Adobe Acrobat Reader
Adobe Acrobat Reader is a free software application for viewing, printing, signing, and annotating PDF documents. It is the standard PDF viewer and one of the most popular free software downloads with over 2 billion installations.
pdf
reader
viewer
documents
free
Adobe Acrobat Reader: Free PDF Viewer & Editor
Free software for viewing, printing, signing, and annotating PDF documents, with over 2 billion installations.
What is Adobe Acrobat Reader?
Adobe Acrobat Reader is a free software application developed by Adobe Systems for viewing, printing, signing, and annotating Portable Document Format (PDF) files. It is the most popular PDF viewer and one of the most widely used free software downloads with over 2 billion installations across platforms and devices.
Acrobat Reader provides essential capabilities for working with PDF documents. Users can open, view, search, copy text and images, print, sign, validate signatures, fill and save forms, add comments, and collaborate on PDF documents with the full functionally of Adobe Acrobat Reader. It includes capabilities to read PDF documents out loud, magnify pages, rotate them, or work with them in other ways to make documents more accessible.
The key value of Acrobat Reader is providing universal, free access for anyone to view and interact with PDF documents across platforms and devices. It works on Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and other operating systems. The PDF format is widely used to distribute documents, forms, ebooks, and other content that maintains the visual design and formatting intended by the creator.
Acrobat Reader is supported by ads and in-app purchases for additional capabilities in the mobile app version. Various paid subscription plans are also available under the brand Adobe Acrobat with additional creation, editing, export, e-signing, and collaboration features beyond the free reader.
Adobe Acrobat Reader Features
Features
- View PDF files
- Print PDF files
- Sign PDF files digitally
- Annotate PDF files
- Fill and save PDF forms
- Search text in PDF files
- Zoom in/out on PDF pages
- Rotate PDF pages
- Copy text and images from PDFs
Pricing
- Free
Pros
Free
Widely used standard for PDF viewing
Good compatibility with various PDF types
Many useful PDF editing tools
Supports digital signatures
Available on multiple platforms
Cons
Lacks some advanced PDF editing features
Occasional bugs or crashes
Contains advertisements
Has security vulnerabilities if not updated
Slow performance with large PDF files
The Best Adobe Acrobat Reader Alternatives
Top Office & Productivity and Pdf Readers and other similar apps like Adobe Acrobat Reader
Here are some alternatives to Adobe Acrobat Reader:
Suggest an alternative ❐
PDF-XChange Viewer
PDF-XChange Viewer is a free, versatile PDF reader and editor for Windows. Developed by Tracker Software, it provides a lightweight alternative to Adobe Acrobat Reader with a focus on speed and customizability.Key features of PDF-XChange Viewer include:Fast and responsive PDF viewing and navigationTabbed browsing for multiple documentsBasic annotation tools like...
Drawboard PDF
Drawboard PDF is a feature-rich PDF annotation and editing application designed specifically for Windows tablets and touch-screen devices. It provides a fluid and natural experience for working with PDFs by harnessing the power of touch and pen input.With Drawboard PDF, you can annotate documents with a selection of intuitive tools...
Okular
Okular is a feature-rich document viewer application designed for the KDE desktop environment on Linux operating systems. It can open and display a wide variety of document formats including PDF, EPUB, PostScript, DjVu, CHM, XPS, ODT, FictionBook, ComicBook, Plucker, and others.Some of the key features of Okular include:Smooth scrolling and...
Foxit Reader
Foxit Reader is a free, fast and lightweight PDF viewer that allows you to view, annotate, sign, and print PDF documents. Developed as an alternative to Adobe Acrobat Reader, Foxit offers the essential PDF features without the large file size and system resource usage of Acrobat.Key features of Foxit Reader...
GoodReader
GoodReader is a highly-rated PDF and document reader app for iOS devices like iPhones and iPads. It was first released in 2009 and has become one of the top choices for working with documents on iOS.Key features of GoodReader include:Full support for annotations like highlighting and drawing over PDFsRobust file...
