Foxit PDF Reader vs Universal Viewer

Foxit PDF Reader is a free PDF reader for viewing, annotating, filling and signing PDF documents. It supports standard Acroforms and XFA forms, and its collaboration tools include shared reviews, comments and document feedback. Users can sign by hand, use a saved signature image or connect with DocuSign. The reader integrates with cloud storage services, enterprise content management systems and Microsoft SharePoint; listed business integrations include Microsoft Teams and Salesforce. Security controls include Protected View, Trust Manager, Safe Mode, ASLR and DEP. Foxit lists support for Windows 10 and 11, macOS 10.15 through 14, iOS, Android and the web. Mobile apps are available for smartphones and tablets, and desktop use can work offline. The Free PDF Reader plan costs nothing. Foxit PDF Editor is a separate product with a free 14-day trial. Help options include searchable articles, troubleshooting, ticket submission and regional phone support.

Universal Viewer is a Windows desktop application for opening a wide range of file formats in one viewer. It handles images, multimedia, Word and Excel files, PDF, RTF, internet formats, text, and formats supported by Total Commander Lister plugins. Image support includes over 40 graphics formats and RAW images from 400+ cameras; its multimedia player supports over 170 formats without external codecs. In the Pro version, Word and Excel files including DOCX and XLSX open without MS Office, and a PDF plugin works without Adobe or Foxit Reader. Pro also adds complex RTF and RAW image support, an image panel with a Convert to feature, and highlighted text search. Text mode handles files of unlimited size, including those over 4 GB, with encodings such as Unicode and UTF-8. Windows Explorer context-menu integration provides a way to open files in the viewer. The free edition’s multimedia support depends on the Windows Media Player engine. Listed system requirements include Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10, and 11. The Pro version has a 15-day trial; paid access starts at $26.