Best free PDF reader (2023)

The best free PDF reader apps are perfect for viewing documents, collaborating online, and making changes to your PDF files without any subscription charges or one-off fees. 

Using your browser is the easiest way to read a PDF online, but options are usually limited. To do more with your documents, both online and offline, it’s worth investing time in the best PDF editors, the best free PDF editors, or dedicated PDF reader software. 

PDF readers are the ideal solution for casual users looking for easy-to-use apps and platforms. Better still, the very best free PDF readers come equipped with plenty of tools for power-users. So, look out for features like free PDF to Word converters that put you in control of your documents. 

With plenty of options out there, it can be a challenge identifying which free PDF reader is best for you. To help you find the right tool for your work, we’ve tested out a range of options, exploring everything from performance with large files to cross-platform compatibility and the best cloud storage integration.  

Best free PDF reader overall

Operating system: Windows, macOS

Multi-platform support

Handles large PDFs with ease

Tab view for multiple documents

Relatively large

Regular 'upgrade to Pro' ads

Some tools paywalled

Adobe Acrobat Reader DC is a free PDF reader software for Windows and Mac (with Android and iOS PDF reader apps available, too). And it's their top choice for best free PDF reader overall - although they found features one massive downside.

The top PDF viewer is designed with two purposes in mind: the first is to enable you to read and interact with PDF files (including adding annotations and even signing a document). 

The second is to convince you to upgrade to the paid version of the software (which, you’ve guessed it, has many more features, including the ability to create and edit PDF files).

If it wasn’t for the latter, Acrobat Reader would be a decent addition to your software library. It’s simple, easy to use, and comes with all the basic features you need to interact with PDF files. In their review, they reckoned that “Adobe Acrobat Reader DC is one of the best free PDF readers for anyone looking to view documents and manipulate them in some way.”

Sadly, the adware side of things is pretty much everywhere: you get ‘try now’ buttons, you’re offered to use powerful tools but later are asked to pony up some cash in order to actually use them, there’s even a ‘7-day trial’ button. If you can overlook this, it’s a great tool, but there are less obtrusive ones out there.

Read their full Adobe Acrobat Reader DC review

Best free PDF reader for wide platform support

Operating system: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Citrix

Allows you to create PDFs

Safe mode disables Javascript

Lightweight download

Some features require extensions

No OCR in free version

Foxit PDF Reader is more than just a free PDF reader – you can also create PDFs from scratch using this software. Integration with Microsoft Office allows you to easily turn documents you’re working on into PDFs. Or, you can scan a document or image and turn it into a PDF using Foxit Reader. The only thing that’s lacking in the free version is support for optical character recognition in scanned documents.

The software can be a little intimidating at first, but it’s relatively straightforward to navigate. That’s thanks to the fact that it uses the same ribbon-style menu as Microsoft Office. Tools for editing, signing, highlighting, and commenting are fairly easy to access. You can also merge or split PDFs by downloading free add-ons for the software. 

Another advantage to Foxit PDF Reader is that it offers security. There’s a Safe practicing mode that allows you to automatically disable Javascript embedded in downloaded PDFs.

Note that with the software's latest update, Foxit seems to have removed its PDF virtual printer driver, meaning you can no longer use the software to create PDFs.

Read their full Foxit PDF Reader review

Best free PDF reader that's fast and lightweight

Operating system: Windows, macOS, Linux

Small get size 

Loads extremely quickly

Can convert file types

No editing 

Not many features overall

Slim PDF is the best free PDF reader if you’re looking for something incredibly lightweight. The software get is really small, so is the perfect choice if you’re limited by hard drive space. Plus, that means that it’s able to open and load your documents faster than most of its competitors.

In their review, they called it "a sleek, minimalist PDF reader that only takes up a couple of megabytes on your hard drive." The downside to this small size is that Slim PDF is pretty basic. You can search and rotate documents, but that’s about it. 

