A dedicated free PDF reader will let you do so much more than just open documents. If you want to merge several PDFs, convert them to a different format, extract images, tweak text or split them into individual pages, there's a free PDF reader that will make it straightforward.
We've searched the internet to find a list of the very best PDF editors and put them in a handy list, just for you! Anyone can buy a PDF editor, but it takes a real cool customer to avoid shelling. Users can open and edit their local PDF files; access PDFs from their Dropbox, Google Drive and OneDrive; or use the proprietary Xodo Connect platform to share and annotate PDFs over a web browser. For years, the only name in the game for working with PDF documents was Adobe Acrobat, whether in the form of their free reader edition or one of their paid editions for PDF creation and editing. But today, there are numerous open source PDF applications which have chipped away at this market dominance. You can also use Apple's own PDF editor Preview to edit PDFs on a Mac, we have tips for using Preview to edit a PDF on a Mac here.
Once you've installed a new PDF reader, it will display a prompt asking if you'd like to make it your default PDF reader. We recommend leaving your settings as they are until you've had a chance to try the new reader and see if it's right for you.
If you're satisfied with its performance, you can make it your default PDF reader by right-clicking one and selecting 'Open with'. Browse to the EXE file for your new PDF reader, check 'Always use the selected program to open this kind of file', then click 'OK'.
1. Foxit Reader
A clear interface and every tool you could want in a PDF reader
Foxit Reader is a joy to use, and makes working with PDFs effortless. Its ribbon-style interface is intuitive, and there's practically no learning curve if you're familiar with recent versions of Microsoft Office.
The ubiquity of the PDF format makes it a popular target for malware and virus developers, so Foxit Reader offers a Safe Reading mode that provides control over things such as internal links and Javascript integration.
Downloadable add-ons are available to convert PDFs to other formats (and vice versa) and to combine multiple PDFs into a single file. File conversion is incredibly simple thanks to the inclusion of an entry in Windows' context menu.
This power and flexibility makes Foxit Reader the best PDF reader you can download today. Try it now and you won't look back.
2. Nitro PDF Reader
A great PDF reader for collaboration, with tracked changes
Like Foxit Reader, Nitro PDF Reader bears more than a passing resemblance to Microsoft Office applications – and this is no bad thing. Right from the start this feels like a highly accomplished piece of software and there are plenty of document viewing options to choose from.
But this free PDF reader is about more than just viewing. As well as including an annotation and highlighting option, Nitro PDF Reader also lets you add sticky notes to the documents you open.
You can use Nitro PDF Reader to convert text documents to PDF format, and vice versa. You can also extract all of the images from a PDFs in one fell swoop, digitally sign electronic documents with an e-signature. This is without doubt one of the most polished free PDF readers out there.
3. PDF-XChange Editor
A classic free PDF editor, fully overhauled for Windows 10
Free Pdf Editor For Mac
The free edition of PDF-XChange Editor contains handy features such as tracked comments and the ability to insert or extract pages, but those marked 'Pro' in the menu are only available in the paid-for version.
This free PDF reader's killer feature is OCR (optical character recognition). You can scan printed documents, have the text converted into searchable format, and save the resulting document as a PDF.
While installing this free PDF readers, we recommend selecting the 'Custom' option rather than 'Complete', then deselecting the components you don't want to install. They are presented as an expandable tree, so make sure you click all the '+' icons to discover what's hidden there.
4. SlimPDF Reader
A frill-free PDF reader that barely makes a dent in your drive space
SlimPDF Reader is by far the smallest free PDF reader in this roundup, occupying just 1.43MB of space, and makes a virtue of its frill-free approach.
SlimPDF Reader really is little more than a viewer, but that's no bad thing. Controls and navigations are simple and self-explanatory, and the program benefits from being lightning-fast.
Search, print and rotate are the most advanced features you'll find, although you are invited to try a free trial of the PDF to Office converter.
If you're looking for a free PDF reader without the bloat, SlimPDF Reader could be the ideal choice. The only real drawback is the inability to view two pages side-by-side as a spread.
