- To activate its inverted mode, right-click anywhere on the PDF and click the Page icon in the menu that appeared in the top right corner of the app: There, you can decide how to display pages, and what colors to use. Next to the default (light) mode, you have a Night mode (the moon crescent) and a Sepia mode (the yellowish button next to it).
- Foxit PDF Reader is a popular PDF app with more than a hundred thousand installs recorded on Google Play, and a high rating of 4.6. It doesn't take long to understand Foxit's success.
Inverted colors, dark mode or even night mode. If the name changes from app to app, the feature is the same: changing the page light background color into something dark, and changing its black text into something light. It’s great when reading PDFs in a low light environment and t’s essential when you suffer from some sort of extreme light sensibility, or have a terrible eyesight that makes it so you can’t read dark text on a light background on a screen.
Of all the apps I have tested, those three support some sort of inverted colors, at least partially for the last one.
The reader is still equipped with enough features to make for a decent PDF reader so if you’re ever reading at night, or you received a document with a color scheme that makes text hard to read, you can change how the text appears from Adobe Reader’s preferences. Open a PDF file (any file) in Adobe Reader. Go to EditPreferences. Open the View Mode dialog. The current color mode is circled by a blue border. Day (or regular) mode doesn't change the display colors at all. Night mode swaps black and white, and reverses the brightness of everything, while preserving colors. Sepia mode gives the view a yellow tint, like old photographs.
Here is our reference PDF, for comparison. It is a scan of an old book: a simple black-and-white image, the text in it is not editable/selectable, with some handwritten annotation in red ink.
Foxit PDF Reader. Price: Free / $0.99. Other features include cross-device syncing, downloading for offline use, and a Night Mode for late night reading. The discovery features are actually.
Xodo PDF Reader
Xodo uses a Modern/Fluid user interface, including a dark mode. It’s also clutter free: all menus are hidden behind a gesture or a right-click on the screen. It comes with a great inverted color mode. And has many (all?) editing capabilities you can wish: add annotations (handwritten or typed), highlights, underline. Plus, you can add, remove and reorder pages in the PDF (reordering pages is a dedicated menu that could be simpler to use, though). It’s really packed full. And it’s free, as in “free beer”.
To activate its inverted mode, right-click anywhere on the PDF and click the Page icon in the menu that appeared in the top right corner of the app:
There, you can decide how to display pages, and what colors to use. Next to the default (light) mode, you have a Night mode (the moon crescent) and a Sepia mode (the yellowish button next to it). You can also use your own colors (the “…” button), which can be very useful. Once the setting is set, the app will use it for every new PDF you open.
Drawboard PDF
Drawboard is not a free app, but it’s well worth its price ($12 but you’ll often see it on sale at 50% on the Microsoft Store, though: it is, right now). They also offer a more expensive subscription-based Pro version that you don’t need in order to access any of the basic features, including annotating your PDF and the use of inverted colors.
(A couple years back, if you purchased a Surface device, you’d get the app for free but I can’t find anywhere if this offer is still valid nowadays. An easy way to check: launch the Microsoft Store and search For Drawboard PDF. If you can purchase it, it means you don’t already own it. If not, you’ll only have the option to install it 😉)
Back to the app itself.
As Xodo, Drawboard uses a Modern/Fluid UI that plays nicely with Windows. Its editing capabilities are not as complete as far as I can tell, but they cover most needs: annotations, highlight and underline. Rotate, add or remove pages. It’s also almost as clutter free as Xodo: the only items you see in the next screenshot are the one I wanted to see. You can hide most.
All essential menus are always accessible through the round green little thingy you can see near in the top right of my screenshot. Click or touch it to deploy its content.
It’s great to access your most used tools and settings, especially with touch/pen. Too bad it stays blindingly white with black text (and while we’re at it, please let us make the text in this neat wheel menu bigger). You can also define some tools as favorites, and have them accessible in the right most menu bar which, unlike the wheel menu, fully supports dark mode making it much more usable for me.
I think Drawboard’s view settings are not as easy to find as Xodo’s, but once you know where they are, it’s quick. Open a PDF and click the Hamburger menu on the top left. There, click the Tabs menu. Then click the View & Layout menu to open a new panel. There, click Night Mode. It looks grayed out? Yep, mine too. That must be a design oversight, as it only means the setting is off by default not that you can’t use it.
