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Skim is a PDF reader and note-taker for OS X. It is designed to help you read and annotate scientific papers in PDF, but is also great for viewing any PDF file. Stop printing and start skimming. Explore the links to the left to investigate Skim and consider helping out with the project. Features: Viewing PDFs; Adding and editing notes. PDFViewer is a simple, small document based Cocoa application which can view, scale and print PDF files. It's really fast.
Adobe Reader for Mac is a standalone PDF app that opens up many possibilities for dealing with the portable file format. It’s clean, efficient, and easy to use. The app doesn’t offer quite as many features as big brother Acrobat, but if your PDF needs are simple (reading and annotating rather than editing and creating), it will serve you just fine.
Beautifully-packaged toolkit for PDFs
Adobe’s entry-level PDF reader and viewer
Adobe Reader is a classic Adobe app that has been around for some time. In fact, at 26, it’s probably older than many of you reading. Even so, its age doesn’t seem to have done it any harm, as it looks and acts like an app that’s spent much less time hanging around on people’s computers.
Remember, Adobe Reader for Mac will only allow you to read, annotate, and print PDFs. It won’t let you create or merge them. It also offers a few additional features, like the ability to share your PDF with a variety of 3rd party apps, to hook up with storage services like Dropbox and Google Drive (making it easier to manage large numbers of PDFs), and to stamp, annotate, and comment on PDFs you’ve imported.
The Adobe Reader interface will also offer you the ability to edit and create PDFs, but when you click on the button, you’ll be brought to the Adobe website where you can purchase Acrobat Pro, the granddaddy of PDF apps. There are also a number of add-on features, so you can expand the functionality of Reader without moving all the way up to Pro.
When you open a PDF in Adobe Reader, most of the functions you’ll need will be in the top or sidebars. If you’ve used other Adobe products, you’ll find this familiar and easy to get to grips with. Most of the main editing functions are represented by little icons in the top bar and the main app features (sharing, commenting, etc) are in the side.
Using Adobe Reader is a pleasant experience. The interface is attractive and easy to find your way around, and carrying out any of the tasks offered by the app is simple and intuitive. The app’s settings are surprisingly complex. There are dozens of options pertaining to the various ways in which you might want to view, use, or export your PDFs and, since Adobe Reader has been around for a long time, there’s ample support online, both user-generated and official..
Where can you run this program?
Adobe Reader runs on Mac computers. There are also versions available for Windows, and mobile versions for iPhone and Android that offer pared-down elements of the app.
Is there a better alternative?
There are plenty of alternatives to Adobe Reader, although not as many as you’ll find for Windows and none of which are quite as complete. Foxit offers PhantomPDF; it has many of the same features as Adobe Reader (and many extra) but isn’t free. Okular will let you read PDFs, but it’s not user-friendly, and Skim, which is free, lets you carry out extensive note-taking and annotation of PDFs, but isn’t strong on options like sharing and can never be upgraded or extended in the way Reader can.
Our take
Adobe Reader for Mac is a solid app to use. It offers lots of features in a really clean and user-friendly interface and the results it produces are perfect. On Mac, PDF tools aren’t available in great numbers, so having a tool that works as well as Adobe Reader (and for free) is a huge bonus. On Windows, there are probably tools that work just as well, or even better, but most of them are not available for Mac.
Should you download it?
If you've found a specific issue with PDFs and you think that Adobe Reader is likely to help, by all means, download it. Similarly, if you’ve opened and interacted with PDFs without Reader and found the experience lacking or complicated, then give it a try. For many users, however, a standalone PDF app just isn’t something you’ll use often enough to warrant a download.
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2020-09-11 18:05:49 • Filed to: Compare of Mac Software • Proven solutions
Like to have an Adobe Reader alternative for Mac to read PDF files? Adobe Acrobat Reader for Mac has various features for viewing PDFs, however, it requires users to purchase its various functions. Therefore, if you are looking for great alternatives to free Abode Reader for Mac, let this post help you with choosing the right one! This article will also tell you how to read and edit with the best Adobe Reader for Mac alternative.
5 Best Adobe Reader for Mac Alternative
1. PDFelement
PDFelement is a smart application for iMac, MacBook Pro and MacBook Air to read PDF files, draw attention to PDF content, change text, edit pages, and fill out PDF forms. It is compatible with macOS X 10.12, 10.13, 10.14 and 10.15 Catalina. And unlike Adobe Reader for Mac, it responds faster when you open a PDF file with it.
PDFelement is undoubtedly the best Adobe Reader for Mac competitor. Not only is it the most cost-efficient, but also incredibly feature-rich to cater to business as well as individual needs. Whether it is paragraph editing or changing various aspects of the font, PDFelement can be referred to as the superhero of PDF editing.
Features:
- Edit PDF files with complete ease
- Create and fill forms
- Layered security features
- Put your stamp on the PDF file
- Share your files without any trouble
- Split and merge pages and much more
Pros:
- Annotate PDF files easily
- Create forms and save templates
- Password protection
- Put watermark on the file
- Ability to sign PDF files
- Convert, merge and split files with ease
Supported Systems: Mac, iOS, Windows, Android
Price:$69
Download this Mac Adobe Reader alternative to have a try.
