Whether you use a Mac or MacBook, the best PDF reader for Mac is a completely Apple-compatible app for viewing and annotating PDF documents.
My team and I have tested the best PDF editors, best free PDF editors, and the best free PDF readers- so, we know what to look for when it comes to PDF document viewers that work on Mac (and bonus points for compatibility with iPad and iPhones, too).
For most Mac users, Apple Preview is still the best PDF reader for Mac, since it's free and already comes installed on Apple devices. It might lack some of the more advanced tools found in other apps in this round-up, but it's still surprisingly feature-rich and if you want software that works exactly as intended in iMac and more, this is the one I recommend.
Not on Mac? We've also tested the best PDF reader for Windows and the best PDF reader for Android.
Best Apple PDF reader
Apple Preview is Apple’s PDF reader and editor built into every modern Mac. And that’s just one of the reasons why it’s one of the best free PDF readers for Mac.
When we reviewed the PDF viewer, we were delighted to find a pre-installed tool that had enough features to fulfil the needs of all but the most demanding PDF users.
Apple Preview is, we felt, “a remarkably powerful tool, offering you the basics, while also allowing you to perform what could be considered pretty powerful editing and note taking functions. You'll even find a PDF merging tool and a seamless way to combine PDFs.”
The software’s limited, but powerful PDF editing tools manifest in the form of reordering, rotating, and removing pages from documents. There’s no option to edit the text of a PDF here.
But, then, Preview is first and foremost a free PDF reader for Mac. A way to instantly open documents. No fuss. No browsers. No third-party PDF reader apps. You can also eSign documents anywhere on the page, and add text and comments to documents - ideal when remotely collaborating with other Mac users.
On that score, Apple’s Acrobat Reader alternative is a stellar option. It’s able to easily compete with Adobe’s software at almost every level. Best of all, there’s no ads.
Read our full Apple Preview review.
Best Mac PDF reader for iOS
pdfFiller proves itself a versatile PDF editor, with apps for Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android, alongside a web-based version.
For fast viewing of PDF files, you can upload and read them in your browser, without even having to sign up. And if that’s all you need, the whole process is entirely free. But as a well-tooled PDF reader and editor, you can also make use of a large set of features such as document conversions, online collaboration tools, data redaction, and e-signing. Like everything else in the app, editing PDF content is straightforward, not dissimilar to using a word processor. When we reviewed the service, we were impressed, calling it “a very versatile PDF document management system.”
Once you make any changes to a PDF, you’ll need to sign up to save and export them. This also requires a subscription, with the platform offering three plans - Basic, Plus, and Premium - as well as enterprising licensing for teams.
If you’re looking for a PDF reader for Mac, pdfFiller is worth exploring, given its cross-platform compatibility and abundance of tools. But it’s fairly limited at the free tier, and to really get the most from the service, a subscription is recommended.
Read our full pdfFiller review.
Best PDF reader for iPad Pro and Apple Pencil users
Readdle PDF Expert is a robust and easy-to-use solution for managing business documents. And with a four-and-a-half star rating in the Mac App Store, it seems to be one of the best PDF readers for Mac users. The software gives you the ability to read, edit and annotate PDF documents from a central dashboard.
One of the great things about PDF Expert is that it’s fast and slick to use. Thanks to smooth scrolling and a fast search function, you can quickly find what you’re looking for across multiple PDF files.
This app lets you edit images, text and links, plus the software can automatically detect fonts, size and opacity of writing. Plus, if you happen to own an iPad Pro and Apple Pencil, you can add annotations and notes to documents on-the-go. Like most PDF apps out there, PDF Expert comes with a free download option, but the paid version provides a license for up to three macs.
Read our full Readdle PDF Expert review.
Best Mac PDF reader for data security
Foxit has developed a sophisticated PDF management app, with the Foxit PDF Editor being pushed as a tool that goes well beyond PDF viewing, providing a comprehensive range of tools for manipulating and editing PDF files. And it's available on Mac, iOS, Windows, and Android.
Features include OCR and eSign software, the ability to add and remove watermarks from PDFs, online collaboration tools, and strong PDF converter tools. It also integrates with iManage WorkSite and SharePoint.
For compliant-conscious businesses, the incredibly powerful redaction tools - letting you completely erase sensitive data from a document - will be especially welcomed.