Xodo
Xodo is a feature-rich PDF reader and annotator that allows you to view, edit, sign, share and collaborate on PDF documents across devices and platforms. It is offered as a free app for Windows, Linux, Android, iOS and as a web app that works in all major browsers.Some of the...
Xournal++
Xournal++ is a free, open-source digital notebook application designed for notetaking, keeping a journal, and sketching. It is available on Linux and allows you to annotate PDFs, create notes, or just sketch ideas using a graphics tablet or other pointing devices. Some key features of Xournal++ include:Support for pen input,...
Pdf+
Pdf+ is a versatile PDF editing tool for Windows that provides a wide range of features for working with PDF files. It enables users to view, edit, annotate, organize, fill out, secure and convert PDFs.Key highlights of Pdf+ include:Editing text, images, links - Edit text right in the PDF, correct...
PDFescape
PDFescape is a free online PDF editor that allows you to view, edit, annotate, fill forms, sign documents, and more with PDF files directly in your web browser without needing to install any software. It offers a range of useful PDF tools for both personal and professional use.With PDFescape you...
Evince
Evince is a lightweight document viewer application designed for the GNOME desktop environment. It supports the most common document formats including PDF, PostScript, DjVu and TIFF. Some key features of Evince include:Fast and efficient, optimized for GNOMESmooth scrolling and responsive UIThumbnails and two-page layout for easy browsingAnnotations and form-filling supportMinimalistic...
Kami
Kami is a popular free web and Chrome extension-based PDF and document annotation application designed for education. It allows teachers, students, and other users to annotate PDFs and other document types directly in the browser with a variety of annotation tools.Key features of Kami include:Add text notes, highlights, shapes, arrows,...
MuPDF
MuPDF is an open source software library and set of tools for rendering PDF documents. Developed by Artifex Software, MuPDF is designed to be lightweight, fast, and efficient.As a PDF viewer, MuPDF allows users to quickly open and scroll through PDF files while using minimal system resources. It renders PDF...
Chrome PDF Viewer Plug-in
The Chrome PDF Viewer Plug-in is an extension available for the Google Chrome web browser that enhances the default PDF viewing capabilities. Once installed, it replaces Chrome's built-in PDF viewer with a custom one that provides additional useful features.Key highlights of the Chrome PDF Viewer include:Tabbed viewing - Open multiple...
Skim
Skim is a PDF reader and note-taking app designed specifically for macOS. It provides a clean, uncluttered interface and fast performance for working with PDF documents.Some key features of Skim include:Annotations - Skim allows you to highlight passages, add text notes, draw shapes and lines, and more to annotate PDFs.Text...
PDFgear
PDFgear is a powerful PDF software suite for Windows that enables users to easily work with PDF documents. It includes a variety of tools for creating, editing, converting, annotating, securing, and optimizing PDFs.Key features of PDFgear include:Intuitive PDF Editor - Add or edit text, images, shapes in PDFs. Redact sensitive...
EBookDroid
EBookDroid is a free, open source document viewer application for Android devices. It enables users to easily read ebooks, PDFs, DjVu documents, XPS files, FB2 ebooks, and EPUB files on their Android phone or tablet.Some key features of EBookDroid include:Support for common ebook and document formats like PDF, EPUB, DjVu,...
Zathura
Zathura is a highly customizable, lightweight document viewer. It provides a minimalistic and space-saving interface as well as an easy usage that mainly focuses on keyboard interaction. The shortcuts make it easy to navigate through documents and change options. Zathura's customizability makes it a great choice for those seeking a...
Document Viewer
A document viewer is an application program that enables users to open, view, and print documents in various file formats like PDF, Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, images, HTML pages, text files etc. It is an essential productivity software used across businesses and homes.Key features of a good document viewer include:Support...
Butterfly
Butterfly is an open-source, cross-platform SQL client designed to make database management easy and intuitive. With Butterfly, users can connect to MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite, SQL Server, and other major database servers to manage databases and tables, write SQL queries, and visualize data relationships.Some key features of Butterfly include:Intuitive graphical interface...
