Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

MuPDF VS PSPDFKit

Compare MuPDF VS PSPDFKit and see what are their differences

MuPDF logo MuPDF

MuPDF is a lightweight PDF and XPS viewer.

PSPDFKit logo PSPDFKit

PSPDFKit is the best framework for working with PDF files. Our SDK provides first-rate PDF solutions for your application with features like annotating, signing, and form filling. We power successful projects for businesses across the globe.
  • MuPDF Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-08-05
  • PSPDFKit Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-02-12

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.

PSPDFKit features and specs

  • Comprehensive PDF Toolkit
    PSPDFKit provides a wide range of PDF functionalities including viewing, annotating, signing, and form filling, which makes it a one-stop solution for PDF handling within applications.
  • Cross-Platform Support
    PSPDFKit offers support for multiple platforms including iOS, Android, Windows, Web, and macOS, allowing developers to maintain consistency in PDF operations across different environments.
  • Ease of Integration
    With detailed documentation and various SDKs, integrating PSPDFKit into existing applications is relatively straightforward, saving development time and resources.
  • High Performance
    PSPDFKit is optimized for performance, capable of handling large PDF files with efficiency and speed, ensuring a smooth user experience.
  • Customization and Extensibility
    The toolkit offers extensive customization options and the ability to extend functionalities, enabling developers to tailor the PDF features to suit specific use cases.

Possible disadvantages of PSPDFKit

  • Cost
    PSPDFKit is a commercial product with licensing fees, which can be expensive for some organizations, especially smaller ones or those with limited budgets.
  • Complexity for Simple Applications
    For projects that require only basic PDF functionalities, the extensive features of PSPDFKit might be overkill, adding unnecessary complexity.
  • Dependence on Vendor
    Using a third-party library like PSPDFKit introduces a dependency on the vendor, which can be a risk if the vendor changes pricing models or discontinues support.
  • Learning Curve
    While there is comprehensive documentation, the breadth of features means that there can be a learning curve for developers new to PSPDFKit, which could delay implementation.

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.

MuPDF videos

MuPDF - Lightweight PDF Viewer - Linux XFCE

More videos:

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

PSPDFKit videos

5 min Presentations *** Sponsored by PSPDFKit

More videos:

  • Review - PSPDFKit
  • Review - All about eSignatures & Digital Signatures in PDF | Jonathan Rhyne | PSPDFKit

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to MuPDF and PSPDFKit)
PDF Tools
75 75%
25% 25
PDF Readers And Editors
78 78%
22% 22
PDF Editor
81 81%
19% 19
Business & Commerce
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

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

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

PSPDFKit Reviews

2024 Best C#/ .NET PDF Library for Developers
PSPDFKit's GdPicture.NET Library is a cross-platform SDK, encompassing OCR, data extraction, editing, PDF conversion, barcode generation, scanning, and more. With its rich API, developers quickly add PDF, imaging, and intelligent data processing capabilities to any .NET application. No matter which development environment, you can leverage GdPicture.NET SDK to create...
Source: www.compdf.com
2024 Best JavaScript PDF Viewer
This article introduces the five best JavaScript PDF viewers to meet your needs. We cover popular open-source options like PDF.js and React PDF, as well as three commercial choices: ComPDFKit for Web, PSPDFKit for Web, and PDFTron WebViewer. We're here to help you pick the right one for your case!
Source: www.compdf.com
PDF Reports: The Ultimate Guide
PSPDFKit provides support for generating, editing, and collaborating on commercial-grade PDFs. It has very strong performance and provides deep support with a diverse range of features. However, it comes at a premium price point, and some features may require additional licensing.
Source: unidoc.io
5 Best PDF Conversion SDK Manufactures
Converting PDF into MS Office formats is recognized as notoriously challenging within the document technology industry, few have overcome it, but at least they are on their way. The PSPDFKit PDF conversion API supports Office to PDF, Image to PDF, and HTML to PDF.
Source: www.compdf.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, MuPDF should be more popular than PSPDFKit. 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

PSPDFKit mentions (3)

What are some alternatives?

When comparing MuPDF and PSPDFKit, 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.

PDFTron - PDF components and tools.

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

ComPDFKit PDF SDK - ComPDFKit SDK is designed for developers to integrate editing PDF content (text & images), creating, editing, annotating, converting, merging, splitting, and redacting PDF files.

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

Firefox PDF Viewer (PDF.js) - PDF Viewer (aka pdf.js) is a new revolutionary extension using web standard technologies that...