The best PDF readers and editors for elementary OS
PDF files are part of everyday computing, whether you are reading a manual, completing a form, reviewing a contract, or marking up a study guide. On elementary OS, the right application can make those tasks feel simple and native rather than like an awkward extension of another desktop environment.
The best choice depends on what you need to do. A lightweight document viewer is ideal for books and reports, while a full PDF editor should support annotations, form filling, page rearrangement, and text changes. Some applications focus on a clean reading experience, whereas others provide professional tools at the cost of a larger interface.
elementary OS users also have a few practical considerations. AppCenter availability, Flatpak support, keyboard navigation, dark mode behavior, file associations, and integration with the Pantheon desktop can all affect daily usability. The applications below cover casual reading, academic work, office documents, and advanced PDF editing.
Start with the built-in document viewer
The default document viewer is usually the best place to begin. Depending on the elementary OS release and installed applications, this may be Papers or another GNOME-based viewer. It opens PDF files quickly, supports common navigation features, and avoids the overhead of installing a large office application for simple reading.
A basic viewer is well suited to scrolling through documents, searching for words, selecting text, copying passages, printing pages, and viewing bookmarks. It should also handle zoom levels, page thumbnails, presentations, and common security restrictions. For manuals, ebooks, invoices, and downloaded articles, these features are generally enough.
The main limitation is editing. A document viewer may let you add highlights, notes, or annotations, but it normally cannot change existing paragraphs, move images, or rebuild a page layout. It is also not the ideal tool for combining multiple PDFs or removing selected pages.
Keeping the default viewer installed is still useful even if you choose another editor. It provides a fast fallback for opening files and keeps routine reading separate from more demanding document work.
Okular offers the strongest all-purpose reading tools
Okular is one of the most capable document readers available on Linux. It supports PDF files along with formats such as EPUB, PostScript, DjVu, comic book archives, and several image-based document types. Its interface is more feature-rich than the minimalist style associated with elementary OS, but its tools are well organized.
For PDF reading, Okular provides tabs, a contents sidebar, thumbnails, bookmarks, text selection, advanced search, presentation mode, and multiple annotation types. You can add highlights, underlines, freehand drawings, text boxes, stamps, and pop-up notes. These features make it particularly useful for students, researchers, and anyone reviewing long documents.
Okular is primarily an annotator and viewer rather than a full content editor. It does not replace a desktop publishing application or a professional PDF production suite. However, annotations can often be saved into the document, and its support for signatures and forms makes it more versatile than a basic viewer.
The application can be installed through AppCenter when available, or through Flathub using Flatpak. Its KDE origins do not prevent it from running on Pantheon, although it may bring additional runtime components and a visual style that differs from elementary’s default applications.
Xournal++ is ideal for handwriting and markup
Xournal++ is designed for handwritten notes, drawing, and annotation. It is a strong choice for people who use a stylus, touchscreen, graphics tablet, or simply want more flexible freehand tools with a mouse. You can import a PDF, write over it, highlight passages, draw diagrams, and export the result.
The application is especially useful for lecture slides, worksheets, signed forms, and technical documents. Its layers, pen settings, shape tools, eraser modes, and audio-related features go beyond what most standard PDF viewers provide. It can also be used as a general digital notebook rather than only as a PDF utility.
Xournal++ does not directly rewrite the original text or rearrange a PDF’s internal objects. Its usual workflow places an annotation layer over the imported document. That distinction matters when a recipient needs a clean, structurally edited PDF rather than a marked-up copy.
The interface is functional instead of highly polished, but it is easy to learn after a short trial. Flatpak is a convenient installation method on elementary OS, especially when the version in a distribution repository is older than the current upstream release.
LibreOffice Draw handles occasional PDF edits
LibreOffice Draw can open many PDF files and is a practical option when you need to make an occasional change without buying a specialist application. Text blocks, images, shapes, and page elements may become editable objects after import. You can then adjust wording, replace a logo, or correct a visible mistake before exporting the result as a new PDF.
This approach works best with relatively simple, digitally generated documents. A flyer, short report, invoice, or form with a straightforward layout may import reasonably well. Complex files with columns, embedded fonts, tables, layered graphics, or unusual spacing can shift during conversion.
Draw is also valuable because many elementary OS users already have LibreOffice installed for word processing and spreadsheets. There is no need to learn an entirely separate application for a small correction. It can also create PDFs from scratch, which makes it useful for producing documents as well as modifying them.
It should not be treated as a perfect PDF editor. Importing a PDF converts its contents into a Draw document, and the result can differ from the source. Always inspect every page before exporting, particularly when the file contains legal text, financial details, or carefully positioned graphics.
| Application | Best use | Editing capability | Main advantage | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Papers or the default viewer | Everyday reading | Basic annotations, depending on version | Fast and simple | Little or no content editing |
| Okular | Reading and detailed markup | Annotations, forms, signatures | Excellent navigation and review tools | Interface is denser than elementary apps |
| Xournal++ | Handwriting and freehand notes | Annotation layer and drawing | Strong stylus and pen support | Does not rewrite original PDF text |
| LibreOffice Draw | Occasional visual edits | Text and object changes after import | Often already familiar | Layout can change during import |
| PDF Arranger | Page management | Merge, split, rotate, reorder, crop | Very focused and easy to use | Does not edit text |
| Master PDF Editor | Advanced desktop editing | Text, objects, forms, signatures | Broad PDF editing toolkit | Some features are commercial or proprietary |
| PDF Studio | Professional document workflows | Extensive editing and forms | Consistent cross-platform feature set | Paid and heavier than a reader |
PDF Arranger solves page-level tasks quickly
Many PDF jobs are not really editing jobs. You may need to combine a scanned form with an attachment, remove blank pages, extract a chapter, rotate a sideways scan, or reorder a document before sending it. PDF Arranger focuses on exactly these operations.
