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EnglishWhat Document Formats Can Free Software PDF Readers Handle Besides PDF?
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Most Free Software PDF readers listed on pdfreaders.org handle more than PDF. Evince and Okular are the broadest, covering PostScript, DjVu, XPS, CHM, and office-style formats such as DOC and ODT; SumatraPDF is the widest choice on Windows. If you only need PDF, any of them works. If you regularly open ebooks, comic archives, or PostScript files, pick a reader whose extra formats match your files.
Extra formats by reader
The table below reflects only what pdfreaders.org states about each program. Formats not mentioned there are left out rather than assumed.
| Reader | Platforms | Formats beyond PDF (per pdfreaders.org) |
|---|---|---|
| Evince | GNU/Linux | "many document formats beside PDF" (not itemized) |
| Okular | GNU/Linux, Windows | PostScript, DOC, ODT, "and other formats" |
| SumatraPDF | Windows | eBook, XPS, DjVu, CHM, Comic Book |
| Skim | Mac OS X | None stated (described as a PDF reader and note-taker) |
| Xpdf | GNU/Linux | None stated (described as a PDF viewer) |
| qpdfview | GNU/Linux, NetBSD, FreeBSD | None stated (described as a tabbed PDF viewer) |
| gv | GNU/Linux, Mac OS X | PostScript |
| sioyek | GNU/Linux, Mac OS X, Windows | None stated (built for research papers and technical books) |
| MuPDF | GNU/Linux, Android, Windows | None stated |
| Zathura | GNU/Linux | None stated |
How to choose based on the formats you open
- Mixed office and PDF files: Okular is the only listed reader that explicitly handles DOC and ODT alongside PostScript and PDF. It runs on GNU/Linux and Windows.
- Ebooks, comics, and legacy Windows help files: SumatraPDF covers eBook, XPS, DjVu, CHM, and Comic Book formats on Windows, and the site notes it is small, portable, and starts very fast.
- PostScript workflows: gv is described as a lightweight PostScript and PDF viewer, and Okular also lists PostScript support.
- PDF only: Skim (Mac OS X), Xpdf, qpdfview, sioyek, MuPDF, and Zathura are presented purely as PDF tools, so choose them for reading behavior and platform fit rather than format breadth.
- Broad but unspecified coverage: Evince "can display many document formats beside PDF," but the site does not name them. Check Evince's own documentation if you need a specific format confirmed.
Practical notes
- The site warns that XpdfReader builds are non-free and advises against them, even though Xpdf itself appears in the list.
- Most Free Operating Systems ship package managers, so you usually install these readers through your distributor rather than downloading files manually from project pages. The download pages linked from pdfreaders.org provide source code if you want to build the software yourself.
- Every reader on the list is Free Software, which the site frames as respecting your four freedoms to use, study, share, and improve the program, and as a way to keep control of your computer and privacy. Proprietary alternatives, including Adobe's reader, are described as trade secrets that do not respect that control.
- If a format you need is not named for any reader above, verify it in that project's own documentation before installing — the pdfreaders.org list only states what is quoted here.