Done. Alas, every time you open a new PDF you you’ll have to reactivate Night Mode. And, nope, the Set as default option at the bottom of our menu does not work with Night Mode. With a dark-friendly wheel menu, that’s something I’d really like to see in an update.
Adobe Reader DC
This is the free reader from Adobe (not their paid pro app, which as far as I know doesn’t offer anything more in regards of inverted colors mode). It’s the fastest app of the three to open big PDF files. But:
- Its inverted mode is the poorest, when it works at all.
- It’s really too well hidden in the settings.
- The interface is too cluttered (worse than what the next screenshot lets you see, that’s its ‘decluttered’ reading mode).
- It doesn’t support Microsoft’s Modern/Fluid components and none of its accessibility features, it feels dated and, well, not great at all to use when you have a poor eyesight.
- Its editing capabilities are also the poorest: You can add annotations, highlights and underlines.
To activate Adobe’s inverted mode, go to Edit->Preferences. There, click Accessibility and check the Replace Document colors option (one will appreciate how the accessibility preferences doesn’t have a dark mode). Then, check Custom Color and change its default to black for page background and white for text, or use any other colors you need. The setting is now default for any new PDF you open, which is great.
Alas, and it’s a big drawback, this will only works with some type of PDF: those where the text is true text (where you can select it) and the original text better be black. I can’t make it work with image PDF (like many book scans are), or even in PDF where the text is not dark enough. Here what my old Maspero looks like using Adobe’s inverted colors:
So why do I keep on using Adobe, then? I barely do and only because it’s fast and… because its the only app I know that adds thumbnails preview support to the Windows File Explorer—Yeah, 2020 and Windows still can’t preview/display PDF thumbnails right out of the box.
Recommended app?
I use both Xodo and Drawboard as they let me do everything I need to do with PDF files. They both work well with Windows 10 Modern/Fluid accessibility features and its dark mode. They both let me easily use inverted colors with my PDFs.
But why do I use two apps? Because I like them both and, more importantly, because they don’t always render the inverted colors the same way. Depending the PDF I’m working on and how poor is my eyesight at that time, it can make a huge difference in readability. Here is another old book scan, with its yellowed pages:
Xodo’s inverted mode:
And Drawboard’s:
One is not better than the other. But what I appreciate is to have the choice.
PDF is still one of the most popular reading formats even after all these years. From reading an e-book or filling up an online form to creating user manuals, PF format is still the most preferred way of reading. While the web browsers are already equipped with basic PDF reading facilities these days, you would still need to download a PDF reader separately for functions like filling forms, adding annotations, etc.
So, as you are downloading a PDF reader for more features, you may feel overwhelmed with the hundreds of them available online with an exorbitant price tag. Therefore, we have curated a list of some of the best PDF readers offering more than just the basic features for free.
Google Drive
While the search giant has its own PDF reading facility attached with its browser and an exclusive app for those who don’t have access to the storage, you can view PDFs right in the Drive if you have access to it.
Adobe Pdf Reader Night Mode
The Drive is the best place to access PDFs and even store PDF documents. It allows you to change any of your files, or spreadsheets into PDF format and also lets you add PDF documents to the cloud to view them as and when you want. Therefore, the Drive is especially the best option to read or convert documents into PDF.
Price: Free
Adobe Acrobat Reader DC
This is undoubtedly the most popular PDF reader of all time. It helps you access, read, or edit your PDFs anytime, at any location. Those using it on a Windows platform, get a complete view and editing rights to different types of PDF and other files.
Features:
- It allows you to view, edit, distribute files and add annotations to the PDF files.
- You can also export the files and arrange them using notes and vibrant highlights.
- Enables you to create your own PDF file from an MS Office document or from a web page.
- It offers a quick and trusted way to access your PDF files on several types of devices.
Best of all, it also functions as an audiobook, reading the content out loud for those books that are difficult to read. Compatible with all major platforms, this PDF reader is perfect for anyone who wants to add notes to the PDF files while on the move.
Price: Free.
