF online PDF Editor for Free:
- Optical Character
Recognition
Make use of OCR feature to
identify characters and texts from PDF scanned documents, multimedia and multipage
files.
- Electronic Signature
Add e-Signatures to your PDF
documents for creating contracts and official documents.
- Offline Access
Click on the offline access option
available in the settings menu for making files available even when you are in
offline mode.
- Collaboration Tools
Select collaboration tools such as instant messaging, group
messages and file sharing options for better coordination amongst members of
your group.
- PDF Converter
You
can use the PDF Convertor to transfer files from PPT, JPG and Excel format into
PDF one. Further from a PDF file, you can change it into Excel and PPT.
Price to Upgrade: For pricing details, please connect with our experts.
Platform
Supported: MacOS X and Windows
Pros:
- Shrink heavy files for viewing in this PDF editor software
- Use the best online PDF editor’s drag and drop interface for fast distribution
- Easy to use
- Gmail integration available
- OCR technology for converting images into text format
- The app is the best for converting PDF files and sharing them.
Cons:
- File compression leads to blurry images
- Document conversion process is long at times
-
ABBYY FineReader PDF Reader for Windows & Mac
ABBYY FineReader is PDF and OCR software designed especially for scanned and PDF documents. You can optimize the documentation process by digitizing, retrieving and sharing documents with the help of ABBY FineReader.
This PDF editor software lets you edit the sentences and paragraphs as well as adjust the layout. You can add paragraphs, pictures, delete texts and rearrange the layout to edit your PDF document.
You can use ABBYY FineReader
viewing mode to merge documents, browse through pages and even select a more
convenient reading mode. The software has an in-built optical character
recognition option to find information in PDF documents.
Key Features of ABBY FineReader:
- Digitise Documents
Its
AI-based OCR technology simplifies the workflow by digitising documents.
- Hot Folder
Hot Folder processes several pages in one go. You can use Hot Folder option to automate document conversion process for work groups as well as individuals.
- Compare Documents
This
is one of the most interesting features of ABBY FineReader where you can
compare documents in different formats including scanned ones. You can even
share the comparison results.
- Collaboration Tools
You
can use a range of marking and drawing tools to share ideas and comments
amongst different collaborators of a document.
- Simplified License management
Use the
automated deployment offered by simplified license management processes to
lower your workload related to IT.
Price to Upgrade: The software is priced at Rs 14,222. At this price, you can enjoy features such as collaboration tools, digitization option and file scanning.
Platform
Supported: Mac and Windows
Pros:
- OCR function for identifying texts in a document
- Multiple language support
- Optical character recognition
- Screenshot feature attached for capturing graphics
- Hot Folder module for automating document conversion processes.
- PDF software for Windows 10 is ideal for converting files and reducing their size by bookmarks, page and size.
Cons:
- Doesn’t work well with documents in
older versions - Installing the software may take
longer in some cases
-
Movavi PDF Reader for Windows & Mac
Movavi offers PDF management utility to alter content of a PDF file. The PDF Editor provides a tab-based interface layout for opening multiple documents in one go. You can also open multi-page PDF pages, PNG, JPG and JPEG with Movavi PDF Editor.
The Edit Objects option within
the PDF Editor lets you add/extract pages, rotate and append them with ease. You
can also add pictures and blank pages to the document with the help of this
software. An important featureof this PDF software provides is that it displays
every page in separate panels.
Key Features of Movavi PDF Editor for Windows 10:
- Save on Notary Fees
You
can use a pre-built template library to create legal documents without spending
extra money on legal consultation.
- Scale PDF Pages
Scale
PDF pages to make them fit the screen’s resolution and individual preferences.
This option also lets you search for phrases and keywords with ease.
- Merge PDF Files
Movavi PDF Editor combines and merges PDF files into one single document. You can create complete and precise business and legal documents with the help of this software.
- Informative Tools
Add
informative tools in the form of chart or data to create neat and
well-organised presentations.
- File Converter
Choose the Doc to PDF converter or PDF to doc converter to change file formats. Similarly you can also convert PDF files into HTML, TXT and EPUB formats.
Price to Upgrade: The compact and easy to use software is
available at a price of Rs 1265.
Platform
Supported: Windows and Mac
Pros:
- Installation and set up is easy. Free trial version also provided to check for the software’s flexible features.
