Some documents have the .pdf format extension, unfortunately, in all Windows versions, with the exception of "Tens", there is no built-in program for reading PDF files. Therefore, to this day, such software remains in demand.

There are a lot of them on the Internet. There are both paid and free programs with different functionality. Which one is right for you? We propose to understand. It is enough to read our article and choose the program that meets your requirements and suits the functionality.

Best PDF Readers

In first place we have Acrobat Reader from Adobe. Why this particular software? It's simple, this program has great functionality and is in the greatest demand among users.

It has everything you need to work with documents in PDF format. For example, you can copy, view structures, print individual countries, change their orientation. In addition, it is constantly updated and is absolutely free, thanks to which it is installed on a huge number of computers around the world.

The characteristics are as follows:
- You can view, manipulate and annotate 3D document content;
- Scale individual sections of the PDF file;
- Play m / media content (text, graphics, sound and video files);
- Read electronic books;
- Print documents via wireless networks directly from the program interface;
- Organize online video conferences or take part in them;
- Use digital signatures to protect your documents from editing;
- With the help of a newly minted Start functions Meeting several people will be able to work on one document at once;
- Russian-language interface.

Nice set, right? And it's all absolutely free. But there is also a paid version - PRO, it has no restrictions at all. With its help, you can not only view documents in PDF format, but also edit them.

Foxit Reader is a more modest alternative

Of course, the leader is Acrobat Reader. However, there are some very interesting alternatives. For example, Foxit Reader.

The fact is that the “reader” from Adobe is very cumbersome: large size, increased system requirements. And here the developers have relied on user-friendly interface and performance, cutting out all unnecessary functionality.

Main characteristics:
- With this reader, you can add comments to the finished document and print it along with them;
- Increased security level: Foxit Reader will not connect to the Internet without your permission;
- Performance. As mentioned above, Acrobat Reader, although the most popular, is rather bulky and can “boot” an old computer quite well, while Foxit will not allow this.

Still undecided on a choice? We continue!

STDU Viewer is the fastest PDF reader ever.

In third place is a modest and well-known program called STDU Viewer. Its size does not reach even three megabytes. Of course, because of this, it was necessary to “shorten” the functionality very much, but moreover, it does an excellent job of reading PDF documents. In addition, STDU supports other formats. For example, .txt, .tiff, .DjVu.

Main characteristics:
- Ability to simultaneously view multiple pages on one screen;
- You can add your own bookmark while reading and return to it at any time;
- Supported hyperlinks;
- Reading pages one by one and in the form of a book;
- Convenient search in the text of documents;
- Demonstration of thumbnails and content navigation;
- Instant transition to the selected page.

Is this not enough for the average user? Such a modest functionality can be forgiven due to the size of only two and a few megabytes!

PDF-XChange Viewer is a powerful competitor

PDF-XChange Viewer is a free PDF reader. But unlike STDU Viewer, its functionality does not end there. Documents cannot be edited, but you can easily supplement them.

For example, if you wish, you can fill out a table, save a form, add an annotation or note, increase the size of text or drawing, and much more - up to exporting individual PDF pages to images.

Main characteristics:
- Ability to add annotations in the form of stickers and your own comments in any PDF files;
- Custom stamps from any drawings;
- Test notes;
- Print any page;
- Convert pages to image;
- Work with several documents at once - each in its own tab;
- Availability of add-ons for popular browsers;
- Portable version;
- Russian language support.

To choose desired program should rely solely on its functionality. If you only need to read documents, then STDU Viewer is enough, and if you are more demanding and you need a professional solution, then Acrobat Reader from Adobe is definitely the leader in this segment.

PDF has become one of the most popular formats for distributing documentation, typographic layouts, and even books. This is explained by two factors. First, a PDF file, unlike a regular text file, cannot be modified by the recipient. This is important, for example, for documentation. Secondly, the recipient of the file can easily open it to the public and free tool Adobe Reader. And at the same time, neither font installation nor adjustment of any intervals and indents is required - constant companions when opening a complex document prepared by someone in Word. Today, Adobe's PDF viewer is not the only tool. We will talk about several products that will allow you to create or view a PDF file.

How to create PDF

In all modern office suites, whether paid Microsoft office or the free Libre Office, PDF format is supported. This is what the "Save As..." dialog looks like in Word.

