If so, you might want to learn more about PDFelement. This Acrobat Reader alternative software has a much more cost-effective price and is considered one of the best tools on the market. It gives you all the features you need to work with PDFs. This Acrobat Reader alternative performs better compared to other options.

PDFelement has the most stable functionalities and security features to protect your documents. First, as one of the best Adobe Reader alternatives, PDFelement offers 5 reading modes: fit to actual page size, fit to windows width, fit page to window, fit to window height, and full screen. You can select the mode you want to read a PDF file.

Here is the guide about how to view multiple PDF. Comment on PDF files using a variety of comment and markup tools.

You can review and highlight aspects of the PDF file with stamps, text box, sticky notes, shapes, highlighters, underline, and strikethrough tools. Here is the guide about how to annotate PDF.

The difference is that it also lets you save the form while Adobe Reader cannot save filled PDF forms. What's more, after you've completed filling a form, you can add a digital signature as well. Here is the guide about how to create fillable form. Here is the guide about how to edit PDF.

Below is a list of the top 5 PDF viewers for Windows Wondershare has released a simple, yet feature-rich software that can be used by both personal and professional users, as well as beginners. If you considering the number of features included within this program, Wondershare PDFelement - PDF Editor is likely to be a very popular alternative for many users.

This application has been consistently popular among users. There are few compatibility issues with this powerful software, and it works seamlessly with Windows 10 and older versions of Windows including Vista. This is one of the most used PDF viewers on the market and includes an excellent media viewing platform with minimum burden on available computer resources. The software has been tested for compatibility with Windows Vista, 7, 8 and It can use either tesseract or cuneiform for doing the ocr - both with mostly very poor results.

I have read that tesseract is the "best" ocr-program on Linux but is miles away from "professional" closed source solutions like FineReader 10 years back sorry to say that. I have also tried and used tesseract from the command line with the same poor results although the scans were of high quality around dpi and without artefacts.

Tesseract has massive problems in recognising the page layout even from pages with only a single cloumn - not to speak of multicolumn pages and its capability of correctly recognising single characters is bad as well even if you have chosen the correct language for the text.

I have read somewhere, that tesseract has been far better in the past, but that the developers have broken it not sure, if that is true. Tools like OCR Feeder also offer to save a scanned text image with a text layer - but for me, this does not work the program completely fails to save a pdf-file at all, searchable or not.

I also sometimes use Master PDF for editing pdfs - mainly for inserting bookmarks for navigation within the document. I use pdflatex to create pdfs. It is a great program and can embed video and insert hyperlinks. My only frustration is that ONLY acrobat can access those links! I believe the issue is support for javascript from the pdf but I am not sure and hope someone will make a Linux alternative eventually. Where Scribus shines is with complex layout of text and images and its ability to very precisely handle fonts and color.

It can also import PDFs as vector drawings, or more precisely groups of vector graphics, which can be ungrouped and edited as vector drawings. Currently there is also work going on to be able to handle complex text layout with non-Latin languages and fonts. In limited circumstances, I use Google Docs to convert pdf files with straightforward, simple pdf files. I also use CloudConvert, an add-on to Google Drive. The latter works surprisingly well, even with fairly complicated documents.

It is free for limited conversions, minimal cost for on-going bulk conversions. I didn't know about some of the recent progress in editing PDFs, I use pdflatex a lot, but also a number of other editing tools that support export to PDF.

Do you have recommendations for command-prompt-friendly PDF tools? Good question! This isn't an area I've explored much personally but I'd be really interested to do a little exploring and find out what the available tools in this area are.

Do you have one that you like in particular? I suppose technically it's not what you mean, since it is used to create, edit, compose, or convert bitmap images, but it worked for me. I've found pdftk pdf toolkit very nice for splicing together pieces of several different pre-existing pdfs. It's a command line tool. I'm not a developer, i always use this free online image to pdf converter online merge from pdfcoding. Image by :. Get the highlights in your inbox every week.

Do you still use Acrobat for working with PDFs? Choices Yes, I use Acrobat. No, I've switched to an open source alternative. Aren't we supposed to be living in a paperless world by now? It could be worse. Editing PDFs Editing is a loaded term. Being terminal-based, these are great tools for automated manipulation, too. Editor's note: This article was originally published in and has been updated. Topics Alternatives. About the author. Jason Baker - I use technology to make the world more open.

Linux desktop enthusiast. Raspberry Pi tinkerer. Data analysis and visualization geek. Occasional coder. Web maker. Red Hatter since More about me. He has worked in the film and computing industry, often at the same time. He is one of the maintainers of the Slackware-based multimedia production project Slackermedia. Recommended reading 9 open source alternatives to try in An open source alternative to Microsoft Exchange.