Introduction
This category includes desktop programs that can be used for reading and annotating PDF documents, other than the slow and bloated Adobe Reader. While I will admit that the Adobe product has improved in both speed and features in recent years, it still lags behind some of the products reviewed here.
My personal criteria for rating the PDF reader include the following factors:
- Ability to open PDF files - All PDF files are not created equal. I assembled a set of about a dozen test files using various combinations of size, security, and form and image content. These are typical files used in both office and recreational computing, the kind of PDF files that most people want to read. I do note that none of the programs reviewed were able to render an Adobe 3D image test file correctly. With the exception of this 3D file, if a reader was unable to open any of the test files, it was eliminated from consideration.
- Speed of opening files - While a second or two difference in opening files doesn't make too much difference to me, delays beyond a few seconds tend to annoy me.
- The graphical user interface (GUI) - While I do have a bias toward programs that are aesthetically pleasing, ease of use is also important in the GUI evaluation.
- The document reading experience - This factor includes how intuitively the program operates, the speed of rendering text and images, and the navigation controls.
- The tools for annotation - One important aspect of PDF readers for me is the basic ability to markup, comment on, add drawing elements in a PDF and save the document with the alterations but without unwanted trial software watermarks.
- Optical Character Recognition (OCR) - This ability to convert a scanned or imaged PDF to a computer readable text and save the converted document is an important feature. This makes the text within the document both searchable and able to be copied. Unfortunately only one of our choices contains this feature. Read on to find which one.
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Rated Products
Our Rating:
License: Free (Limited features)
Platforms/Download: Windows (Desktop) |
Version reviewed: n/a
Gizmos Freeware
Summary:
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Platforms/Download: Windows (Desktop) |
Version reviewed: n/a
Gizmos Freeware
| Our Rating: 5/5 |
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Loads reasonably fast; can print PDFs; extensive annotation; allows filling and saving of Adobe PDF forms; can extract text and images, magnify text, manage document properties and security; Can OCR image based PDF documents.
Some advanced features are included but not free. When such features are used, resulting PDFs will be watermarked.
Read more...
License: Free (Limited features)
Loads reasonably fast; can print PDFs; extensive annotation; allows filling and saving of Adobe PDF forms; can extract text and images, magnify text, manage document properties and security; Can OCR image based PDF documents.
Some advanced features are included but not free. When such features are used, resulting PDFs will be watermarked.
Read full review...
Our Rating:
License: Free
Platforms/Download: [field_blackberry_download] | iOS | Windows (App) | Windows (Desktop) |
Version reviewed: n/a
Gizmos Freeware
Summary:
Read more...
Platforms/Download: [field_blackberry_download] | iOS | Windows (App) | Windows (Desktop) |
Version reviewed: n/a
Gizmos Freeware
| Our Rating: 4/5 |
Fast, modern user interface, can fill and save both forms and form data, provides extensive annotation and review features. Social media interface. Can insert and validate electronic signatures.
No OCR capability. Users need to take great care during the install process to avoid a variety of unwanted components and system changes, the make-up of which is changed regularly. User manual must be downloaded separately.
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License: Free
Fast, modern user interface, can fill and save both forms and form data, provides extensive annotation and review features. Social media interface. Can insert and validate electronic signatures.
No OCR capability. Users need to take great care during the install process to avoid a variety of unwanted components and system changes, the make-up of which is changed regularly. User manual must be downloaded separately.
Read full review...
Our Rating:
License: Free (Open source)
Platforms/Download: Windows (Desktop) |
Version reviewed: n/a
Gizmos Freeware
Summary:
Read more...
Platforms/Download: Windows (Desktop) |
Version reviewed: n/a
Gizmos Freeware
| Our Rating: 3/5 |
Small, fast, source code available.
Few features - it's basically just a viewer, image quality is not the best.
Read more...
License: Free (Open source)
Small, fast, source code available.