And you have to go in knowing that. Slim PDF feather-light when it comes to features. If you're looking for a PDF editor, you won't find it here. Nor will you find tools for signing, filling, commenting, or highlighting, let alone multiple practicing modes. This application reads PDFs plain and simple, cut and dry. 

While there is a menu option to convert a PDF to a Word document, doing this requires another software download. On the other hand, if your needs are similarly simple, the free PDF reader might just be the solution for you.

As a result, Slim PDF is truly just a PDF reader. It does a good job at this, though, leaving out the toolbars that can distract you from what you’re reading. If you frequently need to print PDFs, Slim PDF is one of the fastest and most simple options available.

Read their full Slim PDF review

Best free PDF reader that's feature-rich and packed with tools

Operating system: Windows, macOS

Touchscreen mode 

Plenty of annotation tools

Simple ribbon-style menu

No document signing or filling

Lacks advanced features found in Nitro Pro

The Nitro PDF Reader is another powerful free PDF reader in the vein of Foxit Reader and Adobe Acrobat DC. What makes this tool different is that it has a touchscreen mode that’s perfect if you’re working on a tablet. Touchscreen mode is especially nice for practicing e-books, since you can flick the pages rather than scroll or click on a button.

While you can’t fill and sign PDFs with Nitro Reader - this is, after all, a pared back version of Nitro's Pro PDF editor, with no OCR or the ability to insert, remove,  and reorder pages) - it remains an excellent tool that will make everyday document-wrangling much easier.

The software does a nice job of enabling collaboration. You can annotate documents with underlining and strikethroughs in addition to highlighting. Comments are also supported, and they appear like sticky notes that are easy to spot as you read through a document. Helpfully, the software also allows you to convert between PDF and other document formats.

The software has a ribbon-style menu that will be familiar to Microsoft Office users. The menu is pretty easy to navigate since there aren’t all that many options available in Nitro Reader. Overall, they found the app to be a remarkably powerful free PDF reader that's packed with handy features you'll use time after time, all presented in a clear, adaptable interface.

Read their full Nitro PDF Reader review

Perfect if you need a free PDF reader with built-in OCR

Operating system: Windows

Optical character recognition

Text editing

Splits and extracts pages

Free version watermarks documents

PC-only

Rather than just being a free PDF reader, PDF-XChange Editor is also a free PDF editing program for Windows. The interface is a little more complex than some others but gives you easy access to plenty of helpful features. 

For most users, the main reason to use PDF-XChange Editor is the fact that it comes with inbuilt Optical Character Recognition (OCR). This means that if your original PDF document is a photocopy, PDF-XChange will still recognize the text and allow you to edit it. Also, PDF-XChange Editor lets you reformat text, and even convert it into fonts that aren’t already loaded on your computer. You can use this platform to merge or split individual PDF files. 

It's not the perfect free PDF reader, however. There is one big, unignorable disadvantage to using the app: it'll stamp a 'Created with PDF X-Change Editor' watermark on any PDF file you export. That disappears once you sign up to the Pro version, but it's still an issue that's going to put some people off. 

During their tests, they ultimately felt that while nothing stood out as incredible, there was also nothing that stood out as frustrating or annoying either. Under the right circumstances, it's a great product that has the ability to be your one and only PDF editor without any compromise.

Read their full PDF-XChange Editor review

Best free PDF reader for viewing only

Operating system: Web, Windows, Mac, iOS, Android

Cross-platform with apps for online, on Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android

Customer support is responsive

Plenty of editing tools

No sign-up to read PDFs

Full toolkit  requires subscription

Advanced tools may prove steeper learning curve than most

pdfFiller serves up a very simple free PDF reader experience. If your needs are basic, it’s quick and easy to upload your document and read it via your browser, or through the Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS apps. Not only is the PDF viewing process free, you won’t even need to sign up to read files. 

