Sumatra PDF is an excellent, lightweight PDF reader. But if you need to also open DOCX, XLSX, and PPTX files, or if you want built-in text-to-speech for studying, EleViewer might be a better fit.
| Feature | EleViewer | Sumatra PDF |
|---|---|---|
| Portable (.exe) | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| PDF Support | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes (Extremely fast) |
| DOCX, XLSX, PPTX Support | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Text-to-Speech (Read Aloud) | ✅ Yes (Native Windows) | ❌ No |
| Markdown Editor | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Built-in Web Browser | ✅ Yes (Side panel) | ❌ No |
| File Vault Sidebar | ✅ Yes | ❌ No (Basic favorites only) |
| Session Restore | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
If you only need to read PDFs, EPUBs, or comic books (CBZ/CBR) and you want the absolute fastest, most minimal reader available, Sumatra PDF is the king. It has been battle-tested for years and renders massive PDFs instantly.
If you are a student or professional who constantly deals with professors or clients sending .docx, .pptx, or .xlsx files, but you don't want to install the multi-gigabyte Microsoft Office suite, EleViewer is the perfect middle ground. It also includes Text-to-Speech so you can listen to your PDF readings hands-free, and a built-in web browser for looking up terms without leaving your notes.