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Sumatra PDF is a lightweight Windows document reader with a minimalist interface and support for PDF, XPS, DjVu, ePub, MOBI, CHM, CBZ, and CBR formats. Simplicity is more important than additional features.
This reader is compact and starts up quickly. Although customization options are limited, the application provides a comfortable reading experience for PDF documents and lets you print them with ease.
Furthermore, you can prefer this over Adobe Acrobat for reading eBooks. Sumatra PDF is designed for portable use and comes as a single file with no external dependencies, so it can run from a USB drive and uses very little disk space.
Portable Edition is a lightweight app that lets you view PDF files on the go. You can place it on your USB flash drive, iPod, portable hard drive, or a CD. You can also use it on any computer without leaving any personal information behind.
Sumatra PDF can do the following for you:
- open PDF files through the menu
- open PDF files through drag and drop
- set completely different zoom ranges through the menu
The application does not lock the PDF file. Without closing the PDF file, a user can recompile the text document, generate a new PDF, and press the R key to refresh it. Printing in Sumatra is handled by transforming each PDF page into a bitmap image.
This results in very large spool files and potentially slow printing on printers with little memory. Hyperlinks that are embedded in PDF documents are not active in Sumatra.
This reader is multilingual, with 20 community-contributed translations. Supports SyncTeX, a bidirectional technique for synchronizing TeX source and PDF output produced by pdfTeX or XeTeX.
Sumatra PDF – Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✓ Lightweight PDF reader that launches quickly and uses very little system memory. | ✗ PDF editing features such as modifying text, adding annotations, or filling advanced forms are not included. |
| ✓ Supports multiple document formats, including PDF, ePub, MOBI, XPS, DjVu, CHM, CBZ, and CBR. | ✗ Lacks advanced document management and collaboration tools found in full-featured PDF editors. |
| ✓ Portable version is available, allowing you to run it without installation. | ✗ Some interactive PDF features, such as complex forms or embedded multimedia, may have limited support. |
| ✓ Clean, distraction-free interface focused on fast document reading and navigation. | ✗ Customization options are intentionally minimal compared to feature-rich PDF readers. |
| ✓ Completely free and open-source software with regular updates and support for modern Windows versions. | ✗ Designed primarily for document viewing rather than creating or editing PDF files. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Sumatra PDF edit PDF files?
No. It is primarily a document reader and does not include PDF editing features such as modifying text, adding annotations, or advanced form editing. It is intended mainly for viewing and navigating documents.
Can Sumatra PDF fill out PDF forms?
Basic PDF viewing is supported, but the article notes that some interactive PDF features, including complex forms, may have limited support. It is therefore not a full-featured PDF form editor.
Can Sumatra PDF run without installation?
Yes. The Portable Edition can be placed on a USB flash drive, portable hard drive, iPod, or CD and run without a traditional installation. This also allows it to be used on another computer without leaving personal information behind.
What is the difference between Sumatra PDF and Adobe Acrobat Reader?
Both can be used to read PDF documents, but Sumatra PDF focuses on fast, lightweight viewing and supports several additional document and eBook formats. Adobe Acrobat Reader provides a broader set of PDF-specific features, particularly for interactive documents, forms, and document-related workflows, while Sumatra PDF intentionally keeps its interface and feature set minimal.
What’s New in Sumatra PDF 3.6.1:
Release Date 2026-04-06
- bugfixes
Official Homepage – https://www.sumatrapdfreader.org
Supported Operating Systems: Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7, 8, 8.1, 10, 11.
Sumatra PDF supports the following document types:
- PDF (.pdf)
- eBook formats:
- unencrypted EPUB (.epub)
- MOBI (.mobi)
- Fiction Wise (.fb2, .fb2z, .zfb2)
- .pdb (Palm DOC format)
- .tcr
- comic book files: .cbz, .cbr, .cbt, .cb7z
- DjVu (.djv, .djvu)
- Microsoft Compiled HTML (.chm)
- XPS (.xps)
- images (.tga, .gif, .jpg, .j2k, .png, .webp, .tiff)
If Ghostscript is installed, we support PostScript (.ps, .eps) files.
