Adobe Acrobat Reader Alternatives for Linux

Adobe Acrobat Reader is not available for Linux but there are plenty of alternatives that runs on Linux with similar functionality. The best Linux alternative is Okular, which is both free and Open Source. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 100 alternatives to Adobe Acrobat Reader and many of them are available for Linux so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting Linux alternatives to Adobe Acrobat Reader are Xournal++, Evince, MuPDF and Linwood Butterfly.

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Most Adobe Acrobat Reader alternatives are PDF Readers, but you can also narrow the list to PDF Editors or Ebook Readers. Other popular filters are Windows, Open Source, Linux, PDF Editor and Free. 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. 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.

    143 Okular alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • KDE Plasma
    • Snapcraft
    • Linux Mobile
    • Flathub
    • Haiku
    Good alternative?
     
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    12
  2. 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.

    80 Xournal++ alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Snapcraft
    • Flathub
    Good alternative?
     
  3. Evince icon
     466 likes

    Supports viewing and editing PDF annotations, displays multiple formats such as PDF, Postscript, DjVu, comic books, TIFF, DVI, XPS, remembers per-document zoom and position, features search, table-of-contents navigation, SyncTeX integration, and printing.

    141 Evince alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
    • GNOME
    • US flagUnited States
    Evince screenshot 1
    Good alternative?
     
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    5
  4. MuPDF icon
     164 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.

    122 MuPDF alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • F-Droid
    • Xfce
    • OpenAPK
    • US flagUnited States
    MuPDF screenshot 1
    Good alternative?
     
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    4
  5. 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.

    64 Linwood Butterfly alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • Self-Hosted
    • Snapcraft
    • AltStore
    • Flathub
    • F-Droid
    • Linux Mobile
    Good alternative?
     
  6. 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.

    68 LEKTRA alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

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

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

    63 Sioyek alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • US flagUnited States
    Main view
    Good alternative?
     
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    1
  8. Create, Convert, Review and Edit PDF Documents on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

    211 Qoppa PDF Studio alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Chrome OS
    Good alternative?
     
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    1
  9. Papers icon
     14 likes

    A document viewer for the GNOME desktop. You can view, search or annotate documents in many different formats.

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • Flathub
    • GNOME
    • Flatpak
    • Linux Mobile
    Good alternative?
     
  10. qpdfview icon
     45 likes

    qpdfview is a Qt-based tabbed document viewer using the Poppler library for PDF rendering and CUPS for printing. Support for the DjVu and PostScript formats can be added via plugins.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • Haiku
    • Qt
    Good alternative?
     
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    2
  11. Tritium icon
     3 likes

    Tritium is a desktop word processor built for transactional lawyers. Draft, review, and compare legal documents faster with real-time clause annotations, minimal redlines, and AI integrations - free for personal use.

    Cost / License

    • Free Personal
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • Windows
    • Mac
    Good alternative?
     
  12. PDF4QT icon
     13 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.

    133 PDF4QT alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source (MIT)

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    Good alternative?
     
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