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PDF Reader Pro and Foxit PDF Editor are two leading PDF tools well-loved PDF tools with powerful editing features. However, only one deserves your attention and subscription.
In this review, I matched PDF Reader Pro and Foxit PDF Editor to determine which tool has the best editing abilities. Check out my full review below!
Quick Reference Table
1. Installation Process
Before I discuss the tools' features, we must establish how easy it is to install them.
PDF Reader Pro Installation
PDF Reader Pro provides a quick and easy installation process with no signup. To get started, head to the Free Trial page, and the tool will automatically download. It's only 80 MB in size, so it won't take up much space in your system.
Image source: PDF Reader Pro
From there, follow the installation instructions and install PDF Reader Pro like any other app. You'll be inside in under a minute.
Foxit PDF Editor Installation
Foxit's nearly 1 GB-sized tool took ages to download, and I had to sign up to its website before doing so (PDF Reader Pro is small and doesn't require signup to download).
I'd have preferred not to sign up for anything and have my email potentially clogged with spam (everyone gets enough of that these days).
Once I finished downloading Foxit, I had to sign in again to use the tool.
Image source: Foxit
Both tools provide 14-day free trials, which is plenty of time to determine which works best for you. Let's get started with our review!
2. Home Page Layout and Accessibility
Ease of use is a big consideration if you're going to be subscribing to one PDF tool for the foreseeable future. Let's find out how simple each tool is to use, and how quickly you can get to where you need to be from the home page.
PDF Reader Pro Home Page
The "Open Files" button is large and clear. It's the first thing you see when you open PDF Reader Pro, letting you jump into a PDF immediately.
You can also "Create PDF" from an image, and the "Recent Files" option beneath that lets you open previously edited PDFs quickly.
Image source: PDF Reader Pro
There's also the "Quick Tools" layout to the right of the "Open Files" and "Create PDF" options, which lets you select from a list of vital PDF processes like:
- Converting a PDF to a Microsoft Office tool format
- Using OCR to turn a scanned PDF into a scannable file
- Merging two PDFs
- Splitting a PDF into two files
- Converting an image into a PDF
Foxit PDF Editor Home Page
Foxit's home page is surprisingly similar to PDF Reader Pro's one. You've got your "Open File" button to the left, and a "Tool Wizard" to the right that lets you activate a commonly used PDF function straight away.
Image source: Foxit
Although Foxit's Tool Wizard doesn't offer as many PDF features for quick usage, its home page does feature a "Cloud Documents" option. However, I would've preferred if I could link my Google Drive or Microsoft OneDrive accounts. Instead, I have to manually upload all my documents, which is a bit of a pain.
Still, the Foxit cloud does provide 20 GB of space, which is quite generous.
3. Comparing PDF Editors
Now, let's explore each tool's editing capabilities. Both tools provide extensive editing power, and I was impressed with each.
We'll use the same PDF file, an "Affidavit of Support", for both PDF editors for the sake of this review to see how each holds up when editing complex government forms.
PDF Reader Pro's PDF Editor
We'll reivew the following PDF Reader Pro editing features:
- Tools
- Editor
- Edit PDF
The "Tools" Feature
Image source: PDF Reader Pro
The "Tools" feature provides an impressive number of editing tools, like:
- Highlighting
- Underlining
- Squiggly underlining
- Strikethrough
- Freehand drawing
- Text boxes
- Anchored notes
- A range of shapes, arrows, and stamps
- Signing
Each tool is straightforward and intuitive. You can use each straight away without any tutorials.
The "Editor" Feature
The "Editor" feature allows you to manipulate the actual nature of your PDF.
Image source: PDF Reader Pro
I made the most out of the following options:
- Compress: Reduce the size of your PDF for easy and convenient sharing
- Merge: Merge your current PDF with any number of others
- Security: Add or remove passwords from your PDF
- Watermark: Add your personal watermark to each or certain pages of your PDF
- Backgroud: Add a personal or provided background to your PDF's pages
- Header & Footer: Customize the top or bottom of each page in your PDF
Edit PDF
The “Edit PDF” tool lets you add text and images to a PDF with the “Add Text” and “Add Image” tools:
- Add Text: Insert a customisable text box into your PDF by clicking and dragging a new text box where required.
- Add Image: Insert an image from your device’s storage. Click “Add Image”, select your image from storage, and then place it in your document.
Foxit PDF Editor's PDF Editor
Foxit PDF Editor has a nifty “Home” page for editing functionalities.
Image source: Foxit
Several of the commonly used tools are presented to you straight away, like:
- Edit Text
- Edit Object
- Typewriter
- Highlight
Unlike PDF Reader Pro, which categorizes its editing features, Foxit PDF has a singular “Edit” tab where most editing tools are located.
Image source: Foxit
These include:
- Hand Tool: Lets you scroll and navigate through the PDF without selecting or editing any text or objects.
- Select Tool: Enables you to highlight or select text and images in the PDF for copying or editing.
- Edit Text: Allows you to modify existing text directly within the PDF.
- Edit Object: Lets you move, resize, or change the properties of objects like images, shapes, or annotations.
- Link & Join Text: Merges separate text blocks or adds hyperlinks to text within the PDF.
- Check Spelling: Scans the document for spelling errors, helping ensure accuracy.
- Search & Replace: Quickly locates and replaces text in the document with alternate text.
Although these tools are highly useful, I found Foxit seemed to be missing some important features, such as:
- Highlighting, underlining, and freehand drawing
- Adding signatures and stamps
I also needed to compress, merge, add security, insert watermarks, customize backgrounds, edit headers and footers, apply bates numbering, and measure elements within a PDF.
My Verdict
Both PDF Reader Pro and Foxit PDF Editor are impressive tools with solid editing capabilities, but one stands out more for me. Foxit PDF Editor does a great job with its "Cloud Documents" feature, offering 20 GB of storage space. Its interface is clean, and the single "Edit" tab makes navigating the tool straightforward for simple tasks.
That said, PDF Reader Pro is the clear winner in my book. It’s lightweight, incredibly intuitive, and packed with features that Foxit just doesn’t match. I loved the "Quick Tools" layout, which lets me jump into vital PDF tasks like OCR, merging, and splitting files without wasting time. The editing tools themselves are more robust, with options like freehand drawing, advanced customization, and bates numbering that I couldn’t find in Foxit.
Foxit is reliable for basic editing, but I recommend PDF Reader Pro if you’re looking for a powerful and efficient PDF editor that gives you everything you need in one place. I’ll be sticking with it.
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