The best free PDF readers make it simple and easy not just to read PDF files, but also include additional features such as editing, annotating and even esigning. These days, PDF documents are being used everywhere. And, so everybody uses them at work, in schools, and even for digital copies of the manuals for your peripherals and devices. While simply opening a PDF as a read-only file is straightforward — you can just do it using your favorite web browser — editing, altering or converting one will require a dedicated PDF reader.

We looked at their ability to handle large files, cloud storage functionality, OS compatibility, bonus features, and lots more. These should see you through advanced tasks like signing or editing documents, combining PDF files , or converting between document formats. For more flexibility, take a look at our guide to the best free PDF editors , which make editing a PDF as straightforward as tweaking a Word document.

Need to do more with your PDFs? It gives you total freedom to create PDFs from scratch and edit existing documents without fuss, on desktop or mobile. And it’s our top choice for best free PDF reader overall – although we found features one massive downside.

The top PDF viewer is designed with two purposes in mind: the first is to enable you to read and interact with PDF files including adding annotations and even signing a document. Tools for editing, signing, highlighting, and commenting are fairly easy to access.

You can also merge or split PDFs by downloading free add-ons for the software. Note that with the software’s latest update, Foxit seems to have removed its PDF virtual printer driver, meaning you can no longer use the software to create PDFs. The downside to this small size is that Slim PDF is pretty basic. There are no tools for signing, filling, commenting, or highlighting, let alone multiple reading modes. While there is a menu option to convert a PDF to a Word document, doing this requires another software download.

Read our full Slim PDF review. Touchscreen mode is especially nice for reading e-books, since you can flick the pages rather than scroll or click on a button. You can annotate documents with underlining and strikethroughs in addition to highlighting. Comments are also supported, and they appear like sticky notes that are easy to spot as you read through a document. Helpfully, the software also allows you to convert between PDF and other document formats.

The software has a ribbon-style menu that will be familiar to Microsoft Office users. Read our full Nitro Reader review. The interface is a little more complex than some others but gives you easy access to plenty of helpful features.

You can use this platform to merge or split individual PDF files. First introduced in the s, PDF files are an excellent way to distribute documents containing text, images, and various other media types.

These dedicated programs give users more ways to interact with the file and offer greater control over how the document appears on the screen. PDF files were designed to appear and function the same on any piece of hardware, so you’ll find PDF readers for Android and other mobile devices too. When deciding which PDF reader is best to download and use, first consider which parts of your PDF file you need to change. In some cases, especially if you want to change almost all the content of your file, it may be better to use a fully functioning PDF Editor or even a PDF to Word converter instead.

We downloaded, installed, and used each of the best free PDF readers before creating this guide. Using a selection of large PDF files, we compared how each piece of software handles significant amounts of data. We also completed a series of everyday PDF tasks to see how intuitive each program is to use. Many people still expect a basic level of editing from a PDF reader, so we explored what each program provides on that front.

We also examined each product’s documentation and online support, as these play a crucial role in the overall user experience. While price isn’t a comparison point for free PDF readers, we did research the paid versions where available to discover what they offer over their free counterparts. Michael Graw is a freelance journalist and photographer based in Bellingham, Washington.

His interests span a wide range from business technology to finance to creative media, with a focus on new technology and emerging trends. Tech Radar. North America. Adobe Acrobat Reader DC. Reasons to avoid – Relatively large. Foxit PDF Reader. Reasons to avoid – Some features require extensions. Slim PDF. Reasons to avoid – No editing features.

Nitro Reader. Reasons to avoid – No document signing or filling. Reasons to avoid – Watermarks documents. Michael Graw. See more Software news. More about pro.

 
 

Best PDF Readers For Windows Of Free And Paid | TechRadar.

 

North America. Adobe Acrobat Reader DC. Reasons to avoid – Relatively large. Foxit PDF Reader. Reasons to avoid – Some features require extensions. Slim PDF. Reasons to avoid – No editing features. Nitro Reader. Reasons to avoid – No document signing or filling. Reasons to avoid – Watermarks documents. Michael Graw. See more Software news. More about pro. However, it only works on Windows devices.

Read our full Adobe Acrobat DC review. Foxit has developed a sophisticated PDF management app, with PDF Editor opens in new tab formerly PhantomPDF being pushed as a tool that goes well beyond PDF viewing, providing a range of cloud-based tools that allow you to create and customize documents at scale. For instance, you can manage who has access to documents, track who opens them, notify readers of document updates and send document requests to your colleagues.

This software also sports a whole suite of useful editing tools. You can change the layout of a document, rearrange paragraphs, columns and pages, or make your documents look more professional by including stamps, watermarks, headers, footers and so forth.

Read our full Foxit PDF review. Another notable PDF management software platform for individuals and enterprises is Power PDF opens in new tab , an easy-to-use piece of software that lets you create, edit, annotate and share documents quickly. There are several versions of the software, all of which offer different features. The Standard edition lets you create, convert, combine and edit documents, fill in forms and share PDF files.

While offering all the same features of the Standard edition, it comes with collaboration, security and redaction abilities. You can access documents anywhere and at any time through the cloud, too. Enterprises can get a quote for volume licensing of the software as well. By going down this route, firms get one deployment package with a single license.

Lulu Software has developed a range of easy-to-use PDF management applications for both individual users and businesses. It offers a full suite of cloud-based PDF tools through either home or premium editions. It is one of the fastest PDF readers that allows you to disable unnecessary stuff for a cleaner viewing experience. 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. This free PDF software also helps you to streamline document conversion. It is one of the best PDF software that helps you edit, manage pages, annotate, and more. It helps you to make your working with digital documents stress-free.

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. It creates perfectly sized documents which are readable on any device. It also uses encryption to protect your intellectual properties. Google Drive also offers a PDF viewer feature.

It is free PDF software for anyone who has a Google account. Open mupdf-gl. You can view bookmarks and a list of pages found in the PDF in an easy to read index on the side of the viewing area. There are also advanced options like signing and adding text to the PDF. A really valuable search function is included, where the words you search for show up with a bit of context for easier understanding as to where the search terms are at in the text. You can also highlight text, which is great if you’re using a PDF for study notes or a reference document.

The program interface can be a bit nauseating to look at because there are buttons, toolbars, and side panels all over the place. You can easily disable most of these, though, for a much cleaner viewing experience.

In addition to opening a PDF from your own local computer, you can also enter a URL of a PDF file the document will still be downloaded, but the program does it for you. You can also add notes, record and attach audio, highlight text, attach files, and add a strike-through to words.

Lots of features are only available in the professional version of PDF-XChange Editor, but they’re clearly marked as such and aren’t difficult to spot. Sorax is available for Windows as a free PDF reader. You’ll find all the basic features of a PDF opener, like the ability to search through text, copy text out of the document, zoom, and change the viewing mode. This program also lets you send the currently opened PDF to someone over email with the Email toolbar button.

No extra features like editing or converting litters the program interface. Everything is spotless and easy to read and understand.

 

Best pdf reader for windows 10 –

 
Expert PDF Reader. Nitro Free PDF Reader.