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When you need to open a file in PDF format, your choice is usually limited to two options: use standard application for operating room Windows systems 8 or 10 (usually installed by default with the operating system, or available for download in the Windows Store), or use good old Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Both options are great, but there are many others. free programs for reading PDF documents that can do even more. Whether you want to join documents, convert them to different formats, or extract images, our review will highlight other PDF readers that will do it quickly and easily.

Once installed, each application will offer to use a default PDF reader. We recommend not changing your settings until you try something new software and don't make sure it's right for you. If you are satisfied with the result of the application, then in order to set the default PDF reader, you should right-click on the file once and then select “Open with”. Select the exe file of your new application, check the box next to “Always use this application to open .pdf files” and click “OK”.


Foxit Reader is more flexible and powerful than the built-in Windows PDF reader. Once you install it, you will no longer have the desire to return everything back.

A clear interface and all the tools you could want in a PDF reader.

Foxit Reader is perhaps the most best program among known alternatives Adobe Reader. It is quite obvious why Foxit Reader is considered the best free application for reading PDF files.

The “Ribbon” interface is borrowed from Microsoft Office, so you can trust your intuition to easily guess where to find the tools you need. Tabbed document browsing makes it easy to work on multiple PDFs at once. There are also great features like form filling and PDF comments.

Because PDF is so common, it is a common target for viruses and other malware, Foxit Reader offers a Safe Browsing mode that controls click-through and Javascript functionality.

Program extensions, which can be downloaded and installed additionally, allow you to convert PDF files to other formats (and vice versa), as well as combine different PDF files into one. Format conversion is easily accessible because the function is built into context menu Windows Explorer.

Foxit Reader's power and versatility make it the best free PDF reader available. Try it now, you won't be disappointed.


Nitro PDF Reader doesn't come close to the functionality of Foxit Reader, but text highlighting and the ability to leave comments are very convenient features

An excellent PDF program that supports track changes and sticky notes.

Just like Foxit Reader, Nitro PDF Reader's interface resembles that of Microsoft Office software—but that's not a bad thing. Initially, the program appears as an advanced software that allows you to perform many functions when viewing documents.

But this free reader offers more than just document viewing. In addition to adding text highlights, notes, and comments, Nitro PDF Reader lets you add sticky notes to the documents you work with.

Nitro PDF Reader allows you to convert documents to PDF and vice versa. You can also extract all images from a PDF file with one click, and also sign the electronic document with your electronic signature. Without a doubt, Nitro PDF Reader is one of the best free programs for working with PDF files.


Few free PDF programs allow you to not only read, but also edit files. PDF-XChange Editor is one of them.

Classic free PDF reader, fully adapted for the Windows 10 operating system.

Free version PDF-XChange Editor offers accessible features such as comments and the ability to add or extract pages (however, this feature is only available in the paid "Pro" version).

The key and distinctive feature of the free version of PDF-XChange Editor is the optical character recognition function. You have the option to scan a printed document, save it in one of the available formats, and convert the result to PDF.

During installation, we recommend choosing a “Custom” installation rather than a “Full” installation, and then selecting the components that you do not want to install. They are presented in a tree view, so you need to click on the “+” button to display all the components of the installation.


If you don't work with the PDF format very often, you can overlook the lack of functions such as text highlighting or leaving comments. SlimPDF Reader does not have an arsenal of options, but it contains all the necessary tools for comfortable reading.

The simplest free PDF reader that doesn't take up much space on your disk.

SlimPDF Reader is perhaps the lightest program, taking up only 1.43MB free space, the main merit of which is considered to be simplicity.

SlimPDF Reader is really nothing more than just a document viewer, but that's not a drawback. The control buttons and navigation are easy to use and self-explanatory. One of the main advantages of the program is its lightning speed.

Search, Print and Rotate are some of the few features of SlimPDF Reader, but you also get a free trial version Converter from PDF to Office formats.

If you want a free, no-frills PDF reader, SlimPDF Reader is perfect choice. The only drawback of the program is the inability to view a two-page spread on the screen.