- Simple PDF file editing process
- Page extracting feature is convenient for selecting parts of a file
- Legal form library for creating forms
- Scaling PDF pages and merging PDF files
- This PDF software for Windows 10 is easy to use and highly secured.
Cons:
- Converting large PDF files is slow
sometimes - Batch functions missing
-
Systools PDF Unlocker
Systools PDF Unlocker is used to unlock PDF file. With the help of this software, PDF files with password security lock can be easily unlocked. The software also helps in removing both owner and user passwords.You can also check the status of a document in the before and after columns. Once the password gets unlocked, you can easily print, share, edit and review files.
Furthermore
once the password gets unlocked, you can use this PDF file for commenting,
extracting, copying and editing. You can make use of the software panel
available to save both unlocked and unrestricted PDF files.
Key
Features of Systools PDF Unlocker:
- Maintains File Integrity
After unlocking a file, the software ensures
that there is no discrepancy in the new, unlocked data.
- Removes Document Assembly
You can remove restrictions associated
with assembling documents with Systools PDF Unlocker.
- Unrestrict PDF Files in Batch
Special
restrictions or common PDF restriction, you can remove all these from multiple
files in batches.
- Preview Permissions of PDF File
Systools Unlocker lists the permissions associated with locked documents after PDF documents have been uploaded by the software. You can view these permissions in a separate column.
- Remove Form Restrictions
Use
the software to end restrictions associated with form filling. You can fill
details in PDF forms to enable form filling feature.
Price to Upgrade: You can unlock PDF files as well as remove file restriction with the software available at a price of Rs 2099. File transfer, preview and report generation are some of the other key highlights of the software.
Platform Supported: Windows
and Mac
Pros:
- Advanced scanning options for capturing graphical images and texts
- Feature attached for recovering PST files is fast
- SysTools, as one of the best PDF editors for Windows helps preview emails and attachments
- No formatting or other kinds of changes done to files once they have been unlocked
- This PDF software for PC is the best for previewing emails, recovering files & unlocking them.
- Quick interface that makes it easy to remove restrictions if there are on a pdf file.
Cons:
- Doesn’t work for corrupted PDF files
- Print option may not function in some owner protected files
-
PDFescape PDF Reader for Windows
PDFescape is a free PDF editor Windows offering editing and pdf file viewing functioning. It is also one of the best PDF online editor free online that supports multiple browser extensions such as Chrome, Safari, Opera, Firefox and Internet Explorer.
The pdf software is preferred for
form filling, publishing, organising pages and printing. You can thus use the
software for opening directly the files or importing the same from web
interface for editing and modifying.
Key features of PDFescape PDF Reader PC Windows 10:
- Whiteout
tools
With whiteout tools create new
fields for forms and insert links into PDF files to enhance the reading
experience.
- Annotation
tools
With the free PDF editor software
you can add content and notes to the content for improved viewing.
- Security
PDFescape allows users to password
protect their files for all their confidential documents.
- Scan
documents
Scan as well as print pdf documents
for extracting sensitive or important information from the text content.
Price to upgrade: PDFescape is one of the best
online PDF editors. There are two paid plans available premium and ultimate.
The starting price is Rs 218 and you can contact our sales team for more
information about paid plans. Do some ad free content reviewing and editing
with paid versions of the best PDF editor software.
Platform
Supported: Windows
Pros:
- Simple interface that makes PDFescape PDF editor easy to use
- Desktop version provides cross platform support
- You can use this pdf file viewer and editor as both desktop and online application
- Possible to convert into PDF over a hundred different types of file formats
- Simplified interface and various whiteout tools
- The software is free and helps convert PDFs into different file types.
Cons:
- Too many advertisements
- This PDF editor is a bit expensive
compared to other platforms that support the same features.
-
Inkscape
Inkscape PDF editor software is
used as vector graphics tool for editing text and images in a pdf file. The
lightweight editor offers a range of quick tools for editing and let you save
your documents as PNG files.
Along with robust drawing tools, this best free PDF editor for Windows 10, 8 and 7 has equally powerful tools for editing texts. Bezier and Spiro curves also attached for creating stunning vector imagery.
Key features of Inkscape PDF App for Windows:
- Calligraphy
tool
Calligraphic strokes for free hand
drawing within pdf files using filled paths.
