Best pdf reader for computer. About the best free PDF viewer and its competitors

Most people don't think about PDF readers that can be installed. They simply install their familiar Adobe Reader. But Adobe's PDF Reader is no longer the only option, and there are really high-quality free PDF viewers that work on the Windows operating system and beyond.

Some alternative PDF readers are lightweight applications with a minimal set of features designed to easily view PDF files, while others, on the contrary, have a whole host of additional options and features. There are programs that provide features that are not available in Adobe Reader.

Built-in PDF Readers

If you are using then you already have a PDF reader. It's not feature rich, but it's fast. Display in a browser is perhaps the easiest way to read a PDF document without installing a separate application. It shows any PDF document like a normal web page, the only difference is an additional toolbar that appears when you hover over the document. is also working on its integrated PDF reader, called PDF.js, which is included in Firefox 14 (albeit disabled by default). The Firefox browser should definitely have its own built-in PDF viewer, which the developers have been promising to release for quite some time now. Now there is no doubt that in Firefox 15 or, at worst, in Firefox 16 (if something goes wrong), we will definitely see it.

It also expects its own PDF reader. It turns out that PDF readers are increasingly being integrated into the browsers and operating systems we use every day, gradually eliminating the need to install separate tools for reading PDF documents.

Foxit Reader

Foxit is one of the first names that come to mind when people start thinking about alternative PDF readers. Perhaps this is due to the fact that it was one of the first alternative PDF viewers.

Unfortunately, during installation, this utility tries to install an additional toolbar in and changes your home page. But, unlike lighter options, Foxit has built-in support for features for creating notes, highlighting passages of text, and other PDF editing features. It is a true full-featured alternative to Adobe Reader.

Sumatra PDF

Sumatra PDF can be considered as the lightest PDF reader available. It is very fast and has a simple interface, and is also available as a handy portable version that you can take with you anywhere.

This development, unfortunately, does not have additional editing options or other bonus features, but it loads and displays any PDF files with lightning speed.

Sumatra also supports keyboard shortcuts, which makes quick PDF reading just perfect. supports other file formats, including e-books in ePub and CBZ formats, as well as comics in CBZ and CBR formats.

Nitro PDF Reader

Nitro PDF Reader stands out among its free counterparts with some unique features and a nice interface. The program has separate features that you will not find in another application. For example, the QuickSign feature allows you to capture a digital image of your signature and apply it to any PDF document. Nitro PDF can also convert files from Microsoft Word and other formats to PDF, convert PDF files to text, and even extract images from PDF documents.

PDF-XChange Viewer

PDF-XChange Viewer is a fast, although not as lightweight as some of the other programs reviewed, for reading PDFs. The utility does an excellent job of editing and annotating, although complex changes to documents will require more powerful paid applications such as Adobe Acrobat.

Adobe Reader

Adobe Reader is still the standard for PDF readers, although, admittedly, it is not the fastest application. Most PDF documents open fine in other PDF readers, but there are also files that will only display correctly in Adobe Reader. If you prefer another program to read such files, then don't be surprised if you need to launch Adobe Reader from time to time to view complex PDF files that don't open properly in other applications.

For the same reason, the PDF viewer built into the Chrome browser sometimes offers its users (or download) Adobe Reader to correctly view a single file.

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Adobe Acrobat Reader - a program from the developer of the PDF format

The leader among programs for viewing PDF documents is the program from the developer of this format - Adobe Acrobat Reader.

The reasons for this are numerous.

First, Nobody knows this format better than Adobe. It is for this reason that no one can keep up with Adobe and create a reader capable of working with all possible versions of this format. If you use any of the alternative programs, then sooner or later you will come across a document that will be displayed only partially, or not displayed at all.

Why use a program whose reliability is worth doubting?

It is much easier to initially use a reliable product, and besides, it is free.

It is also worth mentioning that the Adobe program is available on all popular modern operating systems.

