TOP 5 FREE JAVASCRIPT PDF VIEWERS FOR DEVELOPERS IN 2025

Top 5 Free JavaScript PDF Viewers for Developers in 2025

Top 5 Free JavaScript PDF Viewers for Developers in 2025

Blog Article

PDF Viewers allow users to open, view, and interact with PDF files directly in web apps. In this blog, we’ll explore five free JavaScript PDF Viewers:

1. Syncfusion JavaScript PDF Viewer

The Syncfusion® JavaScript PDF Viewer is a control for viewing, annotating, and interacting with PDF documents. It is a part of the Syncfusion Essential® JS 2 library and is designed for modern web apps built with frameworks like Angular, React, Vue, and pure JavaScript.
Key Features:


  • PDF Viewing: Smooth scrolling, zooming, and multiple page display options.

  • Annotations & Form Filling: Add highlights, shapes, freehand drawings, and fill form fields.

  • Search & Selection: Case-sensitive search and text selection.

  • Customization: Custom toolbar with essential actions.

  • Cross-Platform Support: Works across browsers and devices.

  • Server-Side Processing: Supports ASP.NET Core, Node.js, Java, and more.


Free License: Available under the Syncfusion Community License for eligible developers.

2. PDF.js

PDF.js is a popular open-source library developed by Mozilla to render PDF files directly in web browsers. It uses HTML5 and JavaScript to display PDFs, making it lightweight and client-side-driven, without relying on additional server-side components.

Key Features:

  • Client-Side Rendering: Displays PDFs in the browser without plugins.

  • Lightweight & Fast: Uses <canvas> for smooth rendering.

  • Annotations Support: Renders highlights, comments, and markup elements.


License: Apache License 2.0 (Free for personal and commercial use).


3. Pdfvuer

Pdfvuer is a component for Vue.js apps that leverages Mozilla’s PDF.js library. It supports both Vue 2 and Vue 3, making it a versatile solution for Vue developers.

Key Features:

  • Seamless Vue Integration: Works with both Vue versions.

  • Customizable UI: Easily tailored for different applications.

  • Efficient Performance: Uses PDF.js for smooth rendering.


License: MIT License (Free for commercial use).

4. ngx-extended-pdf-viewer

ngx-extended-pdf-viewer is an Angular library designed to embed a PDF Viewer in Angular apps. It is highly customizable and has many advanced features that enhance PDF viewing, such as searching, text selection, printing, and more.

Key Features:

  • Feature-Rich Viewer: Includes text search, annotations, pagination, and printing.

  • Multiple Display Modes: Single-page, dual-page, and scrolling views.


License: Apache License 2.0 (Free for personal and commercial use).

5. React-pdf

React-pdf is a widely used library for rendering PDF files in React apps. Like Pdfvuer and ngx-extended-pdf-viewer, it leverages Mozilla’s PDF.js for parsing and rendering PDF files. With React-pdf, you can easily render PDFs in your React app and control the display of full pages and individual elements.

Key Features:

  • Flexible Page Rendering: Load full pages or specific sections.

  • On-Demand Loading: Dynamically loads pages as users scroll.

  • Zoom & Scaling: Adjustable display size.


License: MIT License (Free for commercial use).

 

Conclusion

Thanks for reading! In this blog, we’ve explored the top five free JavaScript PDF Viewers for developers. Choosing the right JavaScript PDF Viewer depends on your project needs. The Syncfusion Essential JS 2 PDF Viewer offers advanced features for free through the Community License, while PDF.js provides a lightweight, open-source solution. Pdfvuer, ngx-extended-pdf-viewer, and React-PDF are great framework-specific options for Vue, Angular, and React. Each tool has unique strengths, so explore its documentation to find the best fit for your app.

 

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