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Top Alternatives to Skim

Looking for Skim alternatives? We've curated 22 top alternatives that offer similar functionality. Whether you need options, free plans, or open source solutions, explore our comprehensive list to find the perfect fit for your needs.

Open Source More about Skim
Platforms:
Foxit Reader

Foxit Reader

Free Personal

Foxit Reader is a robust and feature-rich PDF reader and editor that provides users with a comprehensive set of tools for viewing, annotating, signing, and creating PDF documents. Known for its blend of performance and functionality, it caters to both casual users and professionals handling complex PDF workflows.

Key Features

  • Fast startup time and smooth performance, even with large files
  • Extensive and versatile annotation and markup tools
  • Supports digital signatures and security features

vs Skim

Fast startup time and smooth performance, even with large files compared to Skim
Sumatra PDF

Sumatra PDF

Open Source

Sumatra PDF is a free and lightweight PDF reader for Windows, renowned for its speed and minimalist interface. Beyond PDF, it supports a variety of other formats including EPUB, MOBI, CBR, CBZ, XPS, and DjVu, making it a versatile e-reader.

Key Features

  • Extremely fast document loading and rendering.
  • Very low system resource usage (lightweight).
  • Supports a wide range of document and e-book formats.

vs Skim

Extremely fast document loading and rendering. compared to Skim
Adobe Acrobat Reader DC

Adobe Acrobat Reader DC is the venerable and widely adopted standard for interacting with PDF documents. It provides robust tools for viewing, printing, signing, and commenting on PDF files across various devices and platforms.

Key Features

  • Industry-standard for PDF viewing and compatibility.
  • Feature-rich annotation and form-filling tools.
  • Reliable and stable performance.

vs Skim

Industry-standard for PDF viewing and compatibility. compared to Skim
Evince

Evince

Open Source

Evince is a lightweight and versatile document viewer designed for various formats including PDF, PostScript, DjVu, TIFF, XPS, and DVI. It provides a clean and intuitive interface for easily accessing and navigating your documents.

Key Features

  • Supports a wide variety of document formats (PDF, PS, DjVu, TIFF, XPS, DVI).
  • Extremely lightweight and uses minimal system resources.
  • Provides fast loading and smooth navigation.

vs Skim

Supports a wide variety of document formats (PDF, PS, DjVu, TIFF, XPS, DVI). compared to Skim
PDF-XChange Viewer

PDF-XChange Viewer is a versatile and lightweight PDF reader and editor. It offers a wide array of features for viewing, annotating, and manipulating PDF documents, including OCR capabilities and form filling, all within a user-friendly interface.

Key Features

  • Extensive free features for viewing, annotating, and form filling.
  • Includes OCR functionality in the free version.
  • Lightweight and efficient with low system resource usage.

vs Skim

Extensive free features for viewing, annotating, and form filling. compared to Skim
Okular

Okular

Open Source

Okular is a versatile document viewer from the KDE community, supporting a wide array of file formats including PDF, EPUB, DjVu, and TIFF. It offers intuitive navigation, robust annotation tools, and features like text selection and saving, making it a powerful tool for handling diverse document types.

Key Features

  • Supports a vast number of document formats.
  • Comprehensive and user-friendly annotation tools.
  • Generally lightweight and performant.

vs Skim

Supports a vast number of document formats. compared to Skim
Nitro Reader

Nitro Reader

Free Personal

Nitro Reader is a free PDF reader packed with advanced features for creating, editing, and signing PDF documents. It offers a clean interface and robust functionality for everyday PDF tasks, including form filling, annotation, and text extraction.

Key Features

  • Free and offers a wide range of features typically found in paid software.
  • Includes PDF creation via a virtual printer.
  • Robust annotation tools for marking up documents.

vs Skim

Free and offers a wide range of features typically found in paid software. compared to Skim
Preview

Preview

Free

Preview is the native image and PDF viewer for macOS. It offers essential tools for viewing, annotating, and basic editing of these file types directly within the Apple ecosystem. Designed for efficiency and low resource use, Preview provides a seamless and integrated experience for handling common document and image formats on Mac computers.

Key Features

  • Native and free part of macOS.
  • Fast and efficient performance with low resource usage.
  • Excellent integration with macOS features.

vs Skim

Native and free part of macOS. compared to Skim
CutePDF Writer

CutePDF Writer is a free Windows utility that allows users to convert virtually any printable document into a professional-quality PDF file. It operates as a virtual printer, making PDF creation as simple as printing a document from any application.

Key Features

  • Free of charge for core functionality.
  • Easy to use, integrates as a printer.
  • Converts virtually any printable document.

vs Skim

Free of charge for core functionality. compared to Skim
MuPDF

MuPDF

Open Source

MuPDF is a lightweight, portable document rendering engine and viewer for PDF, XPS, and EPUB formats. Known for its speed and accurate rendering, it's ideal for integrating document display into various applications or for users seeking a minimalist, high-performance viewer.

Key Features

  • Exceptional performance and speed in rendering documents.
  • Very low memory and resource usage.
  • Highly portable and works across numerous platforms.

vs Skim

Exceptional performance and speed in rendering documents. compared to Skim
PDF Studio

PDF Studio

Commercial

PDF Studio is a powerful, all-in-one PDF editor for Windows, macOS, and Linux. It provides comprehensive tools for viewing, creating, editing, securing, and reviewing PDF documents, serving professionals and individuals alike with robust features for managing their digital documents efficiently.