And for the rest of the programs, the applications that I will describe in this article create virtual printer, and printing to PDF is done as a normal printing option. It's just that instead of a physical printer, you choose "print to PDF". Here is what such a printer looks like in Foxit Reader.

if you have text file and you want to get a PDF from it, and install office suite If you don't feel like it, you can do it from Google Drive or Office Live online services. Both are free.

How to read PDF

regular browser

Almost all modern browsers able to view PDF format. It just turns out badly for them. Those who have tried to view some really complex PDF through them will understand what I mean.

In browsers, document scaling is not so convenient, sometimes this leads to incorrect display of content. Plus, the table of contents navigation is not very convenient. The functionality for viewing PDF files ends only with the viewing function itself, which is somewhat reminiscent of the mode preview when printing.

Foxit Reader

Download Foxit Reader 6.1.5.0624 ENG

Foxit Reader is much better with both PDF display and functionality. This is perhaps the most popular after Adobe Reader, and the most convenient "reader" of PDF files. It is smaller than Adobe Reader and works faster.

Foxit Reader has a convenient fragment search that works only in those files where their manufacturer has allowed text to be left. There is also a version of a PDF file that is closed from searching and extracting text, which can only be converted into text by an automatic recognizer, like FineReader.

Those who have met this program for a long time will be very surprised by its new appearance. In appearance, Foxit Reader is very close to Microsoft Office! It is difficult to list all the operations that it allows you to do with PDF files - there are a lot of them.

You can mark chunks of text with a marker, take notes on individual words and paragraphs, write text directly on top of a PDF file.

Cool PDF Reader

Download Cool PDF Reader

Perhaps the interface of Foxit Reader will seem too fancy and complicated to you. Then you better pay attention to Cool PDF Reader. He is the leader in the minimum size of the program. Its size is a little over one megabyte, but this does not prevent this program from doing its job of viewing PDF files and searching through text well.

In addition, the program can convert PDF to a number of graphic formats (GIF, BMP, PNG, WMF, JPG, EMF, EPS) and text (TXT). Cool PDF Reader can also remove graphics from a PDF file for easier viewing. But this is a paid feature.

View PDF in Windows 8

And finally, I’ll tell you about PDF support in the Windows 8 operating system. In it, a regular application called “Reader”, made in a “modern” full-screen interface, is responsible for viewing files of this format.

There are no special settings, and the possibilities are minimal, although search by fragment is implemented. At the same time, a very good and useful search results window has been made.

This category of programs includes free programs for reading and annotating (annotating) PDF documents that can replace the slow and bloated Adobe Reader. Despite many years of experience, Adobe Reader still lags behind its peers in a number of ways.

Note: Of course, here it is necessary to take into account that Adobe is a commercial company, therefore, special zeal in the development free version she can't have.

In any class of programs, it is necessary to determine the criteria based on which you can identify favorites. However, they need to be balanced against the fact that each user has their own needs and preferences. Therefore, within this category, diverse criteria have been taken, which, with a high probability, will cover most needs. The criteria themselves:

  • Ability to open PDF files. No, this is not a joke. Not all PDFs are the same. The test set consisted of about a dozen different files. Various sizes, with different settings security, forms and graphic content. Basically, these are typical files used by most people. It is worth noting that none of the considered programs was able to correctly display the test file with an Adobe 3D image. During the tests, a rigorous selection process took place. Any reader that could not read the PDF document correctly, with the exception of this 3D file, was immediately excluded from consideration.
  • File opening speed. In this case, the criterion was somewhat softer. It was about seconds. If the difference in opening was a second or two, then it was acceptable. Agree that delays of a few seconds cause resentment. Especially if the document is small.
  • Graphical user interface (GUI). In this case, both functionality and ease of use were taken into account. In other words, how aesthetically arranged the controls and functions are, as well as how easy the entire interface will be for ordinary users to use.
  • Experience in reading documents. This factor includes both intuitiveness (what to expect? where to look for? what to click? etc.; basically all navigation elements) and text and image rendering speed.
  • Annotation (commenting) tools. One of the important aspects of programs for PDF reader is the ability to tag, annotate and add images to an existing document. And later save the result without trial version watermarks.
  • Optical Character Recognition (OCR). OCR is the ability to convert a scanned image into readable text. And this is quite an important feature. This feature makes the text inside the document searchable and copyable. Unfortunately, only one of the reviewed products contains this feature. More details in the discussion.
  • Installation process. In addition to everything, all programs were considered in terms of ease of installation. There is an unfortunate tendency to include various third-party and unnecessary, and sometimes even harmful, software products to the installer.

