Most people stick with Adobe Reader when opening PDFs, but sometimes you want something faster, lighter, or completely free. Luckily, there are a lot of solid options out there that can do the job just as well or even better. In this blog, we’re going through five of the best free PDF readers you can try today.
Foxit Reader is one of the most trusted alternatives to Adobe Reader, offering a clean design and excellent performance. Despite its small download size, it comes packed with features: viewing, annotating, form-filling, printing, and even cloud syncing so you can access your documents anywhere. Collaboration is also a strong point team members can comment and annotate in real time. Security is well-covered too, with digital signatures and safe mode to protect your files. It runs smoothly on Windows, macOS, Linux, and mobile devices, making it a versatile, reliable choice.
If you want something light and fast, Sumatra PDF is hard to beat. It’s extremely minimal, which makes it perfect for people who just want to open PDFs without any extra clutter. Since it’s portable, you can run it directly from a USB stick no installation required. While it skips advanced features like editing or annotation, it does the basics very well: bookmarks, search, and smooth navigation. Being open-source means it’s updated regularly and stays secure. Sumatra is a no-fuss option if you just want speed and simplicity.
For users who need more than just reading, PDF-XChange Editor delivers. It’s packed with editing tools while still being user-friendly. You can highlight, add comments, draw shapes, or apply stamps, making it ideal for reviewing documents. Conversion is another strength you can turn PDFs into Word, Excel, or images with ease. Its OCR engine makes scanned files searchable and editable, which is a big plus. Add password protection or signatures for extra security, and you’ve got one of the most powerful free editors available today.
Okular, from the KDE community, is a versatile open-source viewer that supports more than just PDFs. It works on Linux, Windows, and macOS, and offers plenty of annotation tools like highlighting, freehand drawing, and sticky notes. Navigation is smooth with features like table of contents, bookmarks, and multiple viewing modes. You can even fill out forms and sign documents. With ongoing community updates, it stays modern and secure. Okular is a fantastic pick for students, professionals, or anyone who needs flexibility across platforms.
Google Drive PDF Viewer
Google Drive has its own built-in PDF viewer, and it’s one of the most convenient tools around. If your files are stored in Drive, you can open them instantly in your browser no downloads or installations required. It handles links, bookmarks, and images perfectly while giving you easy controls for zoom and page navigation. What makes it stand out are the collaboration features: leave comments, share with teammates, and control permissions. Since it works across desktop and mobile, it’s a super practical solution for everyday use.
And that’s our list of five free PDF readers you can use instead of Adobe Reader. Whether you need something fast and minimal, or a feature-rich editor, there’s an option here for you. Hopefully this helped you find the right tool.
