I thought that basic Acrobat has a free version for my Mac. Is this not the case. Sumatra is a free and pen source PDF reader that has a simple, intuitive user-interface, and is light on your computer’s resources.The program was first released back in 2006, and is hosted on Github, like many of its open source compatriots. What’s truly remarkable is that while Adobe Reader is a massive 105MB download, Sumatra PDF weighs in at just over 4MB. DigiSigner is a free alternative to Adobe Acrobat that is compatible with Mac, Windows and also the Linux operating system, and is used to see PDF files and create digital signatures on them employing the X.509 certificates.
Aug 28,2019 • Filed to: Mac Tutorials
'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.
Free Programs Like Acrobat
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Adobe Acrobat Pro DC is the brand’s newest PDF editor.
Advertised as an all-encompassing solution, it seems great for heavy-duty PDF users. But it also costs $14.99/month after a free, week-long trial. If you’re an equally cost-conscious and tech-savvy person, you may be wondering about free alternatives.
A Free Adobe Acrobat Pro DC Alternative
One Adobe alternative that I’ve used in the past is PDFescape. For this post, I’m going to compare PDFescape to Adobe Acrobat Pro DC, just to see if Adobe really is better.
PDFescape is available in three versions, including PDFescape Basic. This version is free, and it’s the version I’ll be comparing to Adobe Acrobat Pro DC below. I’ve downloaded the desktop version of this PDF tool for WindowsThe 6 Best PDF Readers for Windows in 2019The 6 Best PDF Readers for Windows in 2019The best PDF readers don't cost any money. Read our roundup of feature-rich PDF viewers that out perform even Adobe Reader.Read More rather than using the web version. I think this will give me the most accurate comparison.
If you want to splurge for the Premium or Ultimate versions of PDFescape, those cost $2.99 or $5.99 per month respectively, billed yearly. Otherwise, pay $5.99 or $8.99 on a monthly billing cycle.
PDFescape lets you manipulate PDFs for a drastically lower price than what Adobe Acrobat Pro DC costs. (That is, for free.) But how does this free PDF editor stack up against Adobe Acrobat Pro DC?
Let’s take a look.
Download:PDFescape (Free Basic version for Windows users) Adobe Acrobat Pro DC (Works with both Windows and Mac platforms and costs $14.99/month after a two-week free trial)
User Interface
Both Acrobat Pro DC and PDFescape have a similar, multi-pane interface structure.
The main pane in each program lets you view your uploaded PDF. There are tools to edit it on the right and left bars.
In PDFescape, there’s also a toolbar at the very bottom of the software window.
Check out the top pane and the tools inside it, also. PDFescape uses the Ribbon interface you’ll recognize from Microsoft Word and other Microsoft product, perhaps as a way to make the software more intuitive for users.
In contrast, Adobe doesn’t mirror any other commonly used software programs, unless you frequently use Adobe products. Acrobat Pro DC features tool menus that are set up similarly to older versions of Adobe Acrobat and Adobe Reader.
This is nice if you’re already familiar with Adobe productsYour Guide to Choosing the Right Adobe ProductYour Guide to Choosing the Right Adobe ProductWhen most people think of Adobe, they either think of Photoshop or Acrobat Reader. But the company has a plethora of other useful software packages that most people know nothing about.Read More, but if you’re not, it can be a little difficult to get used to Acrobat’s setup.
The features on the right side of Acrobat’s interface let you access additional commands and manipulation options, whereas the features on the right and left side of PDFescape seem to offer a few additional feature, but otherwise don’t reveal much.
The options at the top of the interface offer more features, but some of these are a bit redundant. For example, there are several Edit and View buttons, which contribute to the toolbars being overly cluttered.
Looking back to Acrobat, you may notice that Adobe’s Home interface has more words than icons. The file list in the middle pane shows you all the files that you’ve recently uploaded to Acrobat Pro Dc.
PDFescape has a similar feature, though instead of a list the software lists your recent documents in thumbnail views.
Update Acrobat Reader Mac
And the winner is: PDFescape.
Despite my dislike of PDFescape’s redundant menu options, I do like that this software makes it extremely easy to navigate through the different PDF options, all from the top menu bar.
In contrast, Acrobat only lets you review certain options at one time.
You can easily just click the X to get out of any PDF management pane you have open, but I like being able to see all my options in one location, which PDFescape allows.
Editing Capabilities
The Tools tab in Adobe Acrobat Pro DC reveals a wealth of well-organized options.
Combine Files allows for combining material from several PDF files into one. After clicking the Combine Files button, you’ll be prompted to upload the PDFs you want to combine. Then just click Combine.
