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Top 5 Light PDF Readers - Fast and Easy

The Portable Document Format, commonly known as PDF is one of the most used document types in business. For a long time, the lightest PDF readers have a necessity for most users, mostly because they are both interactive and secure. But PDF users are constantly bombarded with the latest in light PDF readers, making it rather difficult to select the right one. If you would rather have a light pdf reader to save some storage space on your device, this article details the top 5 lightest PDF readers for you to choose from. The following are the top lightest PDF readers available. Each one on this list has been chosen because of its efficiency and reliability.

Part 1Top 5 Lightweight PDF Readers for Windows and Mac

1. Wondershare PDFelement

lightweight pdf reader

Wondershare PDFelement is by far the best light PDF reader of them all. Not only will the program not consume too much space on your computer, its small size also ensures that it will run effectively. It is a great solution for both Windows and Mac users and has a lot of features that are unique to this program. For instance, with Wondershare PDFelement, you get a variety of viewing modes as well as the option to zoom into or out of the document.

As you continue to read through the document, this light PDF reader also gives you the option to annotate the PDF document. You can add sticky notes, highlight sentences, draw markups and even insert links into the PDF document.

Pros of using PDFelement:

  • It offers features you will not find on any other of the light PDF readers we will look at
  • It allows you to annotate the PDF document as you read
  • It is more than just a PDF reader, it allows you to edit, convert or even create PDF files. You can also do a lot of other editing related functions such as add and remove text and images from the document.
  • It is very easy to use with a great user interface.

2. Nuance PDF Reader

light pdf reader

With a relatively smaller footprint than Adobe, this light PDF reader comes packed with an abundance of features that allow the user to annotate, print comment and even view embedded videos. It can also be used to verify signed PDF documents and convert PDF files to Word and RTF formats.

Pros of using Nuance:

  • It has a lot of features to edit the PDF
  • Despite the many features, it still somehow manages to become one of the lightest PDF readers in the market

Cons of using Nuance:

  • It is only available for Windows users
  • Can only convert PDF to two formats; RTF and Word

3. Foxit Reader

lightest pdf reader

This is one of the lightest PDF readers you will find in the market. It is also completely free. It comes with a whole host of features that make it one of the go-to light PDF readers for those who want an alternative to Adobe. It also comes with a feature that allows the user to collaborate with others on the same document.

Pros of using Foxit:

  • It offers a few features that users will find useful, allowing you to annotate the PDF document
  • It is lightweight and completely free to use

Cons of using Foxit:

  • Its features are limited. You can't edit, convert to create PDFs
  • The collaborative function doesn't work quite as well
  • It is only available for Windows users

4. Evince

small pdf reader

This default GNOME PDF viewer is also one of the lightest PDF readers in the market. The one big advantage that Evince brings to the table is that it is not just a light PDF reader, it can also be used to view documents in a lot of other formats including Postscript, tiff, XPS, SyncTex, and comic books.

Pros of using Evince:

  • It allows the user to view other formats, not just PDF
  • It can be used to print PDF
  • It can be used to view encrypted PDF documents

Cons of using Evince:

  • It doesn't offer any additional features such as editing, conversion and creating a PDF

5. SlimPDF

smallest pdf reader

Coming in at only 1.43MB, SlimPDF is by far the lightest PDF reader you will ever find. Because of its small size, it is also one of the fastest for readers who are looking to replace Adobe. This light PDF reader doesn’t offer too many editing features but it does offer a plugin that allows users to convert PDF files to other formats such as Word or PowerPoint.

Pros of using SlimPDF:

  • Its lightweight allows it to be one of the fastest PDF viewers in the market
  • It offers a great interface, making reading pleasurable

Cons of using SlimPDF:

  • It doesn't offer any editing features
  • The plugin that allows users to convert PDFs is not free
  • There is no Mac version

Part 2How to Read PDF Fast and Easy with PDFelement

Install PDFelement to your computer and then follow these simple steps to read PDF document using the best light PDF reader.

Step 1: Open the PDF File

To open the PDF file in PDFelement, you can simply drag and drop the file into the main interface once you open the program.

Step 2: Read PDF Light and Easy

The program should display the PDF file in the next window. You will be able to see the file with all its embedded images and even videos.

  • Reading Modes. You should go to the "View" tab. To make the reading comfortably, you can choose one reading mode from "Single" "Continuous" "Facing" "Facing Continuous" "Full Screen".
  • Zoom in & out. By the using zoom buttons, you can adjust the view of a PDF.

Step 3: Annotate PDF If You Need

If you want, you can annotate the document as you read. For instance, if you want to add sticky note comment to the PDF, all you have to do is click on the "Note" icon in the menu, right next to the "Text Box". You can then, just type what you want to say.

Part 3Tips on How to Make PDF Readers Faster

Even the lightest PDF reader can be made to run faster with a little bit of maneuvering on your part. If you want your light PDF reader to perform even better, here's a few things you can do.

Wondershare Editor

Posted by to Top PDF Reader | Follow @AudreySGoodwin
Published: Aug 25,2016 16:15 pm / Updated: Oct 29,2016 15:02 pm

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