Nitro PDF Readerfor Windows

Nitro Reader for Windows is the free PDF reading tool offered by the developer. If you choose not to buy Nitro Pro after your free trial, you’re allowed to keep this version, but you lose access to all the other tools. It is clear that Nitro wants to impress you with the full feature-set version of their app so you’ll sign up.

What is Nitro PDF Reader?

Despite its name, Nitro PDF Reader does substantially more than just allow you to read PDF files – even in the free version. You can create PDFs from other document types, highlight text, and add sticky notes. You’re also able to see if a PDF document is digitally signed and if it contains bookmarks and comments.

How much does Nitro PDF Reader cost?

You can download a free trial version that gives you full access to the complete Nitro Productivity Suite, including Nitro Pro and Nitro Sign. If you want to retain access to those features after 14 days, you’ll need to buy the relevant program. Pricing for Nitro Pro starts with a one-time payment of $157 for a single user. 

Is Nitro PDF Reader safe?

Nitro’s target customers are businesses, so the company knows its software needs to be safe to download. It’s safest to download programs directly from the developer's websites to avoid PUPs. Regarding the data within your PDFs, Nitro Pro offers password-protected encryption.

Are there any good free alternatives to Nitro PDF Reader?

Yes. Two of the most popular are Foxit Reader and Adobe Reader DC. Unlike Nitro PDF Reader, these are free programs.

Xodo PDF Reader and Annotator is also an excellent option. Again, it’s completely free and is full-featured. Xodo also makes its tools available in a browser, so there’s no need to download it at all.

Our take

Nitro PDF Reader isn’t the best free PDF reader on the market, but for basic functionality, it works very nicely. The Nitro PDF UI is like Microsoft’s Office programs, so users of the Microsoft Office suite will be comfortable with the layout. However, there are entirely free PDF apps available that provide a broad range of PDF editing tools that Nitro makes you pay for.

Should you download it?

For basic PDF reading and annotations, yes this is a good download. But beyond that, we recommend looking at other options that don’t force you to subscribe for more advanced features.