If you want to read PDF documents in a two-page format, Icecream Ebook Reader is a great choice.

Icecream Ebook Reader is great not only for formats that e-readers support, but also for reading PDF format.

As the name suggests, Icecream Ebook Reader was originally designed for viewing documents in EPUB and MOBI formats, but this application is great for viewing PDF files.

Since the program is used as a reader for e-books, you have the ability to organize your books in a library and sort by searchable type, but no one prevents you from using the app to view PDF files normally.

The program has an unusual, but still quite pleasant to use interface. Navigation of PDF files is striking in its simplicity; it is possible to select viewing modes, including one that is harmless to the eyes night mode. You can quickly add bookmarks and create notes, accessible from the Content drop-down panel.

PDF format is used for storage electronic documents. Initially, only a program from Adobe itself was used to open PDF files. But over time, many solutions from third-party developers have appeared. These apps vary in their availability (free and paid) and additional features. Agree, it’s convenient when, in addition to reading, there is the ability to edit the original content of a PDF file or recognize text from a picture.

Therefore there is a large number of different programs for reading PDF. For some, a simple viewing function is enough. Others need to change original text document, add a comment to this text, convert Word file to PDF and much more.


When it comes to viewing PDFs, most programs are very similar. But there are exceptions here too. For example, some have an auto-scroll feature, while others do not. Below is a list of the most popular free PDF viewers.

Most famous program Adobe Reader is used to view PDF files. And this is no coincidence, since Adobe is the developer of the format itself.

This product has a pleasant appearance and standard functions for viewing PDF. Adobe Reader is a free app, but some features, such as text editing and recognition, are only available if you purchase a paid subscription.

This is undoubtedly a disadvantage for those who need these functions, but do not want to spend their money.

STDU Viewer

STDU Weaver positions itself as a universal combiner for viewing many different formats of electronic documents. The program is able to “digest” Djvu, TIFF, XPS and much more. The number of supported formats also includes PDF. Convenient when viewing the most different files One program is enough.

You can also note the presence of a portable version STDU Viewer, which does not need to be installed. Otherwise, this product does not stand out among other PDF viewers.

Foxit Reader

Foxit Reader is almost an analogue of Adobe Reader, with the exception of some differences. For example, the program has the ability to enable automatic scrolling of document pages, which allows you to read a PDF without touching the mouse or keyboard.

The program is also capable of opening not only PDF, but also Word, Excel, TIFF and other file formats. Open files You can then save it as PDF.

At the same time, a minus this application is the inability to edit the source PDF text.

PDF XChange Viewer

PDF XChange Viewer is probably the best program presented in this article. It is completely free and allows you to edit the original PDF content. PDF XChange Viewer is also able to recognize text in an image. Using this feature, you can convert books and other paper text into digital format.

Otherwise the application meets all standards software solutions for reading PDF files.

Sumatra PDF

Sumatra PDF - the most simple program from the list. But that doesn't mean she's bad. In terms of viewing PDF files, it is not inferior to others, and its simplicity appearance Perfect for those users who have just begun to get acquainted with working on a computer.

Solid Converter PDF

Solid Converter PDF is a program for converting PDF into Word, Excel and other electronic document formats. The application allows you to preview the document before converting. The disadvantages of Solid Converter PDF include a shareware license: you can use it for free only during the trial period. Then you need to either buy it or reinstall it.


Size: 24139 KB
Price: free
Russian interface language: yes

Adobe Reader is the most popular application for reading PDF documents. An important factor in the distribution of Adobe Reader is its availability on many disks with drivers, games and other applications. The developer has attached documentation to his product in PDF format, but standard Windows tools they don't allow you to read it. You need to add a special program to the disk. In the vast majority of cases, her choice is not original - it is Adobe Reader.

New versions of applications, the development of which began a long time ago, often become overgrown with a mass of secondary functions, the interface becomes more complicated, and the speed of operation decreases. And now more progressive and nimble competitors are slowly ousting the old man from the market. But this has nothing to do with Adobe Reader. Against, latest versions the programs are much easier to learn than their older brothers. The program is developing, first of all, towards supporting new PDF standards, allowing you to display more complex documents using Newest technologies visualization.