Few features - it's basically just a viewer, image quality is not the best.
Read full review...
More PDF Readers
Check out more PDF readers reviewed and rated with Software Finder at our site.
Related Products and Links
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Editor
This software review is copy-edited by Jojo Yee. Please help edit and improve this article by clicking here.
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Comments
I tried "PDF-XChange Editor" but you can't tell which features work and which ones don't in the free version until get to a point while using it and realize it doesn't work. I think JoJo must have selected it because it is the only one that performs OCR. My memory isn't good enough to remember which options work which ones don't. ...So I use "PDF-XChange Viewer" instead which which is all free and does not have any features that do not work. "PDF-XChange Viewer" has been discontinued and replaced by "PDF-XChange Editor" but I like the viewer better and you can download it here as portable:
https://portableapps.com/apps/office/pdf-xchange-portable
There are 2 downloads, one is the program that you install first and the second is the OCR and help that you install in the same folder. The file downloads as an exe and you need to install it but it is portable after you install both.
If you want a viewer only, the Microsoft Edge web browser works quite well. I don't like it as a web browser but it is quite good at viewing PDFs. You can search the text and there is a button that you can press for contents which shows bookmarks.
Foxit's GUI is WAY too cluttered. SumatraPDF's interface is clean and minimal so it stays out of the user's way.
I just installed Foxit Reader 9.0.0.29935 on a machine running Windows 10 Home.
During the installation, I declined an offer to install their product called PhantomPDF, which is for PDF editing, I believe.
There is no sign of Open Candy or any other malware - scanned with Microsoft Security Essentials and MalwareBytes.
I find useful SpdPdf reader (http://www.spdpdf.com/reader/index) : it is also a good epub and mobi reader.
It has also two assets that I like: eye-protection mode (visual comfort as background) and a full screen mode.
PDF-Xchange Viewer does the job for me too. Lightweight and I have used it for years including on my current Creators Update version.
I'm clueless is to why people don't want to use adobe? I like that i can put my books on the adobe cloud and read them on my smart phone...I read a lot and it's very convenient... Fill me in ...
Adobe Reader is bloated and slow. Some of these free readers have features that are not included in Adobe Reader.
I use full Adobe Acrobat and other Adobe products for production but for quick reading and editing, I prefer PDF-Xchange.
"... SpdPDF Reader is a tool that aims to take its position in user preference when it comes to viewing PDF documents. In addition to this filetype, it supports Mobi (Kindle), ePub (Kindle Fire, Android, iOS), DjVu, CHM (HTML help), Comic books, FictionBook, XPS, and plain text documents (TXT) ...":
http://www.spdpdf.com/reader/index
http://www.softpedia.com/get/Office-tools/PDF/SpdPDF-Reader.shtml
New software.
CovePDF: http://www.covepdf.com/
I've found that Adobe's standard reader crashes too often on Windows 10, hence my search for an alternative free viewer. Thanks for the info.
The new version of Foxit 8.0 is now available.
If what you want is highest quality viewing and printing of PDF files, be it documents, books, or images, then I would suggest going with Adobe Reader DC. It has a clean modern interface, and I've seen no lag with it. Please contradict me if you've found differently. If an alternative pdf reader gives you specific tools that you must have, then of course, go with that instead; but if you really don't need those tools, then they are just useless bells and whistles.
Great article Jojo!
I would like to simply add an observation; I find it surprising that--even now--March of 2016--there are only 3 choices for free PDF readers. This feels like the kind of category that would have literally hundreds. I wonder why? Maybe the hundreds of developers who would create these free versions are satisfied enough with Adobe?
One question: which test files did Sumatra not open? It's very popular, but I'd like to know what I (and all those other people) are missing.
johnvk, regarding your comment on the limited number of three recommended products, there is a companion article with more options:
Best Free PDF Writer Software.
