Alternatives to Nitro PDF Reader: 5 Top Picks

Editing and formatting PDFs has always been an issue for users as they have certain restrictions. Without buying the premium version, not even the most popular PDF file reader like Adobe Acrobat cannot let you edit the files. So, we are usually stuck with finding online solutions to convert a PDF file to a Word doc, edit it as required, and then convert it again to a PDF file. 

However, with Nitro PDF reader, we can easily edit and work on PDF files without going through the hassle of converting. Nitro PDF lets you share, create, review, and e-sign PDF files with ease. The basic features offer limited capabilities, but if you were to choose the premium version of the same, you will find some fantastic functions and features for editing. 

Nitro PDF reader is not the only solution you can choose. We have listed five amazing alternatives to Nitro PDF, and some of them are even better. 

Five Alternatives to Nitro PDF Reader

1. UPDF

UPDF is the best option for PDF editing, sharing, and management. Its comprehensive suite of tools and functions includes editing PDFs and in that you add, delete, and modify texts. UPDF is the PDF editor. All the features are available to every user, and no one is asked to pay anything for a premium version. 

Key Features:

• Edit PDF text for free: modify the texts in PDF documents easily. You can change and keep the original formatting of the texts easily.
• Edit images in PDF: UPDF allows you to add, delete, replace, crop, rotate, and extract the images from a PDF document.
• View and Annotate PDF: you can open and view PDF documents fast. There are many reading modes for you to choose from. You can annotate PDF documents easily.
• Rearrange PDF pages: it is easy for you to add, delete, reorder, extract, and rotate the pages in PDF documents easily with this tool.
• Security and Permissions: Protecting confidential information is essential today, and UPDF can help you secure your PDF files by setting a password. This gives you the freedom to set bespoke permissions. 
• OCR to Text: One of the advanced features of UPDF is that you convert the content into text format with the OCR. This gives you a higher degree of control over the contents of the PDF. 
• Signature: Going one step further from the existing e-sign tools like the Nitro PDF reader, UPDF lets you add handwritten signatures as well. This gives your PDF files more authenticity and increases the trust factor. 

UPDF is the best solution you will get in the market and accessible on any platform easily. Last but not least, using UPDF is a breeze as it has an intuitive interface where every editing and PDF management option is easy to access. 

2. Apple Preview

Apple Preview is the in-built PDF reader and editor available on Mac systems. Mac users can access this solution to add and edit images in a PDF file while accessing it to combine, merge, and transfer PDF pages. 

It's a zero-cost solution with a simple interface giving several PDF editing options. Irrespective of the macOS version, Apple Preview is available on every device.

Key Features: 

• Annotations: You can easily annotate PDF files and add signatures to the PDF files. This helps in sharing the files with others while highlighting the changes required specifically. 
• Password Protection: Apple Preview, similar to a Nitro PDF reader, can set you password-protect a PDF file to secure sensitive files and information. 

Pros of Apple Preview

• Available for free on mac systems. 
• Markup tools are available for e-signatures. 
• Impressive tools for annotations. 

Cons of Apple Preview

• It lacks the OCR feature. 
• It's not easy to find the tools you need.

3. PDF Candy

PDF Candy can replace the Nitro reader due to its ease of accessibility, conversion functions, and fine-tuning PDF file according to your requirements. The solution is available as a web version and software having more than 47 different tools and features dedicated to enabling you to manage and optimize PDF files. 

PDF Candy is available for free but with limited functions. Its paid version gives you access to every feature, and in that too, you can get a lifetime plan. The lifetime plan will be automatically updated with the new features added in the future. 

Key Features:

• File Conversion: You can convert PDF files to a wide variety of formats, including PNG, TIFF, PPT, Excel, Word, MOBI, etc. The reverse of these conversion formats is also available. 
• Minimalistic User Interface: Another great feature of this solution is the smooth user interface. It is simple, gives you access to all the options in one place, and performs with speed. 

Pros of PDF Candy

• PDF Candy is free to use.
• It has several functions and features. 
• You can upload the PDFs to Google Drive and Dropbox. 

Cons of PDF Candy

• As the options are segregated, you need to use every one of them differently. 

4. PDF Architect

Out of all the alternatives to Nitro PDF reader we have reviewed for writing this article, PDF Architect is one of the best. It has free and three paid plans giving access to unique features and modules, which increase according to the payment system. 

Different modules have different functionalities. The Create module allows you to read and create PDFs, while the Edit module allows you to manipulate the PDF with functions like the OCR and others. 

Key Features:

• Ribbon Style Interface: With the Ribbon-styled interface, you will find all the tools organized for higher accessibility. They are set according to their functionality like conversion, editing, and annotations, among others. 
• One-Click Conversion: The solution gives you a one-click system to convert PDF files to other formats and vice versa. You also have the option of batch conversion. 

Pros of PDF Architect:

• It is easy to customize according to your requirements. 
• Cost-efficient. 
• The interface is familiar to Windows Office, which means it's easy to use. 

Cons of PDF Architect:

• You need different plans for better features. 

5. Adobe Acrobat

Adobe Acrobat is a comprehensive PDF editor with an effective set of tools and an OCR engine for reading scanned text. You can use it to fill forms, annotate papers, create and add signatures, and edit/customize photos within a document.

Built by Adobe, this Nitro PDF reader alternative can also open and let you edit big files and image-heavy PDFs. It has a simple and quick interface has a wide collection of tools. To use it, simply choose the feature you want and start working. 

Key Features:

• Organize PDF: You can organize your PDF by merging, splitting, and rotating the pages of the file. Besides of this, you can also compress or extract them easily. 
• Password Protection: You can add or remove passwords and add e-signatures for the PDF. This is due to redacting the entire document to cover the confidential information. 

Pros of Adobe Acrobat

• Plenty of features that are easy to use. 
• Has great customer support. 

Cons of Adobe Acrobat

• Editing the text after selection is not good. 

Conclusion

Nitro PDF reader is one of the good solutions to edit and customize. It offers a wide variety of options, but there are others that outperform the Nitro PDF reader. Starting with UPDF, which tops the list, we have listed a few more options to help you make the best choice. While software like UPDF costs US$39.99, they still provide the same premium features you might get with a paid solution like Adobe Acrobat. So, ensure to check every aspect of the solution before downloading.