Explore and pick your favorite ones to easily enjoy your PDFs on Mac, regardless of PCs or MacBook devices.
#1. SwifDoo PDF
SwifDoo PDF is the best free PDF viewer/reader and editor for Mac, combining functionality and convenience. The software offers a variety of free options to address your different needs. It can display PDF pages side-by-side and split the same PDF into four small windows for reading. The best PDF reader for Mac allows you to zoom and rotate pages for free. It is strong in annotating, so that you can do almost anything and won't disappoint you.
Pros
- Simple and intuitive interface.
- Various viewing modes, such as full-screen and multi-screen.
- Add annotations: Highlight, take notes, draw on, and write on a PDF on Mac, etc.
- Modify the PDF's existing text, images, and links.
- Rearrange, delete, or add PDF pages.
- Protect or unsecure PDF files with passwords.
- Affordable lifetime license.
Cons
- It is not entirely free for advanced features.
#2. Adobe Reader
The Adobe best PDF reader for Mac is one of the most well-known free PDF applications. As the industry pioneer, few competitors are as capable and powerful as its pro version. It is reputed and dependable. It outputs standard PDFs that can be opened without trouble. If all you want is to read and fill out forms, the best Mac PDF reader is the free go-to.
Pros
- A set of annotation options to help type text on and mark up a PDF.
- Free to access, sign, and print PDFs.
- Integration with Adobe Document Cloud.
- The paid version is one of the best PDF editors for Mac, and it has lots of complex features.
Cons
- Big in size, and background processes could lag your computer.
- Expensive monthly subscriptions and no one-time purchase.
#3. Skim
Skim is a standout, the best free PDF reader for Mac OS X. It’s designed with a nice search function that works properly. It is not a dedicated PDF software but a decent choice for basic and sporadic PDF handling. The program is widely used to read and annotate scientific papers. If you don’t need those premium features in other apps, the Mac free PDF reader is enough.
Pros
- Open-source and completely free.
- View, bookmark, highlight, and perform other annotation and comment actions on your PDF.
- Support external scripts.
- Compatible with other operating systems like Windows and Linux.
Cons
- Can’t change the original PDF content.
- Annotations made in Skim don’t display in other best PDF viewers for Mac.
#4. Preview
The Preview application is a gift PDF reader on a Mac that is free to use. It shines over Adobe Reader in conveniently adding, extracting, copying, and pasting document pages. The best free PDF viewer for Mac provides all its signing and annotating features without costing a penny. Its interface is quite clean and natural to navigate. What's a pity is that it can’t deal with form filling, unluckily. Preview is unsuitable for opening large PDFs such as textbooks and image-heavy files.
Pros
- Pre-installed on Mac, saving you from downloading and installing time.
- Annotate, such as drawing on a PDF on Mac, and organize and sign PDF documents.
- The Preview MacOS PDF reader is safer and more reliable as Apple Inc. is the developer.
Cons
- It does a crappy job of highlighting PDFs because the text layer you annotated in Preview can corrupt in other software.
- The search function is useless when you search for a phrase.
#5. Foxit PDF Reader
Foxit PDF Reader is a highly popular, professional, and free PDF reader for Mac. If you only need to create, view, print, sign, annotate, and fill out PDF forms, Foxit ticks all your boxes. The software is mainly subscription-based but offers perpetual licenses. Its paid version has a full set of tools for deep editing and contains OCR. It is among the best PDF software apps for Mac and is lighter than Adobe's Acrobat.
Pros
- Faster search, easing the location of the specific paragraph within a PDF.
- Comprehensive and customizable solution for businesses.
- Security and cross-platform versions.
Cons
- Crowded interface and menu design, leading to a steeper learning curve for new hands.
- Costly permanent plan fee.
#6. PDF Expert
You will be happy with PDF Expert, the software boasting an impressive suite of viewing and annotating tools. The Mac OS X PDF reader/viewer enables you to read and compare two files side by side and switch the reading modes between Day and Night. The straightforward UI and integration with the Mac ecosystem set it apart from others.
Pros
- Editing and converting features, such as altering text and creating PDFs from images.
- Cross-device sync with iPad and iPhone.
- Easy-to-navigate interface for beginners.
Cons
- Spendy upfront.
- Occasional slow loading performance issue.
#7. PDF Viewer by Nutrient
Another best PDF reader for Mac OS that is available for free download is PDF Viewer by Nutrient. This desktop application, created by PSPDFKit GmbH, allows users to sign, annotate, redact, and share PDF documents. It supports opening files by drag-and-drop. Users can leave comments by adding notes, text, or line drawings to PDFs.
Pros
- Speedy and smooth reading and word search experience.
- PDF page rotating, deleting, and merging.
- Read the PDF out loud with text-to-speech.
Cons
- Only quarterly and annual subscription plans.
- Lack of advanced editing features.
Conclusion
This article suggests you to download the seven best PDF readers for Mac. You can effortlessly explore what they are best for and weak at. If you tend to include functionalities beyond what the built-in Preview reader has, go for SwifDoo PDF, Adobe Reader, or PDF Expert. If high cost is your pain, list your must-have features and choose the most moderate one. The 'best' PDF veiwer is always contingent on your actual needs.
When you decide, you can change the default PDF viewer to your liking. Double-clicking your PDF will open it automatically in that software.
