Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Cairo Shell VS Foxit Reader

Compare Cairo Shell VS Foxit Reader and see what are their differences

Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

Cairo Shell logo Cairo Shell

Cairo is a desktop environment for Windows.

Foxit Reader logo Foxit Reader

Foxit Reader is a free and light-weight multi-platform PDF document viewer.
  • Cairo Shell Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-19
  • Foxit Reader Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-05

Cairo Shell features and specs

  • Customization
    Cairo Shell allows for extensive customization of the desktop environment, enabling users to tailor the user interface to their specific needs and preferences.
  • Efficiency
    The shell is designed to provide a more streamlined and efficient workflow by offering features like a customizable taskbar and better window management.
  • Aesthetic
    Cairo Shell offers a modern and visually appealing interface compared to the default Windows desktop environment, which might be more appealing to some users.
  • Open Source
    Being an open-source project, Cairo Shell is free to use and benefits from community contributions, fostering continuous improvement and bug fixes.
  • Unified Search
    Cairo Shell includes a unified search feature, which makes it easier to locate files, applications, and web content quickly from a single search bar.

Possible disadvantages of Cairo Shell

  • Compatibility
    Cairo Shell might not be fully compatible with all software and system configurations, which can lead to stability issues or reduced functionality.
  • Learning Curve
    New users might experience a learning curve when transitioning from the default Windows interface to Cairo Shell, impacting productivity until they become accustomed to the new environment.
  • Performance
    On some systems, Cairo Shell might consume more resources than the default Windows interface, potentially impacting system performance, especially on older hardware.
  • Support
    As a community-driven project, professional support might be limited compared to commercial software, potentially making it more challenging to resolve issues.
  • Feature Parity
    Cairo Shell might lack certain features available in the default Windows interface or other third-party shells, potentially limiting its usability for some users.

Foxit Reader features and specs

  • Lightweight
    Foxit Reader is known for its fast performance and low resource consumption, making it suitable for older computers.
  • Feature-Rich
    It offers a wide range of features including annotation tools, form filling, digital signatures, and integration with cloud services.
  • Security
    Foxit Reader includes robust security features such as sandboxing, which helps protect against malicious PDF files.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    The interface is intuitive and easy to navigate, with customizable toolbars and a ribbon-style menu similar to Microsoft Office.
  • Cross-Platform Support
    Foxit Reader is available on multiple platforms including Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android.

Possible disadvantages of Foxit Reader

  • Advanced Features Require Paid Version
    Many of the more advanced features, like advanced editing and OCR, are only available in Foxit PDF Editor, a paid version of the software.
  • Regular Updates Required
    Frequent updates can be disruptive for some users and can sometimes require reconfiguration of settings.
  • Complex for Beginners
    The abundance of features can be overwhelming for new or basic users who only need simple PDF viewing capabilities.
  • Occasional Performance Issues
    While generally lightweight, some users have reported occasional performance lags when handling very large or complex PDF files.
  • Compatibility Issues
    There are occasional compatibility issues with certain PDF files, which may not render or function properly in Foxit Reader.

Analysis of Foxit Reader

Overall verdict

  • Foxit Reader is generally regarded as a reliable and efficient PDF reader. While it may not have all the premium features of Adobe Acrobat, it offers more than sufficient functionality for most users' needs. Compared to some other PDF readers, its performance and range of features make it a strong competitor.

Why this product is good

  • Foxit Reader is considered good because it is lightweight, fast, and packed with features such as annotation tools, form-filling capabilities, and secure file sharing options. Its interface is user-friendly, and it offers multi-platform support, which is appealing to users who work across different devices and operating systems. Additionally, it provides robust security features to protect your documents.

Recommended for

    Foxit Reader is recommended for users who need a versatile and efficient PDF reader that is not resource-intensive. It is particularly useful for professionals, students, and anyone who frequently works with PDFs and values having annotation and security tools without the need for extensive editing capabilities or higher-cost software solutions.

Cairo Shell videos

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Foxit Reader videos

Foxit Reader Free PDF Reader Review

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Cairo Shell and Foxit Reader)
Note Taking
100 100%
0% 0
PDF Tools
0 0%
100% 100
Image Optimisation
100 100%
0% 0
PDF Editor
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Cairo Shell and Foxit Reader

Cairo Shell Reviews

We have no reviews of Cairo Shell yet.
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Foxit Reader Reviews

  1. Comparatively better than other apps


The Most Recommended 9 Free PDF Readers in 2023
Foxit Reader is a reader with many functions. It is perfectly compatible with all Windows systems and is a PDF reader for Windows.
10 Best PDF Expert Alternatives for Various Tasks in 2022
If compared, the functionality of these two products, Foxit Reader proves to possess tools, which are more effective for editing text in PDF docs. Such features as adding quick markup, highlighting text, underlining, and strikethrough, are the reasons, wherefor diverse users often prefer to choose this PDF Expert alternative product.
Source: fixthephoto.com
3 Ways to Add Image to PDF for Free
Foxit Reader is a tool similar to the above 2 products. Foxit Reader and adobe have almost the same functions, the difference between them is the pricing of their advanced features. Foxit Reader is cheaper than Adobe, but not comparable to GeekerPDF, which is free.
5 alternatives to Adobe Acrobat Reader
Foxit Reader is a very smooth PDF reader and a good alternatives to Adobe Reader. In addition to reading, it also provides annotation, form filling and signature functions.
Top 5 Best Free Alternatives to Adobe Acrobat DC
Foxit Reader has a safe reading mode which helps control things like internal links and javascript integration. This is because the Foxit Reader has ubiquitous nature, it makes it a popular target for malware and virus developers.
Source: whatvwant.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Cairo Shell seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 2 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Cairo Shell mentions (2)

  • Microsoft is turning Windows 11's Start Menu into an advertisement delivery system
    Back when I was an edgy teenager I tried every Windows desktop shell replacement available. My favorites were LiteStep and Emerge Desktop. I was there when Cairo Shell first emerged but has never tried a working version since I moved to other OSes before any usable version was out. I am now using Windows for work and I think it’s time to revisit these options. Source: over 2 years ago
  • My first personal server
    Hyper-V Server 2019 gets my vote, with the Cairo Desktop it's a near unbeatable setup. Add the FoD pack, browser of your choice, Windows Admin Center for local management of the entire system including virtualized guests. It's a very robust enterprise grade server that requires NO LICENSE and ends up having a very nice GUI for a core server. Source: over 3 years ago

Foxit Reader mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Foxit Reader yet. Tracking of Foxit Reader recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Cairo Shell and Foxit Reader, you can also consider the following products

VirtuaWin - VirtuaWin is a virtual desktop manager for the Windows operating system (Win9x/ME/NT/Win2K/XP/Win2003/Vista/Win7/Win10). A virtual desktop manager lets you organize applications over several virtual desktops (also called 'workspaces').

Adobe Acrobat DC - Make your job easier with Adobe Acrobat DC, the trusted PDF creator. Use Acrobat to convert, edit and sign PDF files at your desk or on the go.

Dexpot - If you don't have Dexpot yet, the new update makes it a must-have tool for Windows, adding a ton of features to your desktop that you never knew you wanted.

Sumatra PDF - Sumatra PDF is a slim PDF/DjVu/EPUB/XPS/CHM/CBR/CBZ/MOBI viewer for Windows.

bug.n - Provide views (i. e. virtual desktops) for showing only those windows, which you need to do your work..

Foxit PhantomPDF - Edit PDF files with our feature-rich PDF Editor. Download Foxit PDF Editor to convert, sign, scan / OCR & more. A speedy PDF Editor alternative to Adobe Acrobat.