Top 10 Best Free PDF Readers for Windows & Mac in 2025

PDF (Portable Document Format) is one of the most widely used file formats in the world. Whether you are a student, professional, or business owner, you need a PDF reader to view, edit, highlight, or share documents. While Adobe Acrobat Reader is the most popular choice, it’s heavy and comes with limited free features.

 

The good news? There are plenty of free PDF readers for Windows and Mac in 2025 that are lightweight, fast, and feature-packed. In this article, we’ll look at the top 10 best free PDF readers you can download right now.

 

 

—

 

Why Use a Free PDF Reader?

 

Lightweight performance – won’t slow down your PC

 

Free editing tools – highlight, annotate, add notes

 

Cross-platform support – works on Windows & Mac

 

Secure viewing – protects from malicious PDF files

 

Cost-effective – zero cost for personal or professional use

 

 

 

—

 

Top 10 Free PDF Readers for Windows & Mac (2025 Edition)

 

1. Adobe Acrobat Reader DC

 

Features:

 

Trusted industry standard

 

Cloud storage integration

 

Supports e-signatures

 

 

Pros: Most compatible PDF reader

 

Cons: Heavy on system resources

 

 

👉 Best for: Professionals who need reliability.

 

 

—

 

2. Foxit Reader

 

Features:

 

Fast & lightweight

 

Collaboration features (share reviews, comments)

 

PDF creation & editing

 

 

Pros: User-friendly, powerful editing tools

 

Cons: Some features locked in paid version

 

 

👉 Best for: Users who need advanced tools without paying.

 

 

—

 

3. SumatraPDF

 

Features:

 

Extremely lightweight (just a few MB)

 

Open source, fast loading

 

Supports eBooks (EPUB, MOBI)

 

 

Pros: Very fast, portable version available

 

Cons: No advanced editing features

 

 

👉 Best for: Users who want a simple, no-bloat PDF reader.

 

 

—

 

4. Nitro PDF Reader (Free Version)

 

Features:

 

Convert PDFs to Word/Excel

 

Annotate & highlight text

 

Easy-to-use interface

 

 

Pros: Professional-grade features for free

 

Cons: Limited compared to paid Nitro Pro

 

 

👉 Best for: Students & professionals needing conversions.

 

 

—

 

5. PDF-XChange Editor

 

Features:

 

Edit text directly in PDF

 

OCR (scan-to-text) feature

 

Highlight & annotate options

 

 

Pros: Advanced tools even in free version

 

Cons: Slightly complex interface

 

 

👉 Best for: Power users who want editing features.

 

 

—

 

6. Slim PDF Reader

 

Features:

 

Minimal design

 

Fast and lightweight

 

Supports all basic PDF functions

 

 

Pros: Smallest PDF reader (15 MB)

 

Cons: Limited features compared to big players

 

 

👉 Best for: Users with low-end PCs.

 

 

—

 

7. Google Drive PDF Viewer

 

Features:

 

Works online in browser

 

Supports sharing & collaboration

 

Auto-saves on Google Drive

 

 

Pros: No installation needed, cloud-based

 

Cons: Needs internet connection

 

 

👉 Best for: Users who want cloud-based PDF access.

 

 

—

 

8. Evince

 

Features:

 

Open source, cross-platform

 

Supports PDF, DjVu, TIFF, XPS

 

Simple interface

 

 

Pros: Lightweight, reliable

 

Cons: Limited editing options

 

 

👉 Best for: Linux/Windows/Mac multi-users.

 

 

—

 

9. Okular

 

Features:

 

Multi-platform PDF viewer

 

Supports annotations

 

Open-source & lightweight

 

 

Pros: Versatile and fast

 

Cons: Lacks modern UI

 

 

👉 Best for: Open-source lovers.

 

 

—

 

10. STDU Viewer

 

Features:

 

Supports PDF, TIFF, DjVu, comics (CBR, CBZ)

 

Tabbed interface

 

Lightweight and fast

 

 

Pros: Multi-format support

 

Cons: UI looks old-fashioned

 

 

👉 Best for: Users who need a reader for multiple formats.

 

 

—

 

Quick Comparison Table

 

PDF Reader Best For Pros Cons

 

Adobe Acrobat Professionals Most compatible Heavy

Foxit Reader Editing + collaboration Fast & feature-rich Some features paid

SumatraPDF Lightweight Ultra-fast No editing

Nitro PDF Conversions Word/Excel export Limited free

PDF-XChange Advanced users OCR + editing Complex

Slim PDF Low-end PCs Tiny size Limited

Google Drive Cloud lovers Online access Needs internet

Evince Multi-platform Open-source Limited editing

Okular Open-source fans Cross-platform Basic UI

STDU Viewer Multi-format readers Tabbed view Old design

 

 

 

—

 

How to Install a Free PDF Reader (Windows & Mac)

 

1. Go to the official website of the PDF reader.

 

 

2. Download the installer for Windows or Mac.

 

 

3. Run the installer and follow setup instructions.

 

 

4. Open any PDF file and set it as default reader.

 

 

5. Explore features like annotation, highlighting, and printing.

 

 

 

 

—

 

FAQs

 

Q1: Which is the lightest PDF reader in 2025?

SumatraPDF and Slim PDF are the lightest options.

 

Q2: Can I edit PDFs with free software?

Yes, Foxit Reader and PDF-XChange Editor allow editing in free versions.

 

Q3: Which free PDF reader is best for Mac?

Adobe Acrobat Reader, Skim (Mac-only), and PDF-XChange Editor are great choices.

 

Q4: Do free PDF readers support e-signatures?

Yes, Adobe Acrobat Reader DC offers e-signatures in the free version.

 

Q5: Which PDF reader works online without download?

Google Drive PDF Viewer works directly in the browser.

 

 

—

 

Conclusion

 

Choosing the right free PDF reader for Windows & Mac in 2025 depends on your needs. If you want speed, go with SumatraPDF or Slim PDF. If editing is important, choose Foxit Reader or PDF-XChange Editor. For professionals, Adobe Acrobat Reader DC remains the most reliable choice.

 

No matter which one you pick, these top 10 free PDF readers are safe, fast, and feature-rich – making your PDF experience smooth and secure.