The working window of Adobe Reader contains a toolbar with a small number of buttons (nothing superfluous), as well as a small sidebar from which the main service modes of the application are called. There is no status line, in its usual sense.

Toolbars are highly customizable. You can add or remove buttons on them, move them, block changes.

Ease of reading documents is ensured powerful system their scaling. You can show the entire page on the screen and set its scale horizontally or vertically. The latter option is not found in other applications. Additionally, you can bind relative to the content of the page. The document appears slightly larger by eliminating margins.

Full screen viewing is supported. Unlike some competitors, this mode absolutely lives up to its name. There are no control elements left on the screen, only the pages of the open document. There is also a second, less radical regime. It hides all panels except the window title and the main menu. Again, there is a big saving of free space on the screen.

The program has a powerful search system. You can search text not only in open document, but also in all PDFs inside the specified folder. Full word search is supported and case sensitive. You can search not only directly in the document text, but also in bookmarks and comments.

Adobe Reader now supports forms. It allows you to enter, save and send information. There is support for barcodes. You can set up rules for automatically filling out forms. If your permissions allow, you can add comments to forms. And, the main thing that distinguishes Adobe Reader from other applications is the ability to check spelling in text input fields.

There is support for document authentication and protection viewing. You can specify trusted persons, certificates. The Accessibility Assistant allows you to change the rules for displaying the current document if its security does not prohibit such actions. This is necessary, for example, for users with low vision. Adobe Reader makes it easier for people with disabilities to view and navigate PDF documents. Advanced features include automatic text scrolling, PDF reflow, keyboard-only control, and reading document text out loud.

A separate panel allows you to view a list of comments on a document. You can search for text in them. It is possible to sort them by type, by condition, by reviewers. The Revision Inspector monitors all changes made to the document. You can view your own adjustments, history of changes, and a list of what needs to be done.

The program contains a module for reading RSS news. You can subscribe to channels and read them in a separate dialog window. To be honest, it’s not entirely clear why a PDF viewing tool also needed an RSS reader. Network functions They don’t stop there. You can also organize online conferences using Adobe Reader, as well as view documents together.

You can work with digital signatures. Certificates are used for this. By setting up directory servers, you can determine the location of certificates and store them.

Last Adobe version Reader supports all modern standards used in PDF documents. For this reason, the product includes a 3D viewing component that uses hardware acceleration. A special panel of models allows you to view their list, open, rotate, and scale.

The program has quite detailed local help system. But the most complete information is provided online, at official page applications. It's already in English.

If there are no specific requirements for the application, then Adobe Reader is by far the best choice for reading PDF documents. Support for all standards means you don't have to worry about whether any complex file will display correctly. In addition, the program is built into modern browsers, which makes it possible to quickly view documents downloaded from the Internet online.

The only moment where alternative application may be on top - this system requirements. Adobe Reader has a fairly large distribution size and takes up quite a lot of space in random access memory and runs a little slower than some competitors. However, the program was tested on a rather old machine, and even the discovery electronic versions magazines and books with a volume of tens of megabytes did not lead to noticeable slowdowns in Adobe Reader.

For convenience, we will distinguish four types of programs: viewers (for reading and annotating), editors (for editing text and other content), managers (for splitting, compressing and other manipulations with files) and converters (for converting PDF to other formats).

Most applications can be classified into several types at once.

  • Type: viewer, editor, converter, manager.
  • Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux.

Very intuitive and convenient program with an impressive number of features. When you launch Sejda PDF, you will immediately see all the tools grouped by category. Select the one you need, drag the required file into the program window and start manipulating. Most things in this app can be done in a few seconds, even if you are using it for the first time.

What you can do in Sejda PDF:

  • edit text, add images and shapes;
  • convert PDF to Excel formats, JPG (and vice versa), Word (and vice versa);
  • combine and separate files into pages, compress their size;
  • protect documents with a password;
  • add watermarks;
  • discolor documents;
  • trim page area;
  • sign documents.

