Papers
Papers: A free Linux document viewer with useful PDF, form, annotation, and comic support. Ranked #10 of 23 in PDF Readers by our editors (6.5/10); pricing: Free plan; best for linux users reading PDFs and comics.
At a glance
- Editor score6.5 / 10
- PricingFree plan
- Best forLinux users reading PDFs and comics
- Free planYes
- Paid fromNone
- Offline accessYes
- Facts checked24 Sep 2026
Where it wins
- Free and open source, distributed through Flathub
- Supports annotations, bookmarks, search, and interactive PDF forms
- Opens DjVu, TIFF, presentations, and CBR, CBT, CBZ, and CB7 archives
Where it doesn't
- Designed for Linux desktop environments rather than multiple platforms
- Focused on viewing and document handling rather than broader integrations
- Its feature set centers on documents, PDFs, and comics
Our verdict on Papers
Papers is a free, open-source document viewer from The GNOME Project, designed primarily for Linux desktop environments. It suits users who read PDFs, comics, presentations, and other supported documents from a GNOME desktop. The application can open PDF, DjVu, and TIFF files, along with comic-book archives in CBR, CBT, CBZ, and CB7 formats. It also includes text search, annotations, bookmarks, printing, password-protected PDF support, and interactive form filling.
The pricing is straightforward: the only published plan is Free and open source, with distribution through Flathub. There are no paid tiers to compare, so every listed capability sits within the same free offering. For PDF-focused work, the feature coverage includes adding text and highlight annotations, navigating and managing bookmarks, filling interactive forms, printing documents, and viewing presentations. That makes Papers a practical fit for reading, marking up, organizing, and completing supported documents without a paid upgrade path.
Papers is most compelling when Linux and GNOME are the center of a reader’s workflow. Its document breadth goes beyond standard PDFs through comic archives, DjVu, TIFF, presentations, and password-protected PDFs, but its platform and integration fit are narrower than products intended for multiple operating systems or broader ecosystems. Choose Papers if you want an open-source Linux viewer with annotations, forms, bookmarks, and comic support. Choose an alternative if cross-platform availability or wider integration coverage matters more than GNOME desktop alignment.
Papers pricing
Papers fact sheet
| Free plan | Yes |
|---|---|
| Paid from | None |
| Annotation tools | Yes |
| OCR support | None |
| Form filling | Yes |
| Offline access | Yes |
| Text-to-speech | Not verified |
| Platform support | Desktop |
| Deployment | Desktop |
| Platforms | Linux |
| Support | Docs |
| Built for | Solo, Small business (editorial estimate) |
| Pricing | Free plan |
| Website | apps.gnome.org |
| Facts checked | 24 Sep 2026 |
Alternatives to Papers
- Foxit PDF ReaderA free cross-platform reader with collaboration, forms, signatures, and cloud integrations.9.8
- Adobe Acrobat ReaderA broadly available free PDF reader with useful accessibility, form, signature, and review tools.8.5
- OkularA capable open-source desktop reader with annotations, forms, signatures and accessibility tools.7.7
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Sep 2026
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