Programs to browse PDFs

After reading my guide on how to download PDF books for free , you have filled your computer with digital books in PDF format to read in your spare time. Not having a tablet available yet and being hesitant about buying an eBook reader, you are using your laptop to read the downloaded books and so you would like to know programs to make PDF browsable, as if they were real paper books. Is that so? Then let me tell you that you have come to the right place at the right time.

With today’s guide, in fact, I will list a series of  programs to browse PDFs that could be for you and, for each of them, I will show you the detailed procedure to download, install and use it on your computer. In addition, I will also offer you a list of online services that allow you to browse PDFs directly from the browser, without having to install any program, and apps to use on smartphones and tablets. How do you say? Is it exactly the kind of solution you were looking for? So do not waste any more time and investigate the topic immediately.

Courage: make yourself comfortable, take five minutes of free time and dedicate yourself to reading the next paragraphs. Read carefully the instructions I am about to give you, try to put them into practice and I assure you that browsing PDF files from your computer will really be a breeze. I just have to wish you good reading and good luck for everything!

Index

• Soda Reader (Online / Windows / macOS)
• Flipping PDF Reader (Windows)
• Flip PDF (Windows / macOS)
• 3D PageFlip (Windows / macOS)
• Online solutions to browse PDFs
• App to browse PDF

Soda Reader (Online / Windows / macOS)

Soda Reader is among the best programs to browse PDFs to install on your computer. It is available for free for Windows PC and macOS and can also be used from a browser by accessing its online version.

To download Soda Reader on your computer, connected to the software website , click on the Free Download button next to the item On the desktop and wait for it to download. Then proceed with the installation of the program: if you have a Windows PC , double-click on the Soda_PDF_ [version] .exe file and press the Next button to start the installation.

If, on the other hand, you are using a Mac , double-click on the  Soda_PDF_ [version] .pkg file , press the Continue button twice in a row and click the Accept button , then press the Continue and Install buttons , type the password of your user account on macOS to start the installation and wait for it to complete.

After starting Soda Reader on a Windows PC , click on the Open PDF document button , select the file to browse and press the Open button . Then click on the Options item in the top menu and select the Layout  and  3D View options  to make the PDF browsable. On Mac , instead, click on the File item in the menu bar at the top, select the Open option from the menu that appears, choose the PDF file you want to browse and that’s it.

As mentioned above, with Soda Reader you can also browse your PDFs online. Then connect to the Soda Reader site , click on the Soda PDF Online item and, in the new open page, press the Create account button , then click on the Sign in with Google ,  Sign in with Facebook or  Sign in with Windows buttons to register for Soda Reader Online using one of the aforementioned accounts. Alternatively, enter your email address in the Email Address field, press the Continue button to register using your email, fill out the registration form and click the Sign Up button.

After creating your account, select the  Open PDF  and  Computer items , press the Browse button to select the file to import and, once the upload is complete, click on the 3D View option  to make the PDF browsable.

Flipping PDF Reader (Windows)

Flipping PDF Reader is a free software for Windows that allows you to browse PDFs with nice 3D effects in the passage from one page to another. It includes all the standard functions of classic PDF reading programs: zoom, search within documents, full-screen viewing mode and much more.

To download Flipping PDF Reader on your computer, connect to the program website , scroll down the page and click the Download button . Once the download is complete, double-click the pdfReaderSetup.zip file and then the pdfReaderSetup.exe file  to start the installation, then press the Run button , click the Next button twice in a row and press the Install button . Wait for the installation to complete and click the Finish button to close the window and start the program.

Now, click on the File item at the top, select the Open option from the menu that appears, choose the PDF file to browse and press the Open button to import it to Flipping PDF Reader. Then click on the arrow icon pointing to the right to browse the pages of your PDF, while pressing the icon of the four arrows you can set the full screen view.

Flip PDF (Windows / macOS)

Flip PDF is a program that allows you to create browsable documents with a 3D effect starting from any PDF. It also allows you to export projects in EXE, ZIP or HTML format for quick sharing both online and offline. Flip PDF is available for Windows PC and macOS and costs 90 euros, but you can test its features for a 30-day free trial period.

If you think Flip PDF is the solution that best suits your needs, connect to the manufacturer’s website , click on the Products item in the top menu and select the Flip PDF and Flip PDF for Mac option depending on the operating system installed on your computer. In the new open page, press the Download button to start downloading the trial version of the program.

Now, if you have a Windows PC , double-click on the flip-pdf.zip file and then on the flip-pdf.exe file , press the Run button and click the OK button to confirm the choice of the Italian language , then press the button Next five consecutive times and click the Install button . Wait a few moments and press the Finish button to complete the installation and start the program.

If you have a Mac , double-click the Flip-PDF-for-Mac.zip file and then on the FlipPDF.pkg file , press the Continue button three times in a row and click the Accept button , then press the Install button and enter the password of your user account on macOS to start the installation.