The free version of the program has limitations. For example, files should not be more than 200 pages and not exceed 50 MB in size. In addition, you cannot perform more than three operations with documents during the day. Price full version Sejda PDF is $5.25 per month.

  • Type: manager, converter, editor.
  • Platforms: Windows, macOS, .

PDFsam cannot boast of a polished, user-friendly interface. In addition, the program does not allow you to convert PDF and edit the contents of documents for free. But it does have several useful managerial functions that are available to everyone without payment or any restrictions.

What you can do in PDFsam:

  • combine PDF in several modes (glue in parts or mix page by page);
  • split PDF by pages, bookmarks (in places with specified words) and size into separate documents;
  • rotate pages (if some of them were scanned upside down);
  • extract pages with specified numbers;
  • convert Excel, Word, PowerPoint formats to PDF;
  • convert PDF to Excel, Word and PowerPoint formats ($10);
  • edit text and other file content ($30).

  • Type
  • Platforms: Windows.

A very functional program with a classic interface in the style of Microsoft office applications. PDF-XChange Editor is not very beginner friendly. To master all the features of the program, you need to spend some time. Fortunately, all internal descriptions and tips are translated into Russian.

What you can do in PDF-XChange Editor:

  • add annotations and highlight text;
  • edit text and other content;
  • recognize text using OCR;
  • extract pages from documents;
  • encrypt documents (paid);
  • convert PDF to Word, Excel and PowerPoint formats and vice versa (paid);
  • compress files (paid);
  • sort pages in any order (paid).

These are not all the functions that you can find in PDF-XChange Editor. The program is available in several versions with different numbers of features. Price paid versions starts at $43.5.

  • Type: viewer, manager, converter, editor.
  • Platforms: Windows, macOS, Android, iOS.

Popular universal program for working with PDF from the company. The free version is a very convenient document viewer; other functions are available by subscription starting at 149 rubles per month.

What you can do in Adobe Acrobat Reader:

  • view documents, highlight and comment on text, search for words and phrases;
  • sign documents (paid);
  • edit text and other content (paid);
  • combine documents into one file (paid);
  • compress files (paid);
  • convert PDF to Word, Excel and PowerPoint formats (paid);
  • Convert images in JPG, JPEG, TIF and BMP formats to PDF (paid).

All these features and more are available in desktop versions of Adobe Acrobat Reader. Mobile versions the programs only allow you to view and annotate documents, and also - after subscribing - convert them into different formats.

  • Type: viewer, converter.
  • Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS.

Fast and convenient PDF reader with different modes viewing. Ideal for users who want a simple document reader without a lot of extra features. The program is available on all major platforms.

PDF is a special file format that is designed to represent electronic documents. Most books, magazines and brochures are distributed on the World Wide Web in this format. However, many users have problems opening PDF files. The fact is that operating systems do not have standard means to interact with this format. Therefore, when trying to open a PDF using the same Notepad, the screen instead of necessary information a chaotic set of characters is displayed. How to fix it? Will help special program to read PDF.

What program should I use to open a PDF file? If you constantly work with PDF files, then the best solution will download a desktop program that supports this format. There are quite a lot of such utilities. Let's look at popular programs that allow you to open PDF in Windows 10 and other versions of this operating system.

Acrobat Reader

Many PC users are convinced that the best program for reading PDF is Acrobat Reader from the well-known company Adobe. And this utility gained its popularity for a reason. The fact is that the creators of PDF are Adobe. This format has been developed since 1993 and was intended for the presentation of printed products. In 2007, PDF was standardized by the ISO organization. This led to the fact that this format became publicly available and began to be used everywhere.

Acrobat Reader is a powerful program for working with PDF. Using this utility, you can not only read documents, but also interact with them. For example, it is possible to copy a file, change it, etc. Among the main characteristics of Adobe Reader it is worth highlighting:

  • Ability to play audio and video files;
  • Printing documents;
  • Ability to read e-books;
  • Strat Meeting function, providing multi-user work;
  • Ability to enlarge individual document elements.

