Sumatra PDF Viewer is a lightweight free Windows program lets you view PDF documents without a lot of extra features that slow things down. It has all the basics you need and none of the fluff that you don’t. If you’re frustrated by the clunkiness of some of the big-name PDF viewers, this could be exactly what you’ve been looking for.

The program has a plain, intuitive interface, with a few menus and a toolbar across the top. The basic PDF viewer options are here: you can zoom in and out and select single page, facing page, or book views. The program also lets you rotate pages and view PDFs in full screen or presentation modes. A search box lets you locate text within PDFs, and there’s even an option that will launch your default e-mail application and let you automatically attach the PDF to a new e-mail. An online Help file provides a list of keyboard shortcuts that make the program’s operation even easier. Sumatra PDF Viewer is small enough to fit on a USB drive, ensuring that you can view PDFs easily wherever you go. Overall, we think that Sumatra PDF Viewer is a great alternative to larger PDF programs, and anyone looking for a sleek and simple PDF viewer should give it a try.

Sumatra PDF Viewer installs politely but leaves a folder behind upon removal.