NightPDF
NightPDF is a free, open-source PDF editor and viewer application for Windows. It provides a wide range of PDF manipulation and editing capabilities in an easy-to-use interface.With NightPDF, users can merge multiple PDF files together, add or delete specific pages, rotate or reorder pages, split large PDFs into smaller files,...
Google Docs Viewer
Google Docs Viewer is a free web-based tool from Google that allows you to view a wide variety of document file types directly in your web browser without needing to have the application used to create them installed on your computer.With Google Docs Viewer, you can view, print and download...
Nuance PDF Reader
Nuance PDF Reader is a free PDF viewer and annotation software for Windows. It is developed by Nuance Communications, known for products like Dragon NaturallySpeaking speech recognition software.Key features of Nuance PDF Reader include:Fast and smooth PDF viewing with tabbed interfaceAnnotations like highlights, underlines, strikethroughs, notes and drawingsText search and...
Nitro PDF Reader
Nitro PDF Reader is a powerful, free PDF viewer and editor for Windows that enables you to view, create, convert, edit, sign, and collaborate on PDF documents. Developed as an alternative to Adobe Acrobat Reader, Nitro PDF Reader aims to deliver robust PDF productivity at no cost.Key features of Nitro...
STDU Viewer
STDU Viewer is a free, open-source and portable universal file viewer that allows users to easily view over 20 different file formats, including PDF, Microsoft Office documents, images, emails, multimedia files, ebook formats and more.Some of the key features of STDU Viewer include:Tabbed interface for opening multiple filesThumbnails and outline...
RepliGo Reader
RepliGo Reader is a feature-rich, multi-format eBook reader that helps you read eBooks from various sources with ease. It supports common eBook formats including EPUB, MOBI, PDF, DjVU, FB2, DOC, RTF, HTML, TXT, CHM and CBD.With RepliGo Reader, you can customize your reading experience with options to adjust font, font...
Google PDF Viewer
Google PDF Viewer is a free web-based tool that allows users to view PDF files directly in their web browser without needing to install any additional software or plug-ins. It is powered by Google's advanced document rendering technology that converts PDF files into HTML5 so they can be displayed properly...
ITop PDF
iTop PDF is a versatile PDF software with a wide range of features for managing and editing PDF documents. It provides a simple yet powerful set of tools for efficient PDF manipulation.With iTop PDF, users can edit PDF text and images directly within the software. Its annotation features allow adding...
PSPDFKit
PSPDFKit is a feature-rich PDF software that focuses on seamless PDF viewing, annotation, and collaboration across devices and platforms. It enables users to easily view, annotate, fill forms, sign documents, add comments, draw, highlight, and markup PDFs using an intuitive interface and robust toolset.Some key capabilities and benefits of PSPDFKit...
Qoppa PDF Studio
Qoppa PDF Studio is a versatile PDF editing and creation application for Windows. It provides a wide range of tools for working with PDF files.With Qoppa PDF Studio, you can make modifications to existing PDFs, such as adding or editing text, images, links, bookmarks, and form fields. It also allows...
MJ PDF Reader
MJ PDF Reader is a free PDF viewer for Windows that provides a lightweight yet full-featured alternative to Adobe Acrobat Reader. Developed by Software995, it aims to balance functionality, speed, and ease of use.Some key features of MJ PDF Reader include:Tabbed document interface for opening multiple PDFsFast page loading and...
Xpdf
Xpdf is a free and open source PDF viewer and toolkit. It can be used to view, print, search, copy text from, and manipulate PDF files. Xpdf runs on Linux, Unix, Windows, and macOS operating systems.Some key features of Xpdf include:Fast PDF rendering and displaySupport for searching and indexing PDF...
RAD PDF
RAD PDF is a versatile PDF software designed to provide users with a range of tools for working with PDF files. It enables viewing, annotation, creation, conversion, security, and collaboration features for PDFs.Key features include:Intuitive PDF reader for viewing and annotating PDFsRobust PDF editor for modifying and reorganizing PDF pagesPDF...
