Add a production-ready JavaScript PDF viewer to your web app

No server is required to get started. Nutrient Web Viewer SDK runs entirely in the browser using WebAssembly technology, enabling you to view, annotate, fill forms, and edit PDFs with zero infrastructure costs. However, you can optionally pair it with Document Engine when you need advanced features like OCR, real-time collaboration, or handling very large documents (50MB+). The best part? Your frontend code stays identical whether you’re using client-only or adding Document Engine later.

The SDK supports 15 file formats out of the box: all PDF versions, including PDF/A, Microsoft Office documents (Word, Excel, PowerPoint in various formats like DOCX, XLSX, PPTX), and images (PNG, JPEG, and TIFF, including multipage TIFFs). No Microsoft Office licenses required — the SDK handles Office document rendering internally. Your users get a consistent viewing experience across all file types without needing multiple viewers or plugins.

No. The SDK uses Google’s PDFium rendering engine — the same engine that powers Chrome’s built-in PDF viewer. This ensures pixel-perfect rendering accuracy for all PDFs, including those with embedded fonts, complex layouts, vector graphics, and transparency. Documents display identically across all platforms and browsers.

Most developers have a basic viewer running in less than 15 minutes. Integration is as simple as adding three lines of JavaScript to your application. The SDK is framework-agnostic and works with React, Angular, Vue, Svelte, vanilla JavaScript, and all other modern frameworks. We provide copy-paste examples for every major framework, comprehensive API documentation, and live interactive demos. The real development time goes into customizing the viewer to match your specific workflow and design requirements.

Absolutely. You have complete control over the viewer’s look and feel. Customize colors, toolbar buttons, keyboard shortcuts, and layouts through configuration options and CSS styling. Hide or show specific features, reorder toolbar items, add custom buttons with your own functionality, and inject custom CSS for pixel-perfect brand matching. You can even build completely custom interfaces using our component API if you need full control over the UI.

Yes. The SDK is fully responsive and optimized for mobile. It works seamlessly on iOS (Safari), Android (Chrome, Samsung Internet), and all major mobile browsers. The interface automatically adapts to screen size with touch-optimized controls including pinch-to-zoom, swipe navigation, and gesture support. You write your code once, and it works across desktop, tablet, and phone without device-specific adjustments.

Client-side (Web SDK only) runs entirely in the browser with no server needed. It’s perfect for documents under 50MB, privacy-sensitive applications, and getting started quickly. Document Engine (hybrid) adds a backend service that offloads heavy processing to the server, enabling OCR, real-time collaboration, handling 200MB+ documents, built-in user authentication, and faster rendering on low-powered devices. You can start client-side and seamlessly add Document Engine later without changing your frontend code — only initialization changes.

Security is built in at multiple levels. The SDK supports password-protected PDFs with AES and RC4 encryption, respects PDF document permissions (printing, copying, editing restrictions), and enables you to configure viewer-level permissions programmatically. With Document Engine, you get enterprise-grade features, including JWT-based user authentication, fine-grained document and annotation permissions, and role-based access control. Documents can be processed entirely client-side for maximum privacy, or server-side when you need centralized security controls.

Yes. Start with a free trial that includes full features, documentation, and support, with no credit card required. Licensing is based on your deployment (internal vs. customer-facing) and whether you add Document Engine. Web Viewer SDK and Document Engine are licensed separately and modular — pay only for the components you use. Pricing is transparent for small teams through enterprise. Contact Sales for a quote tailored to your scale and compliance needs.

All modern browsers are fully supported: Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge, plus Firefox ESR for enterprise environments. The SDK also works in progressive web apps (PWAs), Electron desktop applications, WebView components (iOS and Android), and kiosk/embedded browser environments. We use feature detection to ensure consistent functionality across browsers and gracefully handle older environments. The SDK requires JavaScript and a DOM container — if your framework can provide that, the SDK will work.

Yes. Full form support is included. Users can fill all standard PDF form field types: text fields, checkboxes, radio buttons, dropdowns, signature fields, and file attachments. You can programmatically prefill forms with data from your database, validate input using JavaScript, and extract filled data in structured formats for backend processing. The SDK also includes a form creator interface where users can drag and drop fields to turn static PDFs into fillable forms. Form data can be submitted to your endpoints, saved to Document Engine, or embedded directly into PDFs.

For documents under 50MB, the client-side SDK handles them efficiently with progressive loading — displaying the first page instantly while loading remaining pages in the background. For documents 50MB and larger (especially those with lots of images), we recommend pairing with Document Engine. It provides server-side rendering and document streaming, which dramatically improves performance by sending only the data needed for the current view. Document Engine is required for documents larger than 200MB. This hybrid approach reduces browser memory usage and ensures smooth performance, even on low-powered devices.

We offer comprehensive support at every level. Our documentation includes step-by-step integration guides for all major frameworks, complete API reference, live code examples, and best practices. You get access to interactive demos where you can test features before integrating. Standard support includes email support, community forums, and our extensive knowledge base. Premium support adds dedicated support engineers, SLA guarantees, and architectural consultation. During your free trial, you have full access to documentation and support to ensure you can properly evaluate the SDK for your needs.