Aug 28,2019 • Filed to: Mac Tutorials
Adobe Acrobat Pro — Adobe actually created the PDF file format back in 1991, so you might think that Adobe Acrobat Pro would be the hands-down favorite for the best PDF editor for Mac. While it’s true that Adobe Acrobat Pro is an extremely powerful PDF editor, it’s also incredibly expensive.
'Is there a reliable PDF reader for Mac?'
Mac users have a number of PDF reader programs to choose from, including Adobe Reader for Mac and Preview. But if you want a better PDF reading experience, you might want to use a more robust and powerful PDF program. In this article, we’ve compiled the top 12 free PDF reader for Mac tools including PDFelement Pro, which offers more features than a simple PDF reader.
Part 1: Top 12 Best PDF Reader Tools for Mac
1. PDFelement Pro - The Best Alternative PDF Reader to Adobe Acrobat for Mac
As high-quality as Adobe Reader is due to its constant updates and improvements, you can also look into alternative programs that can perform many of the same tasks. PDFelement Pro for Mac, as the best alternative PDF Reader to Adobe Acrobat for Mac, acts as both a PDF editor and reader that provides you full functions for PDF editing and a better experience reading PDF on Mac. This tool lets you add text, images, bookmarks, and more to your PDF. In addition, a user can also highlight text, underline, use strike-through features on the text and crop PDF pages on Mac. Watermarks can also be used to protect your PDF files on Mac. You can even edit and convert scanned PDF files with PDFelement Pro.
Key Features of this PDF Reader:
- Add, delete or edit text, images, graphics, links, watermarks, and more.
- Convert PDF to Word and other formats, or create PDFs from Webpages, images, and text files.
- Quickly mark up and annotate PDFs with various annotation tools.
- Combine or split PDFs, organize pages, and easily fill out PDF forms.
- Edit and convert scanned or image-based PDFs using the OCR feature.
- Easily add watermarks, passwords, and signature to PDF documents.
2. Skim - A Popular and Well-developed PDF Reader for Mac
Skim is a popular PDF Reader on Mac that is tailored towards scientific purposes, although it can also be used to view other types of documents as well. This free PDF reader software is designed to be customizable for individual use, and is handy for notes and previews. The reason why Skim is one of the most popular options is because it includes easy-to-use and visually impressive reading modes.
Key Features:
- Single swipe highlight mode for easy use
- AppleScript support
- Ability to preview internal links
3. Adobe Reader for Mac - A Widely Used Free PDF Reader
You can download Adobe Reader on Mac for free and set it as your default PDF reader. Adobe Reader for Mac is considered the industry standard. Adobe is still a very well respected product on the market, as they are constantly making improvements and upgrades to the program, but there are other options that offer many of the same features at a lower price and without without complicated licensing agreements.
Key Features:
- Fast and easy to use
- Established platform worldwide
- Considered industry standard
- Well developed and supported
4. Free PDF Reader - A Simple to Use Mac PDF Rreader
This is another very popular Free PDF Reader for Mac. It includes many excellent features, and is designed to be easy to navigate and simple to use. The software claims to have 150million users, which indicates a tried and tested package, and offers some impressive features including:
Key Features:
- Multi document viewing feature
- Rotate and Zoom facility
- Exporting and conversion capabilities
- Advanced printing options
5. Haihaisoft Reader for Mac - A Small Size Free PDF Reader for Mac
A prominent feature of Haihaisoft for Mac is its small size at only 3MB ; this compact PDF Reader for Mac takes up much less space than other programs like Adobe Reader (see below). The package covers a wide range of languages and is designed for ease of use, while it is also well supported and has been developed for use on a number of platforms. Interesting features include:
Key Features:
- Instant launch time
- No background net connection for added security
- Opens all PDF documents
- Protection with DRM-X
6. PDFSam - A New Free PDF Reader for Mac
PDFSam is a relatively new release that has been met with mixed reviews. This free PDF reader for Mac is designed for splitting and merging documents, hence why it is called 'SAM'. Some users report problems while using the application, though generally it is reported to be user-friendly and quick for the average user.
Key Features:
- Split and Merge – (SAM)
- Extract sections as separate PDFs
- Reorder pages when needed
- Compose documents by dragging and dropping
7. PDF Info - An Easy-to-use Free PDF Reader
PDF Info is specifically designed for viewing information stored in PDF documents, rather than actually creating new ones. While it is limited in its operation, it is easy to use and designed in a basic and uncluttered style.
Key Features:
- Easy to install and use
- Quick operation
- View info in PDF
- Very small download size
8. Read Right - A Flexible Free PDF Reader
Read Right is a clever product, designed to tackle the increasing numbers of smaller notebook type laptops. It’s most beneficial feature is that it automatically rotates the screen to fit – book style – on a handheld device, making it much more convenient to use.