Foxit Reader - a program with big pluses and even bigger minuses

Since version 4.0 this program has become free. More precisely, she had a free offshoot.

Foxit Reader is quite small in size and also works quite fast. But, I stopped using it after it could not open out of 10 documents from different manufacturers. And those that opened were with mangled images.

After that, all the "bells and whistles" (bookmarks, checking for viruses, etc.) cease to play at least some role.

Although if you only come across PDF with bare text, then maybe it will suit you.

PDF-XChange Viewer - almost as good as Adobe Acrobat Reader

PDF-XChange Viewer allows you to do more than just view PDF documents. This program has received recognition from many eminent publications and the main reason for this is the possibility of not only viewing, but also some editing functions of documents. In particular, PDF-XChange Viewer allows you to work with PDF forms and save documents with completed forms. It allows you to export documents to regular image formats.

It is also worth noting that the quality of processing documents and images inside documents in this program is much better than in Foxit Reader. But on the other hand, it works at a speed comparable to Adobe Reader, and besides, it also has a rather large volume.

Cool PDF reader is a one megabyte viewer…

… even less.

Quite an interesting program that copes well with the task of displaying PDF documents, but it has a very unpleasant feature - Cool PDF reader cannot do smooth scrolling of documents, and rendering, that is, preparing the display of a document, takes the most time out of all those described in this program article.

At the same time, this program can even export documents to various image formats.

22/05/2017

Cool PDF Reader is a handy program for viewing and converting pdf files, the distinguishing feature of which is its small size and abundance of functions. This program is considered one of the smallest - its size is less than one megabyte, but the functions of the program are quite enough for an ordinary user who only wants to view and convert pdf files. The program allows you to view documents in full screen mode, as well as print them in just a few clicks. In addition, you can easily change the scale of the document, or rotate it at an angle convenient for you. Another feature of the program is...

12/12/2016

Foxit Reader is an alternative to the popular pdf reader. The program has a very clear interface, the ability to view files in multiple tabs, high speed and full compatibility with popular operating systems. An important factor is the presence of the Russian language in the program, which greatly facilitates the work with it. The program has the ability to view documents in full screen mode, leave comments and graphic bookmarks in the text, print documents, view files without leaving Windows Explorer and install various plug-ins, skins, mods...

26/09/2016

PDF-XChange Viewer is a fast viewer of the famous PDF format, featuring high speed and many different functions. For example, the program allows you to easily add comments and annotations to PDF documents, as well as set a password to open these files. In addition, the program has the ability to easily scan text and images and add them immediately to PDF files, which is quite convenient. Also, it is possible to import and export any file content. It doesn't matter if it's text or pictures. You can add any images to the file, or vice versa, cut these images...

04/05/2015

PDF Shaper is a collection of necessary tools for optimal work with PDF files. The program can convert a PDF document, or several at the same time, to MS Word, or rather to RTF format. But converting documents from PDF to Word is not the only advantage of PDF Shaper, it can also extract certain elements, such as pictures, tables, etc. In addition to these functions, it can split one PDF document into several, or vice versa combine several documents into one. At the same time, the program works with encrypted documents, and can also restrict access with a password. Very easy to use, even a beginner can...

28/04/2015

Recently, more and more electronic books, magazines, brochures appear on the Internet, and all these files are usually in PDF or DjVu format. This program will help you view DjVu, PDF, TIFF and similar files on Windows OS. STDU Viewer is a lightweight, simple and decent replacement for Adobe Acrobat. The program contains all the necessary tools for reading and searching for fragments in a document. The program is available in several languages, including Russian. Among the advantages, a wide range of scaling options can be noted: scale on the screen, scale on the selection, displaying the entire page in full screen or only in...

28/03/2015

PDF Architect is a simple program designed to convert a range of texts, images into a convenient PDF format. The utility allows you to read created documents and any files with a similar extension. For the convenience of interacting with the application, you can immediately create a number of bookmarks with the necessary documents, and when you need to switch between them. PDF Architect allows you to change the scale of the document, rotate it. To create your own document with this format, you need to go through activation by email. Thanks to this feature, any user can create a PDF file from the taken image, texts or Comicbook files. The program allows...

