Want a free PDF reader that also lets you highlight and comment? PDF-XChange Viewer brings the document and markup tools into one Windows application. It opens PDFs for reading and lets you add annotations such as highlights, notes, and stamps.
Reading and navigating PDFs
Move through a document page by page or use the page thumbnails to jump to a particular part. Bookmarks provide another route through long PDFs, while document tabs keep multiple open files within the same application window.
For a specific term or phrase, use text search to locate matching passages in the document.
What can you annotate?
The markup tools cover common review tasks. Highlight or underline text to call attention to a passage, then add a note, text box, or callout to explain a question or proposed change. Stamps give pages a visible review mark.
- Highlight and underline passages while reading.
- Attach notes or place text boxes and callouts.
- Add stamps to mark a page's status or purpose.
Keeping comments with the document
Annotations are added to the PDF as review comments, so they remain associated with the document when it is saved and shared. A practical workflow is to mark the relevant passages as you read, add notes where context is needed, and save the commented PDF for someone else to review.
The Viewer reads and annotates PDFs but does not edit their text; Tracker Software's newer PDF-XChange Editor handles that.
Pros
- Highlights and underlines mark passages for review
- Sticky notes, text boxes, and callouts add comments
- Stamps provide a visual way to mark pages
Cons
- No longer developed; PDF-XChange Editor is its successor
System requirements: Windows 10, Windows 11 · 32-bit and 64-bit
Can PDF-XChange Viewer add comments to a PDF?
Yes. It includes highlights, underlines, sticky notes, text boxes, callouts, and stamps.
How can I find a passage in a long PDF?
Search the document for a word or phrase, or use page thumbnails and bookmarks to navigate.
Can I keep several PDFs open at once?
Yes. Document tabs let you switch among multiple open PDFs.
