Best Adobe Acrobat Reader Alternatives in 2026
Updated
20 platforms from PDF readers ranked against Adobe Acrobat Reader on the same published basis.
- 1Adobe Acrobat Reader vs Foxit PDF Reader
- 2Adobe Acrobat Reader vs MuPDF
- 3Adobe Acrobat Reader vs KDAN PDF
- 4Adobe Acrobat Reader vs Okular
- 5Adobe Acrobat Reader vs StarForce Reader
- 6Adobe Acrobat Reader vs Adobe Scan
- 7Adobe Acrobat Reader vs Javelin PDF Reader
- 8Adobe Acrobat Reader vs Launchpad
- 9Adobe Acrobat Reader vs Mozilla PDF.js
- 10Adobe Acrobat Reader vs Evince
- 11Adobe Acrobat Reader vs SumatraPDF
- 12Adobe Acrobat Reader vs LiquidText
- 14Adobe Acrobat Reader vs GoodReader
- 15Adobe Acrobat Reader vs Kiosk
- 16Adobe Acrobat Reader vs QuickTime Player
- 17Adobe Acrobat Reader vs Highlights
- 18Adobe Acrobat Reader vs Papers
- 19Adobe Acrobat Reader vs Preview
- 20Adobe Acrobat Reader vs Timeshift
- 21Adobe Acrobat Reader vs Zathura
Adobe Acrobat Reader alternatives compared
| # | Platform | Score | Free plan | From | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Foxit PDF Reader | 8.1 | Free plan | Free | Android, iOS, Mac, Web, Windows |
| 2 | MuPDF | 7.6 | Free plan | $299/mo | Android, iOS, Linux, Mac, self-hosted, Web, Windows |
| 3 | KDAN PDF | 7.4 | Free plan | $5/mo | Android, iOS, Mac, Windows |
| 4 | Okular | 7.4 | Free plan | Free | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 5 | StarForce Reader | 7.4 | Free plan | Free | Android, iOS, Linux, Mac, Windows |
| 6 | Adobe Scan | 7.2 | No | — | Android, iOS |
| 7 | Javelin PDF Reader | 7.2 | Free plan | Free | Android, iOS, Mac, Windows |
| 8 | Launchpad | 7.1 | Free plan | Free | API, Linux, self-hosted, Web |
| 9 | Mozilla PDF.js | 7.0 | Free plan | Free | API, Browser, Linux, self-hosted, Web |
| 10 | Evince | 6.9 | Free plan | Free | Linux |
| 11 | SumatraPDF | 6.8 | Free plan | Free | Windows |
| 12 | LiquidText | 6.4 | No | — | Mac, Windows |
| 14 | GoodReader | 6.3 | No | — | iOS, Mac |
| 15 | Kiosk | 6.1 | Free plan | Free | Android, Browser, iOS, Linux, Mac, self-hosted, Web, Windows |
| 16 | QuickTime Player | 6.1 | No | — | Mac |
| 17 | Highlights | 5.9 | No | — | Mac, iOS |
| 18 | Papers | 5.9 | No | — | — |
| 19 | Preview | 5.9 | No | — | — |
| 20 | Timeshift | 5.9 | No | — | Linux |
| 21 | Zathura | 5.9 | No | — | Linux, Mac |
Make your platform an alternative to Adobe Acrobat Reader
See the priceThe sponsored alternative slot on this page is labelled Sponsored.
Questions about Adobe Acrobat Reader alternatives
What is the best alternative to Adobe Acrobat Reader?
Foxit PDF Reader, number 1 in PDF readers with a score of 8.1 out of 10. The others here: MuPDF, KDAN PDF, Okular and 16 more.
What is the best free alternative to Adobe Acrobat Reader?
Foxit PDF Reader is the best-ranked alternative with a free plan. 11 of the 20 alternatives here publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
How are these alternatives ranked?
Ranked on how quickly a newcomer can get going: documentation depth, a free tier or trial, and the platforms it runs on.