Slim PDF
If you are looking for a simple PDF reader that you want to work with, occasionally, then this is it. It helps you to open and view the PDF document without taking much of your computer’s space.
Features:
- Fast in performance, it’s a lightweight and bloat-free application.
- It also allows you to get a print of your PDF files.
- It comes in a compact size and offers a secure way to view and print PDF files.
Moreover, it features a clean user interface and is far smaller than the Adobe Reader.
Price: Free.
Soda PDF
This is another great free PDF reader that offers a complete and user-friendly experience. It helps you to not just open and read PDF Files, but also allows you to create, edit, view, and even annotate PDF documents.
Features:
- Offers free access to different PDF services.
- It allows you to create PDF files from hundreds of file formats.
- Enables you to convert PDFs into other different types of files seamlessly and with no data loss.
The ability to blend many different selected PDF files into a single convenient document or dividing the large-sized PDF files into various smaller documents are among its other major features.
Price: Free.
Foxit Reader
One of the most powerful PDF readers in the category, it helps you to create PDFs, view them, add notes, fill forms, and even create digital signatures on them. It’s a compact software that’s packed with features and perform fast.
Features:
- It allows you to open, read, and print PDFs effortlessly.
- Enables you to create documents in the PDF format and that work with other PDF products.
- It helps you to increase flexibility at work and influence results by allowing you to share the PDF files and collaborate.
- Protects the sensitive data on your documents with different security features.
- It allows you to sign the PDF documents in your own handwriting or create a digital signature.
Offering cloud-based services for PDF files with the option to permit or refuse access to documents, and to keep a check on who has access to your document and send notifications accordingly, and effortlessly implementing the application to all the desktops in the company, are among its other major features.
Price: Free version available.
Nitro PDF Reader
This is one useful PDF reader that gains an upper hand over its competitors by allowing to read, create, edit, annotate and even review PDF documents. This offers more than just the basic features for free as compared to the other PDF readers.
Features:
- It allows you to create PDF from almost any Windows app and from 300+ file formats.
- Leets you drag-and-drop files to create a document on the fly.
- It helps you to customize your PDF documents using tools that can change the resulting quality, ad your own colors, resize the page, embeds fonts, more.
- It allows you to annotate, respond to feedback, highlight texts, and more.
- Enables you to view PDFs, including text, and even collaborate with no additional knowledge required.
From the option to quickly sign your document right from your desk, or scanning a signature to make your own exclusive signature to encrypting your documents for security or the option to share your PDF documents with anyone, at any time and location, it offers a range of such major features.
Price: Free version available; Plans start from $159/user.
PDF-Xchange Editor
It’s a compact PDF viewer, reader, and editor that comes loaded with features. This fast-performing application offers an easy to use approach. It helps you to create PDF documents and even edit them from almost any Windows app making it extremely flexible.
Features:
- It allows you to modify the parameters like the margins, image resolutions, page size, and orientation.
- It also enables you to modify the default settings and the printing axes.
- It helps you to convert PDFs in batches.
Moreover, it supports multiple languages and other features like syntactic identification that speeds up the PDF creation and conversion process, offers the option to customize its applications to fit your requirements, comes with Enhanced OCR plugins, and more.
Price: Free version available; Plans start from $43.50.
SumatraPDF
This is yet another PDF reader that offers all the basic PDF functionalities without slowing down your system. This lightweight application can also read eBook formats on Windows.
Features:
- It allows you to open and read PDF documents effortlessly.
- It offers multiple language options.
- Provides quality zoom and search options.
- Open large-sized files faster and effectively.
- It comes with a range of hotkeys to make it easier to work with PDFs.
It’s simple yet faster and offers additional functionalities like the option to rotate pages, view PDFs in full screen, launches default email application, automatically attaches the PDF to the email, and more.
Price: Free
MuPDF
If you are looking for high-quality graphics along with a minimalist approach, then this PDF viewing software is just right for you. This lightweight tool allows you to view the PDF content without actually requiring an advanced PDF reader.
Features:
- Portable in nature hence does not need to be installed and can be carried on a portable device.
- No Windows updates with fresh entries, and no unused files left behind on the hard drive once the application is deleted.
- It offers the option to save to any computer and directly run the executable file.
