Foliate
Focus: ebook reader, epub and annotations. Shares open source and github with Sioyek. Adds Offline. Same 4.6 rating.
Desktop AppFreeLinux, Offline
4.6Visit
Desktop App
Sioyek
A PDF reader built for textbooks and research papers.
Rating
4.6 / 5
Pricing
Free
Difficulty
Intermediate
Works on
Windows, macOS, Linux
Built with love by Shushant Lakhyani. Building bestproductivityresources.com
What is Sioyek?
Sioyek is a free, open-source PDF viewer designed for reading technical books and research papers. It previews references and figures without losing your place, jumps between linked sections, keeps searchable bookmarks and highlights, and can be driven almost entirely from the keyboard.
Third-party open-source projects. We are not affiliated with their authors; repositories are provided as-is by their maintainers. Review each project's license, code and security before installing. See our Disclaimer.
Pros: what Sioyek does well
- Quick previews of references and figures
- Fast keyboard navigation
- Free and open source
Cons: where it falls short
- Interface is plain
- Takes time to learn the shortcuts
Who Sioyek is for
Students and researchers who read long technical PDFs every day.
Who can skip it
Anyone who only opens the odd PDF form or invoice.
Sioyek alternatives
Not sold on Sioyek? These do a similar job, and each card says what it has in common.
Kiwix
Focus: offline wikipedia, reference and offline reading. Shares open source and github with Sioyek. Adds Offline. Same 4.6 rating.
Desktop AppFreeWindows, Linux
4.6Visit
Readest
Focus: ebook reader, epub and annotations. Shares open source and github with Sioyek. Adds iOS, Android and Web. Same 4.6 rating.
Desktop AppFreeWindows, macOS
4.6Visit
Fluent Reader
Focus: rss reader, news feeds and reading. Shares open source and github with Sioyek. Rated 4.5 (Sioyek: 4.6).
Desktop AppFreeWindows, macOS
4.5Visit
Thorium Reader
Focus: ebook reader, epub and accessibility. Shares open source and github with Sioyek. Adds Offline. Rated 4.5 (Sioyek: 4.6).
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.5Visit
Koodo Reader
Focus: ebook reader and epub. Shares pdf reader and open source with Sioyek. Adds Web. Same 4.6 rating.
Desktop AppFreeWindows, macOS
4.6Visit
Free alternatives to Sioyek
Want to spend nothing? These free picks cover similar ground.
KOReader
Focus: ebook reader and e-ink. Shares pdf reader and open source with Sioyek. A mobile app, not a desktop app. Adds Android and Offline. Rated 4.7 (Sioyek: 4.6).
Mobile AppFreeAndroid, Linux
4.7Visit
SumatraPDF
Focus: ebook reader, lightweight and windows. Shares pdf reader and open source with Sioyek. A Windows app, not a desktop app. Same 4.6 rating.
Windows AppFreeWindows
4.6Visit
Qalculate!
Focus: calculator, unit conversion and maths. Shares open source and github with Sioyek. Adds Offline. Same 4.6 rating.
Desktop AppFreeWindows, Linux
4.6Visit
Xournal++
Focus: handwriting, pdf annotation and pen input. Shares open source and github with Sioyek. Same 4.6 rating.
Desktop AppFreeWindows, macOS
4.6Visit
CORE
Focus: open access, academic search and scholarly. Shares research papers with Sioyek. A website, not a desktop app. Adds Web. Rated 4.5 (Sioyek: 4.6).
WebsiteFreeWeb
4.5Visit
gPodder
Focus: podcasts, audio and subscriptions. Shares open source and github with Sioyek. Rated 4.4 (Sioyek: 4.6).
Desktop AppFreeLinux, macOS
4.4Visit
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