However, the platform is actually a full PDF editor, with plenty of additional features for document creation and editing like fillable forms, data redaction tools, online collaboration, digital signatures, and PDF converters. After a thorough review process, they ultimately felt that the platform is “a very versatile PDF document management system” for both personal and business use. 

When it comes to a straight PDF viewer, pdfFiller’s free service feels hobbled by the inability to do anything beyond practicing files. You can tweak documents, but they’ll remain locked on your dashboard and unavailable as a PDF file. To really get the most from the service - and, to be fair, it offers a fair amount - you’ll need to subscribe to one of three monthly/annual subscription plans. Enterprise licensing is available, too, for teams of ten or more. 

Read their full pdfFiller review 

Why you can trust TechRadar They spend hours testing every product or service they review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how they test.

When deciding which PDF reader is best to get and use, first consider which parts of your PDF file you need to change. If you’re just trying to add information to a form digitally, you’ll only need a basic editor that supports text insertion.

However, if you need to change the content of a PDF substantially, you’ll require a more powerful PDF software program that can make modifications to text or images already stored in the file. In some cases, especially if you want to change almost all the content of your file, it may be better to use a fully functioning PDF Editor or even the best PDF to Word converter instead.

A PDF reader is a program used to open, view, and print PDF (Portable Document Format) files. First introduced in the 1990s, PDF files are an excellent way to distribute documents containing text, images, and various other media types.

Many modern browsers can read PDF files, but the best free PDF readers still have their place. These dedicated programs deliver users more ways to interact with the file and offer greater control over how the document appears on the screen.

PDF files were designed to appear and function the same on any piece of hardware, so you'll find PDF readers for Android and other mobile devices too.

Deciding between a PDF editor and a PDF reader comes down to how you'll use the software. PDF readers are primarily designed to view documents - although many include online collaboration tools like commenting, highlighting, and annotating content. Altering a PDF file is often limited to small edits and manipulation. A PDF editor lets you design and create documents from scratch and make large changes. They almost always include powerful tools for power-users, like built-in OCR software and digital signature tools. 

If you keep your computer secure and get PDF software from the official source, you should be well-protected. But, as with many free tools, there are always risks. We've outlined five common reasons why free PDF editors may not be right for your organization - and the issues can be similar with free PDF readers. We've also looked at the main differences between paid-for vs free PDF editors. 

The best free PDF readers feature plenty of tools for viewing and sharing PDF files - however, they're often slightly more limited compared to paid-for counterparts. In many cases, they offer a taste of how the software works, with upgrades and subscriptions that add more tools. If you're only practicing PDFs on your computer or mobile device, a browser will likely meet your needs. If you're frequently in and out of documents, making minor edits, and sharing files, a full PDF reader will likely suit you best. 

We test the best free PDF readers against the factors that users care about - from the interface and experience to performance and platform availability.

We also assess each tool against its use-case. Some want a lightweight reader, others need one packed with plenty of other PDF utilities for professional use - so they look at how well the free PDF readers deliver for their intended audience. 

We also ensure that free means free - no hidden charges. Any subscriptions, lifetime licenses, and upgrade fees must be clearly signposted. 

As part of their overall testing process, we've also reviewed and rated free and premium platform-specific PDF readers.

+ Best PDF readers for Windows+ Best PDF readers for Mac+ Best PDF readers for Android

Round up of today's best deals

Best free PDF Metadata Editor software for Windows 11/10

Here is a list of the best free PDF Metadata Editor software for Windows 11/10. Using the listed freeware, you can modify the metadata information of a PDF files on your PC. You can edit information like author, title, keywords, subject, creation date, and many more. Plus, some software even allow you to edit access permissions like printing, copying, etc. Many of these PDF metadata editors let you change the metadata of multiple PDF files at once. You can also clear the existing metadata of PDFs, import metadata from a text file, etc. There are many more features provided by these metadata editors. Let us check out the list now.

Here are the best free PDF metadata editor software that you can use to modify the metadata of PDF documents on your Windows 11/10 PC:

Let us talk about these PDF metadata editors in detail.

