Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

PDF-XChange Editor VS Adobe Reader

Compare PDF-XChange Editor VS Adobe Reader and see what are their differences

PDF-XChange Editor logo PDF-XChange Editor

The smallest, fastest, most feature-rich PDF editor/viewer available

Adobe Reader logo Adobe Reader

Adobe Acrobat Reader is a free tool for viewing documents that have been stored in Adobe's Portable Document Format (PDF).
  • PDF-XChange Editor Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-03
  • Adobe Reader Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-04-17

PDF-XChange Editor features and specs

  • Feature-Rich
    PDF-XChange Editor offers a wide range of features including annotation tools, OCR, content editing, and more. This makes it a comprehensive solution for managing PDF documents.
  • Lightweight
    The application is relatively lightweight and performs efficiently even on less powerful systems, providing a smooth user experience.
  • User Interface
    The interface is intuitive and user-friendly, making it easy to navigate through various functions and features.
  • OCR Support
    PDF-XChange Editor includes robust Optical Character Recognition (OCR) capabilities, allowing users to convert scanned documents into editable and searchable text.
  • Customization
    It offers a high level of customization, allowing users to tailor the toolbars, menus, and other interface elements to meet their specific needs.
  • Cost-Effective
    The software provides a good balance of features and cost, making it an affordable option for both individual users and businesses.

Possible disadvantages of PDF-XChange Editor

  • Learning Curve
    Due to its extensive feature set, new users may find it challenging to learn and master all of the functions and tools available in the software.
  • Limited Free Version
    The free version of PDF-XChange Editor is limited in functionality, with many advanced features requiring a paid license to access.
  • Watermarks
    Free version annotations and some features will include watermarks on the documents, which could be inconvenient for professional use.
  • Occasional Bugs
    Some users have reported occasional bugs and software instability, which could interrupt workflow and reduce productivity.
  • Complexity of Features
    Some of the advanced features may be overly complex for users who only need basic PDF editing capabilities, making the user experience overwhelming.

Adobe Reader features and specs

  • Compatibility
    Adobe Reader is compatible with a wide range of operating systems, including Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS. This makes it accessible for a broad audience regardless of their device preferences.
  • Features
    It supports a variety of advanced features such as text highlighting, annotations, and form filling. These features can be useful for both personal and professional use.
  • Security
    Adobe Reader comes with built-in security measures to protect against malicious PDFs. This helps ensure that your device and data remain safe.
  • User Interface
    The user interface is generally intuitive and user-friendly, making it easy for users to navigate through documents and use its various features.
  • Frequent Updates
    Adobe frequently updates Adobe Reader with new features and security patches, which improves functionality and enhances security over time.

Possible disadvantages of Adobe Reader

  • Performance
    Some users have reported that Adobe Reader can be slow to load, especially when opening large documents. This can be a hindrance for those who need quick access to their PDFs.
  • Resource Intensive
    Adobe Reader tends to use a considerable amount of system resources, which can be problematic on older or less powerful devices.
  • Bloatware
    The application can be seen as bloated by some users, with many features that are redundant or unnecessary for basic PDF viewing.
  • Privacy Concerns
    Adobe's Data Collection Policies have raised privacy concerns. Users may be uneasy about the amount of data that Adobe collects and how it is used.
  • Advertisements
    Free versions of Adobe Reader occasionally prompt users with advertisements for other Adobe products, which can be intrusive and disrupt the user experience.

Analysis of PDF-XChange Editor

Overall verdict

  • PDF-XChange Editor is considered a good choice for those requiring a robust PDF editing solution. It combines functionality and ease of use, making it appealing to a broad spectrum of users from casual users to professionals.

Why this product is good

  • PDF-XChange Editor is widely regarded as a powerful and versatile PDF editing software. It offers a wide range of features, including text editing, annotation tools, OCR (Optical Character Recognition), and the ability to create and fill forms. Its user-friendly interface and efficient performance are often praised, making it suitable for both basic and advanced PDF editing tasks. Additionally, it supports a wide array of file formats and provides integration with popular cloud storage services.

Recommended for

  • Individuals who frequently need to edit or annotate PDF documents.
  • Professionals requiring advanced PDF functionality such as OCR and form creation.
  • Users looking for a cost-effective alternative to other leading PDF editors.
  • People who value integration with cloud storage and multiple file format support.

Analysis of Adobe Reader

Overall verdict

  • Adobe Reader is generally considered a good choice for users who need a robust and feature-rich PDF reader. It is reliable and functionally comprehensive, making it suitable for both personal and professional use. However, some users may find it resource-intensive compared to lightweight alternatives.

