KPDF vs Okular

Last updated: July 10, 2023
KPDF and Okular are both document viewers used in Linux-based systems, but they have distinct differences in terms of their development, features, and user experience.

1. Development: KPDF was the original document viewer for KDE, developed as a lightweight and efficient application. However, it has been replaced by Okular as the default document viewer for KDE applications. Okular is an advanced and actively maintained document viewer that is part of the KDE software family. It benefits from ongoing development and improvements, including bug fixes, new features, and compatibility with the latest document formats. Okular has a larger development community supporting it, ensuring regular updates and enhancements.

2. Features: KPDF provides basic document viewing features, such as zooming, searching, and navigating through pages. It focuses on simplicity and fast rendering of PDF documents. On the other hand, Okular offers a more extensive range of features. It supports various document formats, including PDF, EPUB, DjVu, and more. Okular provides advanced tools for annotation, highlighting, and bookmarking. It offers features like text extraction, searching within documents, and the ability to add custom stamps. Okular also supports document layers, allowing users to view and manage multiple layers within a document.

3. User Experience: KPDF aims to provide a lightweight and fast document viewing experience with a minimalist interface. It offers a straightforward user interface focused on viewing and navigating through pages efficiently. Okular, on the other hand, offers a more feature-rich and customizable user experience. It provides a comprehensive set of options for configuring the interface, such as customizable toolbars and side panels. Okular offers a more polished and modern interface, allowing users to adapt the viewing experience to their preferences. It also provides additional options for adjusting document display, such as different viewing modes and page layouts.
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KPDF
KPDF is a pdf reader based on xpdf for KDE 3. Being targeted to home users it has some very unique features to enhance your reading pleasure in addition of doing everything you can expect from it.
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Okular
Okular is a universal book viewer based on KPDF for KDE 4. This means Okular works on multiple platforms, including but not limited to Linux, Windows, Mac OS X, *BSD, etc. Okular combines the excellent functionalities of KPDF with the versatility of supporting different kind of documents, like PDF, Postscript, DjVu, CHM, XPS, ePub and others.