Best PDF Readers in 2026
Updated
In short: Foxit PDF Reader is ranked #1 of 22 as of 3 October 2026, ahead of Okular and MuPDF. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Okular. The lowest first paid tier on this page is KDAN PDF at $5/mo.
22 PDF readers ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
| # | Platform | Score | Why | From | Free plan | Paid from | Annotation tools | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Foxit PDF Reader | 7.6 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 2 | Okular | 7.5 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 3 | MuPDF | 7.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $299/mo | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 4 | LiquidText | 6.9 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 5 | KDAN PDF | 6.9 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | $5/mo | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 6 | Preview | 6.8 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | — | View |
| 7 | Mozilla PDF.js | 6.8 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | Yes | View |
| 8 |  SumatraPDF | 6.7 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 9 | Highlights | 6.6 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 10 | Evince | 6.5 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 11 |  Javelin PDF Reader | 6.5 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 12 |  StarForce Reader | 6.2 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 13 |  GoodReader | 6.1 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | No | — | Yes | View |
| 14 |  Skim | 6.1 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 15 |  Kiosk | 5.9 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | Yes | View |
| 16 | Papers | 5.7 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | — | View |
| 17 |  Xreader | 5.5 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | — | View |
| 18 |  Komodo PDF | 5.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | — | View |
| 19 | Aiseesoft Free PDF Viewer | 5.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | — | View |
| 20 |  Zathura | 5.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | — | View |
| 21 |  XpdfReader | 5.3 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | — | View |
| 22 | Launchpad | 5.0 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | — | View |
Is your platform on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which PDF reader is ranked first on Inferse?
Foxit PDF Reader is ranked #1 of 22 with a score of 7.6. Okular is second and MuPDF third.
How many of these have a free plan?
7 of the 22 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 what each maker publishes, open and connectable first: a public API, open-source code, the depth of its documentation and a free tier to try it on. Model lists are sorted by the figure in their title, exactly as each provider publishes it. Paid placements never change a rank.