Overview

Evince brings PDF, PostScript, DjVu, DVI, XPS/OXPS, and Comic Book Archive files into one application. It can also display supported documents full-screen and prompt for a password when opening a protected PDF. That makes it a practical fit for reading and presenting documents without paying for a viewer. The format range is not guaranteed out of the box on every Linux distribution: a missing backend package can prevent a format from opening.

Key features

PDF review and forms

Evince can fill interactive PDF forms, including text fields and scrollable list boxes, and add notes and text highlights to PDFs. Those tools cover routine document review and form completion, but annotations do not extend to its other supported formats. Since Evince cannot edit files, users who need to change document content should choose an editor instead.

TeX synchronization

SyncTeX synchronizes a TeX source file with the resulting PDF. That is a specific advantage for people working between a source document and its rendered output; it matters less to readers who only need to view finished documents.

Presentation and printing

Supported documents can be displayed full-screen, which can serve for presenting document content without turning Evince into a general presentation editor. Its help covers printing DVI, DjVu, PDF, PostScript, and TIFF files. The Linux backend caveat still applies to formats that a distribution does not support by default.

Pricing

Evince is free software, with a free plan at 0.00 USD per free. There is no free trial because the application is already free. This suits individual Linux users and teams that need a document viewer without a software charge; it does not add editing capability or remove distribution-dependent format support.

Platforms

Evince is for Linux desktops. The project wiki recommends getting it through the user's Linux distribution, with packages or source as other options. Linux users should account for the possibility that a needed format backend is not installed by default. The GNOME apps directory currently lists Papers as its document viewer, so readers looking for the current GNOME listing should consider that distinction.

Who it's for

Evince is a strong fit for Linux users who primarily read documents, occasionally complete interactive PDFs, or need PDF notes and highlights. TeX users can benefit from SyncTeX, while people presenting document pages can use its full-screen display. It is not the right choice for anyone who needs to revise file contents, annotate non-PDF formats, or rely on every listed format being available without checking their distribution's backend support.

Pros and cons

Pros: Free software with no paid plan needed for document viewing.
Pros: Supports several document formats, plus PDF forms, PDF notes and highlights, and SyncTeX for TeX workflows.
Pros: Full-screen display and printing support cover useful reading and presentation tasks.
Cons: It cannot edit files, so content changes require another application.
Cons: Annotations work only on PDFs, not on the other supported formats.
Cons: Some formats may require an additional backend package on the user's Linux distribution.

Alternatives

For more PDF and file-viewer choices, browse PDF Readers and File Viewer Software.

Okular is another free-software option, with Linux, macOS, and Windows support; choose it if you need a viewer beyond Linux.
Mozilla PDF.js is a free, open-source PDF parsing and rendering platform for web, extension, API, Linux, and self-hosted use; choose it for PDF rendering outside a Linux desktop viewer.
Foxit PDF Reader offers free PDF viewing and printing, annotation, collaboration, and form filling across Android, iOS, macOS, web, and Windows; choose it for those capabilities on a broader set of platforms.
KDAN PDF has a free plan for basic PDF viewing and editing, annotation, handwriting, signatures, and filling forms on Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows; choose it if PDF editing is important.
Highlights is an iOS and macOS option whose free plan includes PDF reading and annotation, metadata editing, scanning, and Smart OCR; choose it if those platform-specific tools or OCR matter.
MuPDF is available on Linux and several other platforms, with a freemium model; its Commercial plan is 299.00 USD per month. Consider it if you want to compare another cross-platform option and its commercial plan.
Javelin PDF Reader is a free end-user reader for Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android; consider it if you need a reader on one of those platforms.
Launchpad is a free platform with Linux, web, API, and self-hosted support; consider it if you are comparing platforms in that category.

Verdict

Choose Evince if you want a no-cost Linux desktop viewer for multiple formats, with PDF forms and annotation plus SyncTeX for TeX work. Its main advantage is that useful reading and review tasks sit alongside broad format support in one free application. Look elsewhere if you need document editing, annotations beyond PDF, or format support that does not depend on distribution-specific backends.

	Evince	Zathura
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Free trial	No	No
Paid from	Free	Free
Open source	No	No
Platforms	Linux	Linux, macOS
Free plan	Yes	—
Annotation tools	Yes	—
OCR support	none	—
Form filling	Yes	—
Offline access	Yes	—
Platform support	desktop	cross-platform

Evince vs Zathura

Evince

Zathura