- Rendering
Anti-aliased display support for
PNG export and transparency.
- Command
line options
Export and convert into
OpenDocument drawing, Postscript, EPS, PNG, etc.
- Text
in shape/on path
Multiline text support wherein you
can fill shapes/strokes into editable path and text.
- Transformations
Group and ungroup objects using
transformations such as scaling, skewing, rotating and moving.
Price to upgrade: Inkscape is basically a vector
graphics software that can be used as a free and open source PDF editor for
editing pdf documents.
Platform Supported: Linux,
MacOS and Windows
Pros:
- Inkscape is one of the best PDF editors for drawing and designing within pdf files
- Quickly converts bitmap images into vectors for attaching into PDF documents
- SVG file support that makes the software handy in nature
- File compression available for exported PNG files
- If you plan to be creative with PDF files and draw designs/drawings into them then Inkscape might be the answer.
- The best free pdf editor supports bitmap graphics and vector graphics editing tools.
Cons:
- Slow with large files
- Lags on desktop/PC
-
PDFelement PDF Reader for Windows & Mac
Solve the hassle of editing and converting pdf documents with one of the best PDF editors, PDFelement. Recommended for creating, editing and signing pdf documents, this PDF editor also allows the end user to convert and add comments to such files. Additionally you can use the pdf editor for compressing, watermarking, protecting and converting PDF documents.
The basic task of reading, printing and
searching through PDF files is offered by PDFelement PDF viewer software. Designed
for tasks like reading PDF documents and filling in forms, you
can use this best PDF editor for its simplistic features and a friendly user
interface.
Key features of PDFelement Best PDF Viewer:
- Forms
distribution
Use the platform for preparing
forms, combining the forms for analysing and exporting such data into
spreadsheets.
- Convert
Easily convert PDF files into
tables, different rendering formats and office files with one of the best PDF
editor for Windows.
- Full
featured word processor
A fully featured word processor for
easy viewing and editing of all pdf content.
- Redact
information
With redacting you can remove all
sensitive and confidential information from files, texts as well as
illustrations
- Digital
signature
Make all the pdf documents
verifiable and authentic by adding to them digital signature of the concerned
authorities.
Price to upgrade: PDFelement is available as the best free PDF editor for Windows 10. The starting price of paid plan is Rs 4830 at Techjockey. With the paid plans, you can access batch process documents, perform scanning and OCR for files and expect dedicated technical support services.
Platform
Supported: Windows and Mac
Pros:
- You can resize the documents for sending them to third parties
- Batch processing available for pdf files
- Print directly from the application without worrying about additional installation processes
- You can easily remove watermarks from the files with PDFelement
- It helps with resizing the documents and undertaking batch processing
Cons:
- Edited files sometimes don’t get saved
- Pages keep getting refreshed every time you add comments to them.
What to
Consider When Buying PDF Editors for Windows 10
PDF editor
software are robust solutions for creating, converting and editing PDF files. Online
PDF tools also make file viewing easy and so is adding links and forms fields.
Key factors that need to be considered for buying online PDF editor are:
- Intuitive interface- PDF editor for Windows 10 & other versions have a familiar interface so that users of all levels can use them easily for PDF editing tasks.
- Creating/editing PDFs– PDF editors make it easy to edit and create PDF files. The PDF software that you select should be able to adjust text justifications, change the size of the text, alter a text’s layout & more. PDF software for Windows 10 and other versions should also support adding watermark, stamp and header/footer.
- OCR capabilities: OCR or optical character recognition capabilities help with converting images into text format. Just ensure that the online pdf editor that you select has inbuilt OCR capabilities.
- Document collaboration- Document collaboration feature in PDF editor software is helpful in managing team workflows. Multiple users can collaborate, add comments and annotate files quickly. So, this feature is a must in the best free PDF editor for Windows 10/7/8 and paid versions.
- Security features- PDF editor software offers password protection and user access management for protecting confidential company information.
Summary
PDFs have been specifically designed for easing workflow and improving productivity at work. You can select any of the PDF software for creating, reading, sharing or downloading files. Irrespective of the purpose, personal and professional, various add-ons that the software provide serve as convenient reminders of how organised PDF management can be.
