SumatraPDF
Open Sourceby Krzysztof Kowalczyk
Extremely fast, minimal PDF and ebook reader.
- Opens documents near-instantly
- Reads PDF, ePub, MOBI, DjVu and CBZ
- Portable single-executable option
Free alternatives to Foxit PDF Reader
3 pdf tools programs worth considering instead of — or alongside — Foxit PDF Reader.
Alternatives to Foxit PDF Reader
PDFsam Basic
Open Sourceby Sober Lemur
Split, merge, rotate and extract PDF pages offline.
- Merge and split PDF documents
- Rotate and extract specific pages
- Works fully offline
Adobe Acrobat Reader
Free tierby Adobe
The reference PDF reader, from the format's creator.
- Reference-quality PDF rendering
- Fills and submits interactive forms
- Comment and annotate documents
About Foxit PDF Reader
Foxit PDF Reader is a lighter, faster alternative to Adobe's reader while still supporting annotation, commenting, form filling and digital signatures — the usual pick when Acrobat Reader feels too heavy.
It is free and runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS. Below are 3 pdf tools programs that cover the same ground — some open-source, some cross-platform, each free to use.
Foxit PDF Reader alternatives compared
| Program | Licence | Platforms | Best known for |
|---|---|---|---|
| SumatraPDF | Open Source | Windows | Opens documents near-instantly |
| PDFsam Basic | Open Source | Windows, macOS, Linux | Merge and split PDF documents |
| Adobe Acrobat Reader | Free tier | Windows, macOS, Android, iOS | Reference-quality PDF rendering |
The alternatives in detail
SumatraPDF Open Source
SumatraPDF opens documents almost instantly and stays out of the way, reading PDF, ePub, MOBI, CBZ, DjVu and XPS. Notable for opens documents near-instantly and reads pdf, epub, mobi, djvu and cbz. Runs on Windows.
PDFsam Basic Open Source
PDFsam Basic performs the core PDF manipulation tasks — splitting, merging, rotating, extracting and mixing pages — entirely on your own machine, so confidential documents never get uploaded to a web service. Notable for merge and split pdf documents and rotate and extract specific pages. Runs on Windows, macOS, Linux.
Adobe Acrobat Reader Free tier
Acrobat Reader is the official reader from the company that created the PDF format, giving it the most reliable rendering of complex documents, interactive forms and digital signatures. Notable for reference-quality pdf rendering and fills and submits interactive forms. Runs on Windows, macOS, Android, iOS.
How to choose
2 are fully open source (SumatraPDF, PDFsam Basic) — pick one of these if you value auditable code you can self-host. For the widest platform coverage, PDFsam Basic, Adobe Acrobat Reader run on three or more operating systems. On a Mac, PDFsam Basic, Adobe Acrobat Reader support macOS natively.
All 3 are free to download from the publisher's own website, so installing two or three and testing them on your own files is the fastest way to decide — it costs nothing but a few minutes.