PDF.js Viewer vs PDF Viewer Block for Gutenberg (2026)
Detailed side-by-side comparison of two WordPress plugins, based on real-time data from WordPress.org.
PDF Viewer Block for Gutenberg
10K+ active installs
Free
Quick Verdict
As of April 2026, PDF Viewer Block for Gutenberg has a higher user rating (4.8/5 from 9 reviews) while PDF.js Viewer leads in active installations (20K+ vs 10K+). Both are free WordPress plugins. PDF.js Viewer has accumulated 407K+ total downloads while PDF Viewer Block for Gutenberg has 73K+.
Detailed Comparison
| Metric | PDF.js Viewer | PDF Viewer Block for Gutenberg | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.4/5 | ► | 4.8/5 |
| Total Reviews | 53 | ◄ | 9 |
| Active Installs | 20K+ | ◄ | 10K+ |
| Total Downloads | 407K+ | ◄ | 73K+ |
| Support Resolution | 50% | N/A | |
| Last Updated | 1 week ago | ◄ | 4 months ago |
| First Released | 2013 | 2019 | |
| Age | 13 years | 7 years | |
| WP Requires | 5.0+ | 5.0+ | |
| PHP Requires | 7.4+ | 5.6+ | |
| Business Model | Free | Free | |
| Latest Version | 3.0.4 | 1.1 |
Rating Breakdown
PDF.js Viewer
PDF Viewer Block for Gutenberg
Download Trends
Over the past 30 days, PDF.js Viewer averaged approximately 693 daily downloads while PDF Viewer Block for Gutenberg averaged 51.
Recent Reviews
PDF.js Viewer Reviews
Never failed
I’ve been using for years and never failed. Simple to use and does the job.
Excellent PDF EMbedder
I have been usiong a paid pdf plugin but it’s been months now with a bad fault so i tried this – perfect! Thank you very much.
Great Support
I was impressed with the level of support provided with the recent issue where the plugin stopped displaying due to Mozilla’s PDFjs, and they started using mjs files. Thank you for an excellent plu
PDF Viewer Block for Gutenberg Reviews
I’ve tried a few and found this to be the best
The presentation is not in the preview but shows landscape presentations just fine and scales to 100% – unlike any of the other ones I tried.
Highly functional and easy to use
It works without any problems on smartphones. It’s great that it’s highly functional yet simple and easy to use.However, if I may be greedy, I would like to be able to set default values for height,
The best PDF Viewer
Very easy to install and to use. No need to configure anything. And it works out of the box.
More Viewer Worth Comparing
Top alternatives in the same category as PDF.js Viewer and PDF Viewer Block for Gutenberg
Embed a PDF from the Media Library or elsewhere via oEmbed or as a block into an iframe tag.
Darkens the current page and displays an image (like Lightbox, Thickbox, etc.), but is a lot smaller (10KB) and faster.
A simple PDF viewer widget for Elementor that displays PDFs directly on your website.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is PDF.js Viewer or PDF Viewer Block for Gutenberg more popular?
Which has better ratings — PDF.js Viewer or PDF Viewer Block for Gutenberg?
Are PDF.js Viewer and PDF Viewer Block for Gutenberg free?
Which plugin has better support — PDF.js Viewer or PDF Viewer Block for Gutenberg?
Which plugin is updated more frequently?
Plugin data sourced from WordPress.org. Comparison and analysis by PluginSift.