Все больше операционных систем, смартфонов и других устройств содержат встроенные возможности для отображения файлов PDF. Несмотря на это, специальная программа для чтения PDF часто имеет ряд преимуществ по сравнению со встроенной программой для чтения PDF, которая у вас уже есть, например, параметры просмотра, улучшенный поиск и многое другое.
Скачайте любую из этих бесплатных программ для чтения PDF:
1. SumatraPDF
Плюсы
- Открытый исходный код и легкий.
- Доступно на 69 языках.
Минусы
- Нет возможности редактировать или комментировать PDF-файлы.
- Нет сглаживания, поэтому некоторые шрифты выглядят шатко.
SumatraPDF — это простая в использовании бесплатная программа чтения PDF для Windows. Несмотря на то , что это легко и просто работать, он также открыт для тяжелых настройки , если вы этого хотите.
Доступны различные типы режимов просмотра, такие как « Одна страница», «Лицевая сторона», «Просмотр книги» и «Презентация». Последний вид отлично подходит для чтения без отвлечения.
Вы можете использовать множество сочетаний клавиш, чтобы упростить перемещение по PDF-файлу, на который вы можете обратиться в Руководстве по SumatraPDF.
Вы можете скачать SumatraPDF в переносном виде (использует только 6 МБ) или установить его как обычную программу.
2.Adobe Acrobat Reader DC
Плюсы
- Удобная функция перетаскивания позволяет легко комбинировать PDF-файлы.
- Отличная интеграция с системой Adobe Cloud.
Минусы
- Проверка доступности выявляет проблемы, но не говорит вам, как их исправить.
- Бесплатная версия очень ограничена в своих возможностях.
Adobe Systems, создатель формата PDF, имеет бесплатную программу для чтения PDF, которая называется Adobe Acrobat Reader DC.
Тонны функции включены в Adobe Acrobat Reader DC. Вы можете делать снимки текста и изображений, просматривать PDF-файл в режиме чтения для более краткой панели чтения, а Adobe Acrobat Reader DC может читать текст вслух.
Для загрузки используется менеджер загрузки Adobe Acrobat Reader DC. Таким образом, хотя менеджер загрузок действительно мал по размеру, фактическая загрузка для программы чтения PDF намного больше (возможно, около 50 МБ).
На странице загрузки Adobe Acrobat Reader DC вам может быть предложено установить McAfee Security Scan Plus и / или другую программу вместе с Adobe Acrobat Reader DC. Вы должны вручную отменить выбор предложения, если вы не хотите, чтобы оно также было установлено.
3. MuPDF
Плюсы
- Поддерживает XPS и CBZ файлы.
- Легко использовать.
Минусы
- Интерфейс чересчур голый.
- Функция масштабирования не идеальна.
MuPDF — это сверхлегкая бесплатная программа для чтения PDF для Windows и Android.
Когда вы запускаете MuPDF, вам сразу же предлагается выбрать файл PDF, прежде чем вы даже увидите интерфейс программы. Как только вы это сделаете, буквально вариантов не будет видно, но вместо этого полное окно программы будет посвящено отображению PDF.
Нажмите верхний левый значок программы в окне заголовка MuPDF, затем выберите About MuPDF, чтобы увидеть все поддерживаемые сочетания клавиш, которые можно использовать для пролистывания страниц, увеличения и поиска текста.
Когда вы извлекаете файлы из загрузки, откройте «mupdf.exe» для запуска программы.
Плюсы
- Быстрее, чем другие бесплатные варианты.
- Интуитивно понятный интерфейс.
Минусы
- Возможности редактирования довольно ограничены.
- Пытается установить другое программное обеспечение во время установки.
Expert PDF Reader — еще одна бесплатная программа для чтения PDF для Windows.
Вы можете просматривать закладки и список страниц, найденных в PDF, в удобном для чтения указателе на боковой стороне области просмотра.
Есть также дополнительные параметры, такие как подпись и добавление текста в PDF.
Посетите CNET.com, если официальные ссылки для скачивания не работают.
5. Nuance PDF Reader
© Nuance Communications, Inc.
Плюсы
- Добавление видео и изображений в документы очень просто.
- Особенности диктовки делает это приложение идеальным для слабовидящих.
Минусы
- Нет мобильной версии.
