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Top 5 Free Adobe Reader Mac Alternatives in 2023

When it comes to dealing with PDF files, Adobe Acrobat Reader Mac is without a doubt the industry standard. Aside from the thought that PDFs originated by the same company, Adobe is known to calibrate their software with amazing features perfectly meant to boost your productivity. However, the expense of this software, on the other hand, is sometimes a snag, particularly for small firms and individuals.

As advanced and unique as the Adobe standard may seem, we still cannot deny the fact that there is no perfect PDF tool that brings out absolutely no flaws. The PDF reader and editor such as their very own Acrobat Reader Mac have several drawbacks, so it consequently brings up the thought of finding the better Adobe Reader Mac alternatives that may not seem perfect and grand, but at least save you a lot of dozens.

Top 5 Adobe Reader Mac Alternatives

Comparing the Top 5 Adobe Reader Mac Alternatives

Everyone wants the best PDF reader with an excellent reading experience in the digital world. Luckily, there are tons of PDF book readers available. But not all of them provide the best reading experience. The following table chart will definitely help you to pick the best experience PDF reader.

ToolPriceOperating SystemRatingPerformance/Speed
UPDFFreeMac, Windows, iOS, Android4.8Excellent
Foxit ReaderFor Windows:
 
$79.00/Year
 
For Mac:
 
$159.00/1-License
Windows, Mac4.5Good
PreviewFreeMac4.3Fair
PDF XChangeFreeWindows4.4Good
PDF ExpertYearly: $79.99
Lifetime: $139.99
Mac, iOS4.0Fair

No doubt, UPDF is bossing the comparison table chart from all aspects. UPDF has every right to be at the top because of its excellent reading experience.

1.UPDF for Mac

Starting first in this ultimate alternative list of Adobe Reader for Mac is the UPDF - fast PDF editor. This software is the best PDF viewer for Mac because it is designed to do the work of a PDF reader in a short amount of time using just modest and simplest processes that is why this has a headstart among the other Adobe Acrobat Reader DC Mac alternatives in this list.

adobe reader mac alternative

With the UPDF for Mac, you can do more than simply read and browse your PDF files; the smart software can also enable you to edit, annotate, and organize the contents of your document, as well as make changes to individual pages, with only a few steps and less complicated instructions.

Little effort and big results on your PDF files are fulfilled by the UPDF as this guarantees that you meet your aim of saving time by batch processing several PDF files at once and converting them to other common file types like.docx,.xls, and.ppt.

Users will be assured to experience heightened features that are soon to be employed, such as heightened user experience, the ability to work cooperatively using cross-sector tools, and so much more, to ensure that the UPDF remains at the top of the list even in the years to come.

Pros:

  • The user interface is made simpler for beginners and more beautiful. Only takes fewer steps to get started working with PDF files.
  • Edit text and images in PDF easily. The experience is like you are working on Office Word. Very smooth.
  • It supports reading a PDF in various modes and you can also view multiple PDFs with this Adobe Reader Mac alternative.
  • You can organize PDF pages such as reordering the page, rotating the page, extracting the page, etc.
  • Add annotations to PDF documents with great markup tools.
  • Free to use.

2.Foxit Reader Mac

Give Foxit PDF Reader a try if you're looking for another PDF reader that's small in size yet packed with crucial features. The software is built small, quick, and packed with all the features you'd expect from a PDF reader, including the ability to generate, view, annotate, and sign PDF files. The Foxit reader Mac offers a simple user interface that also allows you to personalize how you read PDF files. It is made available not just on your Mac desktops, but also on your iPhones and iPads, and is meant to give you a consistent PDF experience.

This software is worthy to be one in the list of software that spares you to do Acrobat Reader download Mac because this is also one of the few PDF readers that offers features like form filling, data import/export, and integration with cloud storage providers like OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox, and Box. The program is free to use, but for a one-time fee of $138.79, you may upgrade to the Pro version to work collaboratively, have enhanced editing features, and have advanced security.

Pros:

  • Free to use for viewing and editing.
  • Built small in terms of size.
  • Cloud integration feature.