Atril
Atril is a free and open source document viewer application for Linux designed primarily to view PDF files. It features a simple and intuitive user interface with a clean, uncluttered layout focused on the content.Key features of Atril include:Continuous scrolling to navigate through documentsSidebar with thumbnail preview and bookmarkingSupport for...
Stirling PDF
Stirling PDF is a powerful PDF software suite that provides a wide range of features for PDF manipulation and conversion. It allows users to easily edit, convert, create, secure, and organize PDFs through an intuitive interface.Key features of Stirling PDF include:Split and merge PDFsCompress PDF files to reduce sizeConvert PDFs...
Lumin PDF
Lumin PDF is a feature-rich PDF editing software that enables individuals and teams to view, annotate, edit, sign, organize and collaborate on PDF documents with ease. It provides a clean, intuitive interface that makes working with PDFs simple and efficient.With Lumin PDF, users can annotate documents with highlights, text boxes,...
Shelf (Maui Applications)
Shelf is an open-source application framework for building cross-platform desktop and mobile apps using .NET MAUI (Multi-platform App UI) technology. It allows developers to use C# and XAML to create native user interfaces that can run on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android from a single shared codebase.The Shelf framework...
Ashampoo PDF Free
Ashampoo PDF Free is a free, easy-to-use PDF reader and editor for Windows. Developed by Ashampoo, it provides essential tools for working with PDF documents.With Ashampoo PDF Free you can view, edit, convert, encrypt, sign, and print PDFs. Key features include:Editing PDF text, images, links, and moreMerging multiple PDFs into...
Pdf Viewer Plus
Pdf Viewer Plus is a free, versatile PDF reader, editor, and annotation tool for Windows. It provides a tabbed interface to open multiple PDFs simultaneously for easy multitasking.Key features of Pdf Viewer Plus include:Intuitive PDF reader with smooth scrolling, search, bookmarks and thumbnail viewEdit PDF text, images, links, pages -...
Hyphen
Hyphen is an open-source desktop publishing and word processing application for Linux systems. It offers a wide range of features for creating and editing documents, reports, newsletters, brochures, posters and more.Some of the key features of Hyphen include:Text formatting options like fonts, sizes, colors, paragraphs, indentationParagraph and character styling with...
Qpdfview
qpdfview is a tabbed document viewer for PDF and other file formats like PostScript, DejaVu, XPS, DjVu and others. It aims to be a lightweight, customizable and hackable PDF viewer.Some key features of qpdfview include:Tabbed viewing of multiple documentsPage navigation controls like zooming, rotation, scrolling and mouse selectionsBasic editing features...
SlimPDF Reader
SlimPDF Reader is a free, lightweight software application for viewing PDF documents on Windows computers. With its minimalist design, it aims to provide a fast, no-frills alternative to bulkier PDF readers.When you open a PDF file in SlimPDF Reader, you are presented with a simple, uncluttered interface that displays the...
OpenViewerFX
OpenViewerFX is a free, open-source image viewing and editing software for Windows. It can open and convert between over 50 raster and vector image formats including JPEG, PNG, GIF, BMP, TIFF, RAW formats from various cameras, SVG, PDF and more.As an image viewer, OpenViewerFX provides a clean and intuitive interface...
Paperboy
Paperboy is an open-source news reader and feed aggregator application designed to simplify how users discover, organize and read news content on the web. It supports subscribing to both RSS and Atom syndication formats to pull in new articles and blog posts from websites and blogs.Some of the key features...
Pdf.io
pdf.io is an online PDF editor that provides a suite of tools for working with PDF documents without requiring any downloads or installations. Some key features of pdf.io include:Viewing, editing, and commenting on PDFs directly in the browserAnnotation tools like highlights, text boxes, shapes, freehand drawingForm filling and e-signatures to...
PdfDocs
pdfDocs is a feature-rich PDF reader, editor, creator, and annotation tool for Windows. It provides a complete solution for working with PDF documents.With pdfDocs, you can view, print, edit, comment on, sign, fill forms, and collaborate on PDFs. It supports both new and scanned PDFs. You can open and view...
