PDF Solutions: readers, editors and converters.

Developed in 1993 by Adobe Systems, PDF file format is still dominant and universal. Contrary to the frequent conflicts between two different text editors, the content of a document (fonts, images, formatting ...) PDF will be the same, whether you are on Windows, Mac or Linux. For this reason, its use was first developed in the professional but also artistic world. This file format has gradually democratized and today, who has never received such a document in their mailbox?

Everything would be great if the tools for reading and editing available to the public weren’t as heavy and expensive. Because let's face it, the download of Adobe Reader is quite a hassle. Also, who would afford to invest in Adobe Acrobat for occasional use? Moreover, it is not surprising that the products of this company are ahead of illegal downloads. And so many PDF converter for Mac and Windows are there online for downloading.







Fortunately a democratization process was initiated and PDF is now open to developers who want to integrate this technology. If the company is careful not to share all of its patents, however, we find excellent alternatives at both readers and publishers converters as its own.

So what are these programs that will keep you on the track of legality? Here is a non-exhaustive but very interesting overview.




If there is a utility that I forgot to install automatically after formatting my computer, it is Adobe Reader. And then a few days after I receive the traditional PDF by email. Followed by the perilous process of downloading the reader which for reasons still unknown, tries to force the download of Adobe Download Manager. Fortunately, for me that time is over!







For if there is a software universally criticized for its cumbersome nature and slowness, it is Adobe Acrobat Reader. Although it is only a viewer of PDF files, this software has a way to slow down most machines putting a lot of time to open. Fortunately, we found excellent alternatives that are worth visiting.

Foxit Reader




This utility is a rare gem and we only regret that it was not established earlier. With 20MB, Adobe Reader sometimes gets very frustrating during download, especially if it is only to view a PDF document briefly. For its part, Foxit Reader weighs only 2MB and offers the same number of features, nothing wrong with more!

Foxit Reader provides a customizable toolbar with which you can open multiple files in different tabs, email or watch them full screen. You can create shortcuts to certain sections of the file. If the document in question is not secure, you can even add your own notes, handy when reading a book in electronic format. In addition, different types of media can be played such as images, audio or video files embedded in PDF documents. But this utility is mostly appreciated for its incredible speed.

Sumatra PDF




It is possible to get one that is smaller than Foxit Reader! We can hardly believe it but Sumatra PDF weighs just over 1MB on your hard drive! To be precise, this viewer requires no installation, meaning you can simply slip on your USB drive. It is more practical in cases of pressing necessity. Of course, you will not have access to advanced features, but open source software licensed under the GPLv2 still features a search engine, zoom options, a full-screen playback and navigation shortcuts for the keyboard.

eXPert PDF Reader


While it is certainly difficult to do better than the two previous applications, eXPert PDF Reader adds a small twist: the interface customization through themes. But now, it will be to the detriment of the file that you view as the program automatically adds a watermark reminding you that there is a paid version, which can change the content of the file.




Note however that we can add a comment to the document and the program, if it is slightly heavier than Foxit and Sumatra; it is undeniably faster than Adobe Reader.

PDF-XChange Viewer




PDF-XChange Viewer is a very interesting solution to definitively replace Adobe Reader. This free software is fast and light. Opening large files does not pose any problems since the PDF-XChange Viewer very easily handles them. Many features are also present such as creating thumbnails of documents in progress.

In addition, the program will not only be a simple reading tool as it is also possible to extract text and images from PDF files as well as adding annotations or pages to your document.

Finally, your additions or comments can be saved with the document. PDF-XChange Viewer is certainly one of the best alternatives for editing PDF files!