There is no shortage for free PDF readers on the interwebs and they all vary widely in features and functionality. We looked at a lot of free PDF readers and came up with what we feel are the best PDF readers on the market today.

Our decision was not based purely on features, we also took into consideration how focused and convinient the product is. So, without further a-due, here is a our list of the top 5 free PDF readers in 2019:

SlimPDF Reader

We love SlimPDF because of how focused and convenient it is; sure it doesn't have as many features as the others in the list however if all you need is to read PDF files, SlimPDF’s small footprint makes the smallest dent on your computer and installs fastest.

FoxIt Reader

FoxIt Reader has the familiar Microsoft Office Ribbon interface and that makes it approachable to new users. We especially love its security features that can disable javascript in the PDF to prevent malicious code from running when the document is opened. FoxIt Reader also has downloadable add-ons that can add to the functionality of the base application.

Nitro PDF Reader

Like FoxIt Reader, Nitro PDF Reader also comes with the faimilar Microsoft OFfice Ribbon UI. This application packs more advanced features such as ability to add sticky notes to PDF documents, ability to add annotations and also abily to extract images from PDF files. The only downside to Nitro PDF Reader is that it requires user registration before you can use it.

PDF-Xchange Editor

We have been fans of PDF-Xchange for many years and have utilized their PDF Printer Drivers in many projects. While the application's UI is not the prettiest, it does offer OCR (optical character recognition) that allows you to scan documents and have them saved as searchable and editable text. PDF-Xchange will however watermark the output files that are processed using its "pro" features.

Your Web Browser

You read that right! Most modern browsers such as Google Chrome, Firefox and Safari all have built in functionality to open and render PDF files.