When we reviewed the software for PDF editing, reading, and everything in between, we were impressed by how simple Foxit PDF Editor was to use. "Almost as easy as using a regular word processor," is how we described it.
Pricing varies, depending on whether you opt for the basic PDF editor, or upgrade to the more advanced Pro and Pro+ software.
A free trial is also available, and volume licensing is an option for those who need it. It's certainly worth considering if you're looking for a budget-friendly PDF reader for Mac.
Read our full Foxit PDF Editor review.
Best Mac PDF reader for basics
Wondershare has developed a Mac version of the popular PDFelement app, which is positioned as an easy way to edit PDF documents. It gives you the tools to add text, images, links, backgrounds, watermarks, headers and footers to PDF documents.
The software provides an extensive selection of PDF editing options. Not only can you add text to documents, but you can also tweak the font type, size and style. There’s the ability to rotate, extract, replace and crop images too.
PDFelement is a great option for teams in particular, with powerful collaborative capabilities, letting you add sticky notes, comments, text boxes and more. And you can use the tool to fill out business documents such as contracts and tax forms. PDFelement offers a standard package, but for all features you will need there is a professional package.
Read our full PDFelement review.
Best Mac PDF reader for business
Adobe Acrobat Reader has long been one of the best PDF readers for Mac - as well as Windows and Android devices. It’s a well-designed tool, packed with features, but to get the most from it, expect to subscribe.
Reading PDFs here is a dream. The software is easy to use, with an intuitive design that makes sense. All tools are exactly where you expect to find them, and work as they should. However, if you’re looking for a free PDF reader on Mac, this one may be somewhat hobbled.
The basics, like commenting, annotating, are here. And we found the fill and sign tool, with its automatic detection feature, worked flawlessly every time we ran a test document. However, a lot of other tools, like editing and file conversion, will require a Standard or Pro subscription.
Read our full Adobe Acrobat Reader review
Best PDF reader for file management
Available to download directly from the Mac App Store, the Kdan PDF Reader is one of the most powerful and popular PDF readers for Mac. It functions as a file manager, file converter and page editor.
With the software, you can easily edit PDF files by adding freehand writing, text boxes, sticky notes, hyperlinks and annotations. And to ensure that important documents don’t get mixed up, you’re able to label them by adding tags and color-coding. What’s more, to keep track of all your saved files, you can make use of an import history feature.
The app works with iCloud, too, meaning you can back up and access saved documents on an iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad. There’s even compatibility with Dropbox, so you can easily import documents from devices that run on other operating systems.
Overall, you should find the app smooth and quick to use. It’s powered by a proprietary rendering engine, which aims to ensure that large files are processed and loaded without any lag. There is a free version that you can try before you purchase.
Best PDF readers for Mac FAQs
How to choose the best PDF reader for Mac
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The best PDF reader for your Mac depends entirely on what you need to do with your PDF files. If you're only opening the occasional PDF file, a basic PDF reader or even your existing browser could offer all of the functionality you'll ever need.
We recommend choosing a more advanced reader if you need to fill in forms, digitally sign, or make bigger changes to your PDF files. Tools like the best eSign software and the best OCR software is common in most PDF editors, for instance, but less so in PDF readers and PDF viewers.
This is also a good option if you frequently view large PDF files or have a few open at once. If you plan to make substantial changes to a PDF file, consider a fully-fledged PDF editor instead.
How we test the best PDF readers for Mac
Our team of expert reviewers have tested a massive range of PDF software and office apps, including the best PDF merger tools and best PDF compressors. So, when rating Mac PDF readers, we know exactly what makes an app best.
We downloaded, installed, and used all of the programs in our best PDF readers for Mac guide to make a comparison based on first-hand experience. We carried out a range of everyday PDF tasks to assess ease of use and pushed each reader with multiple large files to gauge performance.
Great software stands on the shoulders of a solid support network, so we took a look at the documentation and other types of assistance offered by each developer. We also explored each product's pricing and subscription models and investigated free and trial versions where available.
During our testing process, we've fully explore a range of PDF readers and editors across the Apple ecosystem, as well as the best PDF viewers for Windows and Android devices.
We've tested best Adobe Acrobat alternatives - and these are our favorites.
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