24/03/2015

SoftDigi PDFViewer is a small application designed specifically for viewing various PDF files. The program has an outwardly pleasant interface, allows you to combine various PDF documents into one common file. Allows you to set the minimum document security settings, the necessary information about this file. The application has features such as moving pages, deleting unnecessary pages, exporting, swapping. SoftDigi PDFViewer allows you to easily insert fragments from other files into a PDF document, as well as quickly export pages to a number of different graphic formats. Efficiently exports pages...

27/01/2015

Sumatra PDF is a completely free viewer for XPS, CBR, DJVu, CHM, CBZ and PDF formats. The program has a very modest interface, since the developers focused on the speed of its work and minimalism. Unlike the popular Adobe Reader viewer, this program works much faster, has only a set of necessary functions and allows you to edit documents that are simultaneously open in other applications. In addition, Sumatra PDF has a special plug-in that can be built into a number of popular browsers. This will allow the user to open files directly from the browser window...

10/12/2014

Adobe Reader is one of the most popular programs for working and viewing PDF files. The PDF format is used to create a kind of electronic books, but its capabilities are not limited to this. In PDF format, some kind of user manuals or training materials are often written. In the latest versions of the format, it became possible to embed Flash video in a document. Adobe Reader perfectly supports all these features and allows you to view all types of documents, regardless of which format modification was used when they were created. Among other things, the main Adobe Reader package includes more ...

For convenience, we distinguish four types of programs: viewers (for reading and annotating), editors (for editing text and other content), managers (for splitting, compressing and other file manipulations) and converters (for converting PDF to other formats).

Most applications can be attributed to several types at once.

• Type of: viewer, editor, converter, manager.
• Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux.

A very intuitive and user-friendly program with an impressive number of features. When you launch Sejda PDF, you will immediately see all the tools grouped by category. Select the one you need, drag the necessary file into the program window and start manipulations. Most of this application can be done in a few seconds, even if you are using it for the first time.

What you can do in Sejda PDF:

• edit text, add images and shapes;
• convert PDF to Excel, JPG (and vice versa), Word (and vice versa);
• merge and split files by pages, compress their size;
• protect documents with a password;
• add watermarks;
• discolor documents;
• crop page area;
• sign documents.

The free version of the program has limitations. For example, files should not be larger than 200 pages and larger than 50 MB. In addition, you can not perform more than three operations with documents during the day. The full version of Sejda PDF is $5.25 per month.

• Type of: manager, converter, editor.
• Platforms: Windows, macOS, .

PDFsam cannot boast of a polished, user-friendly interface. In addition, the program does not allow you to convert PDF and edit the content of documents for free. But it has several useful managerial functions available to everyone without payment and any restrictions.

What you can do in PDFsam:

• combine PDF in several modes (glue in parts or mix page by page);
• split PDF by pages, bookmarks (in places with the specified words) and size into separate documents;
• rotate pages (if some of them were scanned upside down);
• extract pages with specified numbers;
• convert Excel, Word, PowerPoint formats to PDF;
• convert PDF to Excel, Word, and PowerPoint formats ($10);
• edit text and other file content ($30).

• Type of
• Platforms: Windows.

A very functional program with a classic interface in the style of Microsoft office applications. PDF-XChange Editor is not very beginner friendly. To master all the features of the program, you need to spend some time. Fortunately, all internal descriptions and tips are translated into Russian.

What you can do in PDF-XChange Editor:

• add annotations and highlight text;
• edit text and other content;
• recognize text using OCR;
• extract pages from documents;
• encrypt documents (for a fee);
• convert PDF to Word, Excel and PowerPoint formats and vice versa (for a fee);
• compress files (paid);
• sort pages in any order (paid).

