Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Atril VS PdfToolStack

Compare Atril VS PdfToolStack and see what are their differences

Atril logo Atril

Atril is a simple multi-page document viewer. Atril is a fork of Evince.

PdfToolStack logo PdfToolStack

AI-powered PDF tools for small teams โ€” compress, sign, extract, and review with AI
  • Atril Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-22
  • PdfToolStack Landing page
    Landing page //
    2026-08-20

Atril features and specs

  • Lightweight
    Atril is designed to be a lightweight document viewer, making it fast and efficient with system resources. This is particularly beneficial for older or less powerful computers.
  • MATE Integration
    As part of the MATE desktop environment, Atril is well-integrated and maintains a consistent look and feel with other MATE applications, providing a seamless user experience.
  • Multiple Format Support
    Atril supports a variety of document formats, including PDF, PostScript, DjVu, DVI, and XPS, making it a versatile tool for viewing different kinds of documents.
  • Open Source
    Atril is open-source software, allowing users to freely inspect, modify, and distribute the software. This fosters transparency and community contributions.

Possible disadvantages of Atril

  • Limited Features
    Compared to some other document viewers, Atril may have fewer advanced features, such as extensive annotation tools or advanced search capabilities.
  • MATE Dependency
    While Atril can be used outside the MATE desktop environment, it is specifically designed for MATE, meaning it may not integrate as well with other desktop environments.
  • Occasional Lag with Large Files
    Users may experience some performance lag when opening very large documents, which can affect usability.
  • Development Pace
    Being part of a community-driven project, Atril's development and updates can be slower compared to commercial software with dedicated development teams.

PdfToolStack features and specs

  • All-in-One PDF Solution
    PdfToolStack offers a comprehensive suite of PDF tools including merging, splitting, compressing, converting, and editing PDFs, eliminating the need for multiple separate applications.
  • Web-Based Convenience
    Being an online tool, it requires no software installation, allowing users to access PDF utilities from any device with an internet connection.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    The platform is designed with simplicity in mind, making it accessible for users with varying levels of technical expertise to perform PDF operations quickly.
  • Free Access to Basic Features
    Many core functionalities are available at no cost, making it an attractive option for users with occasional or basic PDF processing needs.
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    Since it operates through a web browser, PdfToolStack works across different operating systems including Windows, Mac, and Linux without compatibility issues.

Possible disadvantages of PdfToolStack

  • Internet Dependency
    As a web-based tool, it requires a stable internet connection to function, making it unusable in offline scenarios or areas with poor connectivity.
  • Privacy and Security Concerns
    Uploading sensitive or confidential documents to an online platform raises potential privacy risks, as files are processed on external servers.
  • File Size Limitations
    Free versions of online PDF tools often impose restrictions on file size or the number of operations, which can be limiting for users with large documents.
  • Potential Advertisements
    Free web-based tools frequently include ads or upsell prompts for premium features, which can disrupt the user experience.
  • Limited Advanced Features
    Compared to dedicated desktop PDF software, PdfToolStack may lack more sophisticated editing capabilities needed by professional or power users.

Analysis of Atril

Overall verdict

  • Atril is considered a good option for users looking for a straightforward, reliable document viewer integrated with the MATE desktop environment. It offers essential features required for everyday document viewing tasks and is consistently maintained as part of the MATE project.

Why this product is good

  • Atril, a document viewer that is part of the MATE desktop environment, is appreciated for its simplicity and efficiency. It supports a wide range of document formats including PDF, PostScript, DJVU, and many others. Atril is lightweight, making it an excellent choice for users who prefer minimal resource consumption without sacrificing functionality.

Recommended for

    Atril is recommended for users who utilize the MATE desktop environment or those who need a fast and efficient document viewer that does not hog system resources. It's especially suitable for Linux users who appreciate the traditional desktop experience provided by MATE.

Atril videos

Me comprรฉ un atril! - PDP CS800 #Review

More videos:

  • Review - REVIEW / Atril de platillo HC33BW con boom Tama
  • Review - Review: Wostoo Teclado Electrรณnico Piano 61 Teclas con Atril y Microfono

PdfToolStack videos

No PdfToolStack videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

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Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Atril and PdfToolStack)
PDF Editor
92 92%
8% 8
PDF Compressor
0 0%
100% 100
PDF Tools
89 89%
11% 11
Office & Productivity
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Atril seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 23 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Atril mentions (23)

  • KDE celebrates the 29th birthday and kicks off the yearly fundraiser
    MATE was forked around the time GNOME 3 was released and is still going. https://mate-desktop.org Some people consider Cinnamon to be a GNOME 2 spiritual successor while still using a lot of GNOME 3 stuff under the hood. https://projects.linuxmint.com/cinnamon/. - Source: Hacker News / 10 months ago
  • SerenityOS is a love letter to '90s user interfaces
    The closest I know of is Blue95. I have only run the live environment but it worked pretty well and was impressive. "Blue95 is a modern and lightweight desktop experience that is reminiscent of a bygone era of computing. Based on Fedora Atomic Xfce with the Chicago95 theme." https://github.com/winblues/blue95 And if you like Gnome 2.x, there's MATE: https://mate-desktop.org/. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Systemd Rolling Out "run0" As sudo Alternative
    I don't know if you are DE shopping, but I've been very happy for the past few years with the MATE Desktop Environment, which "...is the continuation of GNOME 2. It provides an intuitive and attractive desktop environment using traditional metaphors for Linux and other Unix-like operating systems." https://mate-desktop.org/ Among a great number of things I really like, I will mention that Caja, the MATE version of... - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
  • Lobotomizing Gnome
    I agree that there is a balance between customization and "cleanness" in design and implementation. However, I think the GNOME 3 and 4 designers went too far and alienated many users: https://www.zdnet.com/article/linus-torvalds-finds-gnome-3-4-to-be-a-total-user-experience-design-failure/ https://medium.com/@fulalas/gnome-42-the-nonsense-continues-7d96c3287f7... - Source: Hacker News / about 3 years ago
  • I Still Use Windows 95 (archived, 2008)
    > Is there a WM out there that can do the basic quality-of-life functions of today's DEs? I'd love a simple, opinionated WM that takes the features we know are useful today (workspaces, expo mode, sensible file manager layouts, system trays) and gives them a color-adjustable window theme inspired by 90's aesthetics, with minimal compositing that can run fast on hardware as minimal as a prototype RISC-V board. Or... - Source: Hacker News / over 3 years ago
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PdfToolStack mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of PdfToolStack yet. Tracking of PdfToolStack recommendations started around Jun 2026.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Atril and PdfToolStack, you can also consider the following products

Evince - Evince is a document viewer for multiple document formats: PDF, Postscript, djvu, tiff, dvi, XPS...

iLovePDF - Premium online PDF tool set

PDF Reader Pro - PDF Reader Pro is an all-in-one PDF office supporting to Read, Annotate, Edit, OCR, Convert, Create & Fill Form, Sign PDFs, TTS on Mac, iOS, Android, and Windows.

Adobe Acrobat DC - Make your job easier with Adobe Acrobat DC, the trusted PDF creator. Use Acrobat to convert, edit and sign PDF files at your desk or on the go.

ApowerPDF - ApowerPDF is a versatile PDF editor which also features as PDF converter, viewer, creator and more. It provides a perfect solution for all users.

Smallpdf - PDF document management and conversion suite