12 Best PDF Readers for Windows You Need to Try

Part 1. 3 Free PDF Readers for Windows 7

Windows 7 is still not entirely obsolete despite it being more than 15 years old. There are many people who still use it. And those are the folks who may find themselves having to download and install a PDF reader for Windows 7. Thankfully, it is possible to find decent PDF readers for your Windows 7 which includes:

1. Adobe Acrobat Reader

Adobe Acrobat Reader is a powerful tool, it is still compatible with Windows 7 devices. The Adobe Acrobat Reader in question is available at no charge for basic features, and it has most of the capabilities that a typical user would ever need in terms of opening and displaying PDFs properly.

Features

• Straightforward PDF opening and display: With this application, you can open and properly display the contents of any PDF without hassle. And that is all most people need in a PDF reader.
• Form filling: Adobe Acrobat Reader makes it possible for you to fill forms that happen to be in PDF format.
• Signing: It allows you to sign forms (after which you can proceed to dispatch the form to the people who need the details in it)

2. MuPDF

This is actually a library, capable of doing anything one can imagine to a PDF. It is available for free, and if one goes to the earlier releases repository, it is easy to find one that is compatible with Windows 7.

Features

• Merging and splitting capabilities: It allows you to either join up more than 1 PDF or break 1 PDF into several separate files to simplify reading
• Efficient working: Since the underlying code is in C (programming language) it comes with a high level of efficiency
• Simple redaction: Makes it possible for you to ‘hide’ parts of information in a PDF file that you wish to redact

3.UPDF

If you want a blindingly fast PDF reader for Windows 7, you will find it in UPDF. It works well even for documents that require OCR.

Features

• PDF conversion: This can help you convert PDFs into other formats
• Cloud linkage: Capable of linking to the cloud (UPDF Cloud) for online storage
• Batch working: Allows you to read or work with batches of PDFs

Pros

• Nice user interface
• Comes with PDF protective features
• Works across multiple platforms

Cons

• Though available as a free download, some features may need to be paid for

Part 2. 3 Good PDF Readers for Windows 8

Similarly, like those of Windows 7 users, there are lots of folks out there who haven’t yet ditched Windows 8. Therefore, these are the best PDF reader for Windows 8 which readers you can use on Windows 8:

1. Xodo

This is a highly secure application that enables you to perform a wide array of operations on PDFs. It is designed to be very easy to use to make sure that the users get maximum value from the tool.

Features

• Annotation: With Xodo, it should be very easy for you to add notes as you read along working on a PDF document
• Highlighting: Xodo allows you to highlight parts of any PDF document you find important/noteworthy
• Summarization: Xodo has the capability to read the PDF document for you, and then summarize it

Pros

• Works on multiple platforms, enabling you to take a single PDF document with you across different devices
• Capable of boosting user productivity
• Clean user interface

Cons

• May require payment of some subscription fees at some point

2. PDF Studio

This is a full-featured PDF reader for Windows 8. It does most PDF-related things well and comes with a free trial though continued usage requires payment.

Features

• Allows for scanning: With PDF Studio, you can scan documents into PDF and read them easily.
• Sanitization: PDF Studio makes it possible for you to clean up PDFs
• Digital signing: You can sign any forms you happen to be working with easily via PDF studio

Pros

• It has a high degree of reliability, including for things like OCR
• Allows you to edit not just text, but images as well
• Can convert the PDFs to web pages (HTML)

Cons

• This is not an entirely free application.

3. PDFelement

Here is another quality PDF reader for Windows that is deliberately designed to make working with PDFs (in all aspects) easy. It is secure and is capable of performing any imaginable operation on a PDF document.

Features

• Seamless workflow: Allows you to open, read, comment on, annotate, convert, and generally perform all PDF-related operations without needing to leave the app
• Simple user interface: PD element's user interface is intuitive and hence friendly even to folks who are not geeks
• OCR capabilities: Capable of advanced optical character recognition

Pros

• Backed by excellent customer support
• After the free trial, the pricing is very manageable
• Capable of translating and summarizing the stuff in PDFs

Cons

• This is a proprietary rather than open-source PDF solution

Part 3. 3 Best PDF Readers for Windows 10

Windows 10 is one of the versions that are still considered to be ‘current’ and widely used. So, getting a good PDF reader for Windows 10 shouldn’t be too hard! Here are the 3 best PDF readers you can use on your Windows 10:

1. PDF-Xchange

This is a small and hence remarkably fast PDF reader for Windows users. It works well whether yours is the 32-bit or the 64-bit version of Windows 10, be careful when downloading!

Features

• Advanced signing: PDF-Xchange lets you add digital signatures to documents and helps read comfortably.
• Spellchecking: While creating documents with PDF-Xchange, you can also undertake comprehensive spellchecking
• Document stamping: PDF-Xchange allows you to stamp documents (via customized stamps)

Pros

• Downloads and installs extremely fast
• Offers a decent array of free features
• Capable of advanced operations such as text extractions and embedding multimedia

Cons

• The most advanced PDF-Xchange features have to be paid for

2. Okular

This is a truly free yet remarkably feature-rich PDF reader for Windows 10. It is open source, meaning that you can also get to see the code behind it all.