Key Features:
- Multiple navigation options
- Zoom control for expansion
- Possible white on black text option for readers
- Returns to the same page after interruption
9. Open Office 3 - A Versatile Free PDF Reader
The latest version of this popular and very versatile Open Office PDF reader is designed for business and personal users to read PDF files on Mac. It includes an impressive new array of features that have been improved and refined. It continues to be one of the leading free PDF readers for Mac on the market.
Key Features Includes:
- Abilityt to import Microsoft Office file types
- Advanced features for note taking
- Chart creation tools
- The ability to export and share spreadsheets
10. PDF Lab - A Well-developed Free PDF Reader
Designed to facilitate the manipulation of documents, PDF Lab is a well-developed and tested platform that is popular with a variety of users. A simple and user-friendly interface lets you use this tool as a PDF viewer. It can be updated through a regular software update, although at times you may have to do manual step-by-step updates.
Key Features:
- Insert images and blank pages
- Create new PDFs
- Split documents into several different files
- Encrypt documents for security
11. Formulate Pro - A Simple Free PDF Reader
This is an easy-to-use and popular program, Formulate Pro does not have a ton of features, but it is a basic and effective tool for amending documents. This tool is not designed for creation of PDFs, but it is certainly an effective reader.
Key Features:
- Open and edit existing PDFs
- Add graphics and other images
- Write using the cursor
- Print out PDFs
12. PDFView - An Impressive Free PDF Reader
PDFView offers a range of impressive features within a compact and easy to use package. It comes highly recommended by many users, and is a great way to read PDF documents. However, one issues is that it is no longer being developed, which means it might not be the best choice for a full-time PDF reader.
Key Features:
- Has many customizable settings
- Fit document to maximum screen size
- Zoom in and out on PDFs
- More features than Preview
Part 2: Troubleshooting on Opening and Reading PDFs in macOS
Many people experience problems when trying to open or read PDFs on Mac. This is due to a variety of reasons, but luckily this problem is usually quite an easy one to solve in just a matter of minutes. Here are the three main reasons why you may have a problem reading a PDF on Mac, and what you can do to solve the problem.
Question 1. Your Web Browser needs Updating
Solution: This is one of the most common problemsthat can prevent you from being able to read a PDF. Not all not all browsers update automatically, and it could be that yours needs a manual update. You can usually run a regular software update, but other times you may be required to update manually through the menu. An outdated browser may be the issue, in which case you may need to update your browser to resolve the issue. You can then make annotations and markups within your document.
Question 2. Your Browser is not Compatible
Solution: This issue depends on your operating system. If you are running OS 10.5 x, as many are, you will find that the later versions of Safari, for example, are non-compatible with your operating system. This will lead to you being unable to open PDFs, as well as a number of other problems. It is recommended that users with this operating system try using Firefox instead, as that may solve the problem.
Question 3. Check the Adobe Reader Plug-in
Solution: This problem also affects many users. If you are opening your PDF with Adobe Reader, the Adobe Reader Plug-in can be problematic, especially if it is an automatic launch when you enter your browser. The trick is to delete the plug-in (just the plug in, not Adobe Reader itself). Try using Adobe Reader as a stand-alone program rather than having it run within your browser, and the problem should be solved. You can also re-install the plug-in if necessary.
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Mar 05,2019 • Filed to: PDF Reader
PDF files are widely popular all over the world, and the main reason is that they allow their creators to include various type of information, such as text, images, infographics and many others in a simple and very easy to use package. This is why the PDF format has become of the main ways to contain and transfer data. This particular format is also widely spread on mobile platforms like Android and iOS, as people always want to read books while they are on the go, and PDF is surely one of the best ways to achieve this. Here are top 15 best PDF reader for Android and tips on how to use them to read PDF on Android devices.
Part 1: Top 15 Android PDF Reader
#1: Adobe Reader for Android
Adobe Reader for Android is one of the most popular ways to read any type of format on a mobile device that's Android ready. This free Android PDF reader brings the same functionality like its desktop counterpart, although now you can easily open any PDF file while you are on the go. It works great and can open many formats, although it does lag from time to time as it has a large resource consumption rate.
Read PDF on Android: You need to download the app and install it, then you just have to press the Open button and choose the PDF you want to read. The selected file will open automatically.
Pros: Easy to use and brings complete support for multiple formats.
Cons: Large resource consumption which makes it lag at times.
Price: Free
#2: AnDoc
AnDoc is a mobile reader that brings support only for the PDF and DjVu formats. While the lack of multiple format support can be a downside to others, the fact that the supported formats are read without any issue is surely a plus in the books of any mobile user.
Read PDF on Android: Install the App from Google Play, then open it, use the explorer to get to the file you want to open, then just click on it.