- Вы можете открыть только один PDF за раз.
Еще одна бесплатная программа для чтения PDF для Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista и XP — Nuance PDF Reader.
В Nuance PDF Reader включена действительно полезная функция поиска. Слова, которые вы ищете, отображаются с небольшим контекстом для более легкого понимания того, где находятся термины поиска в тексте.
Вы также можете выделить текст в Nuance PDF Reader, что прекрасно, если вы используете PDF для учебной заметки или справочного документа.
6. PDF-XChange Editor
Плюсы
- Премиум версия по разумной цене за то, что вы получаете.
- Добавлять и размещать текст исключительно легко.
Минусы
- PDF-файлы, созданные с помощью бесплатной версии, часто содержат большие уродливые водяные знаки.
- Не определяет поля автоматически при создании форм.
PDF-XChange Editor — еще один полностью бесплатный PDF-ридер для Windows XP и новее.
Интерфейс программы может быть немного тошнотворным, потому что везде есть кнопки, панели инструментов и боковые панели. Вы можете легко отключить большинство из них, тем не менее, для более чистого просмотра.
Помимо открытия PDF-файла с вашего локального компьютера, вы также можете ввести URL-адрес PDF-файла, чтобы открыть PDF-XChange Editor (PDF все равно будет загружен, но программа сделает это за вас).
PDF-XChange Editor также позволяет добавлять заметки, записывать и прикреплять аудио, выделять текст, прикреплять файлы и добавлять зачеркивание к словам.
Множество функций доступно только в профессиональной версии PDF-XChange Editor, но они четко обозначены как таковые и их нетрудно обнаружить.
7. Evince
Плюсы
- Также идеально подходит для чтения комиксов и презентаций Power Point.
- Отличная интеграция со средой рабочего стола GNOME.
Минусы
- Прокрутка не всегда плавная.
- Размер окна не может быть изменен, и нет полноэкранного режима.
Evince — еще один бесплатный PDF-ридер для операционных систем Windows и Linux.
Интерфейс не загроможден, и вы можете настроить панель инструментов с помощью любого из включенных инструментов, таких как функция поиска и различные режимы просмотра.
Evince также поддерживает автоматическую прокрутку. Это потрясающая функция, которая позволяет вам регулировать положение мыши на экране, чтобы автоматически просматривать PDF-файл. Вы можете точно настроить скорость для разных скоростей чтения.
8. Sorax Reader
Плюсы
- Быстрый и легкий.
- Даже не требует установки.
Минусы
- Ограниченные возможности масштабирования.
- Не поставляется с файлами справки.
Sorax доступен для Windows как бесплатная программа для чтения PDF.
Вы найдете все основные функции программы для чтения PDF, такие как возможность поиска по тексту, копирование текста из PDF, масштабирование и изменение режима просмотра.
Sorax также позволяет отправлять открытый PDF-файл кому-либо по электронной почте с помощью кнопки на панели инструментов электронной почты .
Портативная версия Sorax доступна на странице загрузки, которая занимает всего около 8 МБ и доступна как для 32-разрядных, так и для 64-разрядных версий Windows.
Плюсы
- Мобильная версия позволяет получать доступ к метаданным и управлять ими.
- Расширенные возможности шифрования.
Минусы
- Случайное неуклюжее выступление.
- Процесс установки излишне сложен.
Javelin PDF Reader — это всего лишь бесплатная программа для чтения PDF. Никаких дополнительных функций, таких как редактирование или преобразование пометов интерфейса программы.
Все супер чисто и легко читать и понимать. Функция поиска не лучшая , но она работает хорошо, как есть.
Javelin PDF Reader может запустить PDF в полноэкранном режиме, чтобы упростить чтение, и вы можете просто щелкнуть экран, чтобы перейти вниз по страницам PDF.
Размер загружаемого Javelin PDF Reader составляет всего 2 МБ для Windows. Его также можно загрузить для Mac и мобильных устройств, таких как Android и iPad.
10. Cool PDF Reader
Плюсы
- Вы можете использовать его для преобразования PDF-файлов в другие форматы, включая TXT, JPG, GIF и PNG.
- Значки команд показывают, что они делают, когда на них наводит курсор мыши.
Минусы
- Очень ограниченные возможности по сравнению с альтернативами.
