SumatraPDF Review: Intuitive PDF and eBook Viewer That Can Be Used as an Alternative to Adobe Reader

very good
key review info
application features
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SumatraPDF is a small application specialized in displaying the contents of PDF files using different view modes. Aside from processing PDFs, the tool lets you read eBooks (EPUB, MOBI), XPS, DjVu, and CHM files, comic books (CBZ, CBR, CB7, and CBT), as well as FictionBook and PalmDOC documents. 

The utility is free, runs on Windows 8, 7, Vista and XP, and offers built-in support for previewing LaTeX documents.

Installation tweaks

You are allowed to select the installation folder, use SumatraPDF as your default PDF reader, and allow Windows to show previews of PDF files.

User-friendly looks and support for different view modes

The simplicity of the GUI is one of the program’s greatest advantages. The learning curve is smooth and easy, allowing you to seamlessly navigate through your documents.

The reading environment is made of two main panels: on the left side of the GUI you can access all your bookmarks and on the right you can read the content of your documents.

A toolbar is integrated in the main window for helping you make use of essential features for reading the files. You may hide or show the toolbar and bookmarks.

You can try on different view modes. Here’s an example of the 'Facing' one.
You can try on different view modes. Here’s an example of the 'Facing' one.

Aside from exploring a single page from a document, SumatraPDF comes with dedicated view modes that allow you to change the way pages are displayed in the layout, such as Facing and Book View.

In addition to the aforementioned view modes, you can explore your documents in full screen or via presentations, and show pages continuously.

SumatraPDF integrates a hamburger button (also adopted in many modern user interfaces) that helps you access a stack with all the features available in the utility.

You can also control the application via the command-line console and run it in a restricted mode in order to prevent the opening of new files, printing, changing default settings, saving to disk, emailing PDF data, and other tasks.

Reading capabilities

SumatraPDF helps you rotate the pages to different angles, copy the selected text to the clipboard so you can transfer it into other third-party tools, and select all text with a single click.

What’s more, you can copy the selected page from EPUB documents to the clipboard as an image, convert PDF text to plain text file format, and save comic books as PDF files on your computer.

You may check out details about the document properties, such as file path, title, subject, author, creation date, date when it was last modified, PDF producer, PDF version, number of pages, and page size.

Files can be imported in the working environment using the built-in browse button or drag-and-drop support. The multi-tabbed environment proves to be particularly useful, as you may keep different documents opened and switch between them.

In case you close one of the tabs accidentally, the app is able to automatically remember the rotation angle and last accessed page from the file.

You may print documents, jump to a specific page from the file, go to the previous or next page, fit width and show pages continuously, zoom in or out of the pages, and perform searches throughout the text content.

SumatraPDF displays a thumbnail preview with the most read documents.
SumatraPDF displays a thumbnail preview with the most read documents.

What’s more, the utility lets you specify a custom zooming value, rename items, open links embedded in documents via your web browser, as well as save your favorite pages and remove them in case you no longer need them.

SumatraPDF reveals a list with recently opened files so you can easily keep track of them and is able to send the current document via email using your default client. There’s also support for preset hotkeys that you can use for speeding up your actions, LZMA and PPMd compression in CBZ comic books, and measurement tool for finding the exact coordinates of your mouse cursor.

When it comes to reading EPUB and MOBI files, the utility shows the number of the current page and total number of pages, and lets you easily go to the previous next page using the built-in buttons. Plus, you can check out a table with contents and access links via your browser.

Configuration settings

You may define a default view mode and zoom value, show bookmark sidebar when available, and remember the settings for each document. In addition, you can enable the tabbed environment or open each file in a separate window, automatically check for updates, remember the opened files, and change the language.

Advanced configuration parameters can be tweaked via the settings file, which is stored to plain text format. For example, you can change the background and selection color, window margin and page spacing for PDF, XPS and DjVu documents.


The Good

SumatraPDF starts up fast and opens documents very quickly. It eats up a moderate amount of system resources upon processing files. The tool keeps multiple documents opened in the main panel and automatically remembers their rotation and page position.

You can create bookmarks, work with different view modes, perform searches, and print files. There’s also support for a portable version of SumatraPDF that you can drop on USB flash drives. 

The Bad

You cannot reassign hotkeys so you can make use only of the preset ones. The advanced configuration settings are not that easy to tweak for a less experienced user because they need to be manually altered in the plain text file (there’s no support for a dedicated panel from where you can handle the tweaks).

SumatraPDF knows best to read PDF and other files formats, so it is not capable of editing and creating PDF files, applying watermarks, inserting annotations and drawing markups, placing signature, and checking the spelling.

Some of the features (i.e. rotate the pages to different angles, change the view mode) can be accessed only via the hamburger button, making the reading process a bit difficult. However, you can use the preset hotkey.

The Truth

SumatraPDF is speedy and impresses with its ease of use. You can rely on it for viewing PDFs, eBooks, and other file formats. If reading is the only thing you are interested in, SumatraPDF comes with the right tools for fulfilling the task and represents a great alternative to Adobe Reader

user interface 4
features 3
ease of use 5
pricing / value 5


final rating 4
Editor's review
very good
 
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SumatraPDF (15 Images)

SumatraPDF lets you perform several tweaks during the installation process.You may copy the selected text to the clipboard.SumatraPDF displays a thumbnail preview with the most read documents.SumatraPDF lets you perform searches inside a document.SumatraPDF keeps a list with recently opened documents.
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