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.He is also working on his own 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.
