PDFlite

PDFlite

PDFlite is a free, open source PDF viewer for Windows. It provides basic PDF viewing and annotation features in a lightweight package.
PDFlite image
pdf viewer free open-source

PDFlite: Free PDF Viewer for Windows

A lightweight, open-source PDF viewer with basic viewing and annotation capabilities for Windows users.

What is 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 documents
  • Support for opening and viewing PDF documents
  • Basic annotation tools like highlights, notes, and shapes
  • Search PDF text to quickly find information
  • Customizable interface with light and dark themes
  • Available completely free with no ads or nagware

As an open source PDF viewer, PDFlite is focused on providing a good reading experience for PDFs rather than extensive editing features. It runs well on low-powered Windows machines and older hardware. The small installer size and performance optimizations make it a great choice for minimal PDF needs without the bulk of a full office suite.

Overall, PDFlite hits the sweet spot of being a capable yet super lightweight PDF application. For users wanting reliable PDF support without slowing down their PCs, PDFlite is an excellent free option to consider.

PDFlite Features

Features

  1. Lightweight PDF viewer
  2. Basic PDF viewing capabilities
  3. PDF annotation tools
  4. Support for commenting, highlighting and underlining text
  5. Navigation through pages and bookmarks
  6. Search text within PDF files
  7. Print PDF documents
  8. View PDF metadata
  9. Zoom in/out of pages
  10. Copy text from PDFs

Pricing

  • Free
  • Open Source

Pros

Free and open source

Small install size

Fast and responsive

Easy to use

Allows basic PDF editing

Available on Windows

Cons

Limited features compared to full PDF editors

Windows only

No OCR capabilities

Lacks advanced annotation tools

No form filling support

Cannot create or edit PDF files

Fewer view options than other PDF readers


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