Cons:

  • Has a plug-in file to be installed separately before you can use it (causes time).
  • The pro version costs a lot.
adobe reader alternative mac

3. Preview

Next on the list is one that is already there when you need it the most- Preview. Preview is the MacOS operating system's image and PDF reader, provided by the manufacturer. It can modify digital photos and Portable Document Format (PDF) files in addition to reading and printing them. The Aqua graphical user interface, Quartz graphics layer, and ImageIO and Core Image frameworks are all designed in this default PDF viewer.

Before you find an alternative to the Adobe Reader free download for Mac, your device prepared this software for you to edit not just PDF files but also images. The preview includes basic image correction capabilities, as well as shape extraction, color extraction, cropping, and rotating tools, all of which are powered by MacOS's Core Image processing engine. Until the picture is rasterized to JPEG, PNG, or another bitmap format, Preview utilizes vector shapes and text to annotate it.

Pros:

  • Already comes pre-installed on your device.
  • Supports import and export of files.
  • Runs more than 15 supported file types.

Cons:

  • May not be ideal for power users(limited features).
adobe reader free download for mac

4. PDF XChange Viewer Mac

PDF-XChange Viewer is one of the numerous user-friendly PDF viewers available while making sure you will not be discouraged by the results in working with PDF files. This is not just a tool for viewing PDF files; it's also a productivity application with all of the functionality you'll need to open and read PDF files, including essential features like zoom tools, measurement tools, and link functions. It is also one of the most popular Softonic PDF programs available for converting non-text-searchable PDF documents to text-searchable PDF documents.

Despite the fact that the firm has been in operation for 25 years, it continues to manufacture high-quality products, such as this Adobe Reader alternative Mac. It not only focuses on your reading experience, but it also allows you to modify the interface to your liking. It is available for a $99.95 one-time download on your Mac device so you may give it a try since it allows the filling and editing of PDF forms while offering conversion to and from PDF formats and also comes with an OCR tool.

Pros

  • Clean interface and is also customizable.
  • Built-in OCR function.

Cons:

  • Has watermarked outputs on the free version.
adobe acrobat reader mac download

5. PDF Expert

Last but not least you can find adobe PDF reader Mac alternative is the PDF Expert. This software is greatly designed with a clear interface that best suits beginners while also integrated with updated annotation tools that are important for effective reading making this smart alternative the next fantastic choice for your PDF experience on your Mac. You can perform fixes provided by its built-in tool if there are typos found on your PDF documents as well as unnecessary mistakes on those important texts.

Among the expert features on the PDF Expert you may find amusing are; Fill out paperwork and signing contracts in ways you've never done before; Changing text and graphics in PDFs by reading, annotating, and editing them; Adding notes and comments to documents to collaborate with clients and team members. Subscriptions start at  $49/year.

Pros:

  • Subscriptions are cheap.
  • Has themes to select.
  • Can work collaboratively.

Cons:

  • Some required capabilities need a premium version/payment.
  • For new users, advanced editing features now need an annual membership.
adobe acrobat reader dc mac

You Can Have Adobe Reader Mac, or The Better Option

The Adobe Acrobat Reader is the current industry standard for editing PDF files and is considered to be a PDF editor that brings together the best features of the other Adobe products into a single package. Accomplish a lot with PDF files with several advantages that the majority of the users have remarkably agreed on such as their high-end features like combining multiple files (of various sorts, such as photos, Word documents, or other PDFs) into a single PDF, extracting chunks of reliable texts of a PDF for later use or add files or pages to another PDF that already exists, for easier reading of a PDF,  you can divide it into chapters, and for a beautiful presentation, create portfolios of various assets (even utilizing different file formats such as photographs, videos, and documents).

Yes, you can have all of these and act like a pro in your usage with the Adobe Reader for Mac, but to a certain price, you may find it unpleasant along with the standard that is known to be not ideal for beginners. Your satisfaction is backed by a condition you can have at around 14.26usd/month, and that is already costly for most users. The software itself is also not ideal for average Mac desktops considering that it is also prone to performance issues since it is loaded with those remarkable features mentioned into a single container application.

For sure you will find yourself hassled in the long run with the drawbacks of Adobe Acrobat Reader Mac download. But do not lose hope yet to using the better choice of a PDF reader for Mac because a problem will not only have one solution as it does not take long to realize that the UPDF reader delivers the optimum yet most undemanding experience to get the job done with your PDF reading easily. Absolutely free and work relentlessly with nothing to be worried about while using the software as it is built to last and built according to most of your needs.