My experience of free PDF readers, even Adobe Acrobat, is that they tend to have significant pitfalls. I'm not surprised Jojo only recommends three products. Many of the free viewers do not have enough free features or have other specific limitations. That's why I shifted to using PDF-XChange Editor after using Nitro PDF Reader for several years.
@Remah, Just to be clear, I have no doubt that the article suggests the 3 that are really good. I just think the world would have more good ones. I do agree there seem to be a lot that have significant pitfalls. (Which, of course, distinctly highlights the value of Gizmo's--selecting the 3 best out of numerous sub-optimal choices :D
It has been a while since I have done the comparison between the PDF-Xchange Reader and the free version of Editor. My recollection is that the only features offered in the Editor that were not found in the Reader resulted in watermarks being applied to the resulting PDFs. If that is still the case, there would seem to be no long term benefit that comes from the free version of the Editor other than as a trial for the paid version.
If anyone has some recent experience with the Editor that differs from mine, I would be pleased to give it another shot.
I had exactly the same experience. The Editor free version seems to be just a tease to get you to upgrade. I didn't find it any more useful, and the interface is more cluttered, so I also went back to PDF-Xchange Reader.
I agree with you.
I have both on my PC, and have reverted to the PDF-Xchange Viewer
PDF-XChange Editor appears to be for purchase only. The link takes you to a download that says BUY NOW, cost is $43.50. Might be time to remove this product from the free non Adobe PDF listings.
That is because PDF-XChange Editor is a Shareware software. A shareware software doesn't mean that it is Commercial (one which you have to pay after the trial period), it means that:
1. Will revert to the free version with certain limitations once after the trial period is over (eg. Sandboxie). This typically can be considered as free. (note that there are other class of products called Free software, which is different from Freeware software)
2. Will be having significant limitations (also called Demo software) after the trial period is over and you might have to pay for it to continue using the product for it's basic features. (eg. Kaspersky Antivirus)
Freeware products with a commercial version have generally separate names, hence it can earn the license of being Freeware (eg. Avast Antivirus Free/Pro, MalwareBytes Free/Pro)
There are a lot of Licensing terms that might be different across various softwares, which is what creates this confusion. But this is the general rule. The ultimate licensing of a product (and hence usage) will be described in the EULA of a software, which is generally shown in a dialog box during installation, or will be described on their website.
On the PDF-Xchange Editor page (Go to tracker-software.com, click on Products, then on PDF-Xchange Editor) it clearly says: "The FREE [emphasis in the original] download of the PDF-XChange Editor may be used without limitation for Private, Commercial, Government and all uses, provided it is not: incorporated or distributed for profit/commercial gain with other software or media distribution of any type - without first gaining permission."
You're right that it would be clearer if they specifically stated "free version," but to give them their due, they do say that ""The FREE [emphasis in the original] download of the PDF-XChange Editor ***may be used without limitation*** for Private, Commercial, Government and all uses," etc. "May be used without limitation" says to me that the software is free to download and use, but I agree wholeheartedly that it would probably be clearer and better for them to state outright that they have a "free version" available. I would even go further and add that it would be better still for their statement about the "free version" to be more prominent than the "free download" statement I originally quoted, which was rather tucked away on their site.
Good observation.
They actually do not mention on their site (which has changed by the way), but the PdfXchange Editor does have a free version, which you can select during installation. In the About section too, they mention about the free version, which has most functionalities available.
But yes, they should mention about the free version on their site somewhere atleast. There is no mention of it currently.
Thanks! It worked just fine. Not sure why they don't mention this on the site, guess they want you to buy it and then find out it can be had for free?
I used the previous product for years and liked it, I hope this one is just as good.
In PDF X-change free, if you do simple annotations like squares, ovals, lines, arrows, text, does it 'watermark' or stamp the file when saved?
I need a good OCR in Norwegian. Does anyone know if XChange editor has one?
Yes it has (Editor and Viewer).
It seems you need install 'European Languages Pack'.
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