Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Okular VS Firefox PDF Viewer (PDF.js)

Compare Okular VS Firefox PDF Viewer (PDF.js) and see what are their differences

Okular logo Okular

Okular is a universal document viewer based developed by KDE.

Firefox PDF Viewer (PDF.js) logo Firefox PDF Viewer (PDF.js)

PDF Viewer (aka pdf.js) is a new revolutionary extension using web standard technologies that...
  • Okular Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-02
  • Firefox PDF Viewer (PDF.js) Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-07-27

Okular features and specs

  • Open Source
    Okular is an open-source software, which means the source code is freely available. Users can modify and distribute it according to their needs.
  • Multi-Format Support
    Okular supports a wide array of document formats including PDF, PostScript, DjVu, CHM, XPS, ePub, and more, providing versatile document reading capabilities.
  • Cross-Platform
    Okular is available for multiple operating systems including Linux, Windows, and macOS, making it accessible to a wider range of users.
  • Annotation Tools
    It includes powerful annotation features allowing users to add notes, highlight text, and draw shapes directly on documents.
  • Customizable Interface
    The interface is highly customizable, enabling users to tweak the appearance and functionality to match their preferences.
  • Tabbed Browsing
    Okular supports tabbed browsing, allowing users to open multiple documents in a single window, enhancing multitasking.

Possible disadvantages of Okular

  • Limited Advanced PDF Editing
    While Okular provides basic annotation features, it lacks advanced PDF editing capabilities like modifying text and images within a PDF.
  • Learning Curve
    New users might find the extensive range of features and settings overwhelming, leading to a steeper learning curve compared to simpler document viewers.
  • Performance Issues
    Some users have reported performance issues when handling very large files, which can result in slower operation and responsiveness.
  • Dependency on KDE Libraries
    To get the best experience, Okular requires KDE libraries, which might not be ideal for users who prefer not to integrate KDE components into their system.
  • Mobile Support
    Okular does not have a dedicated app for mobile platforms like Android and iOS, limiting its usability on tablets and smartphones.

Firefox PDF Viewer (PDF.js) features and specs

  • Open Source
    PDF.js is an open-source project, meaning it is free to use and its code can be reviewed and modified by anyone.
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    PDF.js works on multiple platforms including Windows, macOS, Linux, and can be used in any modern web browser.
  • Integration Ease
    Easily integrates into various web projects with minimal setup, enhancing the user's ability to display PDFs directly in the browser.
  • Actively Maintained
    As an open-source project backed by Mozilla, PDF.js benefits from consistent updates and improvements, ensuring better performance and security.
  • Offline Functionality
    Being a client-side JavaScript library, PDF.js can display PDFs without the need for an internet connection once the library is loaded.
  • Customization
    Developers have the freedom to customize and extend the capabilities of PDF.js to tailor it to specific application needs.

Possible disadvantages of Firefox PDF Viewer (PDF.js)

  • Performance Issues
    PDF.js can be less performant on larger or more complex PDF files, leading to slower rendering times compared to native PDF viewers.
  • Limited Advanced Features
    For users requiring advanced PDF functionalities such as editing or form filling, PDF.js lacks comprehensive support compared to dedicated PDF software.
  • Rendering Inconsistencies
    There can be inconsistencies in rendering complex PDFs, especially those with intricate layouts, fonts, or graphics.
  • Browser Dependency
    Although it's cross-platform, the performance and feature set can vary depending on the browser, with some browsers offering less optimal support.
  • Learning Curve
    Developers may encounter a learning curve when first integrating PDF.js, particularly when customizing its features or troubleshooting specific issues.
  • Security Concerns
    As with any client-side script, there can be security concerns if the library is outdated or not properly configured, potentially exposing vulnerabilities.

