Okular is a free cross-platform document viewer developed by the KDE community based on the Qt and KDE Frameworks libraries. It is distributed as part of the KDE Applications bundle. It replaced KPDF, its main predecessor, alongside KGhostView, KFax, KFaxview and KDVI in KDE 4. Its functionality can be embedded in other applications.
Okular was started for the Google Summer of Code of 2005 by Piotr Szymański. Okular was identified as a success story of the 2007 Season of Usability. In this season, the Okular toolbar mockup was created based on an analysis of other popular document viewers and a usage survey.
When it was ported to Qt 5 in December 2016, the version numbering jumped from 0.26 to 1.0.
Since September 2019, Okular has been available in the Windows Store.
In December 2020, the software versioning scheme was changed from sequence-based identifier to CalVer.
What is Okular?
Okular by KDE e.V. (developed by Albert Astals Cid) is open-source Windows software in the e-book readers category. It ranks 48th by popularity among e-book readers in this catalogue. It is written in C++. Besides Windows, it is available for Linux and macOS.
Installation and requirements
The publisher provides EXE (NSIS) installers for 64-bit Windows. It can be installed for the current user only, without administrator rights. A silent install is possible with the installer’s documented switches.
Updates and version history
The current version is 26.08.1, released on September 15, 2026. The version history goes back to January 15, 2023: 27 releases, all linked to the official files. That is about 7.4 releases a year.
Popularity and file types
Wikipedia has an article about it in 21 of our languages. On Windows it registers 60 file types, including .pdf, .webp, .txt, .md and .png. Similar programs include SumatraPDF, calibre and PDF-XChange Editor.
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Documented silent install
- Installs without administrator rights
- Frequent updates (about 7.4 a year)
- Opens 60 file types
- Also runs on Linux and macOS
Cons
- No native ARM64 build
- The official download link did not answer at the last check
In short: Okular is an open-source e-book reader tool for 64-bit PCs. It is actively maintained. Administrators can deploy it unattended.
Screenshots
Is Okular safe to download?
- The file is served by cdn.kde.org, the publisher’s own domain
- The download link uses HTTPS
- A SHA256 hash is published, so you can verify the file:
6E8F216F3FFF9ECFB94D6F2F812492AF392F6FC1F6CC58768CD1A90C2AEECE45· Open the VirusTotal report for this hash - The link did not answer when we last checked it (October 22, 2026)
- The source code is public
- ExeAtlas does not host, wrap or modify installers
Related guide: How to check a file’s SHA256 hash on Windows
Recent versions
All 27 versions ›27 versions over 4 years · about 7.4 a year
| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26.08.1Latest | September 15, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS)64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 26.04.3 | June 28, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS)64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 26.04.2 | May 29, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS)64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 26.04.1 | May 5, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS)64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 26.04.0 | April 9, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS)64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 26.03.90 | April 4, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS)64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 26.03.80 | March 12, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS)64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 25.12.3 | March 4, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE (NSIS)64-bit EXE (NSIS) |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id KDE.Okular -eokular-release_26.08-7919-windows-cl-msvc2022-x86_64.exe /SRelated guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Information
- Publisher
- KDE e.V.
- Developer
- Albert Astals Cid
- Category
- E-book readers
- Licence
- GPL-2.0-or-later
- Price
- Free
- Written in
- C++
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 64-bit
- Installer
- EXE (NSIS)
- Other platforms
- Linux, macOS
- Version
- 26.08.1
- Released
- September 15, 2026
- Added to the catalogue
- January 15, 2023
- Versions listed
- 27
- Updates / year
- 7.4
- Website
- okular.kde.org
- winget ID
- KDE.Okular
File types it opens (60)
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
Alternatives to Okular
See all ›-
SumatraPDF3.6.1SumatraPDF is a multi-format (PDF, EPUB, MOBI, CBZ, CBR, FB2, CHM, XPS, DjVu) reader for Windows.Open source3M ↓ -
Open source1.5M ↓ -
PDF-XChange Editor11.1.1.0The smallest, fastest and most feature-rich free PDF viewer/editor on the market.Proprietary1.3M ↓ -
Sigil2.8.1Sigil is a free, open source, multi-platform ebook editor that uses Qt (and QtWebEngine). It is designed to edit books in ePub format (both ePub 2 and ePub 3).Open source34.5K ↓ - Proprietary
-
Open source34K ↓ -
Kindle Comic Converter12.0.0Kindle Comic Converter is a Python app to convert comic/manga files or folders to EPUB, Panel View MOBI or E-Ink optimized CBZ.Open source6K ↓ -
Open source9.3K ↓
Frequently asked questions
Is Okular free?
Yes. Okular is open-source software under the GPL-2.0-or-later licence.
Is Okular safe to download?
The download comes from cdn.kde.org, which belongs to the publisher; ExeAtlas does not host or change the file. Compare its SHA256 hash with the one shown here, or open the VirusTotal report for that hash.
How do I install Okular with winget?
Open PowerShell or Windows Terminal and run the winget command shown on this page. winget downloads the official installer and checks its SHA256 hash before running it.
Can Okular be installed silently?
Yes. The silent install page lists the exact command for each installer.
Does Okular run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
There is no ARM64 build; Windows 11 on Arm can run the 64-bit version through emulation.
Where can I download an older version of Okular?
The versions page lists all 27 versions with links to their official installer files, back to January 15, 2023.
Can I use Okular without administrator rights?
Yes, there is a per-user installer that does not need administrator rights.
What are alternatives to Okular?
SumatraPDF, calibre, PDF-XChange Editor, Sigil and Foxit PDF Reader. The alternatives page compares them.
