# Microsoft Translator vs PDF Translator

The clearest difference is rating: Microsoft Translator at 4.8 against PDF Translator's 4.2. Microsoft Translator also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 13) and ads (none vs shown). PDF Translator's advantage is device support (4 vs 2) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PDF Translator sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per 7 days. Microsoft Translator asks for nothing beyond the download.

Microsoft Translator holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Microsoft Translator has 158K ratings behind it against 478, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 44% of Microsoft Translator's written reviews are positive against 17% of PDF Translator's.

Microsoft Translator ships an update every 6 weeks, PDF Translator monthly. Both last shipped on September 28, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Microsoft Translator | PDF Translator |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (158K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/microsoft-translator/id1018949559/reviews)** | [4.2 (478 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-translator-document-and-ocr/id1575283633/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **158K** | 478 |
| Positive reviews | **44.2% of reviews** | 17.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 26 MB | 99 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Microsoft Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/298856275) | [Alex Gameli Heyman](https://appshunter.io/developer/1529812783) |

## What reviewers say

### Microsoft Translator

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/microsoft-translator/id1018949559)

Break down language barriers with this app that translates text, speech, images, and group conversations in over 100 languages. It's ideal for travelers, students, and professionals needing to communicate across cultures.

**Highlights:** Translate text, speech, and images, Supports over 100 languages, Real-time group conversation translation, Navigate conversations with transcripts and chapters, Intuitive interface

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent translation accuracy
- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 🔒 Secure and private
- 💡 Offline translation capability
- 🗣️ Accurate voice translation

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inconsistent performance with certain language pairs
- 🔍 Lack of detailed translation options (e.g. Pinyin for Chinese)
- 🗑️ Difficult to clear translation history
- 🔌 Requires internet connection for some features
- 💻 Suboptimal experience on tablets and larger screens

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when translating certain types of content
- Issues with camera-based translation feature
- Problems with text-to-speech functionality

**Requested features**

- Add more language options, including less common ones
- Improve translation accuracy for specialized vocabulary and idioms
- Provide more customization options (e.g. translation speed, font size)
- Integrate with more third-party apps and services
- Enhance offline capabilities for all supported languages


### PDF Translator

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-translator-document-and-ocr/id1575283633)

Instantly translate and edit PDF documents and various file formats across 136 languages. Preserve formatting and layout with powerful translation and editing tools. Access translations seamlessly from any app.

**Highlights:** Translate PDFs, images, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Edit PDF text and images, Translate multilingual PDFs, Choose translation engine (Google/Microsoft), Unlimited page and MB translation, Language Detection, Scan, convert, and translate photos

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (13)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PDF Translator Weekly | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| PDF Editor Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| PDF Translator Lite | $12.99 | per month |
| PDF Translator Standard | $19.99 | per month |
| PDF Translator Premium | $69.99 | per month |
| PDF Editor Yearly Access | $99.99 | per year |
| PDF Translate 3 Pages | $0.99 | one-time |
| PDF Translate 10 Pages | $2.99 | one-time |
| PDF Translate 20 Pages | $3.99 | one-time |
| PDF Translate 50 Pages | $12.99 | one-time |
| PDF Translate 100 Pages | $19.99 | one-time |
| PDF Translator 200 Pages | $39.99 | one-time |
| PDF Translate 500 Pages | $84.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- ✅ Preserves document layout and formatting
- ✅ Maintains images and graphics in PDFs
- ✅ Fast translation processing
- ✅ Supports multiple language pairs
- ✅ Responsive customer support (when contacted)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive pricing model (€0.99-€3+ per page)
- ❌ Frequent server errors and crashes
- ❌ Translation failures despite payment
- ❌ Credits deducted without successful translation
- ❌ Poor translation quality (gibberish, garbled text)

**Reported bugs**

- Server errors preventing translation completion
- App crashes when opening or uploading PDFs
- Credits deducted despite failed translations
- Text rendered as gibberish or random characters
- Overlapping of original and translated text

**Requested features**

- Subscription-based pricing (monthly/yearly/lifetime) instead of per-page
- Free trial with full functionality before purchase
- Automatic language detection without manual selection
- Batch processing for multiple documents
- Edit functionality for translated text


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Microsoft Translator free?

Microsoft Translator is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is PDF Translator free?

PDF Translator is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Microsoft Translator or PDF Translator?

Microsoft Translator is rated higher. Microsoft Translator averages 4.8 out of 5 from 158K ratings, while PDF Translator averages 4.2 from 478 ratings.

### Do Microsoft Translator or PDF Translator have ads?

PDF Translator shows ads; Microsoft Translator does not.

### Which is updated more often, Microsoft Translator or PDF Translator?

Microsoft Translator ships an update every 6 weeks, and PDF Translator monthly. Most recently, Microsoft Translator was updated on September 28, 2026 and PDF Translator on September 28, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*