Adobe Acrobat Reader Alternatives for Windows

There are many alternatives to Adobe Acrobat Reader for Windows if you are looking for a replacement. The best Windows alternative is SumatraPDF, which is both free and Open Source. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 100 alternatives to Adobe Acrobat Reader and loads of them are available for Windows so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting Windows alternatives to Adobe Acrobat Reader are Okular, Foxit PDF Reader, MuPDF and Xournal++.

filter to find the best alternatives

Adobe Acrobat Reader alternatives are mainly PDF Readers, but if you're looking for PDF Editors or Text to Speech Services you can filter on that. Other popular filters include PDF Editor, Open Source, Windows, Linux, Android, Free and Mac. You can also filter by region, for example EU-based alternatives if you prefer software developed in the European Union. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to Adobe Acrobat Reader.
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Alternatives list

  1. SumatraPDF icon

    SumatraPDF

     1700 likes

    This free, open-source viewer for Windows supports multiple formats like PDF, eBooks (ePub, Mobi), CHM, and Comic Books (CBZ, CBR). Prioritizing simplicity and speed, it offers a lightweight, portable design with a minimalist interface, catering to users seeking fast and efficient document viewing.

    126 SumatraPDF alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
    SumatraPDF screenshot 1
     
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    36
    SumatraPDF vs Adobe Acrobat Reader Comments
    Top Positive Comment
    Atoshi
    13

    It's nowhere as vulnerable to attacks as Adobe Reader, doesn't execute embedded JS, and renders documents blazingly fast

    Top Negative Comment
    Guest
    48

    Sumatra does not support editing forms and adding annotations.

    Ramzi M
    Positive
    0

    For me it is the best alternative to Acrobat Reader. Very light no fuss software that allows you to work on PDF files.

    3 of 36 comments
    • SumatraPDF is Free and Open SourceAdobe Acrobat Reader is Freemium and Proprietary
    • SumatraPDF is Privacy focused and CustomizableAdobe Acrobat Reader is not according to our users
  2. Okular icon

    Okular

     508 likes

    Multi-platform document viewer supporting PDF, ePub, comics, images, and Markdown with annotation, digital signature verification, tabbed interface, sidebar navigation, text selection, text-to-speech, magnifier, search, dark mode, and plugin support.

    128 Okular alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • KDE Plasma
    • Snapcraft
    • Linux Mobile
    • Flathub
    • Haiku
    Okular screenshot 1
     
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    12
    Okular vs Adobe Acrobat Reader Comments
    Top Positive Comment
    karlossss1996
    4

    It's very fast free pdf reader with some useful editing functions.

    Top Negative Comment
    Guest
    1

    There's no form filling tools

    bam121944
    Positive
    0

    I like to manage pdfs as well as read them

    3 of 12 comments
    • Okular is Free and Open SourceAdobe Acrobat Reader is Freemium and Proprietary
    • Okular is Privacy focusedAdobe Acrobat Reader is not according to our users
  4. Foxit PDF Reader icon

    Foxit PDF Reader

     1383 likes

    Foxit Reader offers a lightweight PDF viewing experience across multiple platforms with features such as annotation, form filling, signing, cloud storage integration, collaborative review options, heightened security via Trust Manager, and organizational tools like Group Policy and XML Configuration.

    144 Foxit PDF Reader alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free Personal
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Alerts

    • Bundleware

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • ReactOS
    Foxit PDF Reader screenshot 1
     
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    14
    Bundleware

    The installer tries to install McAfee WebAdvisor and PhantomPDF Business. These can be skipped by clicking Decline on each.

    Foxit PDF Reader vs Adobe Acrobat Reader Comments
    Top Positive Comment
    Guest
    4

    This one has the ability to mark PDFs for highlighting books and etc.

    beng tang
    Positive
    1

    In Linux Mint, Foxit is better than Adobe Reader. The version of Adobe Reader for Linux is very old and out of date (and thus may be a security risk) and does not support annotating / commenting on PDF files. Foxit supports commenting / annotating very well with a lot of tools to do various types of anotations. It also opens and displays PDF files very well. So Foxit is not only an alternative to, but better than Adobe, in Linux at least.

    Guest
    Positive
    1

    Better than SumatraPDF because of Form field.

    3 of 14 comments
    • Foxit PDF Reader is Free Personal and ProprietaryAdobe Acrobat Reader is Freemium and Proprietary
  5. Ad
    Screenshot
    Foxit PDF Reader icon
    Foxit PDF Reader

    Foxit Reader offers a lightweight PDF viewing experience across multiple platforms with features such as annotation, form filling, signing, cloud storage integration, collaborative review options, heightened security via Trust Ma...

    https://www.foxit.com
    Learn More
  6. MuPDF icon

    MuPDF

     163 likes

    MuPDF offers a highly versatile PDF, XPS, and eBook interpreter, customizable as a renderer, viewer, or toolkit. Features include digital signatures, redactions, form filling, annotations, and page manipulation, ideal for mobile, eBooks, and embedded apps supporting Java, C++, and Python.

