This is a list of links to articles on software used to manage Portable Document Format (PDF) documents. The distinction between the various functions is not entirely clear-cut; for example, some viewers allow adding of annotations, signatures, etc. Some software allows redaction, removing content irreversibly for security. Extracting embedded text is a common feature, but other applications perform optical character recognition (OCR) to convert imaged text to machine-readable form, sometimes by using an external OCR module.
These allow users to convert PDF files to other formats.
(For software to convert other formats to PDF, see the various Creators sections below. For software to convert HTML/CSS to PDF, see also the ‘HTML to PDF converters’ entries in Comparison of HTML to PDF converters.)
These allow users to modify an existing PDF file.
These are used by software developers to add and create PDF features.
These create files in their native formats, but then allow users to export them to PDF formats.
These allow users to view (not edit or modify) any existing PDF file.
(For e-book readers, see also Comparison of e-book readers.)
Antiword: A free Microsoft Office Word reader for various operating systems; converts binary files from Word 2, 6, 7, 97, 2000, 2002 and 2003 to plain text or PostScript; available for AmigaOS 4, MorphOS, AROS x86
dvipdfm: a DVI to PDF translator with zlib support
Xpdf: a multi-platform viewer for PDF files, Amiga version uses X11 engine Cygnix.
Okular: Supports a range of annotation types. Annotations are stored separately from the unmodified PDF file, or (since version 0.15 with Poppler 0.20) can be saved in the document as standard PDF annotations.
Evince: Supports addition and removal (since version 3.14 ), of basic text note annotations.
The CUPS printing system can render any document to a PDF file, thus any Linux program with print capability can produce PDF files.
Pdftk: can merge, split, en-/decrypt, watermark/stamp and manipulate PDF files.
PDFSaM: can split, merge and mix PDF documents, encrypt and decrypt them, set metadata, permissions and viewer options, extract attachments, add front and back cover and rotate pages.
poppler-utils: includes command-line tools to extract images from a PDF (pdfimages) and convert a PDF to other formats (pdftohtml, pdftotext, pdftoppm).
ps2pdf: (part of Ghostscript) converts a PostScript file to a PDF.
SWFTools: its pdf2swf component converts PDF to SWF.
Scribus: an open source program for page layout.
Xpdf: an open source multi-backend library for viewing and manipulating PDF files. Bundled with a viewer with the same name
poppler: is a free software utility library for rendering Portable Document Format (PDF) documents.
PDF Studio: proprietary software for viewing and editing PDF documents
Inkscape: Technically not a PDF editor, but can be used as such page by page
PDFSaM: free (GPLv2) GUI tools to manipulate, split, merge PDF documents
PDFtk: free (GPLv2) command-line tools to manipulate, split, merge, encrypt and decrypt PDF documents
Adobe Reader: Extant freeware versions are obsolete, Adobe has stopped support for Linux.
Evince: default PDF and file viewer for GNOME; replaces GPdf.
Firefox: Includes a PDF viewer
Google Chrome: Includes a PDF viewer
MuPDF: Free lightweight document viewer.
Okular: KDE desktop environment; replaces KPDF.
Xpdf: for the X Window System.
Zathura (document viewer): Lightweight document viewer with vim-like keybindings.
deskUNPDF for Mac: proprietary application from Docudesk to convert PDF files to Microsoft Office, OpenOffice.org, image, and data file formats
Adobe Acrobat: Proprietary PDF authoring suite
PDF Studio: Proprietary software to view and edit PDF documents
PDF Signer: Proprietary; fills forms and embeds image signatures in PDF documents
PDFSaM: free (GPLv2) command-line and GUI tools to manipulate, split, merge, encrypt and decrypt PDF documents
Mac OS X: Creates PDF documents natively via print dialog
Safari: This bundled web browser has built-in support for reading PDF documents.
Firefox: Includes a PDF viewer
Google Chrome: Includes a PDF viewer
Preview: Mac OS X's default PDF viewer (in Mac OS X v10.5 and later, it also can rotate, reorder, annotate, insert, and delete pages. It can also merge files, create new files from existing files, and move pages between files.)
Adobe Reader: Adobe Systems's reader which is also available for Macintosh; Safari plug-in available
Skim, an open source (BSD licence) PDF reader and note-taker for Mac OS X
Foxit Reader: Proprietary, freeware. Allows users to add elements to PDFs (e.g. arrowed comment boxes, text boxes, links, bookmarks, and images)
Adobe Acrobat: Can convert files into PDF or convert PDF files into other formats
ABBYY FineReader: Commercial PDF converter which converts PDF into Word (.doc), Excel (.xls), PowerPoint (ppt), and more
deskUNPDF: PDF converter to convert PDFs to Word (.doc, docx), Excel (.xls), (.csv), (.txt), more
GSview: File:Convert menu item converts any sequence of PDF pages to a sequence of images in many formats from bit to tiffpack with resolutions from 72 to 204 × 98 (open source software)
Google Chrome: convert HTML to PDF using Print > Save as PDF.
gDoc Fusion: Proprietary, shareware; PDF views, edits, converts documents into PDF, XPS or Microsoft Word document; after 30 days a watermark is placed on documents in shareware version
OmniPage: Converts to and from PDF and other formats with many options.
PDF-XChange: PDF Tools and PDF-XChange print driver allow conversion from many formats to PDF. A "lite" version of the print driver is free for non-commercial (home and academic) but places a watermark on documents
Qiqqa: Converts Microsoft Word document and Web Pages to PDF.
