Kiosk

Kiosk is a free, open-source reader for PDF documents across desktop, mobile, web, and browser extensions. It is a strong fit for readers who prioritize on-device handling and Chrome-based annotation; uneven platform maturity makes it a less dependable choice on Android.

Overview

Kiosk combines full-text search with highlighted matches, page thumbnails, smooth zoom, and light, dark, and night display modes. Together, these cover the essentials for finding and reading content in PDFs without adding an account-based workflow. Its privacy position is a clear advantage: Kiosk says PDFs are processed on the device, with no telemetry, cloud processing, or account requirement. Readers who need cloud-based document processing or an account-dependent workflow should look elsewhere.

Key features

• PDF navigation: Search, thumbnails, and zoom help readers move between specific passages and pages, while three display modes offer flexibility for different reading preferences.
• Markup in Chrome: The Chrome extension supports highlighting, underlining, strikethrough, drawing, shapes, and text annotations. That is a substantial toolkit for reviewing documents in Chrome, but it is not a reason to expect the same annotation capabilities across Kiosk’s other platforms.
• Offline access: The Android app works without internet after installation, and the extension release notes say offline use is supported. That is useful for reading away from a connection, though it does not remove the need to install the Android app first.
• Local web deployment: The web app can be served locally or deployed through GitHub Pages as a self-hosted instance. This gives technically capable readers another way to run Kiosk without making cloud processing part of the document workflow.
• Opening PDFs: Desktop apps can open PDFs directly and associate Kiosk with PDF files; the extension can intercept PDFs opened in Chrome. These options make Kiosk easier to use as a regular reader on those platforms.

Pricing

Kiosk costs nothing. Its free plan includes the open-source PDF reader, and there are no paid plans or prices stated. That makes it an easy option to consider for personal PDF reading or self-hosted use without a subscription; it is not a paid service with a higher tier to unlock.

The project is released under the MIT License. There is no free trial because the reader is free. No seat or usage quota is stated.

Platforms

Kiosk spans Android, browser extension, iOS, Linux, macOS, self-hosted, web, and Windows. The extension supports Chrome 88+, Edge 88+, and Brave, but is incompatible with Firefox and Safari. Readers who depend on either unsupported browser should choose another PDF reader or use Kiosk on a different supported platform.

Android is explicitly an early alpha, with some features and performance optimizations still in progress. It is therefore a less reliable choice for readers who need a mature mobile app. On macOS, the app is ad-hoc signed and not notarized, so Gatekeeper may show a warning on first launch. Linux users seeking support are directed to open a GitHub issue.

Who it's for

Kiosk suits readers who want a no-cost PDF reader with local document processing, offline access, and useful navigation tools. Chrome users who mark up documents get the strongest described annotation set, while self-hosters can serve the web app locally or through GitHub Pages. It is a weaker fit for Firefox or Safari users relying on the extension, or for anyone who needs Android beyond an early-alpha release.

Pros and cons

• Pro: On-device PDF processing, no telemetry, and no account requirement suit readers who want to keep document handling local.
• Pro: Search, thumbnails, zoom, and three display modes cover the main needs of everyday PDF reading.
• Pro: Chrome’s extension includes a range of markup tools, from text annotations to drawing and shapes.
• Con: The extension does not support Firefox or Safari, limiting browser choice.
• Con: Android remains an early alpha, so readers seeking a mature mobile experience should be cautious.
• Con: The macOS app may trigger a Gatekeeper warning on first launch because it is not notarized.

Alternatives

For more than PDF reading, SureAsset offers free asset lifecycle management, hardware and software license tracking, and API access and automation across desktop, mobile, and web platforms. Choose it for managing an asset inventory rather than reading and annotating PDFs.

KioskCore is a freemium kiosk-management option for Android, iOS, self-hosted, web, and Windows. Its free plan covers up to 2 devices, with 7-day metric history, on-demand screen captures retained for 24 hours, 3 email alerts per device per day, and community support. Choose it to manage a small kiosk deployment rather than read PDFs.

OpenKiosk is a free, open-source kiosk option for Linux, macOS, and Windows, with donations accepted.

Libki is a free, open-source kiosk management system for Linux, self-hosted, web, and Windows.

KioskSide is a paid option for Android, Linux, web, and Windows.

Atashi Kiosk Management Platform uses custom pricing after scoping, with deployment scope depending on factors such as terminal and site count, integrations, hosting, and support.

Kiosker is a freemium option for Android and iOS, with monthly and yearly subscriptions and a 7-day free trial.

Moki is a paid Android, iOS, API, and web option with a free trial; its MDM plan is priced per device per month and limits API calls to 500 per hour per account and accounts to 10 users before additional user charges.

For broader software comparisons, browse PDF Readers, Kiosk Browsers, Kiosk Management Software, and Webhook Management Software.

Verdict

Choose Kiosk for free, open-source PDF reading with local processing, offline support, and a capable set of Chrome annotation tools. Its strongest case is privacy-conscious reading without an account; look elsewhere if you need Firefox or Safari extension support, a mature Android app, or cloud-based document workflows.