Perhaps the main advantage of Acrobat Reader is its distribution system. You can download this utility from the developer’s official website completely free of charge. Another difference between Acrobat Reader and most similar programs is optimization. Adobe specialists did their best. The utility is not picky about hardware. Thanks to this, Acrobat Reader works quickly even on computers with weak technical characteristics.

We can't help but mention backwards compatibility. PDF has been refined over 30 years. Over this huge period of time, more than 10 versions of this format were released. Acrobat Reader is able to work with any PDF file, regardless of its specification. Cross-platform is also good news. Adobe released a program not only for PCs. There are versions of the utility for other platforms: Android, iPad, Linux, etc.

Opening a PDF file using Acrobat Reader is very easy. You need to right-click on the document, after which a drop-down list will appear on the screen. In it you need to select the “Open with” option. In the window that appears, click on the Acrobat Reader option. The program will start and the document will be opened.


Another program worth checking out is PDF-XChange Viewer. The main feature of this utility is the presence of special plugins that provide comfortable work with browsers. Thanks to them, Change Viewer is able to interact with Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer etc. This utility, in addition to integration with popular browsers, has a number of advantages. Eg:

  • Supports graphic formats (BMP, JPEG, PNG and TIFF);
  • Ability to edit the document;
  • Copying text is conveniently implemented.

In addition, the utility has additional set small functions that make the reading process more convenient. For example, Change Viewer, unlike Adobe Acrobat Reader, supports annotations. Another advantage of the program is optimization. Specialists spent a long time working on algorithms, thanks to which the program consumes a minimal amount of system resources. Change Viewer is distributed by free license, and anyone can download the utility.

Hamster PDF Reader

Hamster PDF Reader is a universal program that allows you not only to view documents, but also to print them. In addition to PDF, this utility supports DjVu and XPS formats. Among the interesting features of this program it is worth noting:

  • Convenient text scaling system;
  • Ability to customize the interface to suit your own needs;
  • Copying individual fragments of a PDF file to .

We can't help but rejoice at the advanced search system. Thanks to it, you can find the desired piece of text using key phrases or words. It is impossible not to mention the abundance of additional modes: reading, printing, presentation and full-screen display. You can download the program completely free of charge. Hamster PDF Reader works correctly on all operating systems Windows family starting from XP and ending with 10.

Hamster PDF Reader has a number of advantages. But there was a fly in the ointment. If we talk about the shortcomings of the program, the main disadvantage is speed. The utility opens some files quite slowly. Additionally, the lack of text labels is disappointing. Otherwise, the utility does not cause any complaints.

Also, we can’t help but mention STDU Viewer. This program distributed completely free of charge. And its main advantage is that it can work with a whole bunch of formats. In addition to PDF, STDU Viewer supports BMP, DjVu, PSD, EMF, JPEG, GIF, WWF, etc. Among the interesting features of this utility it is also worth noting:

  • Working with several documents simultaneously;
  • Printing files that are protected from printing;
  • Setting up the screen for reading;
  • Separate operating mode for touch screen devices.

The utility is cross-platform. However, STDU Viewer only supports two operating systems: Windows and Android. The program takes up virtually no space on your computer. STDU Viewer weighs only 7 MB. For comparison, the volume of the same Adobe Acrobat Reader is 110 MB.

The only thing that causes criticism is the printing. The program carries out this procedure very slowly. This is because the page is converted to graphic file, which takes a certain amount of time. Another disadvantage is advertising. Starting with version 1.6, developers began to insert banners into their program, which caused irritation.

Online services

If you need to open a PDF file, but you do not plan to use this format in the future, then in this case you should not download the desktop program. It is better to use special web services that allow you to open . We will talk about the most popular ones in this part of the article.

Google Docs

How to open PDF? The first thing that comes to mind is Google with its service called Documents. With its help you can view various documents, including in PDF format. However, to access the service you must have a Google account.