    108 MuPDF alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • F-Droid
    • Xfce
    MuPDF screenshot 1
     
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    4
    MuPDF vs Adobe Acrobat Reader Comments
    Pro Daddy
    Negative
    3

    It doesn't have several major features that adobe reader has. MuPDF just open files that's all. no options at all, no resizing, no editing, no change in view, there is nothing.

    Guest
    Positive
    0

    Unlike other FOSS PDF viewers, it lets me scroll through the doc & search for text.

    Guest
    Positive
    0

    If reading PDFs is all you need, this app is just wonderful. No editing tools or other bloat.

    3 of 4 comments
    • MuPDF is Free and Open SourceAdobe Acrobat Reader is Freemium and Proprietary
    • MuPDF is Privacy focusedAdobe Acrobat Reader is not according to our users
  8. Xournal++ icon

    Xournal++

     198 likes

    Handwritten note-taking and PDF annotation using pen input and pressure sensitivity, shape drawing, customizable toolbar layouts, image insertion, audio recording, multi-language options, LaTeX integration, and complete export in PDF or PNG formats across all platforms.

    69 Xournal++ alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Snapcraft
    • Flathub
    Xournal++ screenshot 1
     
  9. PDFgear icon

    PDFgear

     70 likes

    Read, edit, convert, merge, and sign PDF files across devices, for completely free and without signing up.

    79 PDFgear alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    PDFgear screenshot 1
     
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    1
    PDFgear vs Adobe Acrobat Reader Comments
    malcmerlyn
    Negative
    0

    Doesn't show my RPG PDF bookmarks

    • PDFgear is Free and ProprietaryAdobe Acrobat Reader is Freemium and Proprietary
  10. Stirling PDF icon

    Stirling PDF

     62 likes

    Locally hosted web application offering an interactive GUI to merge, split, reorganize, convert, compress, watermark, secure, sign, flatten, repair, extract images, detect blanks, apply OCR, set permissions, and enable file processing or API integration for PDFs.

    117 Stirling PDF alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Open Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Online
    • Self-Hosted
    • Cloudron
    • Docker Hub
    Stirling PDF screenshot 1
     
  11. Xodo icon

    Xodo

     72 likes

    Xodo is the ultimate cross-platform PDF viewer and annotator. Powerful, fast, and optimized for all phones and tablets, Xodo makes it easy to access, edit, share, sync, manage, sign, and more.

    131 Xodo alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Chrome OS
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Google Chrome
    Xodo screenshot 1
     
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    5
    Xodo vs Adobe Acrobat Reader Comments
    Top Positive Comment
    malcmerlyn
    1

    Contrary to what has been written by guest, the app isn't totally free anymore. You should pay a subscription for several features like exporting non-watermarked PDF to your drive service

    Steven
    Positive
    0

    It's a free pdf viewer/editior that has all the features that most people use Adobe Reader for. More stable. More secure. The interface feels cleaner to me.

    Guest
    Positive
    -2

    Completely free, clutter-free interface, and easy to use.

    3 of 5 comments
    • Xodo is Paid and ProprietaryAdobe Acrobat Reader is Freemium and Proprietary
  12. Linwood Butterfly icon

    Linwood Butterfly

     43 likes

    Butterfly is a note-taking app where your ideas come first. You can paint, add texts, and export them easily on every device. This app works on android, windows, linux, and in the web.

    54 Linwood Butterfly alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • Self-Hosted
    • Snapcraft
    • AltStore
    • Flathub
    • F-Droid
    • Linux Mobile
    Linwood Butterfly screenshot 1
     
  13. ABBYY FineReader PDF icon

    ABBYY FineReader PDF

     142 likes

    Optical recognition software boasting unmatched text accuracy converts scanned documents to editable Word, Excel, or searchable PDFs while preserving layout. Supports 190 languages, simplifies processes with automated tasks, and includes PDF editing tools.

    100 ABBYY FineReader PDF alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • iPhone
    • iPad
    ABBYY FineReader PDF screenshot 1
     
  14. LEKTRA icon

    LEKTRA

     18 likes

    High-performance viewer for documents and images offering split tabs, customizable single or book layouts, portals for side-by-side sections, instant search, line highlight, annotation tools, link hints, searchable highlights, session management, and TOML config.

    Cost / License

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    LEKTRA screenshot 1
     
  15. Sioyek icon

    Sioyek

     24 likes

    Sioyek is a PDF viewer with minimal interface optimized for reading research papers and technical books.

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    Main view
     
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    1
    Sioyek vs Adobe Acrobat Reader Comments
    Barrett
    Positive
    1

    It's a minimalist PDF reader for programmers and other such nerds. Includes dark mode, keyboard navigation, and a minimalist UI that allows for great focus.

    • Sioyek is Free and Open SourceAdobe Acrobat Reader is Freemium and Proprietary
12 of 68 Adobe Acrobat Reader alternatives