Head-to-head · PDF Readers
Okular vs Evince
Okular leads on 0 checks, Evince on 0, and 5 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 5 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.
Our verdict
- Highest scoreOkular · 9.2/10
- Free planboth
Okular scores higher on our rubric for pdf readers: 9.2 against 8.6 out of 10; our editors rank them #2 and #7.
On platform support, Okular gives you Cross-platform where Evince offers Desktop.
Okular is the better fit for free open-source desktop PDF reading. Evince is the better fit for linux users wanting a straightforward reader.
- Okular fits best
Free open-source desktop PDF reading
- Evince fits best
Linux users wanting a straightforward reader
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Side by side
| Feature | Okular 9.2/10 Visit ↗ | Evince 8.6/10 Visit ↗ |
|---|---|---|
| At a glance | ||
| Editor score | 9.2 | 8.6 |
| Ranking | #2 in PDF Readers | #7 in PDF Readers |
| Best for | Free open-source desktop PDF reading | Linux users wanting a straightforward reader |
| Pricing model | Free | Free |
| Starting price | Free plan | Free plan |
| Free plan | ✓ | ✓ |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Deployment | Desktop | Desktop |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Linux |
| Built for | Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise | Solo, Small business |
| Features Okular 3/4 · Evince 3/4 | ||
| Annotation tools | ✓ | ✓ |
| Form filling | ✓ | ✓ |
| Offline access | Not checked yet | ✓ (best) |
| Text-to-speech | ✓ (best) | Not checked yet |
| Specs | ||
| OCR support | Not checked yet | None |
| Platform support | Cross-platform | Desktop |
| Our review | ||
| Pros |
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| Cons |
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| Our verdict | Okular is a free, open-source document viewer from KDE for people who need more than basic PDF reading on a desktop. It opens PDFs alongside PostScript, TIFF, DjVu, images, XPS, EPUB, comic-book formats and other documents. Navigation… 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
Okular — where it wins
- Free and open source across Windows, macOS and Linux
- Annotations, form filling and digital-signature support
- Text-to-speech, presentation mode and multi-format viewing
Where it doesn't
- No OCR capability is included
- No integrations are supplied
- Focused on desktop platforms rather than broader access
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
- Okular9.2/10 · Free plan
A capable open-source desktop reader with annotations, forms, signatures and accessibility tools.
Visit KDEFull verdict → - Evince8.6/10 · Free plan
A capable free Linux reader for PDFs, forms, annotations, and more.
Visit GNOMEFull verdict →
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Last updated · How we research and update