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Sumatra PDF alternatives

Top PDF Editors like Sumatra PDF

The most popular alternative to Sumatra PDF is Okular, which has a free version. Other great alternatives to Sumatra PDF are Adobe Acrobat, PDFgear, Foxit PDF Editor, and PDF24 Tools.

Most alternatives to Sumatra PDF are in the PDF Editors category, compared here by price, platform and features.

Sumatra PDF alternatives
AllFreeOpen source
6 apps

All Sumatra PDF alternatives

  1. Okular

    Okular is the document viewer developed by the KDE community, opening PDF, EPUB, DjVu, XPS, comic books and other formats in one application. It supports highlighting, notes and other annotations, form filling and digital signatures for PDFs. Okular is free and open source, is usually installed with the KDE Plasma desktop on Linux and is also available for Windows.

    6 Okular alternatives

    Pros

    • Opens PDF, EPUB, DjVu, XPS and comics in one viewer
    • Highlights, notes, form filling and digital signatures
    • Free and open source, with no ads

    Cons

    • Cannot edit the text or images of a PDF
    • Works best on KDE Plasma and feels less native elsewhere
    Cost / License
    FreeOpen source
    Categories
    Platforms
  2. Adobe Acrobat is the PDF application from Adobe, the company that created the format. The free Acrobat Reader views, annotates and signs files, while paid Acrobat Standard and Pro add text and image editing, OCR, conversion to and from Office formats, redaction, comparison and e-signature requests. An AI Assistant can summarise documents and answer questions about them.

    11 Adobe Acrobat alternatives

    Pros

    • Reference PDF tool from the company that created the format
    • Free Reader for viewing, annotating and signing
    • Pro adds editing, OCR, redaction, comparison and signature requests

    Cons

    • Editing and conversion require a costly subscription
    • Heavy app with frequent prompts to upgrade
    Cost / License
    FreemiumProprietary
  3. PDFgear is a free PDF application from Singapore-based PDF Gear Tech for reading, editing, converting, merging, compressing and signing documents. It includes OCR for scanned files and a Copilot assistant that summarises PDFs and carries out edits from chat requests. It is available on Windows, Mac, iPhone, iPad, Android and the web, without watermarks or a required account.

    10 PDFgear alternatives

    Pros

    • Free editing, conversion and signing without watermarks
    • No account required to use the apps
    • Copilot assistant summarises PDFs and applies edits from chat

    Cons

    • Text editing is less precise than in Acrobat or Foxit
    • Younger product with less of a track record than established editors
    Cost / License
    FreeProprietary
    Categories
  4. Foxit PDF Editor is a commercial PDF editor from Foxit Software, positioned as an alternative to Adobe Acrobat for businesses. It edits text and images, runs OCR on scans, converts to and from Office formats, protects and redacts documents and handles e-signatures, with an AI assistant for summaries and translation. It is sold by subscription with a free trial, and the separate Foxit PDF Reader is free.

    10 Foxit PDF Editor alternatives

    Pros

    • Full PDF editing, OCR, redaction and e-signatures
    • Lighter alternative to Acrobat with a familiar ribbon interface
    • Available on Windows, Mac, mobile and the web

    Cons

    • Subscription required after the free trial
    • The Mac version has fewer features than the Windows one
    Cost / License
    Free trialProprietary
  5. PDF24 Tools is a free collection of PDF utilities from the German company Geek Software, covering merging, splitting, compressing, converting, OCR, editing, signing and redacting. The tools run in the browser, and the PDF24 Creator app for Windows offers the same features offline along with a virtual PDF printer. There is no paid tier, and the website shows ads.

    10 PDF24 Tools alternatives

    Pros

    • Completely free, with no paid tier
    • Wide range of tools, including OCR, redaction and signing
    • Windows app works offline and adds a virtual PDF printer

    Cons

    • The website shows ads alongside the tools
    • The desktop app is Windows only
    • Interface is functional rather than modern
    Cost / License
    FreeProprietary
    Categories
    Platforms
  6. PDF Expert is a PDF app from Readdle designed for Apple devices. Reading, annotating, highlighting and filling forms are free, while a subscription unlocks text and image editing, OCR for scanned pages, page management, conversion and signatures. Its native interface is designed to stay responsive with large documents.

    8 PDF Expert alternatives

    Pros

    • Native Apple design that stays fast with large documents
    • Reading, annotation and form filling are free
    • Clean tools for editing text, images and pages

    Cons

    • Editing, OCR and conversion require a subscription
    • Fewer enterprise and automation features than Acrobat
    Cost / License
    FreemiumProprietary
    Categories
    Platforms

Sumatra PDF vs its alternatives at a glance

Pricing, platforms and the key features of Sumatra PDF, compared with its most popular alternatives.

Sumatra PDF vs its alternatives at a glance
AppPricingPlatformsAd-freeOffline modePDF annotation
Sumatra PDFFreeOpen sourceWindows
OkularFreeOpen sourceWindows, Linux
Adobe AcrobatFreemiumWeb, Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android, Browser extension
PDFgearFreeWeb, Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android
Foxit PDF EditorFree trialWeb, Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android
PDF24 ToolsFreeWeb, Windows

Sumatra PDF alternatives: frequently asked questions

What is the best alternative to Sumatra PDF?

The most popular alternative to Sumatra PDF is Okular: KDE's universal document viewer with annotations. Other great alternatives are Adobe Acrobat, PDFgear, Foxit PDF Editor, and PDF24 Tools.

Is there a free alternative to Sumatra PDF?

Yes, 5 alternatives are free or have a free plan, including Okular, Adobe Acrobat, PDFgear, and PDF24 Tools.

Is there an open source alternative to Sumatra PDF?

Yes, one open source alternative is listed: Okular.

Is Sumatra PDF free?

Yes, Sumatra PDF is free to use.

Compare Sumatra PDF with its alternatives

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