These are not all the features you can find in PDF-XChange Editor. The program is available in several versions with a different number of features. Paid versions start at $43.5.

• Type of: viewer, manager, converter, editor.
• Platforms: Windows, macOS, Android, iOS.

A popular universal program for working with PDF from the company. The free version is a very convenient document viewer, the rest of the functions are available by subscription at a price of 149 rubles per month.

What you can do in Adobe Acrobat Reader:

• view documents, highlight and comment on text, search for words and phrases;
• sign documents (for a fee);
• edit text and other content (for a fee);
• merge documents into one file (for a fee);
• compress files (paid);
• convert PDF to Word, Excel and PowerPoint formats (paid);
• convert JPG, JPEG, TIF and BMP images to PDF (for a fee).

All these features and more are available in desktop versions of Adobe Acrobat Reader. Mobile versions of the program only allow you to view and annotate documents, as well as - after subscribing - convert them to different formats.

• Type of: viewer, converter.
• Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS.

Fast and convenient PDF reader with different viewing modes. Ideal for users who want a simple document reader without too many extras. The program is available on all major platforms.

This category of programs includes free programs for reading and annotating (annotating) PDF documents that can replace the slow and bloated Adobe Reader. Despite many years of experience, Adobe Reader still lags behind its peers in a number of ways.

Note: Of course, here it is necessary to take into account that Adobe is a commercial company, so it cannot have much zeal in the development of the free version.

In any class of programs, it is necessary to determine the criteria based on which you can identify favorites. However, they need to be balanced against the fact that each user has their own needs and preferences. Therefore, within this category, diverse criteria have been taken, which, with a high probability, will cover most needs. The criteria themselves:

• Ability to open PDF files. No, this is not a joke. Not all PDFs are the same. The test set consisted of about a dozen different files. Different sizes, with different security settings, forms and graphic content. Basically, these are typical files used by most people. It is worth noting that none of the considered programs was able to correctly display the test file with an Adobe 3D image. During the tests, a rigorous selection process took place. Any reader that could not read the PDF document correctly, with the exception of this 3D file, was immediately excluded from consideration.
• File opening speed. In this case, the criterion was somewhat softer. It was about seconds. If the difference in opening was a second or two, then it was acceptable. Agree that delays of a few seconds cause resentment. Especially if the document is small.
• Graphical user interface (GUI). In this case, both functionality and ease of use were taken into account. In other words, how aesthetically arranged the controls and functions are, as well as how easy the entire interface will be for ordinary users to use.
• Experience in reading documents. This factor includes both intuitiveness (what to expect? where to look for? what to click? etc.; basically all navigation elements) and text and image rendering speed.
• Annotation (commenting) tools. One important aspect of PDF readers is the ability to tag, annotate, and add images to an existing document. And later save the result without trial version watermarks.
• Optical Character Recognition (OCR). OCR is the ability to convert a scanned image into readable text. And this is quite an important feature. This feature makes the text inside the document searchable and copyable. Unfortunately, only one of the reviewed products contains this feature. More details in the discussion.
• Installation process. In addition to everything, all programs were considered in terms of ease of installation. There is a sad tendency to include various third-party and unnecessary, and sometimes even harmful, software products in the installer.

Note: The software has not been tested on Windows 8. However, Windows 8 support is available on the developer's websites.

Overview of Free PDF Readers (Readers)

Of the entire set of free PDF document readers available, the first two stand out the most. They include extensive options for viewing and commenting on PDF files. But, about this in more detail and in order.

PDF-XChange Viewer full featured reader

This fully functional horse remains the best choice in this category. Subject to the exclusion of 3D image files above. The program was able to quickly open and accurately display all files from the test build. At the same time, you can resize pages, turn them over. Export documents and their parts to various image formats.

The tiled window interface with many tabs allows you to read and comment on multiple documents at once, without having to navigate through multiple open copies of the program. Plus, for quick movement, not only different options for displaying documents in the program window are provided, but also maintaining navigation history. You can go through all the viewed parts of different documents with just a few clicks.

