Head-to-head · File Viewer Software
SumatraPDF vs IrfanView
SumatraPDF leads on 0 checks, IrfanView on 0, and 1 is even. Who comes out ahead on the 1 yes/no, price and count check where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.
Our verdict
- Highest scoreSumatraPDF · 8.8/10
- Free planboth
SumatraPDF scores higher on our rubric for file viewer software: 8.8 against 8.4 out of 10; our editors rank them #4 and #6.
SumatraPDF is the better fit for portable Windows document viewing. IrfanView is the better fit for low-cost Windows batch image processing.
- SumatraPDF fits best
Portable Windows document viewing
- IrfanView fits best
Low-cost Windows batch image processing
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Side by side
| Feature | SumatraPDF 8.8/10 Visit ↗ | IrfanView 8.4/10 Visit ↗ |
|---|---|---|
| At a glance | ||
| Editor score | 8.8 | 8.4 |
| Ranking | #4 in File Viewer Software | #6 in File Viewer Software |
| Best for | Portable Windows document viewing | Low-cost Windows batch image processing |
| Pricing model | Free | Free plan + paid |
| Starting price | Free plan | $18/device one-time |
| Free plan | ✓ | ✓ |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Deployment | Desktop | Desktop |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Support | Docs, Community | Email, Docs |
| Built for | Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise | Solo, Small business |
| Features SumatraPDF 0/4 · IrfanView 0/4 | ||
| Archive preview | Not checked yet | Not checked yet |
| Office file preview | Not checked yet | Not checked yet |
| Code file preview | Not checked yet | Not checked yet |
| In-file search | Not checked yet | Not checked yet |
| Specs | ||
| Listed formats | Not checked yet | Not checked yet |
| Primary access | Not checked yet | Not checked yet |
| Maximum file size | Not checked yet | Not checked yet |
| Our review | ||
| Pros |
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| Cons |
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| Our verdict | Sumatra PDF is a free, open-source desktop reader for Windows users who need more than basic PDF viewing. It opens PDF, EPUB, MOBI, comic-book, DjVu, XPS, CHM, image and other document formats. Core PDF tools cover text search, navigation… Read the review → |
IrfanView is a Windows desktop image viewer for beginners and professionals who need viewing, conversion, optimization, scanning, printing, slideshows, and batch processing in one compact application. Its strongest fit is for users… Read the review → |
Strengths and trade-offs
SumatraPDF — where it wins
- Free and open source with installer and portable Windows builds
- Opens PDF, ebook, comic-book, DjVu, XPS, CHM and image files
- Adds annotations, form filling, search and Windows text-to-speech
Where it doesn't
- Windows-only desktop support limits cross-platform use
- No OCR support is provided
- Some capabilities are documented for the 3.7 pre-release
IrfanView — where it wins
- Free for private, non-commercial use
- Batch conversion, resizing, renaming, and lossless JPEG operations
- Camera RAW support, command-line options, and plugins
Where it doesn't
- Windows-only desktop software
- Commercial use requires a paid license
- Batch automation is manual
- SumatraPDF8.8/10 · Free plan
A portable Windows reader with broad format support, annotations, forms and text-to-speech.
Visit Sumatra PDFFull verdict → - IrfanView8.4/10 · Free plan
A low-cost Windows viewer for batch conversion, resizing, renaming, and RAW files.
Visit IrfanViewFull verdict →
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Last updated · How we research and update