CovePDF
CovePDF is a versatile PDF application that enables users to easily edit, convert, sign, and annotate PDF documents. Some of the key features of CovePDF include:Intuitive editing tools like add, delete, rotate, crop pages in PDFsAbility to merge multiple PDFs into one or split a large PDF into smaller filesConvert...
Secure PDF Viewer
Secure PDF Viewer is a free, open-source program for securely viewing PDF documents.Unlike standard PDF viewers, Secure PDF Viewer opens PDF files in a sandboxed environment to prevent the execution of malicious scripts or code that may exist inside the PDF file. This helps mitigate attacks where a harmful PDF...
Gaaiho PDF Reader
Gaaiho PDF Reader is a free, open-source PDF viewer application for Windows. Developed by Gaaiho Software, it provides a fast, lightweight program for viewing, annotating, and printing PDF documents.Some of the key features of Gaaiho PDF Reader include:Tabbed interface for opening multiple PDFsSmooth scrolling and zoomingThumbnails and bookmarkingBasic annotation tools...
PDFlite
PDFlite is a free, open source PDF viewer developed by PDFlite Inc. It is designed to be a lightweight, fast, and easy-to-use alternative to heavier PDF software like Adobe Acrobat.Key features of PDFlite include:Fast PDF rendering and smooth scrolling for large documentsSupport for opening and viewing PDF documentsBasic annotation tools...
PDF Previewer for Windows 8
PDF Previewer for Windows 8 is a free, lightweight PDF viewer and editor application designed specifically for Windows 8. It provides a simple, easy-to-use interface to view, print, annotate, and edit PDF documents on Windows 8 tablets, laptops, and desktop PCs.Key features include:Fast and smooth PDF rendering and scrollingSupport for...
Haihaisoft PDF Reader
Haihaisoft PDF Reader is a free PDF viewer and editor for Windows that offers a good set of features for everyday PDF tasks. It provides a tabbed interface so you can open multiple PDFs at once for easy multitasking.For viewing PDFs, Haihaisoft Reader provides smooth scrolling and fast load times...
SourcePDF
SourcePDF is an free and open-source PDF editor available for Windows, Mac and Linux operating systems. It provides a wide range of PDF editing and manipulation capabilities to enable both individual and business users to work effectively with PDF documents.With SourcePDF, users can view, edit, annotate, sign, fill forms and...
Convert PDFs
Convert PDFs is a feature-rich PDF conversion software that provides users with extensive options to convert their PDF files into editable Office formats like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, as well as into popular image formats including JPG, PNG, TIFF and more.It comes equipped with an intuitive and easy-to-use interface that...
Modern computer flatboat
Modern Computer Flatboat is a remote desktop software that gives users secure access to their computer from any device. It allows you to access all your apps, files, and settings as if you were sitting right in front of your computer.Some key features include:Access your computer desktop from phones, tablets,...
PerfectReader
PerfectReader is an versatile ebook management and reading software for Windows. It provides an intuitive interface to organize, search, and read your collection of ebooks.Key features of PerfectReader:Supports a wide variety of ebook formats including EPUB, MOBI, PDF, DJVU, FB2, DOC, RTF and moreCustomizable ebook library with tag-based organization system...
APV
APV (A Powerful Video converter) is an open-source, cross-platform video transcoding application. It allows users to easily convert video files from one format to another with a simple and intuitive graphical user interface.Some key features of APV include:Supports a wide range of input video codecs and containers including MP4, MOV,...
PDF Viewer Pro by PSPDFKit
PDF Viewer Pro by PSPDFKit is a premium, full-featured PDF viewer and editor application for Windows platforms. It is designed specifically for business, enterprise, and professional use cases that demand advanced capabilities beyond basic PDF reading and annotation.Key features of PDF Viewer Pro include:Robust annotation and markup tools - Highlight,...
PDF Reader Air
PDF Reader Air is a free, open-source PDF viewer available for Windows, Mac and Linux operating systems. It provides a lightweight yet full-featured interface for viewing, printing and annotating PDF documents.With PDF Reader Air, you can open multiple PDFs in tabbed view for easy multitasking. It supports essential PDF features...