5. Icecream Ebook Reader
Icecream's great ebook reader is also a good choice for PDFs
As the name suggests, Icecream Ebook Reader is designed primarily for viewing EPUB and MOBI documents, but it doubles as a simple free PDF reader.
As this is an ebook reader, you-re encouraged to organize all of your books into a library, sortable by type and fully searchable – but there's nothing to stop you from just opening individual PDFs.
The program has a slightly unusual look, but it is a joy to use. Navigation of PDFs is wonderfully simple, and there are a number of viewing modes to choose from, including an eye-friendly night mode. You can quickly add bookmarks and create notes, which are accessed through the fly-out Contents pane.
If you have a Word document or ebook that you'd to convert to PDF format, or vice versa, you might like Icecream PDF Converter, from the same developer.
- Discover how to convert PDFs to Word documents with our guide
Jul 18,2019 • Filed to: PDF Editor
Windows 10 is likely to see some major changes and new innovative features in the months or years to come. If you are looking for the best free PDF editors which can be used on Windows 10 devices, you’ll want to check out the article below. We're going to outline the 5 best free PDF editor tools for Windows 10. This list includes PDFelement Pro.
Top 5 Free PDF Editor tools to Edit and Convert PDF
We're going to outline the 5 best free PDF editor tools for Windows (including Windows 10/8/7). You can download these PDF editors for free or use online PDF editors to work with your files. Compare and find the best PDF editor tools for you on Windows 10.
Best Pdf Editor For Mac Reddit 50/50
1. PDFelement Pro - The Best Free PDF editor for Windows 10
PDFelement Pro is a wonderful tool which is packed with various features including the option to edit PDFs as easily as a Word document. Apart from this, you can also add annotations and markups as well. This is by far one of the finest editors for handling your PDFs. It comes packed with a lot of useful and robust features. It is compatible on Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8 and Windows 10. PDFelement standard and Pro are available.
Pros:
- Create new PDF files from formats like MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint presentations.
- You can also convert your PDF files into these formats or image formats as well.
- You can enhance the security of your files by adding e-signatures, watermarks and password encryption
- You can also edit and convert with OCR.
- Easily merge or split PDF files.
- It is extremely easy to use.
Cons:
- You won’t have access to all features in the free trial version – you will need to pay for the full version to be able to use every feature.
2. IceCream PDF Split & Merge
This is a commonly used free tool for handling PDFs. It does come with limited features but the remarkable ease of use makes it very popular among users.
Pros:
- You can split a PDF into multiple files.
- You can also merge and rearrange the pages of different PDF files.
- You can encrypt files for add extra security.
Cons:
- You can’t fully edit PDF files.
- This tool comes with very limited features.
3. PDF Buddy
If you are tired of downloading applications and installing them, this is your go-to choice. This is an online tool that requires absolutely no downloading. It supports almost all platforms and is very quick and easy to use.
Pros:
- Efficient and simple and requires no additional instructions.
- You can upload a PDF file and easily edit it.
- You can insert text, images and even remove objects from the file.
- You can also add signature and improve security of the documents as well.
- It’s easy to sign up and get full use of the tool.
Cons:
- It has limited features.
- There is no provision to merge PDFs.
- You cannot create a PDF file.
4. PDFescape
This is another web based tool which comes in handy for those who do not wish to download tools for editing PDFs. It supports nearly all operating systems, and you can easily access this program online. It is quick and easy to use.
Pros:
- Easy and quick to use.
- You can edit your PDF files by adding text and images.
- Easy whiteouts and even removals of existing text.
- Requires no downloading.
Cons:
- You cannot create a PDF.
- This tool has limited features and functionality.
5. Inkscape
This is primarily a vector graphics editor; however, it is often used as an efficient PDF editor too. You can get a portable version as well and it works on Windows, Mac and Linux. It is an open source platform and is quite popular among users.
Pros:
- Fairly simple and easy to use.
- You can edit PDF images and graphics.
- You can both insert and delete images in your PDF.
- You can format PDF files any way you like.
Cons:
- As it isn't predominantly a PDF editor, the features offered are limited.
- You cannot create a PDF from scratch.