Head-to-head · PDF Readers
Foxit PDF Reader vs SumatraPDF
Foxit PDF Reader leads on 0 checks, SumatraPDF on 0, and 5 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 5 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.
Our verdict
- Highest scoreFoxit PDF Reader · 9.4/10
- Free planboth
Foxit PDF Reader scores higher on our rubric for pdf readers: 9.4 against 9.0 out of 10; our editors rank them #1 and #4.
On platform support, Foxit PDF Reader gives you Cross-platform where SumatraPDF offers Desktop.
Foxit PDF Reader is the better fit for free cross-platform readers with collaboration. SumatraPDF is the better fit for portable Windows reading with signatures.
- Foxit PDF Reader fits best
Free cross-platform readers with collaboration
- SumatraPDF fits best
Portable Windows reading with signatures
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Side by side
| Feature | Foxit PDF Reader 9.4/10 Visit ↗ | SumatraPDF 9.0/10 Visit ↗ |
|---|---|---|
| At a glance | ||
| Editor score | 9.4 | 9.0 |
| Ranking | #1 in PDF Readers | #4 in PDF Readers |
| Best for | Free cross-platform readers with collaboration | Portable Windows reading with signatures |
| Pricing model | Free | Free |
| Starting price | Free | Free plan |
| Free plan | ✓ | ✓ |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Deployment | Cloud, Desktop, Mobile | Desktop |
| Platforms | Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android | Windows |
| Support | Docs, Tickets | Docs, Community |
| Built for | Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise | Solo, Small business, Mid-market |
| Features Foxit PDF Reader 4/4 · SumatraPDF 4/4 | ||
| Annotation tools | ✓ | ✓ |
| Form filling | ✓ | ✓ |
| Offline access | ✓ | ✓ |
| Text-to-speech | ✓ | ✓ |
| Specs | ||
| OCR support | None | Not checked yet |
| Platform support | Cross-platform | Desktop |
| Our review | ||
| Pros |
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| Cons |
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| Our verdict | Foxit PDF Reader is a free application for personal and business users who need to open, read, print, annotate, comment on, fill, sign, and share PDF documents. Reader editions are available on the web, Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android,… Read the review → |
SumatraPDF is a free, open-source desktop reader for Windows. It is aimed at people who want to read PDFs and a broad set of other local formats, including EPUB, MOBI, CBZ, DjVu, XPS, CHM, and image files. Text search, document navigation,… Read the review → |
Strengths and trade-offs
Foxit PDF Reader — where it wins
- Free access across web, desktop, iOS, and Android
- Annotations, forms, signatures, shared reviews, and text-to-speech
- Integrates with major storage and business services
Where it doesn't
- OCR is documented for PDF Editor rather than PDF Reader
- Web use requires an internet connection
- AI document analysis excludes OCR documents
SumatraPDF — where it wins
- Opens PDFs, ebooks, comics, images, and several document formats
- Supports annotations, digital signatures, and Windows text-to-speech
- Portable deployment and command-line PDF operations support local workflows
Where it doesn't
- Windows-only, with no macOS, Linux, web, or mobile versions
- Cannot fill PDF forms, despite supporting form-field highlighting
- Scanned pages require OCR elsewhere
- Foxit PDF Reader9.4/10 · Free plan
A free cross-platform reader with collaboration, forms, signatures, and cloud integrations.
Visit FoxitFull verdict → - SumatraPDF9.0/10 · Free plan
A portable Windows reader with broad format support, annotations, signatures, and command-line tools.
Visit SumatraPDFFull verdict →
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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