Foxit Reader

Popular programs in PDF

What is Foxit Reader

Foxit Reader is a utility that allows users to open and view PDF files. Files of this sort are often appreciated for the way they accurately represent printed documents. Furthermore, these files are usually opened by Adobe's Acrobat Reader, a program made by the company that created the format. Although it is also free, Acrobat Reader is a relatively bulky program in terms of installation size and memory consumption, and many users find it a frustratingly slow option.

On the other hand, Foxit Reader focuses on being much less demanding of resources. It uses a fraction of the install space and system memory that Adobe's program does, and opens quite quickly once a PDF file has been double-clicked. Furthermore, it offers the same range of viewing options that Reader does, with an intuitive user interface making it easy to select among these.

On the downside, Foxit Reader can sometimes have a bit of trouble correctly displaying PDF files. Although Adobe updates the PDF file format quite frequently, Foxit's utility can sometimes lag a little behind on these changes. In addition, Adobe sometimes create undocumented, proprietary extensions to the format that can really throw Foxit for a loop. However, these are used relatively rarely in practice.

Otherwise, Foxit Reader makes a really fine alternative to Acrobat. Most users, in fact, will likely find that it offers a superior experience, especially insofar as it opens so quickly when called upon. Some adjustment may need to be made by those who are already comfortable with Acrobat Reader, but the user interface is intuitive enough that this learning curve should be relatively short.

Pros:

• Resource-friendly and fast.
• Completely free and gracious about it, with no nag screens to get in the way.

Cons:

• Can sometimes have a little trouble with idiosyncratic PDF files.
• Some might prefer the UI of Acrobat Reader.