AutoMetadata is a free PDF metadata editor software for Windows 11/10. Using it, you can edit the metadata of multiple PDF files at once. Besides editing PDF metadata, it can also be used to extract and save PDF metadata in a text file. Also, you can find some more useful features in this freeware that include options like Clear Properties for Selected Records, Restore Original Properties for Selected Records, Find and Replace, and more.

This PDF metadata editor allows you to edit detailed metadata information of your PDFs. This information includes Document Properties which are basically access permissions, document statistics, file details, PDF details, viewer preferences, and more. You can set up access permissions for your PDFs including Allow Assembly, Allow Copying, Allow Printing, Allow Screen Recorders, Allow Editing, and more. It also shows a list of bookmarks and named destinations in your PDF.

How to edit metadata of multiple PDFs in AutoMetadata™?

You can follow the below steps to edit PDF metadata in AutoMetadata™:

To start with, you need to have AutoMetadata™ installed on your PC. So, get it from its official website and then install it. After that, open the application and import one or more source PDF documents whose metadata you want to edit. You can use the Select Files option to do that.

As soon as you add a PDF, you can view its respective metadata in the right-side panel. Now, you can start modifying each metadata detail as per your requirements. If you have metadata saved in a local file, you can import it by using the File > Import Metadata Records From Text File option.

Once you are done making changes to your PDF metadata, press the Save Changes button to save the new metadata in your PDF document.

In case you want to extract and save PDF metadata, you can use the Export Metadata Records to Text File option from the File menu. Also, bookmarks from a PDF document can be saved by going to the Bookmarks tab and using the Export to XML option.

It is one of the best free PDF metadata editor software using which you can modify the metadata of bulk of PDFs. If you liked this software, you can get it from evermap.com.

Read: Free PDF Editor Online Tool to edit PDF files.

The next free PDF metadata editor software on this list is Hexonic PDF Metadata Editor. It is a batch PDF metadata editor using which you can import multiple PDFs and change their metadata at once. It is very easy to use and comes with a simple user interface that makes the process of metadata editing easier.

Using it, you can edit various metadata information of a PDF. You can modify PDF details like title, author, subject, creation date, modification date, keywords, creator, and producer. To edit these details, you can use placeholders like filename, current date, creation date, author, title, and more. You can simply right-click on the enabled textbox and then add the respective placeholders to copy details from one field to another.

Some nice features provided in it are:

How to edit PDF metadata using Hexonic PDF Metadata Editor?

Here are the main steps using which you can edit PDF metadata in Hexonic PDF Metadata Editor:

Firstly, get and install this software on your system, and then start this application. Now, you can browse and select the source PDF files. It also lets you import a whole directory of PDFs for batch editing.

Next, from the left-side panel, enable the checkbox for the metadata fields you want to edit. And then, enter the new values for selected fields. You can use various placeholders for editing details.

When done, you can click on the Modify All Files or Modify Selected Files option to save changes.

It is a nice free PDF metadata editor that you can get from here.

See: Best free PDF Voice Readers for Windows PC.

Calibre is a free open-source PDF metadata editor software for Windows and other platforms like Mac and Linux. It is a popular eBook management software that provides various eBook utilities. It provides several tools including an eBook reader, eBook converter tool, eBook DRM remover, free eBook downloader, etc.

One of the many tools provided in it is Edit metadata. This tool lets you modify the metadata of eBooks and documents including PDFs. Using it, you cannot only edit the metadata of a single PDF file but multiple PDFs at a time. It lets you change details like author, publisher, rating, published date, languages, series, tags, eBook cover, comments, etc.

The good thing about this software is that it allows you to automatically get metadata for your PDF eBooks. It basically fetches the metadata information of PDFs from Google, Amazon, etc., and adds them to your PDFs.

It provides a nice feature to get the cover image for your PDF eBook from online sources like Amazon. You can add this cover image to the PDF metadata. Apart from that, it also lets you automatically generate PDF eBook cover images. And, you can even browse and import the cover image from locally saved files and add them to your PDFs.