Okular videos

okular, program for annotating your books in linux

More videos:

  • Review - Review: Okular || Awesome PDF Viewer || Best PDF Viewer that I have tried yet.
  • Review - Okular Document Viewer vs Atril Document Viewer

Firefox PDF Viewer (PDF.js) videos

No Firefox PDF Viewer (PDF.js) videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

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Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Okular and Firefox PDF Viewer (PDF.js))
PDF Tools
77 77%
23% 23
PDF Editor
82 82%
18% 18
PDF Readers And Editors
76 76%
24% 24
eBook Reader
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Okular and Firefox PDF Viewer (PDF.js)

Okular Reviews

10 Best PDF Expert Alternatives for Various Tasks in 2022
Verdict: Okular is an open source and can be used free, which is probably its main advantage. At the same time, its basic functionality is meant to be not only highly competitive with PDF Expert but rather overcomes it because the letter can be used only under paid subscription. This PDF Expert alternative is one of the most all-in-one PDF readers, which is compatible not...
Source: fixthephoto.com
8 Best eBook Readers for Linux
Okular is another open-source and cross-platform document viewer developed by KDE and is shipped as part of the KDE Application release.
Source: itsfoss.com

Firefox PDF Viewer (PDF.js) Reviews

2024 Best JavaScript PDF Viewer
• Dependency on PDF.js: It uses PDF.js under the hood, and any vulnerabilities discovered in PDF.js will impact react-pdf as well.
Source: www.compdf.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Okular should be more popular than Firefox PDF Viewer (PDF.js). It has been mentiond 44 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.

Okular mentions (44)

  • Signing PDFs
    If you mean signing as in "signing with your handwritten signature", you could use Okular () which easily allows you to do that. Filling out forms also works nicely. Source: over 1 year ago
  • Alexandria: A minimalistic cross-platform eBook reader
    I was in a similar position lately until I found Okular. Have you tried it? https://okular.kde.org/. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Help with PDF's
    I would try Okular first, though, which is free and open source: https://okular.kde.org/. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • EPUB 3.3 becomes a W3C recommendation
    KDE's okular might be a good choice. I haven't personally used it for epub but I know it supports it. https://okular.kde.org/. - Source: Hacker News / almost 2 years ago
  • Are there any good PDF viewers for large (10Mb+) datasheets that can save search results in the actual PDF, and take notes on the PDF?
    I use okular, don't think it has web export though. Source: about 2 years ago
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Firefox PDF Viewer (PDF.js) mentions (26)

  • Adobe’s Monopoly on PDFs: The Innovation Bottleneck and the Need for Open-Source Alternatives
    While projects like PDF.js, PDFium, and Scribus provide alternatives, they lack key features such as advanced text editing, OCR, and form filling. The challenge lies in funding — without dedicated support, open-source projects struggle to compete with Adobe’s multi-billion-dollar resources. To foster a competitive landscape, businesses and governments must invest in robust open-source PDF development, just as they... - Source: dev.to / 2 months ago
  • DEMO - Voice to PDF - Complete PDF documents with voice commands using the Claude 3 Opus API
    ReadPdf: used for reading the dropped file and displaying it on the screen, it uses PDF.js to load the file, get all fields and display it on the browser. - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
  • Building W-9 Crafter
    I first started building the app in the browser, using PDF.js and Download.js to take a PDF and edit it, and then download it to your computer. - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
  • How to Write a Cold Email
    I'd think opening a PDF in your browser would be at the same risk-level you associate with going to any random URL. On Firefox at least, I'm pretty sure the built-in PDF viewer is simply JS parsing and rendering the PDF anyway -- nothing with elevated permissions: https://mozilla.github.io/pdf.js/. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • PDF Chat with Node.js, OpenAI and ModelFusion
    We use Mozilla's PDF.js via the pdfjs-dist NPM module to load pages from a PDF file. The loadPdfPages function reads the PDF file and extracts its content. It returns an array where each object contains the page number and the text of that page. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Okular and Firefox PDF Viewer (PDF.js), 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.

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

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

MuPDF - MuPDF is a lightweight PDF and XPS viewer.

calibre - Ebook manager, viewer & converter

Adobe Reader - Adobe Acrobat Reader is a free tool for viewing documents that have been stored in Adobe's Portable Document Format (PDF).