Note: Software not tested on Windows 8. However, there is information on support for Windows 8 on the developers' websites.

Overview of Free PDF Readers (Readers)

From the entire set of available free readers Of PDF documents, the first two stand out the most. They include extensive options for viewing and commenting on PDF files. But, about this in more detail and in order.

PDF-XChange Viewer full featured reader

This fully functional horse remains the best choice in this category. Subject to the exclusion of 3D image files above. The program was able to quickly open and accurately display all files from the test build. At the same time, you can resize pages, turn them over. Export documents and their parts to various formats images.

The tiled window interface with many tabs allows you to read and comment on multiple documents at once, without having to navigate through multiple open copies of the program. Plus, for quick movement, not only different options for displaying documents in the program window are provided, but also maintaining navigation history. You can go through all the viewed parts various documents with just a few clicks.

In addition to viewing capabilities, PDF-XChange includes a wide range of tools for annotating and bookmarking PDF documents. The Annotation Toolbox contains many drawing tools, including a grid display to create an accurate drawing. Comments can be hidden, exported or imported.

The program also supports document encryption, security management and document properties. All controls are easily accessible and easy to use. Unfortunately, unlike some other PDF readers, XChanger lacks the ability to add digital signatures.

One of the important parts of any PDF reader is searching for text in a file. And it is here that PDF-XChanger bypasses all its counterparts. It can convert and save a scanned image or text as a picture in a PDF document into readable and searchable text. The OCR process allows for a user-friendly and indexable document.

Note: If you use various services or programs that can index text PDF documents, then, most likely, you have already remembered those foolish documents, which, by a lucky chance, are made up of many beautiful pictures, including text.

It is worth noting that the interface is somewhat reminiscent of Windows XP. However, once you open the program, you will not have any particular complaints. The graphical interface is quite neat and pleasant.

Unfortunately, the installer includes a special panel for the browser. So if you don't like to use portable versions and prefer to install programs, then you should be careful during the installation process to avoid installing unnecessary and unnecessary software.

Foxit Reader PDF Reader alternative to PDF-XChange

A worthy contender in this category is Foxit Reader, especially if you don't need OCR tools. The program was able to open and transfer all the same files accurately, even slightly faster than PDF-XChanger.

Foxit contains similar features for viewing and navigating documents, adding to them the ability to read documents aloud. As with XChanger, all documents open as tabs, allowing you to quickly read and comment on multiple documents at once.

While other programs in this category have been relatively static in their development, Foxit has been constantly evolving. latest version Foxit already offers different display options GUI. Depending on how familiar you are with different kinds of views, you may like both the "classic" interface and the "ribbon" interface. The ribbon is somewhat similar to the Microsoft Office panel.

Of course, the annotation form tools may initially cause some problems, but otherwise, and this is navigation and editing, the controls are quite well organized. If we talk about the interface as a whole, then it is largely intuitive.

The array of annotation tools is just as huge and impressive as PDF-XChange's. The user can fill out forms, fully comment on the documents and save all the work in the form in which he made them. Foxit includes some unique controls that allow you to add pictures, media files, and so on.

The program supports some features for collaborative editing and sharing via social media. The program allows you to sign and check for validity documents with an electronic signature using the commercial DocuSign service. Even though Foxit can open encrypted files, it unfortunately lacks features for configuring file security.

Carefully! Foxit comes with various unwanted components that will try to install toolbars in the browser and change system settings. The components themselves change regularly. Users need to take great care during the installation process to avoid problems.

Sumatra PDF Viewer is a great simple pdf reader

If all you want from a PDF reader is reading and printing. Then Sumatra is what you were looking for. Perhaps the utility is not so rich in features and has a number of limitations in rendering images, but this is compensated big set various viewing options. As you probably already understood, Sumatra does not provide for editing or commenting on documents.

Note: To be somewhat honest, not much is known about the very possibility of commenting ordinary users. Most use this class of programs exclusively for reading documents.