Your combined PDFs will show up in a new Binder tab. You can easily adjust the order of the combined pages by clicking Organize Pages. Just drag and drop the pages the way you’d like them ordered, and close the pane.
You can also combine files in PDFescape. From the main interface, go to Create PDF, then click Combine Files.
Upload both PDF files you want to merge and click Combine.
Just like with Acrobat, this combines both PDFs into a single document.
Unfortunately, you can’t further adjust the page order with the Basic version of PDFescape. If you want to use the Page Preview panel to reorder your PDF pages, you’ll have to upgrade to a paid account.
Unfortunately, this seems to be the case for a lot of PDFescape’s features.
Here are a few more things you can’t do with the free version that you can unlock with the paid versions:
- Insert or edit images
- Add page numbers
- Add a header or footer
- Split the PDF’s pages
- Convert your PDFs to other formats (such as Word, Excel or HTML)
- Highlight text or add review notes
- Password secure your PDF or set secure permissions
Acrobat Reader For Mac Os
And these limitations are just to name a few.
However, it is worth pointing out that some of these features can be accessed with the (still free) online version of PDFescape.
You can’t do anything complicated, but you do gain the ability to highlight, comment, and annotate the PDF, though the editing features here are less powerful. Additionally, you can use the online PDF editor offered by PDFescape to encrypt your PDF, which the desktop version doesn’t give you free access to.
Conversely, editing PDF text and images in Adobe Acrobat Pro DC is a straightforward process. This is likely because Acrobat Pro DC is a paid PDF editor already.
You can easily crop photos, enjoy a convenient automatic spell check feature, and watch formatting automatically adjust to added text.
And the winner is: Adobe Acrobat Pro DC.
I found it super inconvenient that PDFescape would allow me to combine filesHow to Edit, Combine, and Sign a PDF File for FreeHow to Edit, Combine, and Sign a PDF File for FreeWe show you how to split, merge, downsize, and do all kinds of magic with PDF files. Read on if you're ready to take your PDF documents to the next level!Read More, but then not let me rearrange those file pages. I also don’t think that giving users image editing permissions is too much to ask of a free tool, so I have to say I found PDFescape really lacking here.
I’m also just straight up confused by the inability to comment or highlight in the desktop version of the free software when these features are offered for free on the software’s online version.
There’s no way around it, Acrobat Pro DC is just way easier to work with when editing PDFs.
Signature Capabilities
There are many instances when you might need to sign a PDFThe Best Apps to Sign, Annotate, and Edit PDFs on iPadsThe Best Apps to Sign, Annotate, and Edit PDFs on iPadsIf you find yourself dealing with a lot of PDF files, it's only natural you'll want something other than Apple's basic iBooks before long. Here are our favorite PDF tools for your iPad.Read More. After filling out a W-2 form for tax purposes or reviewing your rental contract, for example.
Unfortunately, the complimentary, basic version of PDFescape does not offer a native PDF-signing feature. You’d have to upgrade to a PDFescape Ultimate membership in order to unlock those features.
You can, however, sign PDFs in PDFescape’s web interface. Go back to the web platform we discussed in the previous section and upload the PDF you need to sign. Click on the Text feature to type out any information you need to include in blank fields throughout the document.
Then, when you’re ready to sign, just use the dropdown font menu to select the Signature font.
Sign your name, and click the double green arrow button to automatically save and download your signed PDF file.
To add a signature in Adobe Acrobat Pro DC, click the Fill & Sign option in the right-hand menu.
Choose Sign from the top toolbar. If you’ve previously signed something in Acrobat Pro DC, the software will remember your signature, as you can see in the screenshot below.
If this is your first time signing a PDF in Acrobat, all you have to do is click Add Signature. Then, simply type, draw, or upload an image of your signature to the software and click Apply.
You’ll then be able to place your signature on the appropriate line and adjust the size.
And the winner is: Adobe Acrobat Pro DC.
Okay, both of these programs can work equally well to sign your PDF documents, but PDFescape will only let you sign your documents if you upload them to the web platform. If you already have the free software downloaded on your computer, this just creates an extra step.
With Acrobat Pro DC, however, you get easily accessible and convenient signing features right at your fingertips.
Accessibility Options
Initially, PDFescape was a purely cloud-based application (i.e. the web platform was its only platform). More recently, the service developed the offline-friendly desktop version, which I’ve been using throughout this article. A blog post about the desktop version mentions using PDFescape “on the go.” However, PDFescape does not have a smartphone or tablet app, so you’re still dependent on a laptop.
Furthermore, only Premium or Ultimate users get offline access; as a free user, you’re out of luck.