In addition to viewing capabilities, PDF-XChange includes a wide range of tools for annotating and bookmarking PDF documents. The Annotation Toolbox contains many drawing tools, including a grid display to create an accurate drawing. Comments can be hidden, exported or imported.

The program also supports document encryption, security management and document properties. All controls are easily accessible and easy to use. Unfortunately, unlike some other PDF readers, XChanger lacks the ability to add digital signatures.

One of the important parts of any PDF reader is searching for text in a file. And it is here that PDF-XChanger bypasses all its counterparts. It can convert and save a scanned image or text as a picture in a PDF document into readable and searchable text. The OCR process allows for a user-friendly and indexable document.

Note: If you use various services or programs that can index the text of PDF documents, then most likely you have already remembered those foolish documents that, by a lucky chance, are made up of many beautiful pictures, including text.

It is worth noting that the interface is somewhat reminiscent of Windows XP. However, once you open the program, you will not have any particular complaints. The graphical interface is quite neat and pleasant.

Unfortunately, the installer includes a special panel for the browser. So if you don't like to use portable versions and prefer to install programs, then you should be careful during the installation process to avoid installing unnecessary and unnecessary software.

Foxit Reader PDF Reader alternative to PDF-XChange

A worthy contender in this category is Foxit Reader, especially if you don't need OCR tools. The program was able to open and transfer all the same files accurately, even slightly faster than PDF-XChanger.

Foxit contains similar features for viewing and navigating documents, adding to them the ability to read documents aloud. As with XChanger, all documents open as tabs, allowing you to quickly read and comment on multiple documents at once.

While other programs in this category have been relatively static in their development, Foxit has been constantly evolving. The latest version of Foxit already offers different GUI display options. Depending on how familiar you are with different kinds of views, you may like both the "classic" interface and the "ribbon" interface. The ribbon is somewhat similar to the Microsoft Office panel.

Of course, the annotation form tools may initially cause some problems, but otherwise, and this is navigation and editing, the controls are quite well organized. If we talk about the interface as a whole, then it is largely intuitive.

The array of annotation tools is just as huge and impressive as PDF-XChange's. The user can fill out forms, fully comment on the documents and save all the work in the form in which he made them. Foxit includes some unique controls that allow you to add pictures, media files, and so on.

The program supports some features for collaborative editing and sharing via social media. The program allows you to sign and check for validity documents with an electronic signature using the commercial DocuSign service. Even though Foxit can open encrypted files, it unfortunately lacks features for configuring file security.

Carefully! Foxit comes with various unwanted components that will try to install toolbars in the browser and change system settings. The components themselves change regularly. Users need to take great care during the installation process to avoid problems.

Sumatra PDF Viewer is a great simple pdf reader

If all you want from a PDF reader is reading and printing. Then Sumatra is what you were looking for. Perhaps the utility is not so rich in features and has a number of limitations in rendering images, but this is compensated by a large set of different viewing options. As you probably already understood, Sumatra does not provide for editing or commenting on documents.

Note: To be somewhat honest, not many ordinary users know about the very possibility of commenting. Most use this class of programs exclusively for reading documents.

Quick Guide (PDF Reader Download Links)

PDF-XChange Viewer

		Reasonable download speed. Printing documents. Extensive commenting options without adding watermarks. There is OCR (image recognition). It can recognize not only scanned images, but also PDF documents themselves. A huge number of settings, including encryption, properties and security. Beautiful and pleasant interface.
		The installer contains extra and unnecessary software.

Foxit Reader

		Fast. Various types of user interface. Extensive commenting options. Partial integration with social media. Can check and add electronic signatures. Great set of functionality. Able to read encrypted files.
		No OCR support. The installer contains unwanted components that will constantly try to change browser and system settings. Therefore, during installation, care must be taken in the selection of components. The instruction manual is downloaded separately.