Pros: Easy to use and reads the supported formats well.
Cons: Supports only two formats.
Price: Free
#3: CamScanner
CamScanner is a PDF reader for Android that allows you to actually scan documents and save them as PDF files, which can then be read by any other application. Of course, CamScanner also brings complete support for this type of files, which is really important to say the least. It brings support for high quality scans, there aren't any watermarks involved and it allows you to upload files to Evernote or Skydrive if you want.
Read PDF on Android: All you have to do is open the application, start the scanner and after that you just need to choose the option to Convert to PDF. You can easily read the file after that.
Pros: Easy to use, works great with multiple documents and it's low on system resource usage.
Cons: Interface can be confusing at times.
Price: $0.99
#4: ezPDF Reader
ezPDF Reader is a best Android PDF reader for those of you that read PDF files that include multimedia items. Not only that, but it also works great as an annotator, form filler and it's suitable for multiple tasks as well. It strives to be the best PDF tool on the market and it surely succeeds to some degree, which is surely impressive.
Read PDF on Android: You need to install the app, then choose to Open from Document Provider, go to the place where your file is created (SD card or memory) and then open the PDF file.
Pros: Brings a ton of useful features to the table and it's quite customizable.
Cons: Tends to lag at times.
Price: $3.99
#5: Foxit MobilePDF
Foxit MobilePDF is the mobile version of the very popular Foxit Reader tool that you can find on the Windows platforms. It brings the same ease of use and functionality to the table, as well as numerous other functions, which is really impressive to say the least. It can pen password protected files, Adjust annotations, Share PDF, tag on hyperlinks and do other tasks as well.
Read PDF on Android: Download and install, the press Open, navigate to the file location and tap on it.
Pros: Great functionality, supports lots of formats and has numerous useful features.
Cons: Crashes for numerous users.
Price: Free (RMS version for $9.99)
#6: Kingsoft Office
Kingsoft Office is a state of the art office solutions that allows you to create and open Office files on the go. In addition to that, it also integrates a very useful PDF reader that's bundled with the app and which works amazingly fast, although it does tend to crash from time to time, especially when you load larger files.
Read PDF on Android: You download and install the application, then press Open and navigate to the location of your PDF file. After that, click to open it.
Pros: It successfully blends a powerful office suite with the power of a good PDF reader.
Cons: Crashes at times, especially when you load large files.
Price: Free
#7: MuPDF
MuPDF successfully blends comic book formats with a PDF reader. It's lightweight, supports encryption, annotations, transparency and hyperlinks, which make it a very impressive tool. What's also nice is that the app is under continual developments, so there are constant updates that improve it and add new features.
Read PDF on Android: You navigate towards the folder where your PDF files are stored, tap on them and the files will be opened automatically.
Pros: Works very fast and the files are read well.
Cons: Interface needs more work.
Price: Free
#8: PDF Reader
PDF Reader is a Android best PDF reader created to specifically support all types of e-books and comic books you might want to open on your Android device. It brings page flipping animations, the ability to export bookmarks, integrates table of contents and other neat features that make this app one of a kind.
Read PDF on Android: Download and install, then add the desired file to the book section by pressing the Open button and navigating to its location.
Pros: Great interface, allows you to manage your books very easy.
Cons: Crashes a lot on some devices.
Price: Free
#9: qPDF Notes Pro PDF Reader
qPDF Notes Pro PDF Reader not only reads PDF files with ease, but it also allows you to fill PDF forms, markup PDF document and digitally sign them with ease, which is really impressive. It's also the only Android tool that brings support for field calculation and formatting.
Read PDF on Android: You navigate to the location of the PDF file, tap op it and the application will load it immediately.
Pros: Very easy to use and reliable, brings tons of features like cloud access, form filling and others.
Cons: Corrupts files when saving.
Price: $2.99
#10: Radaee PDF Reader
Radaee PDF Reader brings a very fast page rendering as well as numerous abilities such as zooming, customer setting, multiple view layouts, single tap annotation as well as many other features.
Read PDF on Android: You choose the location of your PDF file, browse to it then tap on the file to open.
Pros: Fast page rendering.
Cons: Lacks a delete option.
Price: Free
#11: RepliGo PDF Reader
RepliGo PDF Reader brings a complete PDF reading experience to the table, as it adds a lot of features besides the basic reading. These include annotation, printing, form filling and others. What's more, it can also help you adjust colors, add highlights, cross outs, underlines and many others.
Read PDF on Android: Browse to the location of the files, then tap the file you want to open.
Pros: Loads PDF files fast and reading is immaculate.
Cons: Has problems keeping all the changes after you save.
Price: $2.99
#12: SmartQ Reader
SmartQ Reader brings annotation, page cropping, sharing and multiple other useful features to the table which you can easily access at any given time. It's very easy to use and it allows you to change colors, search for keywords and add keywords, if you want.