How to Use the Best Adobe Reader Alternative for Mac
1. Fill and Save PDF Forms
Adobe Reader cannot save filled PDF forms on the computer. It only lets you fill out a form for printing. As the best Mac Adobe Reader for Mac, PDFelement not only lets you fill a form, but also save forms with data filled. So after filling the form, you can email forms to people without going through the procedure of printing, scanning, and sending.
2. Change PDF text, images, and pages
If you like, you're capable of adding new text, correcting typos, adjusting images on a PDF file. With simple clicks, you're able to insert, extract, and delete PDF pages, merge, and split PDF files. And these are not available on Adobe Reader for Mac, but its alternative.
3. Convert PDF to Word Doc
To reuse PDF content, click 'File' > 'Export To' > 'Word' to export PDF to Microsoft Word. After the conversion, you can copy text and rearrange the content.
4. Display PDF documents in 4 modes
Adobe Reader for Macintosh display PDF documents in 2 modes: single and single continuous. As the best Adobe Reader for Mac, PDFelement lets you view PDF files in 4 modes: single, single continuous, facing, and facing continuous. For me, facing is really helpful when you need to check the info side by side.
5. A range of annotation tools to draw attention to PDF content
Of course, with Adobe Reader for Mac, you can highlight, underline, strikethrough PDF text, add sticky note and text box to comment the idea. Actually, PDFelement offers more intuitive tools to do the job. Aside from the features that have already been mentioned, there are also shape drawing tools available like circles, clouds, arrows, etc.
2) PDF Expert
PDF Expert is a popular PDF editing software for Mac. This simple yet professional program lets users add bookmarks, as well as edit text and images within your PDF file. This alternative to Adobe Reader for Mac has many robust features that let you annotate your file, such as by highlighting text, etc.
Features:
- Add or remove images, text, watermarks, etc.
- Implement signatures or passwords easily
- Split or merge PDF files
- Fill various forms in PDF format
- Capability to markup as well as annotate
Pros:
- Supports a variety of file formats
- Equipped with professional tools
- Neat and clean interface
Macbook Pdf Viewer App
Cons:
- Not very easy to use
- Does not have a setup wizard
- Features of the software are not very clear
- No OCR technology
Supported Systems: Mac, iOS
Price: $79.99
3) Skim
Skim is indeed a fully developed and well-rounded Adobe Reader for Mac alternative software that can be used for viewing and editing PDF files. It can be used for professional as well as scientific purposes. The software allows you to customize itself according to individual usage. The software can be used for providing previews and taking notes, amongst other things.
![Reader Reader](https://i0.wp.com/www.techowns.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Textpad.png?resize=708%2C420&ssl=1)
Features:
- Zoom in various elements using the magnifying tool
- Preview facility for links in the file
- Support for AppleScript
- Ability to highlight using swipe mode
- Can export the notes in text format
Pros:
- Pinch zooming facility
- Ability to take snapshots
- Extra tools for lengthy PDF files
- Choose the colour of annotations
Cons:
- Does not save texts in forms
- Does not have OCR function
- Not available for Windows Operating System
- Some tools don't work
- Bugs need to be fixed
Supported Systems: Mac
Price: Free
4) Free PDF Reader
If you are looking for a free Adobe Reader for Mac alternative and simple PDF viewer, then Free PDF Reader can be the software for you. The user interface of this program offers easy navigation that works well for any type of user. In fact, it is currently being used by more than 150 million users. It is a full-fledged PDF reader tool packaged with a variety of features while keeping it as simplistic as possible.
Features:
- Can be used to view various docs
- Ability to zoom the text
- Rotate the text in the file
- Various capacities for printing text
Pros:
Adobe Acrobat Free Download For Mac
- View PDF files in a clear format
- A tutorial is available
- Guides on each step of the installation
- Save the file for future use
- Small size of the download
Cons:
- Does not have editing features
- No advanced options available
- There are various ads
- No integration with other software
Supported Systems: Mac, Windows
Price: Free
5) Haihaisoft Reader for Mac
Hiahaisoft is an Adobe Reader for Mac alternative that is distinguished from other PDF readers and editors because of its small size. The total size of the installer amounts to only 3MB. Which is, of course significantly lower than another PDF reader such as Adobe Reader. The software has been designed while keeping the ease of use in mind, along with support for an assortment of languages.
Features:
- View all kinds of PDF documents
- Takes no time in switching on
- Read-protect your document
- Doesn't need a constant internet connection
Pros:
- Reading all kinds of PDFs is easy
- Very small installation size
- Responsive and clutter-free design
- Various security and privacy features
Cons:
- Printing PDFs create only blank pages
- Does not comply with PDF file's DRM
- Not very fast and stable
- Doesn't have many advanced features
Supported Systems: Mac, Windows
Price: 90 days fully functional free trial; Basic account- $50 per month; Premier account- $120 per month
Free Download or Buy PDFelement right now!
Free Download or Buy PDFelement right now!
Buy PDFelement right now!
Free Pdf For Mac
Buy PDFelement right now!