Discover the Best iChm Alternatives for Seamless CHM Viewing
iChm for Mac and iPhone/iPod Touch has long been a go-to solution for viewing CHM (Compiled HTML Help) files. With its Cocoa-based Mac app offering tab browsing, search, text encoding, and PDF export, alongside an iPhone app for easy mobile viewing, iChm provides a robust experience. However, users often seek iChm alternatives for various reasons, including cross-platform compatibility, specific features, or open-source options. This guide will help you navigate the best replacements to ensure your CHM files are always accessible.
Top iChm Alternatives
Whether you're looking for a free, open-source solution, something with advanced features, or a tool compatible with different operating systems, there's an iChm alternative out there for you. Here's a curated list of top contenders that offer excellent functionality for reading and even creating CHM files.
xchm
xCHM is a fantastic cross-platform, open-source iChm alternative, available for Mac, Windows, and Linux. It serves as a GUI front-end to chmlib, offering reliable document reading capabilities. If you need a consistent CHM viewer across multiple desktop environments, xCHM is a solid choice.
Kchmviewer
Kchmviewer stands out as a free and open-source CHM and EPUB viewer, compatible with Unix, Mac, Windows, and even PortableApps.com. Its portable nature makes it a highly flexible iChm alternative for users who need to access their files on the go without installation.
HelpNDoc
HelpNDoc is a powerful, free personal use tool for Windows that not only reads CHM files but also allows you to create HTML help files, web sites, printed manuals, and eBooks. Its WYSIWYG support and PDF creation features make it a versatile iChm alternative for both viewing and documentation generation.
ExtraCHM
ExtraCHM is a fully featured Freemium reader for Compiled HTML (CHM) documents on Windows. Its ability to handle multiple files and its portable nature offer a convenient alternative to iChm for Windows users who need efficient CHM management.
HelpScribble
HelpScribble is a commercial help authoring tool for Windows, focusing on creating professional Windows help files. While its primary function is creation, its comprehensive features for handling help files make it an indirect but powerful iChm alternative for developers and content creators.
Chmox
For Mac users, Chmox is a dedicated free and open-source application specifically designed to read Windows Help Files (CHM files) on OS X. It's an excellent direct iChm alternative if you're looking for a no-cost, specialized CHM reader on your Apple device.
CHM Decoder
CHM Decoder is a free Windows tool that can decompile your CHM files or e-books, extracting all source files quickly and easily. While not a direct reader like iChm, its batch mode support for deconstruction makes it a valuable utility for accessing CHM content in its raw form, indirectly serving as an iChm alternative for content retrieval.
WinCHM
WinCHM is a commercial, easy-to-use help authoring tool for Windows that generates CHM, WebHelp, Single HTML, Word, and PDF outputs. Its WYSIWYG support makes it an effective iChm alternative for those who need to both read and create various help documentation formats with minimal learning curve.
MadCap Flare
MadCap Flare is a comprehensive commercial documentation tool for Windows, capable of creating technical documentation for online Help, software, API documentation, and more, including CHM files. With its robust WYSIWYG support, it's a powerful iChm alternative for professional content creation and viewing.
KEL CHM Creator
KEL CHM Creator is a flexible, powerful, and freeware CHM creator for Windows that utilizes Microsoft HTML Help Workshop. While focused on creation, its ability to combine HTML files into compressed CHM documents makes it a useful iChm alternative for those managing their own CHM content.
Ultimately, the best iChm alternative depends on your specific needs, whether that's cross-platform compatibility, advanced authoring features, or simply a free and reliable reader. Explore these options to find the perfect fit for your CHM viewing and creation requirements.