- Файл справки не очень полезен.
Cool PDF Reader объемом менее 4 МБ для портативной версии — это бесплатная программа для чтения PDF-файлов для Windows, которая экономит ресурсы системы.
Хотя Cool PDF Reader может не требовать много места на диске, он не является лучшим из доступных для чтения PDF. Там нет функции поиска и прокрутка не самая плавная.
Тем не менее, он все еще работает как бесплатная программа для чтения PDF, если вам не нравятся другие в этом списке.
Вы можете установить Cool PDF Reader на свой компьютер или использовать автономный пакет, чтобы использовать его, не устанавливая ничего.
Looking for a free PDF reader that you can rely on? Look no further – we have got you covered! From cross-platform readers to ones that integrate with other services, these readers are perfect for anyone who wants to read PDFs without any hassle. They allow you to read your important documents easily and even share them appropriately. Also, PDF files are comparatively safe and can’t be altered easily hence, should be used for sharing any important document, resume, study material, manuals, etc. With the help of the right PDF Reader, it becomes easier for you to open, read, and customize PDF files efficiently.
So now, let’s check out the list of best PDF readers, but before that let us read, what is a PDF reader:
What is a PDF Reader?
A PDF reader is an application that helps you to view, comment, fill, search, share and print any Portable Document Format (PDF) files. It is typically used for opening and reading PDF files and provides good control over the appearance of documents on screen. So whether you’re a student, a businessperson, or just someone who wants to save time, these readers are the perfect solution. Let’s dig in!
Best Free PDF Readers for Windows & Mac
Now, let’s get started with the list:
1. Adobe Acrobat Reader DC
Adobe Acrobat Reader DC is one of the most popular PDF readers in the market and it’s free to download! Adobe Acrobat Reader DC is a full-featured PDF reader that lets you view, print and save files in PDF format. It also has features like annotation and bookmarking for easier navigation.
Adobe Acrobat Reader DC is a great tool for anyone who needs to read or print PDF files frequently.
Some of the key benefits of using Adobe Acrobat Reader include:
- Works across devices
- Safeguards your documents
- Includes proper tools for editing, reviewing, and converting
2. Javelin PDF Reader
Javelin PDF Reader is a free PDF reader that’s available on both desktop and mobile platforms. It features a sleek and user-friendly interface, as well as support for a wide variety of file formats. Javelin PDF Reader also has built-in tools that make it easy to annotate, comment, and share your documents with others.
Overall, Javelin PDF Reader is an excellent choice for anyone looking for a free PDF reader that provides all the basic features needed to view. However, it doesn’t support edit features.
Some of the key benefits of using Javelin include:
- Quick backup
- Allows viewing and combining files quickly
- Image extraction from content
3. Foxit PDF Reader
Foxit PDF Reader is a popular PDF reader that is available for both Windows and Mac. It allows you to view, print, and extract files from PDFs with ease. Foxit also has some great features that make it a powerful tool for business owners and document creators.
Some of the key benefits of using Foxit include:
- Easy navigation through your PDFs
- High-quality printing
- Extraction options
4. Nitro Reader
Nitro Reader is a PDF reader that offers a number of features that are not found in other readers. These include the ability to zoom in and out, page-turning by hand or with the flick of a finger, bookmarking pages for later reading, and conversion of text to images.
Nitro Reader also has some unique editing tools that allow you to add annotations, highlight text, and make notes directly on the PDF file. This makes it easy to remember important details as you read through the document.
Some of the key benefits of using Nitro include:
- Intuitive user interface
- Combines or edits PDF files
- Can open more than one PDF at a single time
5. Google Drive
Google Drive is a popular cloud storage service that allows users to store files in the cloud and access them from any device. Nonetheless, it also includes a pdf reader, which can be used to view, print, and save PDFs.
The Google Drive PDF reader works with most versions of Windows and macOS, as well as many other devices including phones and tablets. The file format supported by the PDF reader is based on Open Document Format (ODF), which is widely accepted across industries. ODF files are easy to open and use with common office software such as Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Some of the key benefits of using Google Drive include:
- Compatible with several devices
- Easy sharing
- Free storage
6. MuPDF
MuPDF is a free and open-source PDF reader that runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux. It supports a variety of annotation and management features, including text highlighting, tracking changes, signing documents with your digital signature, and more.