How can I open a PDF file? First you need to upload the document. To do this, go to Google Drive. Then drag the file into the work area. You can also click on the inscription “My disk”, click on “Upload files” in the drop-down list and select the PDF that you want to read. The document will begin downloading to Google Drive. This will take a certain amount of time.

After downloading the file, it will be in the work area. To open a PDF, right-click on it, then select the “Open with” option from the drop-down list and click on “Google Docs.” The file will open and become available for reading, editing and other manipulations.

Google Docs, unlike most online services for working with PDF, has no restrictions on the size of the uploaded document. This means that using the site you can read magazines and even entire books. However, it is worth considering that what more file the longer it will take to load onto disk. For example, a book of 700-800 pages with good internet It will take about half an hour to download.

PDF-OnlineReader

PDF-OnlineReader is a browser program that is designed to open PDF files. In terms of functionality, the service cannot compare with Google Docs. For example, PDF-OnlineReader does not have tools for editing files. With this program you can only read documents in PDF format. However, PDF-OnlineReader provides its services completely free of charge and does not require registration.

The program interface is entirely in English. But this is unlikely to be a problem. After all, navigation is very simple and intuitive. To open a file, just make a couple of clicks. You need to click on the “Download PDF” button and select the document from your PC. If you want to upload another file, then you need to click on “Upload Another Document”.

In principle, PDF-OnlineReader has all the functionality you need for comfortable reading. There are several viewing modes, text can be enlarged, etc. The ability to leave annotations has been implemented. You can also use the site to convert a PDF file to Word or HTML. This will be useful if you want to continue reading on your computer.

DocsPal

Among the services for reading PDF, one cannot help but pay attention to DocsPal. The web program has existed since 2010 and is very popular. One of the main advantages of the site is its modern and at the same time simple interface.

How to work with the service? You need to upload the file to the site. To do this, you need to drag the document into the work area or click on the “Browse file” button and select PDF. Next you need to click on “View file”. The PDF will open in reading mode. It is worth noting that the program supports not only this format. With DocsPal you can read Word documents, JPEG, PNG, DjVu, etc.

DocsPal has standard reading functionality PDF document ov. You can turn pages, zoom in or out of text. If we talk about interesting features of the Internet resource, DocsPal allows you to transfer a document in the form of a hyperlink. This is very convenient if you constantly exchange files with work colleagues.

Phone apps

How to open a PDF file on Android phone? For this purpose in the open spaces Play Market there are many applications. We'll talk about the most popular ones right now.

PocketBook Reader

PocketBook Reader is a utility for reading books on a phone running on the Android operating system. This program supports almost all existing book formats. Of course, this includes PDF.

Perhaps the main advantage of PocketBook Reader is easy navigation. When launched, the program will scan internal memory phone and external drives. After this, the application will present the found documents in the form of a list or thumbnails. Managing your file library is very easy. Navigation is carried out using the volume buttons or touching the screen.

If we talk about functionality, then in this regard PocketBook Reader can compete with desktop programs. Among the interesting features of the utility it is worth highlighting:

  • Various reading modes;
  • Ability to change the font and background of a PDF file;
  • You can document using the sensor.

The program supports search by PDF file. Thanks to this function, you can find the required piece of text using keywords. PocketBook Reader also supports page numbering and file navigation. Instead of flipping through the book, you can simply enter the number of the desired page and the program will immediately display it.

One cannot but rejoice at the note-taking system, which in PocketBook Reader is implemented at a very decent level. In a PDF document, you can highlight lines with multi-colored markers, add text comments, etc. In addition, the program allows you to move to the note you made at any time.

Universal Book Reader is another reader for Android devices. The program is distributed under a free license. Any Play Market user can download it. The application will not take up much space on your phone. The APK file of the program weighs only 20 MB.

With UBR you can open EPUB and PDF files. The program has several modes. Some are suitable for smartphones, others are convenient to use when reading from a tablet. UBR allows you to leave text notes on pages. In addition, in the application you can select and copy certain text fragments to the clipboard.

One of the main features of this program is the ability to open protected files. Few people know, but you can put a password on a PDF document. Using UBR, a protected file can be opened even without a code word.

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