The Portable Document Format, or PDF, has become a standard format for creating, sharing, and storing documents of all kinds. It is widely used for academic papers, job applications, and business reports. However, many users are not aware of the full potential that PDFs offer, or the ways in which they can be manipulated and customized. Fortunately, there are a range of great PDF add-ons available for Chrome that can greatly enhance your PDF experience.

In this article, we will explore seven of the best PDF extensions for Chrome, as well as 13 extensions that are not worth your time. We will also look at the various ways in which PDF documents can be manipulated, including merging PDFs, converting webpages to PDFs, converting PDFs to Word, and editing PDFs online.

PDF Tools 1: Extensions

a) Docs PDF/Powerpoint Viewer (by Google) (4/5 – 2082) 833,833 users (0.25%)

Docs PDF/Powerpoint Viewer is a popular extension that allows you to view PDFs, Powerpoint presentations, and other documents within Google Docs Viewer. Simply click on a link for a supported document format, and you will be taken to the viewer. This eliminates the need to download large files or launch another application. The extension does have limitations, however – it cannot open files that require a login, and it may not display complex documents accurately.

b) Print Friendly and PDF (4/5 – 248) 130,736 users (0.19%)

Print Friendly and PDF is a useful tool for quickly and easily printing webpages in a streamlined format. It removes ads, navigation, and other unnecessary elements before printing, and allows you to click-to-delete any content you don’t want. You can also generate PDFs for archiving, sharing, or saving. This is a great extension for saving articles or posts that you want to reference later.

c) PDF viewer (4/5 – 33) 246,206 users (0.01%)

PDF viewer is an experimental extension that explores building a PDF renderer without native code assistance. This extension provides PDF.js as the default PDF viewer in Chrome. While it has a very high user base, it has only been rated by a tiny percentage of users. However, the commentary is very positive, and the extension is easy to use.

d) Save as PDF (3.5/5 – 537) 150,631 users (0.36%)

Save as PDF is an extension that allows you to download web pages as PDFs in one click. This extension lets you easily save web pages to PDF using the default settings. If you want to customize the PDF, you can sign up for a paid account at Pdfcrowd. This extension beats “Print Friendly and PDF” as it can generate PDFs from complicated webpages.

e) PDFescape Free PDF Editor (3.5/5 – 157) 72,898 users (0.22%)

PDFescape Free PDF Editor is a powerful online editor that allows you to edit PDF files without the need for a dedicated PDF reader. You can add links, white-outs, freehand or text notes to all kinds of reports and files. It is a bit slow to load long documents, but is otherwise very easy to use.

f) Convert PDF to Word (3.5/5 – 238) 98,550 users (0.24%)

Convert PDF to Word is an extension that allows you to convert PDFs to Word format without installing any software on your computer. While this is not a revolutionary feature, it can be useful for users who need to convert PDFs to Word files. However, the extension has crashed in some cases.

g) PDF Bookmarker for Google Docs (4/5 – 12) 2207 users (0.54%)

PDF Bookmarker is a useful tool for users who read a lot of long PDF reports or articles. It allows you to bookmark the last page you were on so you can pick up where you left off. However, it may have some limitations where a small PDF in Google Drive Viewer cannot be found.

h) iWeb2x – URL to PDF and image (4/5 – 78) 11238 users (0.69%)

iWeb2x is a great extension that allows you to convert web pages to printer-friendly PDFs or image snapshots. You can control the page size, orientation, and render mode, and exclude images or background color to optimize printing. While the image option has some limitations, the extension is otherwise very useful.

i) Sign Now – Sign and Fill PDF and Word Documents (4.5/5 – 29) 2506 users (1.12%)

Sign Now is a great extension for users who frequently sign and fill PDF and Word documents. It allows you to do so online without the need for additional software or registration. It may not be aesthetically pleasing, but it gets the job done.

PDF Tools 2: Extensions to Avoid

While the above extensions are all great tools for working with PDFs, there are also some that are not worth your time. Here are 13 extensions that we recommend avoiding:

• Perfect PDF Reader
• PDF Creator
• PDF Viewer Plus
• PDF Merger & Splitter
• Free PDF Editor
• Adobe Acrobat
• Foxit PDF Reader
• Nitro PDF Reader
• PDF-XChange Viewer
• CutePDF Writer
• PrimoPDF
• BullZip PDF Printer
• Sumatra PDF Reader

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Portable Document Format is an incredibly useful tool that we all use on a regular basis. While there are a range of great PDF extensions available for Chrome, it is important to be mindful of which ones are worth your time. The seven extensions discussed in this article will greatly enhance your PDF experience, while the 13 extensions to avoid may actually hinder it. Whether you’re merging PDFs, converting webpages to PDFs, or editing PDFs online, there is a Chrome extension out there that can make your job easier.