What's the Best App to Read PDFs in 2026: 9 Apps Compared

Adobe Acrobat Reader remains the default answer for a reason that has little to do with habit. Because Adobe created the PDF format, its free reader handles forms, fonts, and complex layouts more reliably than most rivals. For contracts, textbooks, and scanned documents, that reliability matters, and the reader is free on desktop and mobile. The limit is editing. Reading, commenting, and filling many forms are free, but editing text, converting files, and combining documents need a paid Acrobat plan. Most readers will never need those tools, so the free reader is enough. If you do need them, compare Nitro PDF Pro and PDFelement before paying Adobe prices.

Foxit PDF Reader is the pick for Windows users who find Adobe Acrobat Reader slow or cluttered. It opens quickly, reads and annotates well, and covers the daily needs of students and office workers without a subscription. Highlighting, comments, and form filling all work in the free version, which is more than many readers ask for. The trade-off is that Foxit, like Adobe, keeps its deeper editing tools behind a paid plan. Mobile users may also prefer Xodo or PDF Expert, since Foxit's mobile app is not its strongest version. On a Windows desktop, though, Foxit is a strong free default and a genuine rival to Adobe.

PDF Expert is the reader Apple users most often end up keeping, and the design explains why. Reading feels calm, annotation with an Apple Pencil feels natural, and the app handles large documents without fuss. Students marking up lecture slides and professionals reviewing contracts both get a tool that stays out of the way. It is Apple only, so Windows and Android users should look at Xodo or Foxit instead. The free version covers reading and basic annotation, while editing, conversion, and advanced tools need a paid plan. If you read and mark up PDFs mainly on Apple devices, PDF Expert is worth the download first.

Xodo is the best free choice for readers who move between devices, because it works on the web, on mobile, and on desktop with cloud sync. You can start a document on a laptop, add highlights on a phone, and pick it up again later without emailing files to yourself. Annotation, form filling, and signing are included without a subscription. Paid editors still beat Xodo for heavy text editing and conversion, and the interface takes a little learning. For reading and markup, though, Xodo gives away more for free than most rivals. Students and remote workers who need one reader everywhere should try it before paying for anything.

GoodReader has a loyal following among researchers and students who read huge PDFs on an iPad, and it earns that loyalty through file handling. It manages large documents, supports detailed annotation, and connects to cloud storage and local files in ways that simpler readers do not. For a thesis, a case file, or a long technical manual, that control matters. It is a paid, Apple-only app with a plain, functional look, so casual readers will prefer a free option. Power readers who organize hundreds of PDFs, though, often find GoodReader's filing and annotation tools worth the price. Check the current price on the developer's site before buying.

SumatraPDF is the reader for people who only want to read, and want to do it fast. It opens in a blink, uses little memory, and handles PDFs plus ebook and comic formats without extra clutter. On an older Windows laptop, the difference from a heavier reader is easy to feel. Annotation is the weak point, since SumatraPDF offers far less markup than Foxit, Xodo, or PDF Expert. Readers who highlight and comment all day should pick one of those instead. Readers who open a PDF, read it, and close it will find SumatraPDF hard to beat for speed and simplicity.

Nitro PDF Pro is for readers who also need to change PDFs, not just read them. It edits text and images, converts PDFs to Word and Excel, combines files, and handles signing and forms in one package. For office workers who process documents daily, it is a credible alternative to Adobe Acrobat at a price worth comparing on the vendor's site. Casual readers should not buy it, since a free reader covers their needs. The trial is the right way to judge it: run your real documents through editing and conversion, and see whether the output matches your original layout. If it does, Nitro can replace several separate tools.

PDFelement aims at the same buyer as Nitro: someone who edits PDFs often but does not want Adobe prices. It covers text editing, OCR for scanned pages, form creation, and conversion, with desktop and mobile apps. For small businesses and students with regular editing needs, that breadth at a lower price is attractive. The trial limits some features, so test the exact jobs you need, such as OCR on a scanned chapter or converting a table-heavy document. If those pass, PDFelement is a practical buy. If you only read and highlight, stay with a free reader and save the money.

PDFgear is the surprise pick on this list, because it gives away editing basics that most rivals charge for. Reading, annotating, editing text, converting files, and compressing PDFs are available free, without an account for core features. That makes it a strong choice for students and small teams on a tight budget. It is newer and less proven than Adobe or Foxit, and paid editors still offer deeper OCR, batch work, and form tools. Readers should also keep an eye on how the free model holds up over time. For now, though, PDFgear offers more free editing than any other app here, and it deserves a trial before you pay for an editor.