Adobe Acrobat vs Foxit Reader

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Adobe Acrobat Reader is a powerful but space and resource hogging application which few users are going to utilize to its fullest potential. But there is an alternative and even better it is free! Foxit Reader 2.0 works just as well as Adobe Acrobat but doesn’t have the ton of plugins to load which on older and slower systems could prove fatal. CyberNet Tech News has done a nice review of the new Foxit 2.0 Reader.

In case you are wondering, this program works beautifully with Firefox and even more so when paired with the PDF Download Extension (which works with Firefox 1.5.0.X, Firefox 2.0/Bon Echo & (developmental) Firefox 3 Gran Paradiso/Minefield. Here are the steps needed to integrate Foxit with Firefox’s PDF Download Extension:

  • Once PDF Download has been installed a new selection, “PDF Download – Options” will appear in your Tools Menu. Select this option.
  • On the ‘General Tab’, for Default Action, select ‘Open PDF
  • On the ‘PDF opening’ Tab, for the PDF File Opening, select ‘Use this viewer
  • Click ‘Browse’ in Windows Explorer locate the Foxit Reader (FoxitReader.exe) and click ‘OK’
  • Click ‘OK’ again to exit out of the PDF Download – Options.

Now whenever you come across a PDF File, Firefox will automatically load in the FoxIt Reader, a process which depending on your system speed with be nearly instant to a couple seconds. Note: Firefox downloads the PDF File in order to open it.


Update 09/23/07: Changed link to download page on FoxIt website

Download FoxIt Reader

40 Comments on Adobe Acrobat vs Foxit Reader

  1. Is there an extension that will let me view .psd files?

  2. Foxit reader rocks!!! thumbs down to Adobe Acrobat reader though I feel glad tht Adobe invented PDF format 😀

  3. In some cases (‘open link in new tab’) the plugin sometimes is not activated. Go to Tools/Options/Downloads button ‘view & edit actions’, find pdf and set it to use Foxit as well.

    Unfortunately Foxit sometimes does not print a document as good as it shows it on screen, so i have to keep Adobe’s hog.

  4. MagnoliaSouth | February 14, 2007 at 7:29 PM |

    Hmmm. I followed this tutorial, and what Chris H suggested as well. I still cannot get Foxit to open within Firefox. It opens, it just opens within Foxit’s own application window. Where the tutorial says “Firefox will automatically load in the FoxIt Reader,” does this mean that it will, in fact, open in it’s own application window? I ask because it already is a reader, so that can be taken a couple of ways.

    What mine is doing might be the intentional way of working, but I’m not sure.

  5. Kapitän Rotbart | March 16, 2007 at 9:23 AM |

    I’ll agree that Foxit PDF Reader is the best PDF reader for Windows. I can’t say I’m glad that Adobe conceived PDF… they still monopolize it. We could be using Envoy or Common Ground Digital Paper… provided we all agree on a given format, that’s what matters. Not only do PCs have Acrobat pre-installed, but they have the latest version installed. I needed to use Acrobat to read certain PDFs from my university for scholarships and tax forms, but I found an old version of Acrobat (v.5) and despite the fact that it’s bigger and slower than Foxit, it’s not nearly as big and slow as the later versions (6, 7 & 8).

    I still use Foxit for any other PDFs, and I recommend PrimoPDF as a PDF printer driver (it’s free and allows security parameters to be established).

    I still cannot get Foxit Reader to open within FireFox. I’ve managed all other combinations: Acrobat in IE, Acrobat in FF, Foxit in IE, but no Foxit in FF… the extension still would not allow me that possibility. Anyone know of a patch that could make it possible? It sure would be nice!

  6. The latest Acrobat is so much better at loading, and so much better all round that I’ve now junked Foxit (which I never thought I’d say!).
    Version 8 I think – it’s far better than earlier ones…

  7. To answer MagnoliaSouth’s question: no, Foxit does not load within a firefox tab, it loads up fireit reader. The Foxit developpers say they are working to make it more compatible with fire fox.

    Source: http://lifehacker.com/software/productivity/download-of-the-day-foxit-pdf-reader-109741.php

    And who knows, maybe the firefox community will beat them to it and make a plugin.

    CrimsonS

  8. Way late chiming in, but you actually don’t need the extension. Just go to Tools>Options (or Edit>Preferences on Mac and Linux)>Content>File Types>Manage>PDF>Change Action… and browse for Foxit_Reader.exe.

  9. This is just what I need, but it looks like it’s Windows-only. 🙁

  10. I tried Hasan’s suggestion but can’t find pdf in the file types list. Is there any way for me to still get foxit to work in firefox?

  11. So i’ve tried everything on this site, and everything on the PDF Download extension site, and still my pdf’s do not open WITHIN firefox. Each time, it opens up Foxit; no seamless browsing. Any suggestions?

  12. Simon,

    here’s a link on how to do it. Just click my ‘website’.

  13. Plugin not needed. Hansen suggestion works.

  14. Unfortunate indeed that it’s Windows-only… but that is no longer an issue for me. Since the version of Gnome released in fall 2007, the Evince document viewer now handles forms, meaning I do not need Adobe Acrobat Reader anymore (despite Acrobat being available for Linux). In fact I no longer need Windows, nor any of its native applications, thanks to the applications available for Linux.

