Best Free Non-Adobe PDF Reader [1]
Introduction
This category includes desktop programs that can be used for reading and annotating PDF documents, other than the slow and bloated Adobe Reader. While I will admit that the Adobe product has improved in both speed and features in recent years, it still lags behind some of the products reviewed here.
My personal criteria for rating the PDF reader include the following factors:
- Ability to open PDF files - All PDF files are not created equal. I assembled a set of about a dozen test files using various combinations of size, security, and form and image content. These are typical files used in both office and recreational computing, the kind of PDF files that most people want to read. I do note that none of the programs reviewed were able to render an Adobe 3D image test file correctly. With the exception of this 3D file, if a reader was unable to open any of the test files, it was eliminated from consideration.
- Speed of opening files - While a second or two difference in opening files doesn't make too much difference to me, delays beyond a few seconds tend to annoy me.
- The graphical user interface (GUI) - While I do have a bias toward programs that are aesthetically pleasing, ease of use is also important in the GUI evaluation.
- The document reading experience - This factor includes how intuitively the program operates, the speed of rendering text and images, and the navigation controls.
- The tools for annotation - One important aspect of PDF readers for me is the basic ability to markup, comment on, add drawing elements in a PDF and save the document with the alterations but without unwanted trial software watermarks.
- Optical Character Recognition (OCR) - This ability to convert a scanned or imaged PDF to a computer readable text and save the converted document is an important feature. This makes the text within the document both searchable and able to be copied. Unfortunately only one of our choices contains this feature. Read on to find which one.
[show-hide toggle]
Rated Products
Our Rating:
License: Free (Limited features)
Platforms/Download: Windows (Desktop) [6] | [7]
Version reviewed: n/a
Gizmos Freeware [8]
Summary:
Read more... [5]
Platforms/Download: Windows (Desktop) [6] | [7]
Version reviewed: n/a
Gizmos Freeware [8]
| Our Rating: 5/5 |
|
Loads reasonably fast; can print PDFs; extensive annotation; allows filling and saving of Adobe PDF forms; can extract text and images, magnify text, manage document properties and security; Can OCR image based PDF documents.
Some advanced features are included but not free. When such features are used, resulting PDFs will be watermarked.
Read more... [5]
License: Free (Limited features)
Loads reasonably fast; can print PDFs; extensive annotation; allows filling and saving of Adobe PDF forms; can extract text and images, magnify text, manage document properties and security; Can OCR image based PDF documents.
Some advanced features are included but not free. When such features are used, resulting PDFs will be watermarked.
Read full review... [5]
Our Rating:
License: Free
Platforms/Download: [field_blackberry_download] | iOS [11] | Windows (App) [12] | Windows (Desktop) [13] | [14]
Version reviewed: n/a
Gizmos Freeware [8]
Summary:
Read more... [10]
Platforms/Download: [field_blackberry_download] | iOS [11] | Windows (App) [12] | Windows (Desktop) [13] | [14]
Version reviewed: n/a
Gizmos Freeware [8]
| Our Rating: 4/5 |
Fast, modern user interface, can fill and save both forms and form data, provides extensive annotation and review features. Social media interface. Can insert and validate electronic signatures.
No OCR capability. Users need to take great care during the install process to avoid a variety of unwanted components and system changes, the make-up of which is changed regularly. User manual must be downloaded separately.
Read more... [10]
License: Free
Fast, modern user interface, can fill and save both forms and form data, provides extensive annotation and review features. Social media interface. Can insert and validate electronic signatures.
No OCR capability. Users need to take great care during the install process to avoid a variety of unwanted components and system changes, the make-up of which is changed regularly. User manual must be downloaded separately.
Read full review... [10]
Our Rating:
License: Free (Open source)
Platforms/Download: Windows (Desktop) [17] | [7]
Version reviewed: n/a
Gizmos Freeware [8]
Summary:
Read more... [16]
Platforms/Download: Windows (Desktop) [17] | [7]
Version reviewed: n/a
Gizmos Freeware [8]
| Our Rating: 3/5 |
Small, fast, source code available.
Few features - it's basically just a viewer, image quality is not the best.
Read more... [16]
License: Free (Open source)
Small, fast, source code available.
Few features - it's basically just a viewer, image quality is not the best.
Read full review... [16]
More PDF Readers
Check out more PDF readers reviewed and rated with Software Finder [18] at our site.
Related Products and Links
You might want to check out these articles too:
Editor
This software review is copy-edited by Jojo Yee [21]. Please help edit and improve this article by clicking here [22].
Back to the top of the article