Skim AlternativesPDF Readers and other similar apps like Skim

Skim is described as 'PDF reader and note-taker for OS X. It is designed to help you read and annotate scientific papers in PDF, but is also great for viewing any PDF file' and is a popular PDF Reader in the office & productivity category. There are more than 50 alternatives to Skim for a variety of platforms, including Windows, Linux, Android, Mac and iPhone apps. The best Skim alternative is SumatraPDF, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like Skim are Okular, Foxit Reader, Xournal++ and Evince.

Skim alternatives are mainly PDF Readers but may also be PDF Editors or Note-taking Tools. Filter by these if you want a narrower list of alternatives or looking for a specific functionality of Skim.

Skim

Free • Open Source
PDF Reader

Skim is a PDF reader and note-taker for OS X. It is designed to help you read and annotate scientific papers in PDF, but is...

More about Skim

Skim alternatives page was last updated

SumatraPDF
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
PDF Reader
Ebook Reader
Text to Speech Service
Windows
102 SumatraPDF alternatives
Sumatra PDF is a free PDF, eBook (ePub, Mobi), XPS, DjVu, CHM, Comic Book (CBZ and CBR) viewer for Windows.
- - SumatraPDF is the most popular Windows alternative to Skim.
- - SumatraPDF is the most popular Open Source & free alternative to Skim.
Suggest and vote on features
SumatraPDF Features
1. LightweightSumatraPDF consumes less device resources compared to similar apps.
2. Ad-freeSumatraPDF doesn't contain any form of external advertising.
3. PortableSumatraPDF can be used from a USB stick or similar with no prior installation.
4. No registration requiredYou can use most of the features in SumatraPDF without registration.
5. Works OfflineSumatraPDF can be used without the need to connect to the internet.
6. PDF annotationSumatraPDF support PDF Annotation for highlighting, notes etc
7. Dark ModeSumatraPDF supports dark mode for comfortable usage in low light conditions.
8. Privacy focusedSumatraPDF is considered a privacy friendly alternative.
9. Text to SpeechSumatraPDF allows you to transform written text into spoken text.
Low memory usage
Optimal performance
Tabbed interface
Multi Format Reader
Highlighter
Global bookmarks
Quick search
XOD File Reader
OXPS File Reader
AzW Reader
Comments about SumatraPDF as a Alternative to Skim
pros, cons and recent comments
Guest
no notes extraction available
Negative comment •
0
Okular
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
PDF Reader
Ebook Reader
PDF Editor
Windows
Linux
BSD
Flathub
107 Okular alternatives
Multi-platform, fast and packed with features, Okular allows you to read PDF documents, comics and EPub books, browse images, visualize Markdown documents, and much more.
- - Okular is the most popular Linux alternative to Skim.
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Okular Features
1. PDF annotationOkular support PDF Annotation for highlighting, notes etc
2. LightweightOkular consumes less device resources compared to similar apps.
3. Dark ModeOkular supports dark mode for comfortable usage in low light conditions.
4. Ad-freeOkular doesn't contain any form of external advertising.
5. Privacy focusedOkular is considered a privacy friendly alternative.
6. Text to SpeechOkular allows you to transform written text into spoken text.
7. Works OfflineOkular can be used without the need to connect to the internet.
8. Fill PDF FormsOkular supports forms in PDF files.
9. Full-Text SearchOkular lets you search for specific words or phrases from inside a document or database.
Text Highlighting
Tabbed interface
Low memory usage
Customizable shortcuts
KDE
Text editing
Trim margins
No Tracking
Export to PDF
Compatible with Microsoft Office
Foxit Reader
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free Personal • Proprietary
PDF Reader
PDF Editor
Text to Speech Service
Mac
Windows
Linux
Android
iPhone
Android Tablet
Windows Phone
iPad
ReactOS
115 Foxit Reader alternatives
Foxit Reader is a free and light-weight multi-platform PDF document viewer. Its core function is compatible with PDF Standard 1.7.
- - Foxit Reader is the most popular Android, Mac, iPhone, iPad & Android Tablet alternative to Skim.
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Foxit Reader Features
1. PDF annotationFoxit Reader support PDF Annotation for highlighting, notes etc
2. Fill PDF FormsFoxit Reader supports forms in PDF files.
3. Sign PDF filesFoxit Reader support signing a PDF document digitally on a touch screen etc.
4. Text to SpeechFoxit Reader allows you to transform written text into spoken text.
5. LightweightFoxit Reader consumes less device resources compared to similar apps.
6. Support for scriptingFoxit Reader supports scripts and macros to automate or customize tasks.
7. Spell CheckingFoxit Reader can detect and correct all types of grammar and spelling mistakes.
8. PortableFoxit Reader can be used from a USB stick or similar with no prior installation.
Highlighter
Tablet support
Booklet printing
Text Highlighting
Support for Javascript
Multiple languages
Print to PDF
Scan to word
Modify filesystem timestamps
Tabbed interface
Bundleware
The installer tries to install McAfee WebAdvisor and PhantomPDF Business. These can be skipped by clicking Decline on each.

