Best Adobe Acrobat Reader Alternatives in 2026
The top Adobe Acrobat Reader alternatives are Foxit PDF Reader, Okular and Preview: 15 PDF readers our editors would look at instead of Adobe Acrobat Reader, in our ranking order.
Adobe Acrobat Reader: A broadly available free PDF reader with useful accessibility, form, signature, and review tools. Where it falls short: advanced PDF editing is provided through paid acrobat products.
Switching from Adobe Acrobat Reader? For most pdf readers buyers the best Adobe Acrobat Reader alternative is Foxit PDF Reader, built for free cross-platform readers with collaboration.
Why People Look for an Adobe Acrobat Reader Alternative
- Advanced PDF editing is provided through paid Acrobat products
- PDF conversion is outside the core Reader application
- OCR is provided through paid Acrobat products rather than Reader
Quick Picks by What You Need
- Best overallFoxit PDF Reader9.4
Free cross-platform readers with collaboration
Visit Foxit PDF Reader - Best free optionFoxit PDF Reader9.4
Has a free plan
Visit Foxit PDF Reader
All 15 Adobe Acrobat Reader Alternatives, Ranked
Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.
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Best forFree cross-platform readers with collaboration
- Better than Adobe Acrobat Reader:
- Editor score 9.4 vs 8.5
A free cross-platform reader with collaboration, forms, signatures, and cloud integrations.
- Text-to-speech
- Offline access
- Form filling
9.4/10★★★★★Visit Foxit -
Best forFree open-source desktop PDF reading
- Better than Adobe Acrobat Reader:
- Editor score 9.2 vs 8.5
A capable open-source desktop reader with annotations, forms, signatures and accessibility tools.
- Text-to-speech
- Form filling
- Annotation tools
9.2/10★★★★★Visit KDE -
Best forApple users wanting a capable free reader
- Better than Adobe Acrobat Reader:
- Editor score 9.1 vs 8.5
A capable free PDF reader for Apple users, with practical editing and signing tools.
- Offline access
- Form filling
- Annotation tools
9.1/10★★★★★Visit Apple -
Best forPortable Windows reading with signatures
- Better than Adobe Acrobat Reader:
- Editor score 9.0 vs 8.5
A portable Windows reader with broad format support, annotations, signatures, and command-line tools.
- Text-to-speech
- Offline access
- Form filling
9.0/10★★★★☆Visit SumatraPDF -
Best forWeb and application developers
- Better than Adobe Acrobat Reader:
- Editor score 8.8 vs 8.5
A developer-focused PDF viewer and rendering platform for web applications.
- Form filling
- Annotation tools
8.8/10★★★★☆Visit Mozilla PDF.js -
Best forUsers needing PDF editing and conversion
- Better than Adobe Acrobat Reader:
- Editor score 8.7 vs 8.5
A flexible PDF editor with free basics, paid productivity tools, and AI workflows.
- Annotation tools
8.7/10★★★★☆Visit KDAN PDF -
Best forLinux users wanting a straightforward reader
- Better than Adobe Acrobat Reader:
- Editor score 8.6 vs 8.5
A capable free Linux reader for PDFs, forms, annotations, and more.
- Offline access
- Form filling
- Annotation tools
8.6/10★★★★☆Visit GNOME -
Best forLinux users reading PDFs and comics
A free Linux document viewer with useful PDF, form, annotation, and comic support.
- Offline access
- Form filling
- Annotation tools
8.5/10★★★★☆Visit Papers -
Best forMac users reading and annotating research PDFs
A focused, open-source Mac reader for searching, annotating, and organizing research PDFs.
- Annotation tools
8.4/10★★★★☆Visit Skim -
Best foriOS users needing file-heavy PDF workflows
A capable Apple-focused PDF workspace for reading, editing, signing, and file organization.
- Text-to-speech
- Form filling
- Annotation tools
8.3/10★★★★☆Visit GoodReader -
Best forDevelopers needing a powerful open-source viewer
A developer-focused PDF engine with broad document tooling and cross-platform support.
