18.5
Librera Reader is an ebook and document reader for Android devices, with a browser reader also available.
Free planOpen sourceAndroidiOSWeb
Best File Reader Software in 2026
File reader software opens documents, ebooks, PDFs and image files so you can read them on a computer, phone or tablet. The list includes free, freemium and paid options, plus software with free trials. Check for an Android app if you plan to read on a Xiaomi, Redmi or POCO phone or tablet. Compare supported formats, text search, annotations, accessibility support and cloud sync, then check Windows, macOS, Linux,…
27.9
ImageGlass is a desktop application for browsing and viewing image files on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Free planOpen sourceAPILinuxmacOS
37.7
MuPDF is an embeddable SDK for developers managing PDFs and other document formats in desktop, cloud/server, or embedded projects.
Free planAndroidiOSWeb
- 4
FBReader
FBReader is an ebook reader for desktop and mobile devices, with versions for Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, and Windows.
Free planAndroidiOSLinuxmacOS7.6$14.99 one-time - 5
Foxit PDF Reader
Foxit PDF Reader is a free PDF reader for viewing, annotating, filling, and signing documents.
Free planAndroidiOSWebmacOS7.3Free plan - 6
ReadEra
ReadEra is an app for reading books, magazines, articles, and documents without ads or registration.
Free planAndroidiOSmacOS7.3$14.99 one-time - 7
Kobo Books
Kobo Books is a digital platform for buying and listening to audiobooks, with apps for Android and iOS and playback on select Kobo eReaders with Bluetooth.
AndroidiOSWeb7.0From $7.99 a month - 8
Okular
Okular is a document viewer for PDFs, e-books, comics, images and Markdown, with versions for Linux, macOS and Windows as well as other platforms.
Free planLinuxmacOSWindows6.9Free plan - 9
FastStone Image Viewer
FastStone Image Viewer is a Windows image browser, converter, and editor for working with photos and image collections.
Free planWindows6.8$34.95 one-time - 10
IrfanView
IrfanView is a Windows image viewer with tools for editing, converting, and managing images.
Free planWindows6.8Free plan - 11
Mozilla PDF.js
Mozilla PDF.js is a free platform for parsing and rendering PDF files using web standards.
Free planWebAPIExtensionLinux6.4Free plan - 12
Google Play Books Auto-narrated Audiobooks
Google Play Books Auto-narrated Audiobooks helps publishers turn eligible ebooks into digitally narrated audiobooks.
Free planWeb6.3Free plan - 13
Kindle Create
Kindle Create is a free desktop tool for preparing completed manuscripts for Kindle or print publishing through KDP.
Free planmacOSWindows6.3Free plan - 14
SumatraPDF
SumatraPDF is a free Windows application for reading PDFs, ebooks, and comics.
Free planWindows6.3Free plan - 15
Apple Books Digital Narration
Apple Books Digital Narration creates audiobooks from eligible ebook files using speech synthesis.
Free planWeb6.1Free plan - 16
qView
qView is a free, open-source image viewer for Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Free planLinuxmacOSWindows6.1Free plan - 17
Universal Viewer
Universal Viewer is a Windows desktop application for viewing a broad range of file formats in one place.
Free planWindows6.1Free plan - 18
Moon+ Reader
Moon+ Reader is an Android ebook reader and document manager with broad format support, including EPUB, PDF, DJVU, AZW3, MOBI, FB2, DOCX, HTML, Markdown, ZIP and OPDS.
Android5.9$11.99 one-time - 19
KOReader
AndroidLinuxmacOS5.0 - 20
Thorium Reader
iOSLinuxmacOSWindows5.0 - 21
XnView MP
LinuxmacOSWindows4.9 - 22
Papers
Linux4.7 - 23
File Viewer Plus
Windows4.5 - 24
XnView Classic
Windows4.5
Choosing well
Check Android support first
For Xiaomi, Redmi and POCO phones or tablets, confirm that the software has an Android app. A web version can help on a browser, while Windows, macOS and Linux cover computers and iOS covers iPhone or iPad.
Match formats and search tools
Compare the supported formats with the files you plan to read. Text search helps locate words in long documents, while annotations are useful for marking or commenting on text.
Review accessibility and cloud sync
Accessibility support can affect how comfortably you read and navigate files. Cloud sync matters when you move between a phone, tablet and computer, so check whether it is listed for the software you choose.
Check the cost and licence
Look for a free plan, paid starting price or free trial before installing. Open-source code is also offered by software in this category; check the licence if you need to read or change the code.
Questions people ask
Which platforms are covered?
The list covers software for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, web and iOS. Check the platform field for the option you are considering.
Can I try a reader without paying?
Software in this category offers free plans or free trials. Pricing details show whether an option is free, freemium or paid.
What should I check for difficult documents?
Compare supported formats, text search, annotations and accessibility support. These fields indicate whether the software fits your reading needs.
Does a reader sync files across devices?
Cloud sync is a comparison field in the list. Check the software's details to see whether sync is included.