Key Features

  • Comprehensive feature set rivals more expensive options.
  • Available on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
  • One-time purchase option provides long-term value.

vs Skim

Comprehensive feature set rivals more expensive options. compared to Skim
xournal

xournal

Open Source

Xournal is a classic open-source application designed for digital note-taking, sketching, and PDF annotation, primarily using a stylus. It provides a simple yet effective environment for handwritten notes and document markup, offering support for various input methods including Wacom tablets.

Key Features

  • Excellent support for stylus and graphics tablets.
  • Efficient and lightweight, performs well on older hardware.
  • Effective PDF annotation capabilities.

vs Skim

Excellent support for stylus and graphics tablets. compared to Skim
Nitro Pro

Nitro Pro

Commercial

Nitro Pro is a comprehensive PDF solution designed to streamline document workflows for businesses of all sizes. It offers robust tools for creating, editing, converting, securing, and signing PDF documents, providing a cost-effective alternative to Adobe Acrobat.

Key Features

  • Comprehensive feature set for all PDF tasks.
  • Cost-effective compared to major competitors.
  • User-friendly interface similar to Microsoft Office.

vs Skim

Comprehensive feature set for all PDF tasks. compared to Skim
PDF-XChange Editor

PDF-XChange Editor is a powerful, free PDF editor and viewer for Windows. It offers a wide range of tools for creating, editing, annotating, and managing PDF documents, including OCR, form creation, and advanced security features. Despite its extensive capabilities, it remains lightweight and efficient.

Key Features

  • Feature-rich free version with significant editing capabilities.
  • Excellent OCR functionality included.
  • Fast and lightweight performance.

vs Skim

Feature-rich free version with significant editing capabilities. compared to Skim
qpdfview

qpdfview

Open Source

qpdfview is a lightweight, tabbed document viewer based on Qt. It supports PDF, DjVu, PostScript, and other document formats, offering features like annotation, form filling, and a clean, customizable interface for efficient document management.

Key Features

  • Very fast document loading and rendering.
  • Low memory and CPU usage.
  • Clean and intuitive user interface.

vs Skim

Very fast document loading and rendering. compared to Skim
Master PDF Editor

Master PDF Editor is a comprehensive PDF editing suite for Windows, macOS, and Linux. It empowers users to create, edit, view, annotate, and sign PDF documents with a robust set of tools.

Key Features

  • Comprehensive set of PDF editing and manipulation tools.
  • Available on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
  • Includes powerful features like OCR and batch processing.

vs Skim

Comprehensive set of PDF editing and manipulation tools. compared to Skim
zathura

zathura

Open Source

Zathura is a highly customizable and efficient document viewer based on the Poppler rendering engine. It is designed with a minimal interface and focuses on keyboard-driven navigation, making it ideal for users who prefer a streamlined workflow and powerful keybindings.

Key Features

  • Extremely lightweight and fast.
  • Excellent keyboard navigation for efficient browsing.
  • Highly customizable through a simple configuration file.

vs Skim

Extremely lightweight and fast. compared to Skim
Xodo

Xodo

Free

Xodo is a comprehensive, cross-platform PDF solution offering a wide array of tools for viewing, annotating, editing, signing, and creating PDF documents. With robust collaboration features and seamless cloud integration, it caters to both individual and professional use.

Key Features

  • Comprehensive suite of PDF tools in a single application.
  • Excellent real-time collaboration and online sharing features.
  • Seamless integration with major cloud storage services.

vs Skim

Comprehensive suite of PDF tools in a single application. compared to Skim
Universal Viewer

Universal Viewer

Freemium

Universal Viewer is a portable file viewer capable of displaying a wide array of file formats, including documents, images, media, and raw files, without requiring the associated native applications.

Key Features

  • Supports a very wide range of file formats.
  • Completely portable, no installation required.
  • Lightweight and resource-efficient.

vs Skim

Supports a very wide range of file formats. compared to Skim
ezPDF Reader

ezPDF Reader

Commercial

ezPDF Reader is a highly-rated multimedia PDF viewer and annotator for mobile devices. It supports interactive forms, freehand drawing, text highlighting, and offers features like Text-to-Speech and document synchronization, making it a versatile tool for users who work with PDFs on the go.

Key Features

  • Comprehensive annotation tools.
  • Excellent PDF form filling capability.
  • Supports multimedia within PDFs (audio/video).

vs Skim

Comprehensive annotation tools. compared to Skim
ePDFView

ePDFView

Open Source

ePDFView is a free, lightweight PDF viewer designed for speed and simplicity, built upon the Poppler rendering engine and GTK+ toolkit. Ideal for users prioritizing performance and minimal resource consumption on Linux systems.

Key Features

  • Extremely lightweight and fast
  • Low memory consumption
  • Clean and simple user interface

vs Skim

Extremely lightweight and fast compared to Skim
Document Viewer

Document Viewer

Open Source

Document Viewer is a highly customizable and lightweight document viewer designed for Android devices. It supports a wide range of formats including PDF, DjVu, XPS, CBZ, CBR, and ePub, offering features like highlighting, annotation, and optimal performance.

Key Features

  • Supports a wide range of document formats.
  • High performance and fast loading times.
  • Lightweight with low memory usage.

vs Skim

Supports a wide range of document formats. compared to Skim

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