GUI and command-line tools to split and merge PDF documents, rotate and rearrange pages; supports encrypting/decrypting of PDF documents, setting permissions, adding front or back cover, extracting attachments, filling the metadata
Desktop publishing (DTP) application allows opening and editing of PDF documents; Allows compatible saving as PDF 1.3, 1.4, 1.5 and 1.7 and supports also PDF/X1, PDF/X1a and PDF/X-3
Viewer, creator, converter; supports also PDF/X-3; used by PdfCreator (until v1.7.3 then .NET Framwork 4 since v2.0.0), WinPdf, BullzipPdf, CutePDF freeware version and others
All OpenOffice.org applications allow PDF export; supports also PDF/A-1a; since many import formats are supported (e.g., doc, docx, rtf, xls, ppt) conversion is also possible
All LibreOffice applications allow PDF export; supports also PDF/A-1a; since many import formats are supported (e.g., doc, docx, rtf, xls, ppt) conversion is also possible
PDF Viewer / Reader for Desktop computer and Mobile Devices. Allows users to add many elements to PDFs (e.g. arrowed comment boxes, text boxes, links, bookmarks, and images).
Semantic scientific PDF reader (optimised for life sciences and medicine), allows public comments on PDFs, generates on-the-fly link-outs to scientific databases and resources when used while online
Multi-platform viewer; GLP2, source and binaries available for Windows, Linux and Macintosh
AmigaOS
Converters
Antiword: A free Microsoft Office Word reader for various operating systems; converts binary files from Word 2, 6, 7, 97, 2000, 2002 and 2003 to plain text or PostScript; available for AmigaOS 4, MorphOS, AROS x86
dvipdfm: a DVI to PDF translator with zlib support
Viewers
Xpdf: a multi-platform viewer for PDF files, Amiga version uses X11 engine Cygnix.
Linux and Unix
Annotation functionality
Okular: Supports a range of annotation types. Annotations are stored separately from the unmodified PDF file, or (since version 0.15 with Poppler 0.20[6]) can be saved in the document as standard PDF annotations.
Xournal: Allows for complex and customizable annotations by freehand drawing, a shape recognition tool, multiple colours and text fonts. In addition, there is a rule tool for straight lines, highlighting and underlining. Annotations may be copied, pasted and easily moved. Annotations may also be in complex scripts such as Tibetan through SCIM input. Annotations are stored separately from the unmodified PDF file, but the annotated document can be exported to PDF.
Evince: Supports addition and removal (since version 3.14 [7]), of basic text note annotations.[8]
Converters
The CUPS printing system can render any document to a PDF file, thus any UNIX/Linux program with print capability can produce PDF files.
Pdftk: can merge, split, en-/decrypt, watermark/stamp and manipulate PDF files.
PDFSaM: can split, merge and mix PDF documents, encrypt and decrypt them, set metadata, permissions and viewer options, extract attachments, add front and back cover and rotate pages.
poppler-utils: includes command-line tools to extract images from a PDF (pdfimages) and convert a PDF to other formats (pdftohtml, pdftotext, pdftoppm).
Preview: Mac OS X‘s default PDF viewer (in Mac OS X v10.5 and later, it also can rotate, reorder, annotate, insert, and delete pages. It can also merge files, create new files from existing files, and move pages between files.)
Adobe Reader: Adobe Systems‘s reader which is also available for Macintosh; Safari plug-in available
Skim, an open source (BSD licence) PDF reader and note-taker for Mac OS X
Microsoft Windows
Converters
Adobe Acrobat: Can convert files into PDF or convert PDF files into other formats[9]
ABBYY FineReader: Commercial PDF converter which converts PDF into Word (.doc), Excel (.xls), PowerPoint (ppt), and more
deskUNPDF: PDF converter to convert PDFs to Word (.doc, docx), Excel (.xls), (.csv), (.txt), more
GSview: File:Convert menu item converts any sequence of PDF pages to a sequence of images in many formats from bit to tiffpack with resolutions from 72 to 204 × 98 (open source software)
gDoc Fusion: Proprietary, shareware; PDF views, edits, converts documents into PDF, XPS or Microsoft Word document; after 30 days a watermark is placed on documents in shareware version
OmniPage: Converts to and from PDF and other formats with many options.
PDF-XChange: PDF Tools and PDF-XChange print driver allow conversion from many formats to PDF. A “lite” version of the print driver is free for non-commercial (home and academic) but places a watermark on documents
Qiqqa: Converts Microsoft Word document and Web Pages to PDF.
SaveasPDFandXPS: Freeware add-in for Microsoft Office 2007; converts documents in standard Microsoft Office formats, e.g. Word, Excel, Powerpoint, into PDF format.
SWFTools: ‘pdf2swf component converts PDF to SWF – command line with GUI wrapper
Virtual Printer. Creates a PDF with embedded Creative Commons license from any software. Bundled with optional proprietary Razoss adware and browser tools.
