PDF.js
Focus: reader, browser and open source. Shares pdf viewer with Okular. A web app, not a desktop app. Adds Web, Firefox and Chrome. Rated 4.6 (Okular: 4.5).
Web AppFreeWeb, Firefox
4.6Visit
Desktop App
Okular
KDE's free document viewer for PDFs, EPUBs, comics and more.
Rating
4.5 / 5
Pricing
Free
Difficulty
Beginner
Works on
Linux, Windows
Built with love by Shushant Lakhyani. Building bestproductivityresources.com
What is Okular?
Okular is a fast, multi-platform document viewer from KDE that opens PDF, EPUB, DjVu and Markdown documents, comic book files and common image formats in one app. It is free and open source, is available on most Linux distributions and can be installed on Windows from the Microsoft Store, with regular releases as part of KDE Gear.
Pros: what Okular does well
- Opens many document and comic formats
- Free and open source
- Actively updated by KDE
Cons: where it falls short
- macOS only has untested nightly builds
- Interface feels busy at first
Who Okular is for
Linux and Windows users who want one viewer for PDFs, ebooks and comics.
Who can skip it
Mac users happy with Preview.
Okular alternatives
Not sold on Okular? These do a similar job, and each card says what it has in common.
Raindrop.io
Focus: bookmarks, read later and collections. Also in Research and Reading, like Okular. A web app, not a desktop app. Freemium (Okular: Free). Adds Web, Chrome and Firefox. Rated 4.6 (Okular: 4.5).
Web AppFree planWeb, Chrome
4.6Visit
Zathura
Focus: pdf, keyboard driven and reading. Shares document viewer with Okular. Rated 4.4 (Okular: 4.5).
Desktop AppFreeLinux
4.4Visit
Pandoc
Focus: document converter, markdown and command line. Also in Research and File Management, like Okular. Adds macOS and Offline. Rated 4.8 (Okular: 4.5).
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.8Visit
ripgrep
Focus: search tool, command line and developer tool. Also in File Management and Research, like Okular. Adds macOS and Offline. Rated 4.8 (Okular: 4.5).
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.8Visit
calibre
Focus: ebooks, ebook converter and library. Also in Reading and File Management, like Okular. Adds macOS and Offline. Rated 4.7 (Okular: 4.5).
Desktop AppFreeWindows, macOS
4.7Visit
Free alternatives to Okular
Want to spend nothing? These free picks cover similar ground.
NetNewsWire
Focus: rss reader, mac app and news. Also in Reading and Research, like Okular. Adds macOS and iOS. Rated 4.7 (Okular: 4.5).
Desktop AppFreemacOS, iOS
4.7Visit
Anki
Focus: spaced repetition, flashcards and study. Also in Research and Reading, like Okular. Adds macOS, Android and iOS. Rated 4.6 (Okular: 4.5).
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.6Visit
Foliate
Focus: ebook reader, epub and annotations. Also in Reading and Research, like Okular. Adds Offline. Rated 4.6 (Okular: 4.5).
Desktop AppFreeLinux, Offline
4.6Visit
Kiwix
Focus: offline wikipedia, reference and offline reading. Also in Research and Reading, like Okular. Adds Offline. Rated 4.6 (Okular: 4.5).
Desktop AppFreeWindows, Linux
4.6Visit
Readest
Focus: ebook reader, epub and annotations. Also in Reading and Research, like Okular. Adds macOS, iOS and Android. Rated 4.6 (Okular: 4.5).
Desktop AppFreeWindows, macOS
4.6Visit
Sioyek
Focus: pdf reader, research papers and keyboard. Also in Reading and Research, like Okular. Adds macOS. Rated 4.6 (Okular: 4.5).
Desktop AppFreeWindows, macOS
4.6Visit
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