Best PDF Readers in 2026
Updated
In short: Foxit PDF Reader is ranked #1 of 26 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of MuPDF and KDAN PDF. The best-ranked option with a free plan is MuPDF. The lowest first paid tier on this page is KDAN PDF at $5/mo.
PDF reading can mean anything from reviewing a contract to completing a form or listening to a document. Compare annotation tools and form filling with OCR support and text-to-speech, then check offline access and platform support against where you work. Free-plan availability and paid-from pricing add useful cost context. Foxit PDF Reader, MuPDF, and KDAN PDF are among the named options, alongside Okular and Javelin PDF Reader. Consider which capabilities matter for the documents you handle and the devices you use, whether you need to mark up text, extract information, or work without a connection.
26 PDF readers ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
PDF Readers, ranked on how quickly a newcomer can get going. 11 of the 25 on this page can be tried for free.
- 1 Foxit PDF ReaderFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 2 MuPDFPaid from $299/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 3 KDAN PDFPaid from $5/mo
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 4 OkularFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 5 StarForce ReaderFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 6 Adobe Scan
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: yes
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 7 Javelin PDF ReaderFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 8 LaunchpadFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 9 EvinceFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 10 SumatraPDFFree plan
- Free to practise on: yes
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 11 LiquidText
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 12 Adobe Acrobat Reader
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: yes
- 13 GoodReader
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 14 Kiosk
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: yes
- 15 QuickTime Player
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 16 Highlights
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 17 Mozilla PDF.jsFree plan
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 18 Papers
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 19 Preview
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 20 Timeshift
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: yes
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 21 Zathura
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 22 Komodo PDF
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: yes
- 23 Skim
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 24 XpdfReader
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: not on record
- 25 Aiseesoft Free PDF Viewer
- Free to practise on: not on record
- Free trial: not on record
- Well documented: not on record
- Runs where you work: not on record
Compare all 25 in a table
| # | Platform | Score | Free plan | From | Free plan | Paid from | Annotation tools | OCR support |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Foxit PDF Reader | 8.1 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | none |
| 2 | MuPDF | 7.6 | Free plan | $299/mo | Yes | — | Yes | none |
| 3 | KDAN PDF | 7.4 | Free plan | $5/mo | Yes | — | Yes | — |
| 4 | Okular | 7.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | none |
| 5 | StarForce Reader | 7.4 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | — |
| 6 | Adobe Scan | 7.2 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | — |
| 7 | Javelin PDF Reader | 7.2 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | — |
| 8 | Launchpad | 7.1 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | — | — |
| 9 | Evince | 6.9 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | none |
| 10 | SumatraPDF | 6.8 | Free plan | Free | Yes | — | Yes | none |
| 11 | LiquidText | 6.4 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | advanced |
| 12 | Adobe Acrobat Reader | 6.3 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | — |
| 13 | GoodReader | 6.3 | No | — | No | — | Yes | — |
| 14 | Kiosk | 6.1 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | — |
| 15 | QuickTime Player | 6.1 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | basic |
| 16 | Highlights | 5.9 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | advanced |
| 17 | Mozilla PDF.js | 5.9 | Free plan | Free | — | — | Yes | — |
| 18 | Papers | 5.9 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | none |
| 19 | Preview | 5.9 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | — |
| 20 | Timeshift | 5.9 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | — |
| 21 | Zathura | 5.9 | No | — | — | — | — | — |
| 22 | Komodo PDF | 5.8 | No | — | Yes | — | — | — |
| 23 | Skim | 5.8 | No | — | Yes | — | Yes | none |
| 24 | XpdfReader | 5.8 | No | — | — | — | — | — |
| 25 | Aiseesoft Free PDF Viewer | 5.7 | No | — | Yes | — | — | — |
Is your platform on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored, and a sponsored row is labelled as paid.
Questions about this list
Which PDF reader is ranked first on The Geeks Club?
Foxit PDF Reader is ranked #1 of 26 with a score of 8.1. MuPDF is second and KDAN PDF third.
How many of these have a free plan?
10 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, KDAN PDF has the lowest first paid tier we found: $5/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked on how quickly a newcomer can get going: documentation depth, a free tier or trial, and the platforms it runs on.