How to edit PDF metadata in Calibre?

You can try the below simple steps to modify the metadata of PDF in Calibre:

First, get and install Calibre from its official website. And then, launch this software and add the source PDF documents to it.

Next, select the PDFs from the main interface and then click on the Edit metadata option. If you want, you can either choose Edit metadata individually or Edit metadata in bulk option as per your requirement.

After that, in the newly opened dialog window, start editing the PDF metadata. You can use the Next button to move on to the next PDF to edit its metadata.

Once you are done, click on the OK button to save changes.

Check: Split, reorder, merge PDF pages with PDFSam PDF editing freeware.

One more free PDF metadata editor software on this list is PDF Info. It is a lightweight PDF metadata editor that lets you modify the basic metadata details of a PDF. You can edit details of a single PDF at a time. It allows you to modify information like author, title, subject, keywords, creator, and producer.

How to edit the metadata of PDF using PDF Info?

Firstly, get this software and install it on your computer. It is extremely lightweight that weighs about 1 MB. After that, launch the software and click on the Open button to browse and import the source PDF files. It will show the existing PDF properties in respective metadata fields. You can manually edit the values as per your requirements. When done, you can press the Save button to update the new metadata in the selected PDF file.

It is a simple and basic PDF metadata editor that you can use to modify general PDF details. This software is available here.

See: Combine multiple PDFs into a single PDF document with Combine PDF freeware.

PDF Shaper is yet another free PDF metadata editor software for Windows 11/10. This software is primarily used to carry out various PDF-related tasks including crop, convert, merge, split, extract, watermark, and more. It can also be used to edit the metadata of PDF files. A dedicated function to change PDF details is provided in it. You can even clear the existing metadata from PDFs if you want.

Let us see how to use this PDF metadata editor.

Here are the main steps to edit PDF metadata using PDF Shaper Free:

Firstly, get and install PDF Shaper Free on your computer, and then open the main GUI of this application. After that, import one or multiple PDF files or you can even add a folder containing the source PDF files to it.

Next, go to the Action menu and click on the Security > Edit metadata option. Now, you can add PDF details including Author, Title, Subject, and Keywords.

You can get this simple PDF metadata editor from here.

Read: Crop PDF Pages in Windows 11/10 using online tools or free software.

Yes, you can easily edit PDF metadata on Windows. To do that, you can use a free dedicated desktop application like AutoMetadata™ or Hexonic PDF Metadata Editor. Calibre which is an eBook manager can also be used to edit PDF metadata. They have mentioned some best free PDF metadata editors for PC that you can check out. Apart from that, there are multiple free online tools that let you edit PDF metadata online. Some of these web services include PDFCandy and PDFill.com.

To change the metadata of a PDF online, you can use a free online tool. Web services like PDFCandy and PDFill.com provide you with a dedicated feature to modify PDF details as per your requirements. For example, you can simply visit the PDFill.com website, browse and select the source PDF file, and then start editing PDF metadata like author, title, subject, etc. Once done, press the Update PDF Metadata button to save changes.

If you want to extract and save metadata from a PDF document, you can do that using a free desktop application or an online tool. You can use free software called PDFInfoGUI which is specially designed to view, extract, and save PDF metadata. Other than that, you can also try a free online tool like GroupDocs to extract and save PDF metadata. From this post, you can use the AutoMetadata™ software to do the same.

That’s it.

Now read: Redact PDF using free PDF redaction software and services.

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The Ragged Edge is documentary about survival on and off the racetrack; about riding the edge between victory and oblivion. Its focus is Erik Buell Racing (EBR), the only American sport bike company. EBR is now racing for survival. This documentary combines the power, excitement and tension of motorcycle racing from the point of view of the teams in the pits with the equally powerful stories of a company trying to make it through a financial maelstrom and the personal survival of working families in America’s heartland.