Quick Guide (PDF Reader Download Links)

PDF-XChange Viewer

Reasonable download speed. Printing documents. Extensive commenting options without adding watermarks. There is OCR (image recognition). It can recognize not only scanned images, but also PDF documents themselves. Great amount settings, including encryption, properties, and security. Beautiful and pleasant interface.
The installer contains extra and unnecessary software.

Foxit Reader

Fast. Different kinds user interface. Extensive commenting options. Partial integration with social media. Can check and add electronic signatures. Great set of functionality. Able to read encrypted files.
No OCR support. The installer contains unwanted components that will constantly try to change browser and system settings. Therefore, during installation, care must be taken in the selection of components. The instruction manual is downloaded separately.


Hello teapots and teapots. Today we will talk about programs with which you can open PDF files. You must have experienced this, right? Basically, such files are encountered by people who use literature downloaded from the Internet.

So, what is PDF format? PDF format(English) Portable Document Format) is the format electronic documents, which uses the PostScript system. It is this format that allows you to provide printed products in electronic form.

As in the case with, the editors of the site use different programs to open PDF files and, accordingly, considers his program the best, but also appreciated other existing species programs. Let's take a look at them.

First and possibly the best program in the list is Adobe Reader. it paid program, but it can be found on the Internet already hacked. We will consider free option Adobe Acrobat Reader DC. In principle, it has all the most necessary functions. Opening files, recognizing them and converting them to Word format and Excel. It can be used on both computers and mobile devices. The interface is clear enough. Is the leader among computer users.

Interface - 5.
Functionality - 9.
Performance - 8.
System requirements - 6.
Quality - 9.


The second program, which in our opinion is a good and functional tool for PDF files, is Foxit Reader. An analogue of Adobe Reader, but it is free, which, in fact, is its advantage. It is also a plus that this program loads much faster than the “paid” counterpart. But, there is one significant disadvantage - the processed text and images are not always of high quality. And so, in terms of its functionality, it rightfully occupies the second place in our rating.

Interface - 6.
Functionality - 8.
Performance - 9.
System requirements - 8.
Quality - 5.


In third place, a less functional program - STDU Viewer. In principle, it is only suitable for opening PDF files. But, unlike other programs, it opens most of the other formats - PDF, DjVu, TXT, TCR, TIFF, Comic Book Archive (CBR or CBZ), XPS, JBIG2. Therefore, we give her the "bronze".

Interface - 7.
Functionality - 6.
Performance -8.
System requirements - 7.
Quality - 6.


Fourth place - Cool PDF Reader. Free, very versatile program. The advantages are its size (less than 1 mb) as well as converting PDF format to TXT, BMP, JPG, GIF, PNG, WMF, EMF, EPS files. Has over 60 languages.

Interface - 7.
Functionality - 6.
Performance -7.
System requirements - 7.
Quality - 5.


Well, this is where our rating can end, but after consulting, we decided to include in this rating such a program as Sumatra PDF . An elementary program to open PDF files. Its plus is that it is made in the style of "minimalism". The simplest design, fast, but, unlike the above, is less functional.

Interface - 8.
Functionality - 4.
Performance -6.
System requirements - 7.
Quality - 5.


Also, there are many other programs for opening PDF files, but they are all similar and have the same functions.

PDF is a special file format that is designed to represent electronic documents. Most books, magazines and pamphlets are distributed through world wide web exactly 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, instead of necessary information a chaotic set of characters is displayed. How to fix it? Will help special program to read PDF.

What program to open a PDF file? If you are constantly working with PDF files, then best solution will download a desktop program that supports given format. There are quite a few such utilities. Consider the 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 PDF reader is Acrobat Reader from the notorious Adobe company. And your fame this utility didn't just get it. The fact is that the creators of PDF is Adobe. This format has been developed since 1993 and was intended for the presentation of printed products. In 2007, PDF succumbed to standardization by ISO. This led to the fact that this format became public and began to be used everywhere.

Acrobat Reader- powerful program to work with PDF. With 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;
  • The Strat Meeting function providing multiuser work;
  • The ability to enlarge individual elements of the document.

Perhaps the main advantage of Acrobat Reader is the distribution system. You can download this utility from the official website of the developer for free. Another difference between Acrobat Reader and most similar programs is optimization. Experts from Adobe did their best. The utility is picky about hardware. Thanks to this, Acrobat Reader works quickly even on computers with poor technical specifications.

