Foxit PDF Reader - Free PDF Viewer
Foxit PDF Reader is a free PDF viewer by Foxit Corporation that opens, annotates, and fills PDF forms. It is the main free alternative to Adobe Acrobat Reader. Foxit also sells a paid PDF Editor (around $11 to $14 per month or $210 one time) that adds full editing, OCR, and format conversion.
It runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, and as a web app.
Reading and annotation
The reader opens PDFs quickly even with large documents. You can highlight text, add sticky note comments, draw shapes, and use the strikethrough tool. Form filling works with interactive PDF forms - click on fields, fill them in, and save. Digital signatures let you sign documents with a legally binding electronic signature.
Editor features (paid)
The paid PDF Editor lets you edit text and images directly in the document, run OCR to make scanned PDFs searchable, convert PDFs to Word, Excel, or PowerPoint, and process batches of files at once. The OCR works well on clean scans but struggles with handwritten or skewed text.
Advantages
- Free reader with annotation and form filling
- Lighter and faster than Adobe Acrobat Reader
- Available on every platform including Linux and web
- Digital signatures in the free version
Drawbacks
- The free reader pushes upgrades to the paid Editor
- Some advanced annotation features are Editor only
- Browsers (Chrome, Edge, Firefox) now have built in PDF viewers
- SumatraPDF is a lighter free alternative if you just need to read PDFs
Who it is for
Foxit PDF Reader makes sense if you regularly annotate PDFs or fill forms and find Adobe Acrobat too heavy. If you just need to read PDFs, your browser already does that. If you need full PDF editing, the Foxit Editor is cheaper than Adobe Acrobat Pro. SumatraPDF is a lighter option for people who only want a fast reader.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Foxit PDF Reader free?
Is Foxit better than Adobe Acrobat?
Can Foxit Reader edit PDFs?
Features & How-To Guide
| # | Feature | How to use |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | PDF browsing and navigation | File › Open › Select PDF. Navigation: left panel › Bookmarks/Pages/Attachments. Ctrl+G jumps to a specific page. Ctrl+F searches text. |
| 2 | Adding PDF comments and notes | Comment tab › Note › Click in the document › Type a comment in the popup. Typewriter › Click › Type text directly on the page. Text Box adds a framed text area. |
| 3 | Text highlighting and marking in PDF | Comment tab › Highlight (yellow marker) › Select text with the mouse. Underline/Strikeout works the same way. Right-click the selection › Properties › Change color. |
| 4 | PDF form filling 4 | Open a PDF with a form › Click on form fields › Type text/check checkboxes/select from list › File › Save to save the completed form. |
| 5 | Printing selected PDF pages | File › Print › Pages: enter a range (e.g. 1-5 or 1;3;5) › Scaling: Fit to Page/Actual Size › Print multiple pages per sheet: Multiple pages per sheet. |
| 6 | PDF document signing | Protect tab › Sign & Certify › Place Signature › Draw a rectangle on the document › Select a certificate or create a new one › Sign. To verify: click an existing signature. |
| 7 | Adding stamps and seals | Comment tab › Stamp › Select a ready-made stamp (Approved/Draft/Confidential) or Create Custom Stamp › Import image › Place on the page. |
| 8 | Two PDF document comparison | View › Compare Files › Select old and new PDF › Compare › Foxit highlights differences (added/removed/changed text) in color. |
| 9 | Distance and area measurement in PDF | Comment tab › Measure › Distance/Perimeter/Area › Click points on the document › Measurement displays on the page with units. |
| 10 | Annotation export and import | Comment tab › Right panel Comments › Export › Save as .fdf or .xfdf › Send the annotation file to others › They import it: Comment › Import. |
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