Top 7 XFA Readers for 2023

Margarete Cotty

2023-08-25 09:34:26 • Filed to: Best PDF Software • Proven solutions

XFA (XML Forms Architecture) also known as XFA forms, are embedded inside of PDF documents and allows users to fill in data without having to print the PDF. This article will introduce you to some of the top XFA readers on the market.

Part 1: Best 7 XFA Forms Readers
Part 2: How to Open XFA PDF Forms on Chrome, Firefox, Android

Part 1: Best 7 XFA Forms Readers

1. PDFelement

Wondershare PDFelement - PDF Editor is an excellent XFA form reader. It has the ability to open and read XFA forms plus it recognizes them automatically.

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Excellent support for opening, reading, and filling XFA forms
OCR technology allows you to convert XFA forms to PDF to make them searchable and editable
Contains many advanced features for PDF management
Supports editing of graphic-based objects and digitally signing documents
Strong password-protection for PDF documents

Why to Choose PDFelement>>>

2. Foxit PDF Reader

Foxit is quickly becoming recognized as a better alternative to Adobe, mainly because of its lightweight size and RAM usage. It also supports for reading XFA based forms starting from version 5.0.

Pros

Includes many advanced features
Customizable with a Quick action toolbar
Lightweight
Free to use

Cons

It cannot display all PDF types properly
It cannot convert to EPUB format
It may be a hassle creating digital signatures

3. Adobe Acrobat DC

Adobe topped the field of PDF readers for many years, mainly because it pioneered the PDF file format and was also the best XFA forms reader because it acquired Jetforms in 2002, the company which developed XFA forms

Pros

Excellent support for XFA forms
Simple User interface

Cons

Heavy on RAM and storage usage

4. Nuance Power PDF Advanced

Previously Nuance PDF reader, this program is also a great XFA reader that allows a user to use PDF documents with forms embedded. Furthermore, with its cloud compatibility, Nuance PDF reader enables you to literally carry and access your documents wherever you go.

Pros

Good XFA support
Cloud compatibility

Cons

It has very limited support for annotations

5. Master PDF Reader for Linux

As the name implies, this PDF is only available for Linux. The Linux operating system has been growing in popularity in the past few years and its crop of office software have not been left behind. Master PDF reader provides support for reading and filling XFA forms with its free version.

Pros

Available for Linux users
A free version is available

Cons

Not available for any other operating system apart from Linux

6. PDF XChange Editor

Previously known as PDF XChange viewer, this editor is another lightweight PDF reader for Windows since version 2.5. This XFA forms reader comes with ample support for reading XFA forms.

Pros

Lightweight
Available as a free version with many features

Cons

The free version places a watermark on every PDF page

7. Your Browser

That's right. Google Chrome and Firefox already have built-in PDF readers with quite a few useful features but not all features. Support for XFA forms can be added by use of extensions. The most popular extension is the Adobe Acrobat extension which works on both browsers.

Pros

Free
Easily accessible

Cons

It does not provide many of the advanced PDF features that can be found in a fully-fledged software

Why to Choose PDFelement

Part 2: How to Open XFA PDF Forms on Chrome, Firefox, Android

1. How to Open XFA-Based PDF Forms on Chrome?

Google Chrome is one of the most popular web browsers all around the globe and it comes with a built-in PDF viewer and it render PDF as they are web-pages. You can see the content of a PDF file, the thumbnails of the file in the sidebar, save PDF forms and fill PDF forms. Google has introduced now presentation mode that makes it really easy for meetings.

You can easily view XFA PDF forms in Chrome and fill them out by entering data. You can follow the steps to open and view XFA PDF in Chrome browser: Launch Chrome web browser on your computer and got to chrome://flags. Here search for XFA using the dropdown and click on PDF XFA support, if it's disabled; enable it and now you can open and view the XFA PDF forms in Chrome.

2. How to Open XFA-Based PDF Forms on Firefox?

Mozilla Firefox is another popular web browser after Google Chrome and it has the capability now to handle XFA PDF forms. Like any other web browser, Firefox comes with a built-in PDF reader that allow users to view PDFs and treat them as web pages. You can view the thumbnails of PDF files in the sidebar navigation menu and now it also supports presentation mode after Chrome. You can also download a PDF for later use by hitting the Download button in browser and view copy of PDF in separate tabs.

Firefox can open XFA PDF forms and during your internet surfing, if you found any XFA PDF; you can fill it online and can save it by printing as well for further use. The feature is available by default unlike Chrome, you don't need to enable it by going into flags.

3. Foxit MobilePDF - XFA Reader for Android

Foxit MobilePDF is a mobile solution that supports XFA forms, which means you can view and fill out your XFA forms in PDF directly on your mobile phone. You can also export data from your XFA form as an XML file or XML Data Package file with the tool. This tool is available on both Android and iOS platforms. It's an very convenient solution if you need to handle XFA form on the go.