EXPert PDF Reader
eXPert PDF Reader is a free, open-source PDF viewer and editor software for Windows. Developed by Visagesoft, it provides a wide range of tools for working with PDF documents.With eXPert PDF Reader, you can open and view PDFs with a tabbed interface, making it easy to work with multiple documents....
Docs PDF/PowerPoint Viewer
Docs PDF/PowerPoint Viewer is a free, open-source program for viewing, printing and annotating PDF and PowerPoint documents on Windows, Mac and Linux systems. Developed by a small team of engineers, it focuses on providing a clean, easy-to-use interface for reading PDFs and PPTs without unnecessary bells and whistles.Key features include:Intuitive...
Ultimate PDF Converter
Ultimate PDF Converter is a powerful software tool designed to convert PDF files to fully-editable Microsoft Office document formats like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. It can handle even large, complex PDF files with ease and maintain the original formatting, tables, columns, and more after conversion.Some key features of Ultimate PDF...
Orion Viewer
Orion Viewer is a free, open-source image viewer software focused on providing a fast and easy-to-use experience for viewing and basic editing of images. It supports a wide range of common image formats including JPEG, PNG, BMP as well as camera RAW files like CR2, NEF and more.Some key features...
BePDF
BePDF is an open-source PDF viewer, editor, and converter for Linux and other Unix-like operating systems. It is designed to be lightweight, customizable, and easy to use.Key features of BePDF include:Fast PDF rendering and navigationTabbed interface for viewing multiple PDFsSupport for commenting, drawing, adding text and imagesImporting images, text and...
VuDroid
VuDroid is an open-source, community-developed media center application for Android devices. At its core, VuDroid allows users to easily play videos, music, and photos on their Android phone or tablet from both local storage and online sources.Some key features and capabilities of VuDroid include:Intuitive and customizable interface - The interface...
Kyktir
Kyktir is an open-source knowledge management and collaboration platform designed to help teams organize information, discuss ideas, and work together more efficiently. Here are some of the key features of Kyktir:Document management - Store documents, videos, images and more in a central location. Control permissions, versions, custom metadata and more.Task...
Read Right
Read Right is an adaptive literacy software program designed for students from kindergarten through 12th grade. It aims to improve reading comprehension skills by providing engaging, leveled reading activities tailored to each student's abilities.The software contains thousands of fiction and non-fiction reading passages spanning a wide range of difficulty levels....
PDF Reader Online
PDF Reader Online is a free online PDF viewer that allows you to view, print, and annotate PDF documents directly in your web browser without needing to install any additional software. It works across all major desktop and mobile browsers.With PDF Reader Online, you can open PDFs from your computer...
Sioyek
Sioyek is an open-source PDF and DJVU viewer and reader application designed specifically for academics and researchers. It focuses on providing an easy-to-use interface optimized for reading scientific papers, academic journals, articles and books.Some of the key features of Sioyek include:Clean and distraction-free UI focused on the contentFast and responsive...
PDF Assistant
PDF Assistant is a versatile PDF management application designed to provide users with a comprehensive set of tools for working with PDF documents. It allows you to view, create, edit, convert, merge, split, extract, protect and organize your PDFs through an intuitive and easy-to-use interface.Key features include:View and read PDFsCreate...
Altarsoft PDF Reader
Altarsoft PDF Reader is a free, open-source PDF viewer application for Windows. It provides essential PDF viewing, printing and annotation capabilities in a fast, lightweight program.Key features of Altarsoft PDF Reader include:Open, view and print PDF documentsZoom in/out and scroll through pagesRotate pagesFill out and save PDF formsAdd text boxes,...
AlternateReader
AlternateReader is a free, open-source eBook reader and library management application developed by Alternate Lab. It is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux operating systems.AlternateReader supports all popular eBook formats including EPUB, MOBI, AZW, PDF, DJVU, FB2, HTML, RTF, DOCX and more. It has an intuitive and customizable interface that...