As for Adobe Acrobat Pro DC, it has both Android and iOS apps. The apps are free with your Adobe subscription, so if you really feel like editing PDFs from your iPhone or Android device, you certainly can.
And the winner is: Adobe Acrobat Pro DC.
The sheer convenience of having access to your PDFs from a mobile app gives Acrobat Pro DC a clear advantage over PDFescape here.
The Final Verdict…
While PDFescape is convenient if you just need to combine a few PDFs or use the web portal to sign a contract, the free software fell tremendously short in this comparison.
Adobe Acrobat Pro DC is your best choice for extensive PDF editingThe Adobe Acrobat Pro DC Mini Guide for Managing PDFsThe Adobe Acrobat Pro DC Mini Guide for Managing PDFsAdobe Acrobat Pro DC is a comprehensive solution for managing PDFs. This article covers the key features you must know to create and edit PDFs like a pro.Read More, signing, and manipulation since you can do pretty much anything you want to your PDFs with your Acrobat subscription. It’s also easy to use and has a beautiful interface.
In comparison, PDFescape isn’t necessarily difficult to use, but its crowded interface isn’t always the most intuitive, and many of the tools in the software are inaccessible with the free software.
Also, Adobe Acrobat Pro DC boasts even more features not covered here in detail. There is a Compare feature that contrasts differences between two PDFs. You can also integrate with Dropbox or track PDF forms sent to others.
Purchasing the Premium or Ultimate version of PDFescape unlocks numerous capabilities, too. But as far as its free version goes, there’s really no contest. The free version of PDFescape has numerous limitations where the Adobe program performs easily.
Is Acrobat Pro DC Worth the Money?
I think it is, but what do you think? Would you still rather jump through hoops with a free PDF editor, or have all of the features you need in one place? Or can you recommend another free PDF editor with more options and fewer limitations?
And for Adobe apps that are worth installing7 Lesser-Known Adobe Apps Worth Downloading7 Lesser-Known Adobe Apps Worth DownloadingEveryone knows Adobe offers apps for mobile platforms, but do you know about these hidden gem Adobe apps on Android and iOS?Read More, check out this helpful list.
Explore more about: PDF, PDF Editor.
It seems that PDF Escape Ultimate might just work for everything if you pay for it, and will be even cheaper than Adobe Pro DC. You're comparing the paid version of Adobe DC Pro vs the Free PDF Escape, its a very unfair comparison. Of course the paid Adobe in going to win LOL.
You should add that PDF Escape Ultimate might just be the one you need if you don't need all the other fancy Adobe stuff. Most people and businesses need to convert to and from Word and sign documents, if PDF Escape Ultimate does that, for a fraction of the cost, I think your article might have been good for them.
And you're done. I don't get it. The tough step here is finding the Fat32Formatter that will format the whole drive THIS IS WHAT I USED: NOTE: This program only works on Windows/PC Good Luck everyone! Just get a hard drive formatted as FAT32 and you can plug it into a Mac, get your files and plug it into a PC. Mac hard drive reader software.
Just my 2 cents.
I use Nitro pdf editor at work. All I need to be able to do is add text to pdf's and it does the job for me, as the newest version of Adobe (Free) doesn't allow any editing. Nitro pro does cost equivalent if not more than Adobe Pro, but you can get a week free trial (bonus: no credit card required!) and then have option to buy or not. If you don't you can still add text at least. http://www.gonitro.com
PDF was created as a drug to cause an addiction for it's users. This has the wonderful effect of ensuring a constant stream of revenue to it's pusher.
Perhaps, the solution is to use a program that is free and available to all without pawning the TV!
Just silly thought!'And the winner is: Adobe Acrobat Pro DC.'
It would be a shocker if it wasn't. After all, Adobe just about owns PDF. The comparison seems unfair. You are comparing a Pro version of Acrobat with a light-weight, basic version of PDFescape. It's like comparing MS Word against Notepad++ and declaring that Word is better. Like DUH!For the past few months I have been using MasterPDFeditor to massage my PDF files. Originally I downloaded and installed the Linux version but have since found out that it is included as part of the default application suite of many Linux distros.
Since I have not pushed MasterPDFeditor to the limit of its capabilities, I cannot speak to its abilities or how it compares with other PDF editors. So far it has done the job for me.
Most of the commonly needed options for Acrobat are available in various freeware programs. Unfortunately, if you need color separation previews and to edit layers, you need the full Pro version and to spend the money. Worse, getting the 'cloud' version to work with good security and a corporate firewall that allows Adobe to do what they want for authentication/licensing can be a pain in someplace beside your wallet.