Virtual printer, also with proprietary PDF editor. Attempts to install the Ask Toolbar as well as Hotspot shield. Can be avoided by using the /no3d command-line switch.
Enterprise-level creator to create, review, edit, share or archive PDF and XPS documents. After 30 days shareware version places a watermark on documents.
Freeware reader; commercial full version available
As with Adobe Acrobat, Nitro PDF Pro‘s reader is free; but unlike Adobe’s free reader, Nitro’s free reader allows PDF creation (via a virtual printer driver, or by specifying a filename in the reader’s interface, or by drag-‘n-drop of a file to Nitro PDF Reader’s Windows desktop icon); Ghostscript not needed.
PDF Tools allows creation of PDFs from many types of source input (images, scans, etc.). The PDF-XChange print driver allows printing directly to a PDF. A “lite” version of the print driver is free for non-commercial (home and academic) use.
gDoc Fusion: proprietary/shareware desktop product to create, review, edit, share or archive PDF and XPS documents. After 30 days a watermark is placed on documents in shareware version.
LibreOffice: free (MPLv2) GUI tools to manipulate, split, merge, encrypt and decrypt PDF files
Nitro PDF Pro: a proprietary commercial PDF creator/editor with an interface styled after Microsoft Office; replicates most or all features of the Adobe Acrobat full commercial version; offers a separate freeware reader (which also supports PDF creation, annotation, collaboration and signing); Ghostscript not additionally needed.
PDF Studio: Proprietary software for viewing and editing PDF documents
pdftk: free (GPL) command-line tools to manipulate, edit and convert documents; supports filling of PDF forms with FDF/XFDF data
PDFSaM: free (GPLv2) command-line and GUI tools to manipulate, split, merge, encrypt and decrypt PDF files
PDF-XChange Viewer: Freeware PDF reader, tagger, editor (simple editions) and converter (free for non commercial uses).
Solid PDF Tools: Convert PDFs into editable documents and create PDFs from a variety of file sources.
Microsoft Word 2013: Proprietary desktop software. The 2013 edition of Office allows editing PDF files.
Viewers
Adobe Reader: Adobe’s PDF reader is free only for personal use. For commercial use, Adobe Reader should be purchased. For instance, if your software uses Adobe Reader for things like printing, you and your customer will have to purchase Adobe Reader if it qualifies as a commercial product.[10]
Evince: a free (GPL), open source PDF reader. Part of the GNOME desktop environment. Windows port available since version 2.28.
Foxit Reader: Proprietary/freeware PDF reader, supports FDF import/export, saving filled forms; other extended functionality available via purchasable plugins.
gDoc Fusion: Proprietary/shareware to view PDF, XPS, Microsoft Word document, Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, Microsoft PowerPoint presentation or image files, included in the evaluation version of the product. Shareware version places a watermark on documents after 30 day eval.
Nitro PDF Reader: Freeware (though proprietary) PDF reader and creator. Supports three methods (specifying the file within the reader’s interface, or dragging-‘n-dropping a file onto the reader’s Windows desktop icon, or “printing” to a virtual printer driver) of PDF creation (Ghostscript not additionally needed), saving filled forms (AcroForms), text typewriter, markup/collaboration, and stamp signature (document signing).
Nuance PDF Reader: Freeware (adware) PDF reader, supports saving filled forms, partial support for XFA forms; enables the capability to convert PDF files to MS Word or Excel files through Nuance website.
PDF-XChange Viewer: Freeware viewer with free OCR, supports FDF/XFDF import/export, saving filled forms, extended markup and export to image capabilities.
Qiqqa: Freeware PDF reader, indexer, tagger and annotator. Supports OCR and export of PDF text and images.
Sumatra PDF: A free (GPL), open source PDF reader. It also supports DjVu, XPS, CHM, Comic Book (CBZ and CBR) and eBook (EPUB & MOBI) file formats. Supports automatic reloading of PDF files.
STDU Viewer: A freeware for non-commercial usage PDF reader. It also supports DjVu, Comic Book Archive (CBR or CBZ), XPS, TIFF, TXT and image file formats.
PDFescape: an advertising and fee supported web service to view, create forms, fill out forms, and edit PDF documents from a web browser (requires JavaScript to be enabled)
PDFVue: a free web application that allows the user to view PDF’s, comment and fill PDF forms from a web browser. Generates a watermark.
Viewers
A.nnotate: a web service which views PDF documents as HTML in the browser, with annotation features.
DigiSigner: free online PDF viewer java applet with additional function to digitally sign PDF documents.
Docstoc: a web service which allows viewing PDF documents online
Issuu: a web service which allows viewing PDF documents online
Google Docs: a web service which views PDF documents as PNG images in the browser
Scribd: a web service which renders PDF documents as HTML5 in the browser
Pdf.js: A Javascript-based library, with viewer, and browser plugin.
PDFTron Systems: WebViewer. A free JavaScript viewer and annotator for self-hosting of web optimized PDFs.
List of PDF software