Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

MuPDF VS Evince

Compare MuPDF VS Evince and see what are their differences

MuPDF logo MuPDF

MuPDF is a lightweight PDF and XPS viewer.

Evince logo Evince

Evince is a document viewer for multiple document formats: PDF, Postscript, djvu, tiff, dvi, XPS...
  • MuPDF Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-08-05
  • Evince Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-07-26

MuPDF features and specs

  • Lightweight
    MuPDF is a lightweight PDF viewer and toolkit, which makes it ideal for embedding in applications or using on devices with limited resources.
  • Fast Performance
    MuPDF is known for its fast rendering speeds, which ensures quick viewing and manipulation of PDF files.
  • High-Quality Rendering
    MuPDF provides high-quality rendering of PDF documents, ensuring that text and images are displayed clearly and accurately.
  • Support for Multiple Formats
    In addition to PDF, MuPDF supports other formats such as XPS, OpenXPS, CBZ, EPUB, and FictionBook 2, making it versatile for various document types.
  • Open Source
    MuPDF is an open-source project, which means it's customizable and freely available for developers to modify and improve upon.
  • Comprehensive API
    MuPDF offers a comprehensive API that provides functionalities for rendering, editing, and extracting information from PDF documents.

Possible disadvantages of MuPDF

  • Limited Annotation Tools
    MuPDF's annotation tools are not as extensive as those found in other PDF editors, making it less suitable for users needing advanced annotation features.
  • No OCR
    MuPDF does not natively support Optical Character Recognition (OCR), which limits its ability to handle scanned documents as searchable and selectable text.
  • Basic User Interface
    The user interface of MuPDF is relatively basic compared to other PDF viewers and editors, which may not appeal to users looking for a more polished or feature-rich UI.
  • Limited Documentation
    The official documentation is somewhat limited, which can make it challenging for new users or developers to get started or find detailed information about specific features.
  • No Built-In Forms Support
    MuPDF does not offer built-in support for interactive PDF forms, limiting its use for documents requiring user input through forms.

Evince features and specs

  • Open Source
    Evince is free and open-source software, allowing users to use, modify, and distribute it without cost.
  • Lightweight
    Evince is designed to be simple and resource-efficient, making it ideal for use on machines with limited resources.
  • Multi-format Support
    Evince supports a variety of document formats including PDF, PostScript, TIFF, DjVu, and DVI.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    Evince features a clean and intuitive interface that is easy to navigate, even for users who are not tech-savvy.
  • Integration with GNOME
    As part of the GNOME project, Evince integrates smoothly with the GNOME desktop environment, offering a cohesive user experience.
  • Annotation Support
    Evince provides features for adding and managing annotations in PDF files, which is useful for reviewing and editing documents.

Possible disadvantages of Evince

  • Limited Advanced Features
    Evince lacks some advanced features found in other PDF viewers, such as extensive editing capabilities and form filling.
  • Occasional Compatibility Issues
    While Evince supports multiple document formats, there can be occasional issues with rendering complex documents accurately.
  • Geared Towards GNOME
    Evince is optimized for the GNOME desktop, which might lead to a less seamless experience on other desktop environments.
  • No Mobile Version
    Evince does not have an official mobile version, thus limiting its accessibility on smartphones and tablets.
  • Limited Customization
    There are fewer customization options in Evince compared to other PDF viewers, which might be a drawback for power users.

Analysis of MuPDF

Overall verdict

  • Yes, MuPDF is generally regarded as a good option for those seeking a no-nonsense PDF viewing experience. Its performance and versatility make it a solid choice for both casual and professional users.

Why this product is good

  • MuPDF is considered a good PDF viewer and toolkit because it is lightweight, fast, and supports a variety of document formats. Its minimalistic design ensures that it performs efficiently without consuming unnecessary resources, making it suitable for both older and newer systems. Additionally, MuPDF is open-source, which allows developers to contribute to its development and customize it for specific needs.

Recommended for

    MuPDF is recommended for users who need a lightweight and fast PDF viewer that can handle a variety of document formats. It is particularly suitable for those who prefer open-source software and require a tool that can be easily integrated into custom applications. Additionally, it is ideal for developers looking for a library to incorporate PDF functionality into their software products.

Analysis of Evince

Overall verdict

  • Evince is a good choice for users who are looking for a straightforward and reliable document viewer, especially those who are using a GNOME-based Linux distribution. It meets the needs of users who want a no-frills application that performs well and supports various document formats.

Why this product is good

  • Evince is a document viewer developed by the GNOME Project. It is designed to be simple yet powerful, supporting a wide range of document formats, including PDF, PostScript, DjVu, TIFF, XPS, and DVI. Its simplicity and integration with the GNOME desktop make it a popular choice for users who prefer a lightweight and efficient application for viewing documents. Moreover, it comes with features like text selection, search capabilities, and a clean, user-friendly interface.

Recommended for

    Evince is recommended for GNOME users, Linux users seeking a simple and intuitive document viewer, and anyone who needs to open and view multiple types of document formats without requiring advanced editing or annotation features.

MuPDF videos

MuPDF - Lightweight PDF Viewer - Linux XFCE

More videos:

  • Review - Install MuPDF (Lightweight PDF and XPS Viewer) in Linux Mint / Ubuntu via PPA

Evince videos

Evince Learning - Draw with JAZZA review

More videos:

  • Review - Incredible 97% Project Success Ratio | Clients' Review | EvinceDev

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to MuPDF and Evince)
PDF Tools
55 55%
45% 45
PDF Readers And Editors
52 52%
48% 48
PDF Editor
43 43%
57% 57
Tool
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

Share your experience with using MuPDF and Evince. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare MuPDF and Evince

MuPDF Reviews

MuPDF App Kit has been discontinued? Best MuPDF Alternative
However, MuPDF App Kit has been discontinued. This discontinuation affects numerous Android & iOS PDF viewers and editors relying on MuPDF App Kit libraries, rendering them incapable of delivering PDF functionalities to users. As a result, there is an urgent need to find an alternative to MuPDF in order to restore the functionality of PDF viewers and editors.
Source: www.compdf.com
13 of the Best Free PDF Readers
MuPDF is another small PDF reader. MuPDF allows users to view and edit PDF files, fill out forms and leave annotations on the document. Another feature of MuPDF is that it allows the user to convert their PDF file into other formats, such as HTML or SVG. For those people looking for a small and fast PDF reader and editor, this is a strong contender.
Source: www.indeed.com

Evince Reviews

Top 10 Adobe Reader Alternatives for Windows
Evince is a free and open source (FOSS) document viewer that is available on Windows, Linux and Unix-like operating systems. It is included as the default PDF viewer in Fedora, Debian and Ubuntu. The program was originally designed for the GNOME desktop environment and, support a multitude of file formats, including PDF, PostScrip, DjVu, TIFF, XPS and DVI.
Source: beebom.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, MuPDF seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 21 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.

MuPDF mentions (21)

View more

Evince mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of Evince yet. Tracking of Evince recommendations started around Mar 2021.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing MuPDF and Evince, you can also consider the following products

Sumatra PDF - Sumatra PDF is a slim PDF/DjVu/EPUB/XPS/CHM/CBR/CBZ/MOBI viewer for Windows.

Okular - Okular is a universal document viewer based developed by KDE.

Foxit Reader - Foxit Reader is a free and light-weight multi-platform PDF document viewer.

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

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.

Xodo - Try easy-to-use PDF tools that keep your documents safe. Work with your important files across all platforms and devices with the ultimate all-in-one document solution. Your productivity lives at Xodo!