Programs to open PDFs for free
So let's see some programs to open PDF for free. Below I have listed the ones that, in my humble opinion, are among the best ever.
Microsoft Edge (Windows 10/macOS)
If you have a PC Windows 10, you can also avoid downloading others programs to open PDF for free cittàn. In this case, in fact, you can take advantage of Microsoft Edge, the browser included "standard" in the desktop operating system of the Redmond giant (and also available for macOS), which integrates a viewer of PDF documents, as well as some tools for editing them.
To use it, locate the PDF you are interested in, right-click on its icon e seleciona le voci Open with> Microsoft Edge from the context menu. Doing so will open the file via Microsoft Edge.
Once the document is open, you can not only view its pages, but also make changes to it: by clicking on the button Design, you can draw freehand drawings on the PDF; by clicking the button Highlighting, you can highlight the PDF text and pressing the delete button Clear, you can delete any changes made. By clicking on the symbol of circular arrowinstead, you have the option to rotate the document.
If you've made any changes to the PDF, remember to save them: click the floppy disk, located at the top right, and that's it.
Adobe Acrobat Reader (Windows / macOS)
When it comes to software to open PDFs, one cannot fail to mention Adobe Acrobat Reader, the most famous and used program in the world to manage and view documents in this format. The program, compatible with Windows and macOS, is available in two versions: one free and one paid (which costs 18,29 euros / month, which can be tested for free for 7 days): the latter is called Acrobat Pro. access to additional functions.
To download Adobe Acrobat Reader for free, go to this page and click on the blue button Download Acrobat Reader. This will start the download of the program installation package.
When the download is complete, if you are using Windows, april il .exe file obtained, click on the button Yes present in the new window opened, wait for the installation procedure to be started and completed and then click on the button Ends, but will conclude the setup.
Se, invece, stai using MacOS, april il package .dmg obtained, start the .pkg file contained in it and, in the window that opens, first click on the button Continue (twice in a row) and on Install. Provide, therefore, the Password Mac administration tool, click the button Install software and then click on the buttons Close e Move.
After installing and starting Adobe Acrobat Reader open a PDF document by clicking on the menu Fillet, located at the top left, select the item apri and open the file of your interest. Using the buttons on the toolbar located at the top you can insert notes, highlights, signatures, etc.
Alternatively, you can change default programs to automatically open PDFs with Acrobat on double-clicking or, again, you can right-click on a document and open it in Acrobat by selecting the items Apri with> Adobe Acrobat Reader give the menu answer.
If you modify a file, also remember to save the changes made by clicking on the symbol of floppy disk at the top right.
Preview
If you are looking for programs to open PDF Mac, I can only advise you Preview, application present "standard" in MacOS, which not only allows you to read documents in PDF format, but also integrates some tools for their editing.
To use it, double-click the PDF file of your interest or, if Preview is no longer the default player, right click on it and select the items Open with> Preview in the context menu. Alternatively, open Preview directly by clicking on the icon photo with lens present in Launchpad or in the folder Applications of the Mac, select the file of your interest from the window that opens and click on the button apri.
Once you have opened the PDF file of your interest, click on the icon of pencil placed on the right and, if you wish, add forms, text fields, signatures, notes, etc. To the file, using the buttons in the toolbar that appears at the top of the window.
To save any changes made, you can simply close the Preview window by clicking on red dot at the top left of the window. If, on the other hand, you want to export the edited file as a new document, open the menu Fillet located at the top left, in the macOS menu bar, select the item Export as PDF, specify the name and location of the document, click on the button Save And that's it.
Other programs to open PDFs for free
Below I list you other programs to open PDFs for free that deserve to be taken into consideration. See if any of them are right for you.
- Sumatra PDF (Windows) - is a very light PDF reader with an essential interface, full of interesting features. In addition to reading PDFs, it allows you to open e-books in ePub or Mobi format, XPS files and digital comics in CBZ or CBR. It is available as a portable edition and is free.
- Nitro reader (Windows) - allows you to open and edit PDFs by inserting notes, text boxes and other elements. It also integrates the function of creating PDF files starting from Office documents and images, should this interest you. It's free.