Features

• Cutting-edge annotation: Okular allows you to not only add notes in-line, but also those that appear in the form of pop-ups
• Magnification: This lets you magnify parts that happen to be illegible on account of small text size
• Content panel: Makes it possible for you to navigate any PDF document without breaking a sweat

Pros

• This is a very fast PDF reader in all its operations
• You are never required to pay a dime for Okular (unless you choose to donate to the folks behind it)
• Supports lots of other formats, on top of PDF

Cons

• Limited customer support

3. PDFgear

Here is an app designed specifically for the purpose of simplifying any PDF-related reading and other tasks. It has fantastic capabilities and functions both as a PDF reader and PDF editor.

Features

• PDF compression: Capable of managing PDF files that happen to be too big or smaller for better readability
• Security: Protects the PDFS accessed/created using it from various vulnerabilities
• Form access: Allows you to read out, fill, and sign forms

Pros

• PDFgear for Windows is available at no cost
• Everything in PDFgear is designed to enhance efficiency
• Also works quite well on mobile and online

Cons

• The interface may initially feel a bit exotic

Part 4. 3 Best Free PDF Readers for Windows 11

Windows 11 is the latest version, as of mid-2024 for computers. So, the demand for free PDF reader for Windows 11 should be high which is why we have curated this list of top PDF readers here. Let’s explore them:

1. Afirstsoft PDF

Afirstsoft PDF is a powerful and AI-backed PDF solution that simplifies PDF reading in a few seconds. Additionally, reading PDFs turns into a pleasant experience when this tool is in charge. Beyond that, you can also create new PDFs, and fully edit PDFs, through Afirstsoft. We can consider it as the best PDF reader for Windows 11 overall with a significant number of free features.

Free Download

Features

• Translation and summarization: With Afirstsoft PDF, you get to comprehensively summarize or translate any PDF document via AI
• Proofreading: Afirstsoft allows you to thoroughly proofread PDF documents and make the necessary amendments through artificial intelligence (AI)
• Document scanning: Afirstsoft lets you easily edit scanned documents. So, a perfect tool to reach PDFs

Pros

• This is a cutting-edge AI-powered PDF solution
• Includes a cloud storage option
• Downloads and installs almost instantly to faster the process to read PDFs

Cons

• The more advanced features are reliant on artificial intelligence (AI)

2. PDF Reader Pro

This is a simple, user-friendly, and cost-effective PDF solution. Beyond simple reading and creation of PDFs, this application allows you to rewrite them as well.

Features

• Image editing: PDF Reader Pro lets you edit not just the text in PDF documents, but images as well
• PDF conversion: With PDF Reader Pro, you can effortlessly convert to and from PDF
• Batch operations: Capable of working not just with individual PDF documents, but batches of them as well

Pros

• The interface is greatly simplified
• Works on different platforms
• Comes with remarkably good tech support

Cons

• Beyond the free trial, there is a fee to be paid

3. PDF Assistant

Developed by Roxy, PDF Assistant is an easy-to-use yet quite powerful PDF reader for Windows 11. It comes with an attractive and ergonomic user interface.

Features

• Document drawing: This allows you to make drawings on the documents you happen to be reading
• Password-protected document access: With PDF Assistant, it is possible for you to access documents that are password-protected
• Text highlight: Allows you to highlight text that you find outstanding in any PDF document

Pros

• Can be downloaded and installed in minutes
• Comes with decent annotation
• Utilizes computer resources quite efficiently

Cons

• The download is 34 MB, which some may find a bit heavy

Part 5. How to Choose the Best PDF Reader for Windows

There are several things that you have to be attentive to, in order to select a truly good PDF reader for Windows:

• Compatibility: Ensure that the PDF reader you select is truly compatible with your version of Windows, otherwise, it may prove hard/impossible to install or use.
• Check the speed of the PDF reader: A slow PDF reader can be very agonizing to work with. You also need to avoid a PDF reader that uses system resources inefficiently, as it can negatively impact other apps you happen to be using.
• Pay attention to the PDF reader’s user interface: Ensure that it is something you are comfortable with, given your tech skills. Also go for an interface that simplifies tasks, rather than making them complex.
• Consider how well the PDF reader integrates with AI: A good PDF reader should allow you to fully tap into the power of artificial intelligence.

Free Download

Part 6. Conclusion

Clearly, there are lots of PDF readers that work quite well with Windows. Ultimately, your choice of the PDF reader for Windows you will be using depends on your unique needs as well as personal preferences. But the key thing to appreciate is that the PDF readers market is saturated, and there is a PDF reader for every imaginable need.

Thus, the most important thing is to undertake a needs analysis, then, go through the various PDF readers highlighted here, to figure out which one best meets those needs. Whereas each and every PDF reader has its upsides and downsides, we consider the Afirstsoft PDF reader to be perhaps the best one overall – especially on account of its AI-powered capabilities.