Foxit PDF Reader vs Evince

Foxit PDF Reader9.4Visit EEvince8.6Visit

Higher score Foxit PDF Reader #1 in PDF Readers 9.4/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 4 features Visit Foxit

vs

E Evince #7 in PDF Readers 8.6/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 3 of 4 features Visit GNOME

• Foxit PDF Reader fits best

  Free cross-platform readers with collaboration

• Evince fits best

  Linux users wanting a straightforward reader

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature	Foxit PDF Reader 9.4/10 Visit ↗	EEvince 8.6/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.4	8.6
Ranking	#1 in PDF Readers	#7 in PDF Readers
Best for	Free cross-platform readers with collaboration	Linux users wanting a straightforward reader
Pricing model	Free	Free
Starting price	Free	Free plan
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Cloud, Desktop, Mobile	Desktop
Platforms	Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android	Linux
Support	Docs, Tickets	Docs
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business
Features Foxit PDF Reader 4/4 · Evince 3/4
Annotation tools	✓	✓
Form filling	✓	✓
Offline access	✓	✓
Text-to-speech	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Specs
OCR support	None	None
Platform support	Cross-platform	Desktop
Our review
Pros	Free access across web, desktop, iOS, and Android Annotations, forms, signatures, shared reviews, and text-to-speech Integrates with major storage and business services	Reads PDF, PostScript, DjVu, DVI, XPS, and comic-book archives Supports annotations, forms, bookmarks, outlines, and document search Free and open source with offline desktop access
Cons	OCR is documented for PDF Editor rather than PDF Reader Web use requires an internet connection AI document analysis excludes OCR documents	Linux-only desktop availability limits cross-platform use Built-in OCR is not provided Its integration list is limited to gedit
Our verdict	Foxit PDF Reader is a free application for personal and business users who need to open, read, print, annotate, comment on, fill, sign, and share PDF documents. Reader editions are available on the web, Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android,… Read the review →	Evince is a free, open-source document viewer for the GNOME desktop, aimed at Linux users who need a straightforward way to read and manage common document formats. It opens PDFs alongside PostScript, DjVu, DVI, XPS, and comic-book archive… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Foxit PDF Reader — where it wins

  • Free access across web, desktop, iOS, and Android
  • Annotations, forms, signatures, shared reviews, and text-to-speech
  • Integrates with major storage and business services

  Where it doesn't

  • OCR is documented for PDF Editor rather than PDF Reader
  • Web use requires an internet connection
  • AI document analysis excludes OCR documents

• Evince — where it wins

  • Reads PDF, PostScript, DjVu, DVI, XPS, and comic-book archives
  • Supports annotations, forms, bookmarks, outlines, and document search
  • Free and open source with offline desktop access

  Where it doesn't

  • Linux-only desktop availability limits cross-platform use
  • Built-in OCR is not provided
  • Its integration list is limited to gedit

• Foxit PDF Reader9.4/10 · Free plan

  A free cross-platform reader with collaboration, forms, signatures, and cloud integrations.

  Visit FoxitFull verdict →
• EEvince8.6/10 · Free plan

  A capable free Linux reader for PDFs, forms, annotations, and more.

  Visit GNOMEFull verdict →