Why this product is good

  • Adobe Reader, also known as Adobe Acrobat Reader, is a well-established PDF reader that offers a wide range of features. As an industry standard, it provides reliable and consistent performance for viewing, printing, and annotating PDF files. It integrates seamlessly with Adobe's suite of tools, allowing for advanced PDF functionalities such as form filling, digital signature support, and PDF editing when paired with Adobe Acrobat Pro. Additionally, its widespread usage and compatibility on various platforms make it a convenient choice for many users.

Recommended for

  • Users who regularly deal with complex PDFs requiring advanced features such as annotations and digital signatures.
  • Professionals in need of a robust, industry-standard tool for managing and viewing PDF documents.
  • Individuals who already use other Adobe products and need seamless integration across Adobe's ecosystem.

PDF-XChange Editor videos

PDF-XChange Viewer Tutorial

Adobe Reader videos

Adobe Reader Review

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to PDF-XChange Editor and Adobe Reader)
PDF Tools
80 80%
20% 20
PDF Editor
83 83%
17% 17
PDF Creator
92 92%
8% 8
PDF Readers And Editors
59 59%
41% 41

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare PDF-XChange Editor and Adobe Reader

PDF-XChange Editor Reviews

The 13 Best Free PDF Editors (February 2024)
PDF-XChange Editor offers some great tools, but not all of them are free to use. If you use a non-free feature, the PDF will save with a watermark on every page.
8 Best Adobe Acrobat Alternatives In 2022 [Updated List]
PDF-Xchange Editor is one of the most inexpensive alternatives to Acrobat Pro. It has all the tools necessary for creating, editing, and annotating PDF files and also has OCR and tools for digitally signing the documents. It also allows you to export PDF files to MS Office formats.
10 Best PDF Expert Alternatives for Various Tasks in 2022
Thereby, PDF Xchange Editor comes before PDF Expert in the OCR technology. This PDF expert alternative provides you with the advanced OCR plug-in of ABBYY, which counts to be more precise, adaptive, and faster than the standard OCR engine (at work by PDF Expert), and be completed with features such as dynamic stamps, say, a stamp that adopts the system date in an automatic...
Source: fixthephoto.com
13 of the Best Free PDF Readers
For those users looking to add audio to their PDFs, PDF-XChange Editor could be the solution. Besides the having ability to add recordings and other audio, users can view and edit the PDF files, along with adding in a signature. The best feature of PDF-XChange, though, might be its Optical Character Recognition Tool. With this tool, users can scan in a printed document and...
Source: www.indeed.com
Top 5 Best Free Alternatives to Adobe Acrobat DC
PDF-XChange Editor offers amazing amount of features for free (about 80%). Some of them are free only in Editor (but not free in others competitors). And all free features in Editor are very precise and detailed. With the stable work and good support, PDF-XChange Editor is very user-friendly for high level professional documents
Source: whatvwant.com

Adobe Reader Reviews

5 alternatives to Adobe Acrobat Reader
If you are looking for an alternative to Adobe Reader for Windows, first check out the Geekersoft PDF Editor, which provides free access to PDF documents and includes PDF creation, editing, conversion, OCR, and PDF signature. This Acrobat Reader alternative is cheap and considered to be the most cost-effective PDF editing tool on the market.
Top 10 Adobe Reader Alternatives for Windows
While the aforementioned programs are all excellent choices as Adobe Reader alternatives, they are not the only choices you have. If you’re running Windows 8 or 8.1, you also get a native PDF viewer that’s simply named ‘Reader’. Most Office suites, like MS Office and Libre Office, also allow users to read, create, annotate and edit PDF files, so if you have either installed...
Source: beebom.com
8 Best PDF Readers Available For Windows PC
Foxit Reader is another free PDF reader for Windows. Foxit Reader was once the first alternative to the Adobe Acrobat reader and it’s still one of the best PDF readers available, it offers the most features with no strings attached. From tabbed browsing to a range of advanced options, the Foxit PDF reader is yet another PDF reader to try on your Windows PC.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing PDF-XChange Editor and Adobe Reader, you can also consider the following products

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.

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

Foxit Reader - Foxit Reader is a free and light-weight multi-platform PDF document viewer.

Wondershare PDFelement - All-in-one PDF editor

MuPDF - MuPDF is a lightweight PDF and XPS viewer.

PDF24 PDF Creator - Create PDF and convert documents to PDF for free with the free PDF24 PDF Creator.