- Annotation tools
8.2/10★★★★☆Visit MuPDF -
Best forReaders of protected PDF and EPUB content
A free cross-platform reader for PDF, EPUB, and StarForce-protected files.
7.8/10★★★★☆Visit StarForce -
Best forResearchers managing connected PDF notes
A connected workspace for reading, annotating, comparing, and organizing research documents.
- Offline access
- Annotation tools
7.8/10★★★★☆Visit LiquidText -
Best forBasic Windows PDF viewing
A straightforward free Windows PDF viewer for reading, navigating, and printing documents.
7.6/10★★★★☆Visit Aiseesoft -
Best forKeyboard-driven Linux and macOS reading
A free, open-source reader for keyboard-driven PDF and document workflows.
- Offline access
- Annotation tools
6.9/10★★★☆☆Visit Zathura
Adobe Acrobat Reader Alternatives: Common Questions
What is the best alternative to Adobe Acrobat Reader?
Foxit PDF Reader: #1 in our PDF Readers ranking, with an editor score of 9.4 out of 10. A free cross-platform reader with collaboration, forms, signatures, and cloud integrations.
Is there a free alternative to Adobe Acrobat Reader?
Yes. Foxit PDF Reader, Okular, Preview, SumatraPDF and Mozilla PDF.js have a free plan or a free tier (14 of the 15 alternatives on this page).
Why do people look for Adobe Acrobat Reader alternatives?
Advanced PDF editing is provided through paid Acrobat products; PDF conversion is outside the core Reader application; OCR is provided through paid Acrobat products rather than Reader.
How do I switch from Adobe Acrobat Reader?
Export your data from Adobe Acrobat Reader (most tools have an export in their settings). Sign up for the alternative; start on its free plan or trial if it has one. Import your export and set up the integrations your team relies on. Run both side by side for a short while, then cancel Adobe Acrobat Reader.
How to Switch from Adobe Acrobat Reader
- Export your data from Adobe Acrobat Reader (most tools have an export in their settings).
- Sign up for the alternative; start on its free plan or trial if it has one.
- Import your export and set up the integrations your team relies on.
- Run both side by side for a short while, then cancel Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Adobe Acrobat Reader vs Each Alternative
| # | Tool | Free plan | Paid from | Annotation tools | Form filling | Platform support | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Adobe Acrobat Reader | Yes | Yes | Yes | Cross-platform | 8.5 | |
| 1 | Foxit PDF Reader | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | Cross-platform | 9.4 |
| 2 | Okular | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | Cross-platform | 9.2 |
| 3 | Preview | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | Desktop | 9.1 |
| 4 | SumatraPDF | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | Desktop | 9.0 |
| 5 | Mozilla PDF.js | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | Web | 8.8 |
| 6 | KDAN PDF | Yes | $59.99/yr | Yes | 8.7 | ||
| 7 | Evince | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | Desktop | 8.6 |
| 8 | Papers | Yes | Free | Yes | Yes | Desktop | 8.5 |
| 9 | Skim | Yes | Free | Yes | Desktop | 8.4 | |
| 10 | GoodReader | No | Yes | Yes | Mobile | 8.3 | |
| 11 | MuPDF | Yes | $299/unit/mo | Yes | Cross-platform | 8.2 | |
| 12 | StarForce Reader | Yes | Free | 7.8 | |||
| 13 | LiquidText | Yes | Yes | Cross-platform | 7.8 | ||
| 14 | Aiseesoft Free PDF Viewer | Yes | Free | Desktop | 7.6 | ||
| 15 | Zathura | Yes | Free | Yes | Cross-platform | 6.9 |
Head-to-Head
- Adobe Acrobat Reader vs Foxit PDF Reader
- Adobe Acrobat Reader vs Okular
- Adobe Acrobat Reader vs Preview
- Adobe Acrobat Reader vs SumatraPDF
- Adobe Acrobat Reader vs Mozilla PDF.js
- Adobe Acrobat Reader vs KDAN PDF
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Last updated · How we research and update