You are now ready to browse your PDFs with Flip PDF. After starting the program, click the button New project , choose whether to create a Flash or HTML5 project and click the OK button , then select the PDF file by pressing the Browse button and click the Import now button .

Press the right arrow icon to start browsing your PDF. Also, you can click on the icon of two arrows and a square to set the view to full screen and on the magnifying glass icon to search the PDF.

You must know that by pressing the Neat button at the top left, you can customize the template of your PDF and apply one of the templates available on Flip PDF. In addition, you can export the browsable PDF in ZIP, EXE or HTML format for online publication on your website. To do this, click on the Publish item in the top menu, select one of the available options and choose the export format to generate the files that you will later have to upload to your site’s server through an FTP program (for example Filezilla ).

3D PageFlip Standard (Windows / macOS)

3D PageFlip Standard is a paid software to make files in DOC, ODT, TXT and even PDF format browsable. It costs $ 99 but you can download a trial version that allows you to test its operation for a period of 30 days.

To download 3D PageFlip Standard, connected to the official website of the program and click on the Free Trial button in the box relating to  3D PageFlip Standard . Once the download is complete, if you have a Windows PC double-click on the 3D_PageFlip_trial.zip file and then on the 3D_PageFlip_trial.exe file  , then press the Run button , click on the Next button , put the check mark next to I accept the agreement and presses the Next and Install buttons .

If you are using a Mac, double-click the 3D_PageFlip_Mac.zip file and then the 3DPageFlipStandardforMacInstall.pkg file  , then press the Continue button twice in a row, click the Accept , Continue and Install and enter the password  of your user account on macOS to start the installation.

Now, start 3D PageFlip Standard, click on the Try button to activate the free trial of the software and press the button Import PDF at the top left, then select the file to be browsed, click the Import button and you’re done. To browse your PDF manually press the arrow icon pointing to the right , otherwise click the ▶ ︎ button to start automatic playback.

You must know that with 3D PageFlip Standard, you can customize the template that is applied to your PDF by pressing the Select button at the top left next to the Template item . Then choose the one you are interested in and click on the Select button to set the new template.

Online solutions to browse PDFs

In addition to the programs to install on your computer, you should know that there are also online services to make PDF browsable and that allow, subsequently, to embed the file on external websites. Here is a list of online PDF browsing solutions you can consider.

• Issuu: is among the best online services to browse PDFs. In its free version, it allows you to upload PDFs consisting of up to 500 pages and no more than 100MB in size and to insert browsable files on external websites using an embed code. To take advantage of Issuu without any limitations, subscription plans are available starting at $ 22 / month with a free 14-day trial.
• FlipSnack: is the ideal solution for those who want to create a digital magazine starting from a PDF. The creation of an account is required and, in the free version, it allows you to upload PDFs with a number of pages not exceeding 15. To remove these limitations, it is necessary to subscribe between  Starter  (32 $ / month),  Master  (38 $) / month) and  Team  (59 $ / month).
• Browse me: is another valid online service that allows you to create digital magazines for free and to obtain a code for inserting the browsable PDF on your website. To convert a PDF into a browsable PDF you have to wait a couple of hours, but with the Priority service (€ 2.99) it is possible to reduce the wait to a few minutes.
• Calameo: Like the previous online solutions, Calameo also allows you to convert a PDF into a browsable PDF. It is available in a free version that applies advertising banners and a watermaker to the converted PDF: to remove the advertising and the logo of the service, you need to subscribe to one of the subscription plans between  Premium (12 € / month) and Platinium (49 € / month) .
• Joogmag: is an online service that allows you to convert a PDF into a digital magazine for free, also allowing its embedding on external websites. For the more demanding, there are also subscription plans (starting from 9 $ / month) that increase its features, such as the ability to export the browsable PDF or access the viewing statistics.

App to browse PDF

Among the tools you can consider are also the apps to browse PDFs to  be installed on your smartphone and tablet: here are some that could be for you.

• Prestige eReader ( Android) : is an application for reading eBooks in ePub, PDF, TXT, DOC, RTF format etc. which allows the peeling function. In addition to allowing you to archive your files, it also allows you to access a rich catalog that contains thousands of free eBooks.
• Universal Book Reader ( Android) : is an ePub and PDF file reader. In addition to functions such as reading in night mode, the ability to highlight text and the search function for specific phrases or words, it allows you to browse files. It also allows you to convert numerous formats to PDF and ePub.
• iBooks ( iOS) : Apple’s application for reading eBooks, installed by default on iPhone and iPad. It allows you to import your own files, access a large collection of books and allow the 3D effect in the passage from one page to another.
• PDF Pro 3 ( iOS) : is a free application that allows you to read, edit and archive PDF documents. It allows you to browse pages, highlight text and make changes, even using your finger. It is possible to increase its functionality with in-app purchases starting from 0.99 euros.