This free PDF editor just became a pro tool

(Image credit: Shutterstock.com / ImYanis)

PDF Free, Ashampoo’s free PDF viewer, has received a significant update with its version 3.0.5 launch.

The upgraded software is packing an impressive number of improvements and new features designed to power-up PDF viewing and creation, with a specific focus on crafting a more intuitive and comfortable user experience.

Best of all, the one of the best free PDF readers is now powered by the same technology as Ashampoo’s premium PDF Pro 3, which should make for a more efficient tool and speedier workflows overall.

What’s new in Ashampoo PDF Free 3.0.5?

On top of a major under-the-hood revamp, PDF Free 3.0.5 also introduces a large number of features and QoL improvements across the board.

Most noticeable is the new ribbon-based user interface - described by the company as “handy and elegant” and meaning that comparisons to the Microsoft 365 layout are now hard to ignore.

Screenshot of Ashampoo PDF Free — (Image credit: Ashampoo)

Certainly, in older versions, the dated interface could feel cluttered, while the new one is cleaner and more modern, making it easier to navigate. Dark mode has also finally been added too, which just might make it one of the best PDF readers for Windows available to download.

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With an eye on efficiency, the PDF viewer’s new quick-access toolbar lets users quickly switch between work modes. Sizing and zooming have also received an upgrade. Users will now find a button to toggle icon sizes within the application and a document zoom built directly into the status bar.

Elsewhere, file merging and rendering of scanned and black-and-white images have been improved, alongside better load times for more complex documents.

A further 45 general fixes have also been released for the software, including improved translations, better handling of fonts and images, and more reliability when opening certain files or elements on a document page.

For users looking to take advantage of the latest updates, PDF Free 3.0.5 is available to download now from Ashampoo.

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Steve is B2B Editor for Creative & Hardware at TechRadar Pro. He began in tech journalism reviewing photo editors and video editing software at Web User magazine, and covered technology news, features, and how-to guides. Today, he and his team of expert reviewers test out a range of creative software, hardware, and office furniture. Once upon a time, he wrote TV commercials and movie trailers. Relentless champion of the Oxford comma.