- Find and open a PDF using the dialog box that pops up on initialization.
- Sports a simple interface with a regular window with handy keyboard shortcuts.
Among its other major features is a built-in search function to find and highlight the very first entry it locates, zoom in and out features, changing to full-screen mode, page rotation, and using minimum system resources.
Price: Free.
STDU Viewer
This one is a versatile document viewer allowing you to open and read even the scientific and technical documents that include PDF, WWF, DjVu, JBIG2, and more. It can also open many image files like the ones in CBR and CBZ formats.
Features:
- Sports a user interface that supports multiple languages.
- Helps translate the interface into your preferred language by switching strings in XML.
- It comes with an advanced tabbed user interface and all the basic features.
- Enables you to export text from text layer-based documents.
Moreover, it also works a converter for files that need to be converted from PDF or DjVu to PNG, GIF, etc., can also export a complete page or a section of a page to an image file, allows you to create your own bookmarks, and more.
Price: Free.
Javelin PDF Reader
If your intention is to view PDF files and protect your PDF files from unwanted access, then this software can just be the right choice for you. This completely unified and encrypted PDF reader is perfect for market research agencies, publishers, educationists, government establishments, etc.
Features:
- Provides support for internal and external hyperlinks.
- It offers content or navigation trees, a collection of page display types, document text searching, and more.
- It allows you to annotate, highlight, and even mark up.
- Safeguards the content of the encrypted files from getting copied, and prevents them from getting shared.
Moreover, it also allows you to add limitations like setting permissions for printing, how long to be viewed, etc.
Price: Free version available; Plans start from $199/Year.
Expert PDF Reader
This is among the lightweight PDF readers that convert your files to PDF format and get a print in just a couple of clicks. The best part is, this software loads much faster compared to the bigger names in the category.
Features:
Pdf Reader With Night Mode Chrome
- It allows you to edit the current PDF documents.
- Enables you to change the outlines, add rubber stamps, and change any comments that have been added from the PDF reader.
- It helps you to open PDF files, save them, email them as attachments and get a print.
Equipped with a known hand cursor, displaying PDF files in a neat manner, the option to attach files and sticky notes to the comment section, adding comments using text, highlights, stamp, etc., are among its other significant features.
Price: Free.
Cool PDF Reader
PDF readers are good, but something that slows down your documents can be frustrating. This software makes it easier and faster to read your PDF documents making it a great alternative to the bigger names.
Features:
- Sports a user-friendly interface that’s also easy to understand.
- The interface is loaded with command symbols followed with descriptions as you roll the mouse on them.
- Smallest PDF reading software in the world loads faster, and convenient to read.
- It allows you to open PDF files, read the files, view, them, and even edit files or convert them to other formats like JPG, TIFF, TXT, EPS, and more.
- Enables you to zoom in and zoom out, rotate pages, create bookmarks and PDF slideshow, can be used as a built-in PDF reader, and more.
Moreover, it also allows you to copy any text and images from PDF files, in a couple of clicks, displays slideshows in full-screen, allows you to read in low light reading mode, and in other reading modes like Citrix mode, night reading mode, etc.
Price: Free
Sorax
This is another trusted PDF reader in the list that’s compact and offers fast performance. From opening and reading files to exporting documents to different formats, it does all the basic job of a good PDF reader. It also allows you to get a print of the PDF file.
Features:
Pdf Reader With Night Mode Android
- Lighter on the system allowing it to load faster and is user-friendly.
- It offers a drag-and-drop function that helps you to open several documents swiftly and conveniently change between them.
- Sports a tabbed user-interface.
- Allows you to view your PDF files in single-page mode or in double-page mode, organize pages in an uninterrupted column, scroll through documents automatically, and more.
- Enables you to click pictures of the existing document and saves it in the clipboard.
A simple user interface with basic functions and that can be completely customized (lets you insert or delete different toolbars) is another great feature.
Price: Free.
Conclusion
Whether you are looking for a lightweight application with a minimal approach, or applications that offer more than basic features like the option to highlight or adding e-signature, the above list of free PDF readers offers all that for a complete experience. So, choose the one that meets your needs and enhance your reading experience.
I find passion in writing Tech articles around Windows PC and softwares