Software Alternatives & Startups

Thorium Reader VS ShellNewHandler

Compare Thorium Reader VS ShellNewHandler and see what are their differences

Thorium Reader

Thorium Reader is a free, open source multi-language EPUB reader for Windows 10, MacOS and Linux. It's privacy aware and highly accessible for visually impaired and dyslexic people.

Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Open source
ShellNewHandler

SourceForge.net: ShellNewHandler details page

Rating
0 reviews
Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

Which is more popular?

Based on our record, ShellNewHandler seems to be more popular. It has been mentioned 2 times since March 2021.

social mentions
0 vs 2
eBook Reader popularity
100% vs 0%

Base details

Website, pricing, platforms and company facts side by side.

Thorium Reader
ShellNewHandler
Website edrlab.org sourceforge.net
Pricing
Open source
—
Listed in

Analysis

An editorial look at what each product does well and who it suits.

Thorium Reader
ShellNewHandler

Overall verdict

  • Thorium Reader is a solid, free, and open-source ebook reader developed by EDRLab that offers excellent standards compliance and strong accessibility features, making it a reliable choice for reading EPUB and other digital publications across desktop platforms.

Why this product is good

  • Completely free and open-source with no ads or hidden costs
  • Excellent support for EPUB, PDF, DAISY, and Divina formats
  • Strong accessibility features including screen reader compatibility and dyslexia-friendly options
  • Supports LCP DRM, allowing access to protected library and store content
  • Cross-platform availability on Windows, macOS, and Linux
  • Regularly updated and maintained by EDRLab, a respected non-profit in digital publishing
  • Privacy-focused with no user tracking or data collection
  • Clean, customizable reading interface with adjustable fonts, themes, and layouts

Recommended for

  • Readers who want a free, privacy-respecting ebook application
  • Users with accessibility needs, including those using screen readers
  • People borrowing DRM-protected ebooks from libraries via LCP
  • Students and researchers reading EPUB and PDF documents
  • Linux users seeking a capable, modern ebook reader
  • Anyone who values open-source software and standards compliance

Overall verdict

  • ShellNewHandler is a niche, lightweight utility hosted on SourceForge designed to give users more control over the Windows 'New' context menu (the ShellNew menu). It can be considered good for its specific narrow use case, but it is an older, minimally maintained tool that may not suit all users, especially those on modern Windows versions.

Why this product is good

  • Provides direct control over customizing the Windows right-click 'New' menu, allowing users to add or remove file type entries
  • Lightweight and free, without bundled bloatware typical of some other free utilities
  • Simple and focused in scope, making it easy to understand for its specific purpose
  • Open distribution via SourceForge allows transparency and no-cost access

Recommended for

  • Power users who want to declutter or customize the Windows New context menu
  • IT administrators managing standardized desktop environments across multiple machines
  • Users comfortable with older utility-style tools and Windows registry-related tweaks
  • Not recommended for casual users seeking modern, actively supported software with regular updates

Videos

Walkthroughs and reviews on video.

Thorium Reader 1 video + Add
ShellNewHandler 0 videos + Add

Thorium Reader evolves, keeps accessibility in focus

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

Category popularity

How often each product is chosen within a category, 0–100% relative to the other.

Score bands 0–20 21–40 41–50 51–60 61–100
Thorium Reader
ShellNewHandler
100% 100%
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%
100% 100%
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%

User comments

Share your experience with using Thorium Reader and ShellNewHandler. For example, how are they different and which one is better?

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Social recommendations and mentions

Recommendations tracked on public social media and blogs since March 2021.

Thorium Reader 0 mentions
ShellNewHandler 2 mentions

Tracking Thorium Reader since Mar 2021.

  • I recently got libreoffice, but now the new option in right click looks like a mess. Can someone help me get rid of them please?
    Use Shell New Handler. Run the portable app and simply untick the items you don't want to appear in your new context menu. Source: about 4 years ago
  • This menu should be easy to add/remove programs to... Who is really creating Access Databases from this menu often enough to keep it here? (Not me!) Is there an easy way to edit this?
    I've always used ShellNewHandler for this. It's a really simple portable utility that allows you to remove most of the items from that menu. Tested it out on Windows 11 and it's still compatible. Source: over 5 years ago

Alternatives to Thorium Reader and ShellNewHandler

When comparing Thorium Reader and ShellNewHandler, you can also consider the following products.