Perfect Viewer PDF&DJVU Plugin

Review by eFreeware

Most apps in the comic reader category try to be the whole package. This one does the opposite. The Perfect Viewer PDF&DJVU Plugin is an add-on for Perfect Viewer, and its entire job is to teach that reader two file formats it otherwise wouldn't handle: PDF and DJVU.

That makes it a narrow tool, and the developer is upfront about it. If Perfect Viewer is already how you read comics, manga or scanned art on your tablet or phone, this fills a specific gap. If you have never installed the main reader, this plugin has nothing to offer you, because it doesn't work on its own.

It has been around a long time — first released in September 2011 — and it still carries a 4.0 average across more than 6,500 ratings, with over a million installs. Those numbers tell me it has settled into a role as the quiet companion piece to a popular reader rather than a destination in itself.

What the plugin actually adds

The feature is simple to state: once installed, Perfect Viewer can open PDF and DJVU files. Those are the two formats the plugin adds, and they show up often enough in scanned material, older digital comics and downloaded documents that the support is welcome. Rather than converting files or juggling a second app, you let the reader you already use handle them.

The appeal for me is that it keeps one reading environment. If your library is mostly image-based comics but a few items arrive as PDFs or DJVU files, this avoids splitting your collection across two apps with two sets of controls, two bookmark systems and two places to look for something you were halfway through.

It is worth being clear about what the plugin does. The plugin's role is to add format support.

The rest of the package

Beyond the format support, there isn't much else to describe, and that is fine. The app is free, carries no ads and offers no in-app purchases. You install it, and the reader gains a capability.

The plugin is licensed under GPL V3. For anyone who cares about that sort of thing, the license terms are stated plainly.

The most recent update, from September 2023, was a target SDK version change. That is housekeeping rather than a feature.

Two rules before you install

The developer gives two instructions, and both matter. First, Perfect Viewer version 1.7 or newer has to be installed before this plugin will do anything. Also, install it while Perfect Viewer is shut down. If you forget, a reboot after installing is the suggested fix.

I'd treat that as the main friction point. It's a small amount of housekeeping, but it is the kind of step people skip, and then wonder why nothing changed. Doing it in the right order takes a minute and saves confusion.

The only thing you are spending is the time to install it correctly.

How I'd approach it in practice

My advice is to install Perfect Viewer first if you haven't already, check that it is at version 1.7 or above, then fully close it before adding this plugin. If you install the plugin while the reader is running, reboot the device before you try opening a PDF or DJVU file, rather than assuming the plugin failed.

After that, the workflow is straightforward: open your PDF or DJVU file through Perfect Viewer as you would any other document, and let the reader's own controls handle the rest.

One thing to keep in mind is that this is a companion, not a replacement. It won't read your PDFs on its own, and it won't help if you decide later to switch to a different reader.

A small add-on for an existing Perfect Viewer habit

If Perfect Viewer is your regular reader and you occasionally run into PDF or DJVU files that it won't open, this plugin is an easy answer. It does one job without adding clutter. The 4.0 average suggests it does that job well enough for most people who need it.

This is for people who already have Perfect Viewer installed and want those two formats inside it — not for anyone looking for a standalone PDF reader or a general document app. Read the two install rules, follow them in order, and the plugin should do exactly what it says.

What's new in version 1.7.4.1

Update the Android target SDK version.