Its thumbnail-based layout makes page manipulation straightforward. You can drag pages into a new order, duplicate them, rotate individual sheets, crop margins, and export a revised file. It can also split a large document into smaller PDFs or merge documents from different sources.
Because it does not attempt to edit the text inside a page, PDF Arranger avoids some of the complexity found in full editors. The original page content generally remains intact while you work with the document structure. That makes it a dependable companion to a reader such as Papers or Okular.
Install it from AppCenter if a suitable package is available, or use Flatpak. It is a particularly sensible application for an elementary OS computer used for administration, schoolwork, scanning, or handling downloaded documents.
Full PDF editors are for specific workflows
Master PDF Editor provides a traditional desktop PDF editing experience. It can modify text and objects, insert images, manage pages, create forms, add annotations, and work with digital signatures. It is more appropriate than LibreOffice Draw when PDF files are a regular part of your job.
The application has a free version for some personal uses, while advanced capabilities and commercial licensing may require payment. Users should check the current license terms before adopting it for business or organizational work. Proprietary software can also have different update and privacy expectations from applications distributed through elementary’s ecosystem.
PDF Studio is another professional option. It is a paid, cross-platform application with tools for editing, OCR, form creation, redaction, document comparison, signatures, and document security. Its broad feature set is useful when PDFs are central to an office workflow and consistent behavior matters more than a lightweight installation.
Both applications are more resource-intensive than a normal viewer. They may also look less integrated with Pantheon than elementary’s own applications. That tradeoff is often reasonable for professional users, but casual readers should avoid installing a full editor when a small utility already meets their needs.
Scanned documents need OCR and careful review
A PDF made from scanned paper is usually a collection of images rather than editable text. A standard viewer can display it, and an annotation app can mark it up, but neither will automatically make the words searchable or correctable. Optical character recognition, commonly called OCR, is needed to create a text layer.
OCRmyPDF is a useful command-line tool for adding an OCR layer to scanned files while preserving the original page images. It can deskew pages, optimize file size, detect existing text, and produce a searchable PDF. It is well suited to users who are comfortable with the terminal or who need to process documents repeatedly.
For a graphical workflow, a dedicated scanning application or an editor with OCR support may be easier. OCR results should still be checked carefully: unusual fonts, poor lighting, handwriting, tables, and multi-column layouts can produce errors. A searchable result is not automatically an accurate transcription.
After OCR, open the file in Okular or the default viewer and test search, text selection, and page navigation. For sensitive documents, consider whether an online OCR service is appropriate before uploading anything. Local tools offer a better privacy profile for personal, financial, medical, and business paperwork.
Make PDF handling fit the elementary desktop
The cleanest setup is usually a small collection of focused tools rather than one oversized application. Use the default viewer or Papers for ordinary reading, Okular for detailed annotations, PDF Arranger for page operations, and LibreOffice Draw or a professional editor only when actual content changes are required.
Flatpak can make application installation easier on elementary OS, particularly when a current release is not available in the standard repositories. Before installing, check the application’s permissions and whether it needs access to all files, removable media, or other system resources. A PDF editor that handles confidential documents deserves extra scrutiny.
You can set the preferred application from the file manager by right-clicking a PDF, opening its properties, choosing the application association, and selecting the desired program. If a file opens in the wrong application, changing the default association saves time across future sessions.
Performance also matters. A lightweight viewer starts faster on older hardware, while a professional editor may consume more memory when handling large scans. Keeping documents on a fast local drive, closing unused tabs, and reducing thumbnail previews can improve responsiveness on modest elementary OS systems.
A practical setup for different needs
- Choose the default viewer or Papers for books, manuals, receipts, and general PDF reading.
- Install Okular when you need reliable search, bookmarks, annotations, forms, or presentation mode.
- Add Xournal++ for handwritten notes, stylus input, worksheets, and freehand markup.
- Use PDF Arranger for merging, splitting, rotating, cropping, and reordering pages.
- Select LibreOffice Draw, Master PDF Editor, or PDF Studio when changing existing content is a regular requirement.
The best PDF setup on elementary OS is therefore based on workflow rather than brand loyalty. A minimalist reader keeps daily work quick, while focused utilities provide better results for annotations, page management, OCR, and professional editing. Start with the default application, add one specialist tool for your most common task, and reserve a full editor for documents that genuinely require it.
Explore these applications through AppCenter, Flatpak, or their official Linux distribution channels, then test them with copies of the PDFs you use most often. With the right combination installed and file associations configured, elementary OS can handle everything from casual reading to detailed document production without unnecessary complexity.
