Here I present you with 6 free software to replace Adobe Reader.
Portable Document Format files or PDF files are standard file formats that allow you to read electronic documents. Most popular software for reading PDF files is Adobe Reader, from Adobe – the creators of PDF format. Even though Adobe Reader is completely free, it suffers from a big problem that it is quite big. Apart from that, it is normally slow to start up, and frequently irritates with updates.
So, here I will take you through a list of six free software to replace Adobe Reader. All these PDF readers are completely free, small in size, faster, and some have even more features than Adobe Reader.
1. Nuance PDF Reader
Nuance PDF Reader is an excellent free alternative for Adobe Reader. One of the most important features of this software is that it includes free PDF to word converter.
Other features include highlighting form fields, support for flash video and movie files etc. Document conversion with Nuance PDF Reader takes place remotely. Though the tool is very secure to use, users handling sensitive data might not find it as a good option. This tool is integrated with Firefox and can open in the browser tab itself. But Nuance PDF Reader interface looks different from Adobe Reader.
My favorite feature of Nuance PDF reader is its Annotation tools. You can highlight text, underline text, and and cross-out text in your PDF file. This provides some basic PDF editing functionality within PDF reader. Love it!
Nuance PDF Reader is free and secure to use and it only takes about 18MB which is really small compared to a standard PDF reader. It is also integrated with Microsoft SharePoint which allows you to manage and share information with others. Try out Nuance PDF Reader free alternative for Adobe Reader.
2. Foxit PDF Reader
Foxit PDF Reader is a free PDF Reader with a set of nice features allowing quick access to your PDF files. Its interface looks the same as that of Adobe Reader and hence it’s very easy to use even for beginners.
Various features of Foxit Reader include support for tabbed browsing, multimedia support, secure trust manager to allow or deny unauthorized actions etc. The newest Foxit Reader version has managed to minimize memory usage. It can also open your online PDF document in a new Foxit window.
The free PDF reader allows you to draw any graphics or edit comments on the original document as you read it. A simple text convertor also comes with this tool. It’s easy to install. But don’t just click through the installation process as it has some options that ask you to set Foxit software as your home page.
Foxit Reader is really a brilliant choice over Adobe Reader. Reach Foxit Reader through the link.
3. Sumatra PDF Viewer
Sumatra PDF Viewer is a basic Free and open source PDF Reader that is portable and easy to use. It values minimalistic design and doesn’t bother you with a lot of features. It’s designed for Windows users. The small size of Sumatra PDF is worthy to be noted and it starts quickly. In fact, the downloaded exe is just over 1 MB in size!
As you open the document a toolbar comes along with it. A number of shortcut keys are available with this tool. You can open Sumatra PDF in both IE and FireFox which is an advantage.
Even if it’s not as fully featured as Adobe Reader or Foxit Reader, it’s really a good choice if you only need to read your PDF document. Follow the link to reach Sumatra PDF Reader.
4. eXPert PDF Reader
eXPert PDF Reader is yet another open source free pdf reader that allows you to read PDF documents free of cost. It’s made to work in Windows platform.
Some of the features of eXPert PDF Reader include annotating with comments, bookmark editing, customizable interface etc. Installation and un-installation is very easy with this tool.
The buttons and functions are self explanatory and hence it’s easy to start with. Though it’s not so good for editing or printing, it’s a wonderful option if all you just need is a simple PDF Reader. Download eXPert PDF Reader through the following link.
5. Cool PDF Reader
Cool PDF Reader is an ideal solution for viewing and managing PDF documents. The free PDF viewer has a very friendly interface and is convenient enough to learn. It converts your PDF files to a number of other formats such as BMP, JPG, GIF, PNG, WMF, simple Txt etc.
To convert the document you just have to open your PDF file and simply save as your desired format. Its very easy and secure option to those tools that use remote conversion. It comes with a SlideShow option too. Other features such as zoom in and out, rotating page displays etc adds to this software. Cool PDF Reader is very small in size and is compatible with Windows OS.
This PDF Reader is really cool! Find Cool PDF Reader through the link.
6. Zathura PDF Viewer
Now Zathura PDF Viewer comes in a unique style. It’s based on a command line interface instead of a graphical user interface. It’s extremely small in size and is lot faster and quicker.
All you need to know is to use command line instructions and your job will be done very fast. It doesn’t offer too many features but makes it real fast to read your PDF files with this tool. It can open encrypted PDF files and comes with a customizable interface.
Though the interface offered by Zathura is strange, its swift processing is really a plus point. Those good at using command line interface can try this tool. Reach Zathura PDF Viewer through the link.
If you want to stick with Adobe Reader, there are ways to improve performance of Adobe Reader.
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