Opinions about Foxit Reader as a Alternative to Skim
Almost everyone thinks Foxit Reader is a great Skim alternative.
Xournal++
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Note-taking Tool
Digital Painting Tool
Mac
Windows
Linux
Online
Android
Chrome OS
Android Tablet
Self-Hosted
42 Xournal++ alternatives
Xournal++ (a fork of Xournal) is a handwriting Notetaking software with PDF annotation support. Written in C++ with platform independent GTK, supporting Linux, e.g. Ubuntu, Debian, Arch, Suse, macOS and Windows 10. Supports Pen input like Wacom Tablets.
- - Xournal++ is the most popular Web-based & Self-Hosted alternative to Skim.
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Xournal++ Features
1. Handwritten NotesXournal++ supports writing by hand (or a stylus) and your text will be converted to text.
2. PDF annotationXournal++ support PDF Annotation for highlighting, notes etc
3. Works OfflineXournal++ can be used without the need to connect to the internet.
4. Pressure SensitivityXournal++ can change attributes like thickness or opacity, based on how much force you apply to your stylus/finger.
5. Ad-freeXournal++ doesn't contain any form of external advertising.
6. Support for LaTeXXournal++ supports LaTeX for text and math equation formatting.
7. PortableXournal++ can be used from a USB stick or similar with no prior installation.
8. Dark ModeXournal++ supports dark mode for comfortable usage in low light conditions.
9. Spell CheckingXournal++ can detect and correct all types of grammar and spelling mistakes.
Support for styluses
Handwriting
Export to PDF
LaTeX Math
Pen Support
Multi layer drawing
Audio with notes
Freehand Writing
Highlighter
LaTeX Equations
Comments about Xournal++ as a Alternative to Skim
pros, cons and recent comments
violoncello
Xournal++ allows for annotating pdfs with an active pen
Positive comment •
0
Evince
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
PDF Reader
Linux
PortableApps.com
110 Evince alternatives
Evince (or GNOME Document Viewer) is a document viewer for multiple document formats: PDF, Postscript, djvu, tiff, dvi, XPS, SyncTex support with gedit, comics books (cbr,cbz,cb7 and cbt) and others. See Supported Document Formats for details.
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Evince Features
1. LightweightEvince consumes less device resources compared to similar apps.
2. PDF annotationEvince support PDF Annotation for highlighting, notes etc
3. PortableEvince can be used from a USB stick or similar with no prior installation.
4. Dark ModeEvince supports dark mode for comfortable usage in low light conditions.
5. Ad-freeEvince doesn't contain any form of external advertising.
6. Works OfflineEvince can be used without the need to connect to the internet.
7. No registration requiredYou can use most of the features in Evince without registration.
Invert colours
Multiple languages
Handwriting recognition
Windows Compatible
Minimalistic
Comments about Evince as a Alternative to Skim
pros, cons and recent comments
Guest
doesn't support annotations
Negative comment •
0
MuPDF
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
PDF Reader
Windows
Linux
Android
iPhone
iPad
F-Droid
Xfce
84 MuPDF alternatives
MuPDF is a highly versatile, customizable PDF and XPS interpreter solution that can be used across a wide range of applications as a PDF renderer, viewer, or toolkit.
Suggest and vote on features
MuPDF Features
1. LightweightMuPDF consumes less device resources compared to similar apps.
2. PortableMuPDF can be used from a USB stick or similar with no prior installation.
3. PDF annotationMuPDF support PDF Annotation for highlighting, notes etc
4. Ad-freeMuPDF doesn't contain any form of external advertising.
Vim key mapping
Adobe Acrobat Reader
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Freemium • Proprietary
PDF Reader
Mac
Windows
Android
iPhone
Android Tablet
iPad
106 Adobe Acrobat Reader alternatives
View, sign, collaborate on and annotate PDF files with our free Acrobat Reader software. And to easily edit and convert your PDFs into file formats like Excel and Word, try out PDF editor and converter Acrobat Pro DC.
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Adobe Acrobat Reader Features
1. PDF annotationAdobe Acrobat Reader support PDF Annotation for highlighting, notes etc
2. Fill PDF FormsAdobe Acrobat Reader supports forms in PDF files.
3. Combine PDFCombine, merge and arrange PDF files into one document.
4. Dark ModeAdobe Acrobat Reader supports dark mode for comfortable usage in low light conditions.
5. Sign PDF filesAdobe Acrobat Reader support signing a PDF document digitally on a touch screen etc.
6. LightweightAdobe Acrobat Reader consumes less device resources compared to similar apps.
7. OCRExtract the text from a screen capture or file and paste it into another document for edits.
8. No registration requiredYou can use most of the features in Adobe Acrobat Reader without registration.
9. Works OfflineAdobe Acrobat Reader can be used without the need to connect to the internet.
Edit PDF
Document Annotations
Create PDF files
Multi-tabs
Invert colours
PDF compression
Cloud Sync
Highlighter
Text Highlighting
Export to PDF
PDF-XChange Editor
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Freemium • Proprietary
PDF Editor
PDF Reader
Windows
PortableApps.com
Wine
135 PDF-XChange Editor alternatives
Compact and fast loading PDF viewer and editor.
