# PDF Document Editor & Reader vs PDF Reader

The clearest difference is review sentiment: PDF Reader at 77% against PDF Document Editor & Reader's 0%. PDF Reader also leads on rating (4.3 vs 1.4) and in-app purchases (none vs 2). PDF Document Editor & Reader's advantage is iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PDF Document Editor & Reader sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. PDF Reader asks for nothing beyond the download.

PDF Reader holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 1.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PDF Reader has 3.9K ratings behind it against 17, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of PDF Document Editor & Reader's written reviews are positive against 77% of PDF Reader's.

PDF Document Editor & Reader ships an update every 7 months, PDF Reader every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 1, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF Document Editor & Reader | PDF Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [1.4 (17 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-document-editor-and-reader/id1038815317/reviews) | **[4.3 (3.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-reader-pdfelement/id1150215996/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 17 | **3.9K** |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | **76.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 60 MB | 173 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Catrnja Dev](https://appshunter.io/developer/569580933) | [Wondershare Technology (Hunan) Co.,Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1721309409) |

## What reviewers say

### PDF Document Editor & Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-document-editor-and-reader/id1038815317)

Easily create, edit, and manage PDF documents. Transfer files via USB, Wi-Fi, or email, and integrate with cloud storage like Dropbox and Google Drive. Supports various file formats for seamless document handling.

**Highlights:** Create PDFs from maps, websites, and text files, Transfer documents via USB, Wi-Fi, and email, Integrate with Dropbox, Google Drive, and iCloud, Support for MS Office and iWork file formats, Open documents in other applications

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock the full version | $9.99 | one-time |
| Unlock the full version & remove ads. | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🆓 Allows reading PDFs for free (with caveats)
- 💻 Easy file transfer from computer

**What reviewers complain about**

- ❌ Overwhelmingly intrusive ads
- ❌ Unusable due to constant pop-ups
- ❌ Misleading advertising/functionality
- ❌ Paid version offers no improvement
- ❌ Cannot edit PDFs

**Reported bugs**

- Ads do not close
- App crashes after editing
- Paid version doesn't enable features
- Cannot exit certain screens
- Share/menu options don't work

**Requested features**

- Ability to edit PDFs
- Less intrusive advertising
- Improved functionality in free version
- Working developer website/support


### PDF Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-reader-pdfelement/id1150215996)

This app offers a superior PDF reading experience with its innovative Liquid Mode, which optimizes documents for mobile screens. It also provides robust tools for annotating, signing, managing, and sharing your PDF files, catering to both work and study needs.

**Highlights:** Liquid Mode for optimized mobile reading, Annotation tools (pencil, text, highlighting), Handwritten signature insertion, File management (move, merge, copy, delete), Cloud service integration (Wondershare, iCloud), Create blank PDFs and folders

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Efficient PDF editing
- 💡 Useful annotation tools
- 🚀 Convenient for students/professionals
- 👍 Great value for free app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and glitches
- 🔒 Privacy concerns with account requirement
- 👎 Unintuitive user interface
- 🐛 Unreliable saving/syncing
- 👎 Limited functionality compared to paid version

**Reported bugs**

- Text boxes appearing randomly
- Inability to select/edit text in some PDFs
- Scrolling issues and page loading delays
- Incompatibility with certain PDF formats

**Requested features**

- Ability to edit text formatting (font, size, color)
- Support for multiple open documents
- Improved Apple Pencil integration
- Bookmark/favorite feature for frequently used PDFs
- Expanded cloud storage integration (OneDrive, Google Drive, etc.)


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PDF Document Editor & Reader free?

PDF Document Editor & Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is PDF Reader free?

PDF Reader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, PDF Document Editor & Reader or PDF Reader?

PDF Reader is rated higher. PDF Document Editor & Reader averages 1.4 out of 5 from 17 ratings, while PDF Reader averages 4.3 from 3.9K ratings.

### Do PDF Document Editor & Reader or PDF Reader have ads?

Neither PDF Document Editor & Reader nor PDF Reader shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, PDF Document Editor & Reader or PDF Reader?

PDF Document Editor & Reader ships an update every 7 months, and PDF Reader every 2 months. Most recently, PDF Document Editor & Reader was updated on September 1, 2026 and PDF Reader 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.*