Alternatives to Foxit PDF Reader

Free PDF reader with annotation, form filling and signing. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.

Replacements

Listings that take over the same core job as Foxit PDF Reader.

  • Adobe Acrobat

    Adobe's PDF software: the free Acrobat Reader for viewing and commenting, and paid Acrobat plans for editing and conversion.

    FreemiumProprietaryWindowsmacOSWebAndroidiOS

    Adobe Acrobat's free Reader offers commenting, form filling and Fill & Sign on desktop, web and mobile, but has no Linux version and Android ads.

  • PDF-XChange Editor

    Windows PDF editor whose free version covers most everyday tasks.

    FreemiumProprietaryWindows

    PDF-XChange Editor is Windows only, but its free version unlocks most editing features, with paid-only tools watermarking output.

  • Xodo

    PDF reader and editor across web, desktop and mobile.

    FreemiumProprietaryWindowsAndroidiOSWeb

    Xodo adds a web app and direct Google Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive access, but has no macOS or Linux version listed.

  • Okular

    Universal document viewer for PDF, EPUB, comics, DjVu and more.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinux

    Okular is free GPL-2.0 open source for Windows, macOS and Linux with wide format support, but it is a viewer and annotator without signing.

  • Sumatra PDF

    A small, fast, open-source reader for PDF, EPUB, MOBI, CBZ, DjVu and other documents on Windows.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsCommand line

    Sumatra PDF is a free open-source, very lightweight Windows reader with ebook support, lacking annotation, form filling and signing tools.

  • KDAN PDF

    PDF reader and editor across Windows, macOS, Android and iOS.

    FreemiumProprietaryWindowsmacOSAndroidiOS

    KDAN PDF covers Windows, macOS and mobile with cloud-synced annotations, though editing and conversion need a paid subscription and there is no Linux build.

  • PDF Expert

    Polished PDF reader and editor for macOS and iOS.

    FreemiumProprietarymacOSiOS

    PDF Expert limits you to macOS and iOS with a polished native interface, where editing, OCR and conversion require payment.

  • MuPDF

    Compact, very fast PDF and XPS viewer with a command-line toolkit.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinuxAndroidiOSCommand line

    MuPDF is a free AGPL-3.0 viewer on all desktop and mobile platforms, very fast but with a minimal keyboard-driven interface and limited annotation.

Also worth comparing

These listings name Foxit PDF Reader as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.

  • Drawboard PDF

    A pen-friendly PDF markup app with live-synced annotations across desktop, mobile and web.

    FreemiumProprietaryWindowsmacOSAndroidiOSWeb

    Foxit PDF Reader gives free annotation and form filling on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS, but is not designed around pen input or live sync.

  • Evince

    GNOME's lightweight document viewer for PDF, PostScript and other document formats on Linux.

    FreeOpen sourceLinux

    Foxit PDF Reader is closed-source freeware with fuller annotation, form filling and signing, and its installer promotes paid products.

  • Icecream PDF Editor

    A Windows PDF editor for editing text, annotating, managing pages and filling forms.

    FreemiumProprietaryWindows

    Foxit PDF Reader gives free annotation and form filling on more platforms, but editing page content requires the paid Foxit PDF Editor.

  • Papers

    A GNOME document viewer for reading, searching and annotating PDFs, DjVu, TIFF and comics.

    FreeOpen sourceLinux

    Foxit PDF Reader is a closed-source freemium reader for Windows, macOS, Linux and mobile, adding form filling and signing while promoting its paid editor.

  • PDF Reader Pro

    A commercial PDF reader and editor for annotating, converting, signing and organizing PDFs on desktop and mobile.

    FreemiumProprietaryWindowsmacOSAndroidiOS

    Foxit PDF Reader is freemium on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android and iOS with free annotation and form filling, but page editing needs the paid Foxit PDF Editor.

  • Preview

    Apple's built-in macOS app for viewing, annotating, merging and signing PDFs and images.

    FreeProprietarymacOS

    Foxit PDF Reader provides free annotation, form filling and signing on every major platform, but page content editing requires the paid Foxit PDF Editor.

  • Sioyek

    A PDF reader built for textbooks and research papers, with keyboard control and quick jumps to figures and references.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinux

    Foxit PDF Reader offers stronger free annotation, form filling and signing across desktop and mobile, but it is closed source and promotes paid products.

  • Skim

    macOS PDF reader and annotator built for reading papers.

    FreeOpen sourcemacOS

    Foxit PDF Reader gives free annotation, form filling and signing on desktop and mobile, but it is closed source and its interface promotes paid products.

  • Tungsten Power PDF

    PDF editor for creating, converting, editing, redacting and e-signing PDFs, formerly Kofax Power PDF.

    PaidProprietaryAndroidiOS

    Foxit PDF Reader is free for annotation, form filling and signing on desktop and mobile, while editing page content needs the paid Foxit PDF Editor.

Similar software

Related functionality, not a direct replacement.