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PDF-XChange Editor Features
1. PDF annotationPDF-XChange Editor support PDF Annotation for highlighting, notes etc
2. PortablePDF-XChange Editor can be used from a USB stick or similar with no prior installation.
3. OCRExtract the text from a screen capture or file and paste it into another document for edits.
4. Split PDF filesPDF-XChange Editor can split PDF files into multiple documents.
5. Dark ModePDF-XChange Editor supports dark mode for comfortable usage in low light conditions.
6. LightweightPDF-XChange Editor consumes less device resources compared to similar apps.
7. Ad-freePDF-XChange Editor doesn't contain any form of external advertising.
8. Spell CheckingPDF-XChange Editor can detect and correct all types of grammar and spelling mistakes.
9. PDF encryptionPDF-XChange Editor can encrypt and decrypt PDF documents.
PDF OCR
Add/remove pages
Edit PDF
Customizable
Stamps
Bates numbering
Integrated Search
Split and merge PDF files
Edit metadata
Export to PowerPoint
Xodo
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Paid • Proprietary
PDF Reader
PDF Editor
Windows
Online
Android
iPhone
Chrome OS
Android Tablet
iPad
Google Chrome
104 Xodo alternatives
Xodo is the ultimate cross-platform PDF viewer and annotator. Powerful, fast, and optimized for all phones and tablets, Xodo makes it easy to access, edit, mark up, sort, share, sync, manage, sign, and more with even the most complex PDF documents.
- - Xodo is the most popular commercial alternative to Skim.
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Xodo Features
1. PDF annotationXodo support PDF Annotation for highlighting, notes etc
2. Dark ModeXodo supports dark mode for comfortable usage in low light conditions.
3. Sign PDF filesXodo support signing a PDF document digitally on a touch screen etc.
4. Ad-freeXodo doesn't contain any form of external advertising.
5. LightweightXodo consumes less device resources compared to similar apps.
6. Split PDF filesXodo can split PDF files into multiple documents.
7. Combine PDFCombine, merge and arrange PDF files into one document.
8. OCRExtract the text from a screen capture or file and paste it into another document for edits.
9. Real time collaborationMultiple users can work together in Xodo simultaneously.
Export to PDF
Google Drive integration
Annotations
Split and merge PDF files
Multiple Open Tabs
Create PDF files
Edit PDF
Drawing on top of pdfs
Convert images to PDF
Tabbed interface
Preview
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Proprietary
Image Viewer
PDF Reader
Image Editor
Mac
153 Preview alternatives
Preview is a simple and elegant application by Apple for viewing and working with images and PDF documents.
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Preview Features
1. Fill PDF FormsPreview supports forms in PDF files.
2. PDF annotationPreview support PDF Annotation for highlighting, notes etc
3. LightweightPreview consumes less device resources compared to similar apps.
4. Combine PDFCombine, merge and arrange PDF files into one document.
Edit PDF
Image resizing
Built-in Image converter
Master PDF Editor
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Freemium • Proprietary
PDF Editor
Mac
Windows
Linux
125 Master PDF Editor alternatives
Master PDF Editor is complete solution for editing PDF and XPS files. You can insert, edit, remove, copy, add images or graphics. Export, import, remove and change page layouts. Also Master PDF Editor provides full functionality for changing PDF information, including author...
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Master PDF Editor Features
1. Dark ModeMaster PDF Editor supports dark mode for comfortable usage in low light conditions.
2. Sign PDF filesMaster PDF Editor support signing a PDF document digitally on a touch screen etc.
3. No registration requiredYou can use most of the features in Master PDF Editor without registration.
4. PDF encryptionMaster PDF Editor can encrypt and decrypt PDF documents.
5. Fill PDF FormsMaster PDF Editor supports forms in PDF files.
Multiple languages
PDF OCR
Interactive PDF forms
Watermarking
Qoppa PDF Studio
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Freemium • Proprietary
PDF Reader
PDF Editor
Text to Speech Service
Mac
Windows
Linux
Chrome OS
183 Qoppa PDF Studio alternatives
Create, Convert, Review and Edit PDF Documents on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
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Qoppa PDF Studio Features
1. Sign PDF filesQoppa PDF Studio support signing a PDF document digitally on a touch screen etc.
2. Fill PDF FormsQoppa PDF Studio supports forms in PDF files.
3. OCRExtract the text from a screen capture or file and paste it into another document for edits.
4. Dark ModeQoppa PDF Studio supports dark mode for comfortable usage in low light conditions.
5. Text to SpeechQoppa PDF Studio allows you to transform written text into spoken text.
6. Spell CheckingQoppa PDF Studio can detect and correct all types of grammar and spelling mistakes.
7. PDF annotationQoppa PDF Studio support PDF Annotation for highlighting, notes etc
8. Ad-freeQoppa PDF Studio doesn't contain any form of external advertising.
9. Works OfflineQoppa PDF Studio can be used without the need to connect to the internet.
Edit PDF
Scan to PDF
PDF Redaction
Convert PDF to Word document
Create PDF files
Measurement-Tools
Batch processing
Built-in viewer
PDF OCR
Lightweight