It is impossible not to mention backward compatibility. PDF has been refined over 30 years. During this huge period of time, more than 10 versions of this format have been released. Acrobat Reader is able to work with any PDF file, regardless of its specification. Also, cross-platform cannot but rejoice. Adobe released a program not only for PC. There are versions of the utility for other platforms: Android, iPad, Linux, etc.

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


Another program worth paying attention to is PDF-XChange Viewer. The main feature of this utility is the presence of special plugins that provide convenient 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 whole line merits. For example:

  • Support for graphic formats (BMP, JPEG, PNG and TIFF);
  • Ability to edit the document;
  • Text copying is conveniently implemented.

In addition, the utility has an additional set of small features 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 have been working on algorithms for a long time, thanks to which the program consumes a minimum amount of system resources. Distributed by Change Viewer free license, and anyone can download the utility.

Hamster PDF Reader

Hamster PDF Reader universal program, which allows you not only to view documents, but also 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 needs;
  • Copying individual fragments of a PDF file to .

The advanced search system cannot but rejoice. Thanks to it, you can find the desired piece of text by key phrases or words. Not to mention the abundance 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 OS Windows families from XP to 10.

Hamster PDF Reader has a number of advantages. But not without a fly in the ointment. If we talk about the shortcomings of the program, then the main disadvantage is speed. The utility opens some files rather slowly. In addition, the lack of labels for text is disappointing. The rest of the utility does not cause any complaints.

It is also impossible not to mention the STDU Viewer. This program distributed completely free of charge. And its main advantage lies in the fact that it is able to work with a whole bunch of formats. In addition to PDF STDU Viewer, it 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 at the same time;
  • Printing files that are protected from printing;
  • Setting 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 almost 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 complaints is the print. The program performs this procedure very slowly. This is due to the fact that before printing, the page is converted into a 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 cause 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. It can be used to view various documents including in PDF format. However, to access the service, you must have a Google account.

How can a PDF file be opened? First you need to upload a document. To do this, go to Google Drive. Then drag and drop the file into the workspace. You can also click on the inscription "My disk", in the drop-down list, click on "Download files" and select the PDF you want to read. The document will start downloading to Google Drive. This will take a certain amount of time.

After downloading the file, it will appear in the workspace. To open a PDF, right-click on it, then select the option "Open with" in 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 PDF services, has no limits on the size of an uploaded document. And this means that with the help of the site you can read magazines and even whole books. However, it should be taken into account that more file the longer it will take to load to disk. For example, a book of 700-800 pages with good internet will be downloaded for about half an hour.

PDF-OnlineReader

PDF-OnlineReader is a browser-based program designed to open PDF files. In terms of functionality, the service cannot be compared with Google Docs. For example, in PDF-OnlineReader there are no tools for editing files. With this program, you can only read documents in PDF format. Nevertheless, PDF-OnlineReader provides its services completely free of charge and does not require registration.

The interface of the program is completely in English. But this is unlikely to be a problem. After all, navigation is very simple and intuitive. It only takes a couple of clicks to open a file. You must click on the "Download PDF" button and select a document from your PC. If you want to upload another file, then in this case 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. Implemented the ability to leave annotations. Also, using the site, you can convert a PDF file to Word or HTML. This will be useful if you want to continue reading on a computer.

docspal

Among the services for reading PDF, one cannot 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 a 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 workspace or click on the "Browse file" button and select PDF. Next, you need to click on "View file". The PDF will open in read 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 on text. If we talk about interesting features of an Internet resource, then DocsPal allows you to transfer a document as a hyperlink. This is very convenient if you are constantly exchanging files with colleagues at work.

Phone Applications

How to open a PDF file on Android phone? For this, in the open spaces Play market there are many applications. We will talk about the most popular right now.

PocketBook Reader

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

Perhaps the main advantage of PocketBook Reader is easy navigation. On startup, the program will scan internal memory phone and external drives. After that, the application will present the found documents in the form of a list or thumbnails. Managing a library of files is very simple. Navigation is carried out using the volume buttons or touches on 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 the PDF file;
  • Can document using the sensor.

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

We cannot but rejoice at the notes system, which is implemented in PocketBook Reader 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 app won't take up much space on your phone. The APK file of the program weighs only 20 MB.

UBR 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 fragments of text 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 passcode.

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