  15. Capitalism Killed The FOXit reader

    And yet another one bites the dust.

    Foxit Reader is no longer a free product. O yeah, sure you can get a one year license for free if you buy something else (where they get 50% commission on the sales). Wonderful. I hardly blame them, they are developers and need money, but at least they could make their 2.0 version open source and continue with their commercial pro line.

    This truly and utterly sucks, as pre 2.0 versions do not understand the Firefox plugin concept.

    If I had a Hammer,
    I´d smash all injustice.

    Keywords: foxit not free anymore foxit reader no longer free gratis download

  16. I just learnt that Adobe Acrobat reader 9 is announced along with Acrobat.com.
    I visited Acrobat.com. Contains great features. But i got somewhat confused. But i got detailed information about it later here – Adobe introduces Acrobat 9 & Acrobat.com
    It also contains detailed and fabulous review of Acrobat 9 and Acrobat.com which was a lot helpful.

    Adobe Acrobat 9 – Preview
    Acrobat.com (BETA)

  17. Yeah Acrobat reader 9 is announced but it is of 33 mb in size. Reader 8 was of 22 mb and installs on nearly 100+mb so what do you think how much this version 9 would take

    I don’t like adobe reader but i have to.
    first of all opening in firefox just like adobe, printing multiple pages per sheet which is now available in foxit 2.3 version but i am still confused about using foxit
    it should be that accessible as acrobat…..

  18. I have to work with pdf files (no srvival without pdfs). I have tested both acrobat reader & foxit) I love to choose foxit aong them for following reasons:
    1. installation file just 4 mb.
    2. installs in a minute or less
    3. opens & closes fastest.
    4. multiples files can be opened at once in a single browser (like IE 7)
    5. Even you can edit makes comments, (need to purchase full version for that)

    Enjoy Foxit Reader

  19. It was interesting to read, thanks

  20. I got some reports in Citrix Resource Manager and did some tests with 85 users using PDF Readers (70 using Acrobat Reader 8 and 15 using FoxIt Reader 2.2 through XenApp 4.5 in diverted departments of a construction company, and I discovered:

    Time analysed: 2 months (40 weekdays)

    Adobe Acrobat Reader 8 (70 users)

    • Count: 22.512 – The average is each user opening 8 pdf files per weekday)
    • Average CPU utilization while active: 19.6%
    • Maximum memory set while active: 1358 MB
    • Maximum memory peak working set: 1905 MB
    • Average memory while active: 23.4 MB
    • Average memory peak working set: 52.3 MB
    • Maximum time active: 01:23 (hh:mm)
    • Spool print size of CPS 4.5 admin guide (414 pages using HP LaserJet 4 driver): 9.52 MB
    • Spool print size of CPS 4.5 admin guide (414 pages using HP DeskJet 660C driver): 9.53 MB
    • Spool print size of CPS 4.5 admin guide (414 pages using ThinPrint driver): 9.25 MB

    Fox IT Reader 2.2 (15 users)

    • Count: 8.148 – The average is each user opening 14 pdf files per weekday)
    • Average CPU utilization while active: 12.5%
    • Maximum memory set while active: 569 MB
    • Maximum memory peak working set: 1071 MB
    • Average memory while active: 14 MB
    • Average memory peak working set: 31.5 MB
    • Maximum time active: 00:37 (hh:mm)
    • Spool print size of CPS 4.5 admin guide (414 pages using HP LaserJet 4 driver): 447 MB
    • Spool print size of CPS 4.5 admin guide (414 pages using HP DeskJet 660C driver): 66.2 MB
    • Spool print size of CPS 4.5 admin guide (414 pages using ThinPrint driver): 61 MB

    http://www.robertoalves.com/?p=176

  21. Adobe reader 9 seems better in terms of appearance than foxit reader 3. But foxit reader has added capabilities…

  22. Since I read a software review for Foxit Reader and installed it on my PC, I have never stop using it.

    It is portable and much lighter then the acrobat, make a huge deferent for me.

    I love the Foxit 🙂 and do recommand it to everyone.

    Enjoy
    Amit

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  24. marywilliams | July 16, 2009 at 1:08 AM |

    Hi guys, I need to create PDF document from my Microsoft word file. How do I do it?

  25. Wow, thanks for that information! Foxit is a great and, that is more important, very fast pdf viewer. I like to use it with Firefox =).

  26. Nice post. I like adobe but foxit is nice. I like the comparison.

  27. foxit reader is my favorite PDF reader, has many tabs that’s why make it easier 😉

  28. Foxit Reader is light, fast and has features like that of Adobe.
    It rocks!
    It is an end to Adobe’s long time rule!

  29. Hats off to Foxit Reader!

  30. foxit reader is free i’m using version 4 and it works great 🙂

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  32. I use to use Foxit until they started adding a bit of bloat to it. I wanted a clean PDF reader no strings attached.

    Now I use SumatraPDF. It is open source, portable and smaller than Foxit. http://blog.kowalczyk.info/software/sumatrapdf/free-pdf-reader.html

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  36. how do i open pdf online with foxit reader

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