Read PDF on Android: You press Open, navigate to the location of the PDF file you want to open then you just tap on it.
Pros: Opens PDF fast and works great.
Cons: Lacks text reflow, loses annotations and lags sometimes.
Price: Free
#13: BeamReader
What makes BeamReader different is that it renders PDF files in their original desktop quality, which is really important. This way you will receive a state of the art PDF reading experience that you can enjoy at any time when you are on the road.
Read PDF on Android: Install the app, open it, browse the file location and then click on the PDF file you want to open.
Pros: Simple interface, lots of useful features.
Cons: Acts sluggish at times.
Price: Free
#14: Documents To Go
Documents To Go is great for just about anyone that wants to create and open PDF files with ease. In addition to that, it also brings a lot of unique and powerful functionalities to the table which makes it the best companion for any Android user.
Read PDF on Android: You press Open, then choose the file you want to open, then tap on it.
Pros: Brings a large set of features at a great price.
Cons: Crashes randomly for many users.
Price: $ 9.99
#15: Kindle
Kindle allows you to read anything from books, newspaper or just about any type of written content. It also brings complete support for the PDF format, so you can easily load your PDF files at any given time and read them, if you want.
Read PDF on Android: Open the app, then browse to the location of your files. All you have to do now is click on the file and it will automatically be added to your books.
Pros: It brings a stylish interface and a very interesting style that makes reading exquisite.
Cons: Stops working out of the blue at times.
Price: Free
Part 2: Top 5 PDF eBook Reader Android Apps
1#: Aldiko Book Reader
When it comes to reading eBooks, then Aldiko is surely the top notch solution for the Android platform. Not only this PDF eBook reader supports just about any type of format, but it also brings a very interesting, exquisite reading experience to the table, which makes it the best solutions for those people that are looking for a reliable Android book reader.
How to Read PDF: You read PDF just like you would with any other reader, you locate the file on your Android device and then tap on it. The app will automatically load it.
Pros: Stylish interface and lots of features that make it the best in the business.
Cons: Crashes at times.
Price: Free
2#: Better World Books
Better World Books is a PDF eBook reader Android software allows you to read all the articles you want from Better World Books without a problem.
How to Read PDF: You will have to download and install the application, connect to your Better World Books account then download the books you purchased in the PDF format. Once that is done, tap on them and the process is complete.
Pros: Fast and great rendering.
Cons: Works only with books purchased from Better World Books.
The Fastest Pdf Reader
Price: Free
Download Better World Books >>
3#: Cool Reader
Cool Reader is one of popular Android PDF eBook reader that allows you to read virtually any type of book format, and it also brings support for PDF, of course. In addition to that, it can read books from zip archives, reformats texts and it brings a plethora of other functions which make it a reliable free PDF reader solution.
How to Read PDF: You load the PDF file by browsing to its location the tapping on it.
Pros: Brings lots of useful features such exporting bookmarks, page flipping animations and support for online catalogs.
Cons: Crashes at times on some devices.
Price: Free
4#: FBReader
Free Adobe Pdf Reader For Mac
FBReader is a powerful e-book reader that brings complete support for the most popular formats, including PDF and it even can read pain text files, which is surely impressive. In addition, it also brings support for YoTaPhone Always-On Display.
Acrobat Reader For Macintosh
How to Read PDF: You need to press open, then choose the file you want to open by browsing its location. After that, you just need to tap on it and the application will open it automatically.
Pros: Loads files fast and provides complete support for a large type of files.
Cons: Frequent crashes on some devices.
Price: Free
Adobe Pdf Reader For Mac
5#: Nook
Nook allows you to read books and magazines while you are on the go. In addition, it brings complete access to the Nook store, which includes millions of books that you can purchase and read at any given time.
How to Read PDF: You buy the PDF book you want, and it will automatically be added to your library. You can open the book from your library.
Pros: A premium reading experience with tons of features.
Cons: You can buy only from the Nook store.
Price: Free
Part 3: The Best Desktop PDF Reader
Pdf Reader For Mac Free Download
PDFelement Pro makes PDF viewing and editing an easy task. The program allows you to view the PDF files in different modes as you like, it even allows you to open and view secured PDF files. To use this Windows PDF reader, you can batch convert multiple files into one PDF in a high speed.
What Is A Good Pdf Reader For Mac
Key Features of This PDF Reader:
Free Pdf Reader For Mac
- Easily view PDF files and open even the secured PDF documents.
- Edit PDF texts, images, links, and other elements as your needs.
- Convert PDF to Word, Excel, EPUB with original layout.
- Fill out PDF form and easily change the data in PDF forms.
- Add watermarks, passwords, shapes to secure your PDF files with ease.