Open Source Adobe Acrobat Reader Alternatives for Windows

There are many alternatives to Adobe Acrobat Reader for Windows if you are looking for a replacement. The best open source Windows alternative is SumatraPDF. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 100 alternatives to Adobe Acrobat Reader and many of them are open source and available for Windows so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting open source Windows alternatives to Adobe Acrobat Reader are Okular, Xournal++, PdfCraft and Stirling PDF.

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Most Adobe Acrobat Reader alternatives are PDF Readers, but you can also narrow the list to PDF Editors or Text to Speech Services. Other popular filters are Open Source, Windows, PDF Editor, Linux and Android. You can also filter for EU-based alternatives if you prefer software from the European Union.
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Alternatives
Adobe Acrobat Reader alternatives page was last updated

Alternatives list

  1. SumatraPDF icon
     1721 likes

    This free, open-source viewer for Windows supports multiple formats like PDF, eBooks (ePub, Mobi), CHM, and Comic Books (CBZ, CBR). Prioritizing simplicity and speed, it offers a lightweight, portable design with a minimalist interface, catering to users seeking fast and efficient document viewing.

    150 SumatraPDF alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Since

    • Since 2009

    Platforms

    • Windows
    Good alternative?
     
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    37
  2. Okular icon
     514 likes

    Multi-platform document viewer supporting PDF, ePub, comics, images, and Markdown with annotation, digital signature verification, tabbed interface, sidebar navigation, text selection, text-to-speech, magnifier, search, dark mode, and plugin support.

    148 Okular alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Since

    • Since 2009

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • KDE Plasma
    • Linux Mobile
    • Haiku
    • Flathub
    • Snapcraft
    Good alternative?
     
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    12
  3. Xournal++ icon
     201 likes

    Handwritten note-taking and PDF annotation using pen input and pressure sensitivity, shape drawing, customizable toolbar layouts, image insertion, audio recording, multi-language options, LaTeX integration, and complete export in PDF or PNG formats across all platforms.

    82 Xournal++ alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Since

    • Since 2019

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Mac
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    • Snapcraft
    Good alternative?
     
  4. PdfCraft icon
     44 likes

    Read, organize, combine, split and secure PDFs in a fast, native app written in Rust from the ground up. No account, no telemetry, no cloud.

    83 PdfCraft alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Since

    • New

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Mac
    • Linux
    • Online
    Good alternative?
     
  5. Stirling PDF icon
     74 likes

    Locally hosted web application offering an interactive GUI to merge, split, reorganize, convert, compress, watermark, secure, sign, flatten, repair, extract images, detect blanks, apply OCR, set permissions, and enable file processing or API integration for PDFs.

    147 Stirling PDF alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Since

    • Since 2023

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Mac
    • Online
    • Self-Hosted
    • Cloudron
    • Docker Hub
    Good alternative?
     
  6. MuPDF icon
     165 likes

    MuPDF offers a highly versatile PDF, XPS, and eBook interpreter, customizable as a renderer, viewer, or toolkit. Features include digital signatures, redactions, form filling, annotations, and page manipulation, ideal for mobile, eBooks, and embedded apps supporting Java, C++, and Python.

    124 MuPDF alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Since

    • Since 2012

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Xfce
    • Android
    • F-Droid
    • OpenAPK
    • US flagUnited States
    MuPDF screenshot 1
    Good alternative?
     
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    4
  7. Butterfly is a note-taking app where your ideas come first. You can paint, add texts, and export them easily on every device. This app works on android, windows, linux, and in the web.

    65 Linwood Butterfly alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Since

    • Since 2022

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Mac
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Self-Hosted
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Linux Mobile
    • Android Tablet
    • F-Droid
    Good alternative?
     
  8. LEKTRA icon
     20 likes

    High-performance viewer for documents and images offering split tabs, customizable single or book layouts, portals for side-by-side sections, instant search, line highlight, annotation tools, link hints, searchable highlights, session management, and TOML config.

    70 LEKTRA alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Since

    • Since 2026

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Mac
    • Linux
    Good alternative?
     
  9. Sioyek icon
     25 likes

    Sioyek is a PDF viewer with minimal interface optimized for reading research papers and technical books.

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Since

    • Since 2021

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Mac
    • Linux
    • US flagUnited States
    Main view
    Good alternative?
     
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    1
  10. Paperwing icon
     6 likes

    A free, open-source alternative to Adobe Acrobat for Windows and macOS. Built on BentoPDF.

    150 Paperwing alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Since

    • New

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Mac
    Good alternative?
     
  11. PDF4QT icon
     14 likes

    Open-source PDF viewer and editor using Qt framework, featuring hardware-accelerated rendering, encryption, multithreading, text-to-speech, annotation tools, form filling, high-res monitor support, document compression, audio book conversion, and signature validation.

    136 PDF4QT alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source (MIT)

    Application type

    Since

    • Since 2023

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    Good alternative?
     
  12. Blazing fast PDF and portable eReader built on muPDF. Including the ability to save "highlights" and notes like on Kindle.

    61 Minimal eReader alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Since

    • Since 2025

    Platforms

    • Windows
    Good alternative?
     
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