MuPDF also has a built-in security feature called Two-factor Authentication (2FA). This allows you to add an extra layer of security to your PDF files by requiring someone who wants to access the file to also have access to their mobile phone or other protected device.
Some of the key benefits of using MuPDF include:
- Form filling
- Text search
- high-fidelity PDF rendering
7. SumatraPDF
SumatraPDF is a PDF creator that makes creating and editing PDFs easy. It has a variety of features, including the ability to create and edit PDFs quickly and easily, the ability to add tables and figures, cross-references, bookmarks, graphics integration for maps and photos, templates for forms or letters, annotations (including comments), password protection…and more. Plus, SumatraPDF is free to download and use!
If you’re looking for an easy-to-use PDF editor that will help you create quality documents quickly and easily, SumatraPDF is the perfect tool for you.
Some of the key benefits of using SumatraPDF include:
- Need no installation
- Multilingual translations
- Provides password protection
8. Slim PDF
SlimPDF is a free and open-source pdf reader tool that offers a number of features not found in other pdf readers. Some of the unique features of SlimPDF include password protection, embedded images, annotations and notes, bookmarking/filing, support for multiple languages including Chinese and Spanish, easy sharing via social media or email, as well as direct printing to an external printer.
It’s a lightweight, high-quality document format that provides publishers with several advantages over other popular formats like .pdf and .docx.
Some of the key benefits of using Slim include:
- Advanced annotation tools
- Modern UI
- Easy PDF filling
9. PDF-XChange Editor
PDF-XChange Editor is a powerful tool that lets you easily create, modify and export PDF files. This software is perfect for businesses that need to produce large quantities of PDFs quickly and efficiently. With this editor, you can create and edit PDF files with ease, customize them according to your needs, and then export them as desired.
You can also use the tools provided to encrypt or password-protect the contents of your PDFs. So, whether you’re looking to improve your efficiency or security when it comes to producing PDFs, this editor is a great choice!
Some of the key benefits of using PDF-XChange Editor include:
- Editable documents
- Digital signatures
- OCR-enhanced scanning
10. Wondershare
Wondershare is a great PDF reader that allows users to view and print PDFs with ease. It has an easy-to-use interface and provides a fast, smooth, and easy experience while reading PDFs. Other features of Wondershare include: zoom in/out, annotation support, password protection (for secure access to your documents), and more.
There are also multiple ways to share files with other people, including via email or social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.
Some of the key benefits of using Wondershare include:
- Easy-to-use features
- Allows editing, importing, and exporting files
Conclusion:
Nowadays, free PDF readers are available for everyone. As earlier highlighted in this post, not all of these readers can compete with their paid counterparts but still, most of them provide the basic features that one wants. We have also mentioned some notable ones – from user-friendly to innovative and more affordable ones – so that you don’t get lost while choosing the right app.
Who knows where you’ll find your next favorite reader?
FAQs On Best PDF Readers:
Q1. Which are the best PDF readers?
Ans: There are many great PDF readers available out there, some of the best ones are:
- Google Drive
- Javelin PDF Reader
- Slim PDF
- SumatraPDF
- Foxit PDF
Q2. Which is the best PDF reader for Windows 11?
Ans: Although all the PDF readers are good but yes for Windows 11 there are some specific requirements that need to be fulfilled, and these PDF readers are perfect:
- Foxit
- PDFelement
- Adobe Acrobat
Q3. Name a few PDF readers best for students.
Ans: These are the PDF readers best for students:
- Adobe Acrobat Reader DC
- Javelin PDF Reader
- Google Drive
- Nitro Reader
- PDF-XChange Editor
- MuPDF
- SumatraPDF
Q4. List the factors needed to be considered before selecting PDF reader software.
Ans: These are the factors that you should definitely consider:
- Compatibility with mobile devices
- Easy usage
- Support with customer care
- Security for your data
- Proper PDF functionality operations such as share, print, edit, create, etc.
Also Read:
- How to Download and Install Javelin PDF Readers on Windows?
- How to Download and Install Slim PDF Reader Reviews on Windows?
- How to Download and Install Foxit PDF Reader for Windows?
- How to Download and Install PDF-XChange Editor on Windows?
- How to Download and Install Nitro Reader on Windows?