Evince

Free plan Linux

What Evince is

Evince is a free Linux desktop document viewer for formats including PDF, PostScript, DjVu, DVI, XPS, OXPS and Comic Book Archive. It can fill out interactive forms and show supported documents as full-screen presentations. For PDFs, it can add notes and text highlights; annotations are not available for other file types. Evince also supports SyncTeX, which synchronizes a TeX source file with its resulting PDF. The help documents printing for DVI, DjVu, PDF, PostScript and TIFF files. When opening a password-protected PDF, Evince prompts for the document password. It is a viewer rather than a file editor, so it cannot edit documents. Some Linux distributions may need an additional backend package to support every listed format. The project wiki recommends obtaining the application through the user's Linux distribution and points to packages or source for other download options. Its help site provides user documentation and directions for reporting application bugs. The current GNOME apps directory lists Papers as its document viewer.

Who it suits

Evince suits Linux desktop users who need to view supported document formats, fill forms or annotate PDFs. It may also suit TeX users who want SyncTeX synchronization.

What it does well

Free Linux desktop document viewer.
Fills interactive forms.
Adds notes and highlights to PDFs.
Supports SyncTeX and full-screen presentations.

What to know first

Cannot edit files.
Annotations are limited to PDFs.
Some formats may require an extra backend package.

Limits

Evince is a viewer and cannot edit files. Annotations can only be added to PDFs, and some Linux distributions may need a backend package for certain supported formats.

Plans

Plan	Billed and limits	Price
Evince	Free software	Free

As apps.gnome.org lists them, read 4 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.

Getting started

Obtain Evince through your Linux distribution, as recommended by the project wiki.
Use the distribution's packages or source for other download options.
Install any required backend package if your distribution does not support a listed format by default.
Open a document; enter its password if prompted for a password-protected PDF.

Verdict

Evince covers document viewing, form filling and PDF annotation on Linux, with support for several formats and SyncTeX. It does not edit files, and some distributions may need an added backend for certain formats.

Questions

How much does Evince cost?

Evince is free software; its listed plan costs nothing.

Which platforms does Evince support?

Evince is listed for Linux desktop.

What file formats can it open?

Supported formats include PDF, PostScript, DjVu, DVI, XPS, OXPS, and Comic Book Archive. Some Linux distributions may need a backend package for certain formats.

Can Evince fill out forms?

Yes. It supports interactive forms, including text fields and scrollable list boxes.

Can it annotate documents?

It can add notes and text highlights to PDF documents only.

Can Evince edit files?

No. Evince cannot be used to edit files.

Facts from Evince's own pages

Annotation limit: Annotations can only be added to PDF files. · teams.pages.gitlab.gnome.org, 4 Oct 2026
Annotations: Users can add notes and comments to PDF documents, including text annotations and highlights. · teams.pages.gitlab.gnome.org, 4 Oct 2026
Annotation tools: Yes · apps.gnome.org, 24 Sept 2026
Current GNOME listing: The GNOME apps directory currently lists Papers as its document viewer and links to its Flathub download, issue tracker, and translation page. · apps.gnome.org, 4 Oct 2026
Document editing: Evince cannot be used to edit files. · teams.pages.gitlab.gnome.org, 4 Oct 2026
Format availability: Some Linux distributions may not support every listed format by default; the relevant backend package may need to be installed. · help.gnome.org, 3 Oct 2026
Formats: Supported formats include PDF, PostScript, DjVu, DVI, XPS, OXPS, and Comic Book Archive. · help.gnome.org, 3 Oct 2026
Form filling: Yes · apps.gnome.org, 24 Sept 2026
Forms: Evince can be used to fill out interactive forms. · help.gnome.org, 3 Oct 2026
Free plan: Yes · apps.gnome.org, 24 Sept 2026
Getting the app: The project wiki recommends obtaining Evince from the user's Linux distribution and points to packages or source for other download options. · wiki.gnome.org, 4 Oct 2026
Help and support: The help site provides user documentation and directs users to file bugs against Evince to report problems. · teams.pages.gitlab.gnome.org, 4 Oct 2026
Interactive forms: Evince supports filling out interactive forms, including text fields and scrollable list boxes. · teams.pages.gitlab.gnome.org, 4 Oct 2026
Limit: Evince cannot be used to edit files. · help.gnome.org, 3 Oct 2026
Linux format caveat: Some Linux distributions may not support every listed format by default because the required backend package may be missing. · teams.pages.gitlab.gnome.org, 4 Oct 2026
OCR support: none · apps.gnome.org, 24 Sept 2026
Offline access: Yes · apps.gnome.org, 24 Sept 2026
Password-protected PDFs: When opening a password-protected PDF, Evince prompts the user to enter its password. · teams.pages.gitlab.gnome.org, 4 Oct 2026
Platform support: desktop · apps.gnome.org, 24 Sept 2026
Presentations: Evince can display supported documents as full-screen presentations. · help.gnome.org, 3 Oct 2026
Printing: Printing is documented for DVI, DjVu, PDF, PostScript, and TIFF files. · teams.pages.gitlab.gnome.org, 4 Oct 2026
Purpose: Evince is a document viewer for multiple formats, intended to replace multiple GNOME desktop viewers with one simple application. · wiki.gnome.org, 4 Oct 2026
Support: The Evince help site explains how to file a bug against the application. · help.gnome.org, 3 Oct 2026
Supported formats: The help lists PDF, PostScript, DVI, DjVu, XPS/OXPS, and Comic Book Archive formats as supported. · teams.pages.gitlab.gnome.org, 4 Oct 2026

Where Evince stands on Freedom251

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