- Skim (macOS) - this is a free application for Mac that offers the possibility of reading and editing PDFs, adding notes, bookmarks, etc. to them, in an extremely simple and intuitive way.
Programs to open PDFs online
Would you open PDF online, using some Web service useful for the purpose? Before talking to you about this kind of solutions, I always advise you to check their security and privacy conditions; in case of doubts about the treatment of the files uploaded to a service (if it is not clearly stated by what time they are deleted from the servers), it is better to fall back on the programs mentioned in the first part of the article.
Furthermore, I advise you to use online services only if you also need to modify the PDF of your interest: otherwise it would be enough to use any browser capable of opening PDFs (such as the aforementioned Edge).
PDFescape
One of the best solutions for opening and editing PDFs online is PDFescape, thanks to which you can make various changes to your documents directly from the browser. It works for free without installing any plugins, without necessarily having to register (by doing so, however, you have the advantage of being able to save files online) and allows you to upload files with sizes up to 10 MB and a maximum of 100 pages of content.
To use PDFEscape, connect to its main page and load the document to be edited, dragging it into the area Drop PDF Here or, if you prefer, click on the button Choose file, select "manually" the document of your interest and click on the button Upload, to start loading.
Once uploaded, use the PDFescape toolbar on the left to edit the document. You can select one of the three available tabs: Insertion, to use the functions that allow you to insert text, images and other elements in the PDF; Annotate, to add annotations and highlights using the buttons visible on the screen and Page, to take advantage of the functions related to editing the document pages, such as those to rotate them, delete them, and so on.
After reading and (presumably) editing the PDF, click on thegreen icon with arrows, also located on the left, to download the document locally. Simple, right?
Other online services to open PDFs
If the solution mentioned above was not to your liking, take these into consideration other online services to open PDFs, because I'm sure they will come in handy.
- PDF fox - is a free online service, easy to use, which allows you to open PDFs and edit them by adding writings, geometric shapes, and so on. It works without registration, but by creating an account you can save your documents online.
- PDF Buddy - is another web application through which you can read and edit PDF using various tools, such as those related to adding text, removing pages, and so on. It also works without registration, however by creating an account you can save documents online. Basically it's free, but access to all its features requires a subscription starting at $ 5,99 / month.
- DocHub - unlike the services mentioned in the previous points, this is not specifically designed to open and edit PDFs but, since it also allows you to act on this type of file, I recommend its use. It works after free registration (up to 2.000 files); subscribing to a subscription starting from $ 4,99 / month allows you to act on an unlimited number of documents and unlock all the features.
Programs to open Android and iOS / iPadOS PDFs
You are looking for app to open PDF on Android and iOS / iPadOS? Then take a look at the ones listed below and see if you find one that suits your needs.
- Google PDF Viewer (Android) - is the Google PDF document viewer for Android devices, which is integrated on devices based on the operating system of “Big G” (at least those that integrate Google services). It comes into action automatically when a PDF is opened (in fact it does not have an icon in the drawer or on the home screen).
- Exodus PDF (Android / iOS / iPadOS) - is one of the best free PDF reading and editing apps. In fact, it integrates all the main functions to manage and edit files of this type and also supports the synchronization of documents via the cloud.
- PDF Expert da Readlle (iOS / iPadOS) - whoever has an Apple device cannot fail to consider this application, considered one of the best PDF readers for the devices of the "bitten apple". Basically it is free, but access to all its functions, such as that relating to text editing, requires the purchase of the paid version (starting from 7,99 euros).
- Fillet (iOS / iPadOS) - the file manager integrated in iOS / iPadOS allows you to view and edit PDF files if necessary in a simple and fast way. If you don't have big needs, it can definitely be fine.
For more information about using these and other apps to read PDFs, you already know what to do: consult the guide that I have dedicated to the topic and that I have just linked to you.
Programs to open PDF p7m
You need to open PDF p7m? This type of file, used above all by professionals and officials of the Public Administration, has the purpose of authenticating a text document or project with digital signature: for this reason, it is necessary to use ad hoc programs to open them.
Which? In my guide dedicated to programs to open PDF p7m you will find an exhaustive list of solutions suitable for the purpose that will surely be useful to you.
Programs to open PDFs