SaveasPDFandXPS: Freeware add-in for Microsoft Office 2007; converts documents in standard Microsoft Office formats, e.g. Word, Excel, Powerpoint, into PDF format.
SWFTools: 'pdf2swf component converts PDF to SWF – command line with GUI wrapper
poppler-utils a collection of tools builds on poppler to convert PDF contents to everything
Adobe Acrobat: Adobe Systems's proprietary desktop PDF authoring suite.
Adobe Photoshop: Adobe Systems's Graphic Design software and image editor.
Bluebeam Revu: a commercial PDF editor, markup and collaboration product aimed at engineering and architectural markets
gDoc Fusion: proprietary/shareware desktop product to create, review, edit, share or archive PDF and XPS documents. After 30 days a watermark is placed on documents in shareware version.
LibreOffice: free (MPLv2) GUI tools to manipulate, split, merge, encrypt and decrypt PDF files
Nitro PDF Pro: a proprietary commercial PDF creator/editor with an interface styled after Microsoft Office; replicates most or all features of the Adobe Acrobat full commercial version; offers a separate freeware reader (which also supports PDF creation, annotation, collaboration and signing); Ghostscript not additionally needed.
PDF Studio: Proprietary software for viewing and editing PDF documents
pdftk: free (GPL) command-line tools to manipulate, edit and convert documents; supports filling of PDF forms with FDF/XFDF data
PDFSaM: free (GPLv2) command-line and GUI tools to manipulate, split, merge, encrypt and decrypt PDF files
PDF-XChange Viewer: Freeware PDF reader, tagger, editor (simple editions) and converter (free for non commercial uses).
Solid PDF Tools: Convert PDFs into editable documents and create PDFs from a variety of file sources.
Microsoft Word 2013: Proprietary desktop software. The 2013 edition of Office allows PDF files to be converted into a format that can be edited.
Adobe Reader: Adobe's PDF reader is free only for personal use. For commercial use, Adobe Reader should be purchased. For instance, if your software uses Adobe Reader for things like printing, you and your customer will have to purchase Adobe Reader if it qualifies as a commercial product.
Evince: a free (GPL), open source PDF reader. Part of the GNOME desktop environment. Windows port available since version 2.28.
Foxit Reader: Proprietary/freeware PDF reader, supports FDF import/export, saving filled forms; other extended functionality available via purchasable plugins.
gDoc Fusion: Proprietary/shareware to view PDF, XPS, Microsoft Word document, Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, Microsoft PowerPoint presentation or image files, included in the evaluation version of the product. Shareware version places a watermark on documents after 30 day eval.
Google Chrome: Includes a PDF viewer.
GSview: Open source software and Ghostscript's viewer for Windows.
Javelin PDF Reader: A full functionality PDF reader with support for DRM using encoded and encrypted PDF files in Drumlin's DRMX and DRMZ formats.
Microsoft Edge: Includes a PDF viewer.
Microsoft Reader: A dedicated PDF viewer that is free to download from Windows store.
Mozilla Firefox: Includes a PDF viewer.
MuPDF: Free lightweight document viewer.
Nitro PDF Reader: Freeware (though proprietary) PDF reader and creator. Supports three methods (specifying the file within the reader's interface, or dragging-'n-dropping a file onto the reader's Windows desktop icon, or "printing" to a virtual printer driver) of PDF creation (Ghostscript not additionally needed), saving filled forms (AcroForms), text typewriter, markup/collaboration, and stamp signature (document signing).
Nuance PDF Reader: Freeware (adware) PDF reader, supports saving filled forms, partial support for XFA forms; enables the capability to convert PDF files to MS Word or Excel files through Nuance website.
PDF-XChange Viewer: Freeware viewer with free OCR, supports FDF/XFDF import/export, saving filled forms, extended markup and export to image capabilities.
Qiqqa: Freeware PDF reader, indexer, tagger and annotator. Supports OCR and export of PDF text and images.
Sumatra PDF: A free (GPL), open source PDF reader. It also supports DjVu, XPS, CHM, Comic Book (CBZ and CBR) and eBook (EPUB & MOBI) file formats. Supports automatic reloading of PDF files.
STDU Viewer: A freeware for non-commercial usage PDF reader. It also supports DjVu, Comic Book Archive (CBR or CBZ), XPS, TIFF, TXT and image file formats.
Amazon Kindle app for Android: can view PDFs
Evince: Ported to Maemo platform
Foxit MobilePDF: PDF viewer and annotator for Android
Google Drive app for Android: can view PDFs
iBooks: PDF viewer for iOS (iPhone, iPad)
MuPDF: Free lightweight document viewer for Android and iOS.
Qiqqa: PDF viewer and annotator for Android
Cometdocs: Online PDF conversion
Zamzar: Online file converter
PDFescape: an advertising and fee supported web service to view, create forms, fill out forms, and edit PDF documents from a web browser (requires JavaScript to be enabled)
PDFVue: a free web application that allows the user to view PDF's, comment and fill PDF forms from a web browser. Generates a watermark.
A.nnotate: a web service which views PDF documents as HTML in the browser, with annotation features.
DigiSigner: free online PDF viewer java applet with additional function to digitally sign PDF documents.
Docstoc: a web service which allows viewing PDF documents online
Issuu: a web service which allows viewing PDF documents online
Google Docs: a web service which views PDF documents as PNG images in the browser
Scribd: a web service which renders PDF documents as HTML5 in the browser
Pdf.js: A Javascript-based library, with viewer, and browser plugin.
PDFTron Systems: WebViewer. A free JavaScript viewer and annotator for self-hosting of web optimized PDFs.
