# PDF Viewer by Nutrient vs PDF Reader

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: PDF Reader at none against PDF Viewer by Nutrient's 2. PDF Reader also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). PDF Viewer by Nutrient's advantage is rating (4.6 vs 4.3) and update cadence (monthly vs every 2 months). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PDF Viewer by Nutrient sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per 3 months. PDF Reader asks for nothing beyond the download.

PDF Viewer by Nutrient holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 9.1K and 3.9K respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 74% of PDF Viewer by Nutrient's written reviews are positive against 77% of PDF Reader's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

PDF Viewer by Nutrient ships an update monthly, PDF Reader every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF Viewer by Nutrient | PDF Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (9.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-viewer-by-nutrient/id1120099014/reviews)** | [4.3 (3.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-reader-pdfelement/id1150215996/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **9.1K** | 3.9K |
| Positive reviews | 73.6% of reviews | **76.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Size | 112 MB | 173 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [PSPDFKit GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/966931428) | [Wondershare Technology (Hunan) Co.,Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1721309409) |

## What reviewers say

### PDF Viewer by Nutrient

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-viewer-by-nutrient/id1120099014)

Easily view, search, and annotate PDF documents on your iPhone and iPad. Import files from cloud services, fill out forms, add signatures, and organize your documents. Advanced features like redaction and combining documents are available with a Pro subscription.

**Highlights:** View and search PDFs, Annotate with highlights and notes, Sign documents digitally, Fill out PDF forms, Organize and share documents, Import from cloud services

**Features:** Family Sharing, iMessage stickers

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PDF Viewer Pro 3 Months | $6.99 | per 3 months |
| PDF Viewer Pro Yearly | $19.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Seamless integration with iCloud and Files app
- 👍 Intuitive annotation tools with Apple Pencil
- 🎨 Versatile highlighting and drawing options
- 💾 Saves annotations to original PDF files
- 🔍 Powerful search and navigation features

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and performance issues
- 🤔 Confusing UI and steep learning curve
- 🔀 Difficulty managing and organizing PDF files
- 🔍 Inconsistent text selection and highlighting
- 🔒 Privacy concerns around data collection

**Reported bugs**

- Annotations randomly disappearing or not saving
- Incompatibility issues with certain PDF files
- Scrolling and panning problems on large PDFs
- Unexpected crashes after iOS updates

**Requested features**

- Add a rubber/eraser tool for annotations
- Implement a side-by-side PDF view mode
- Improve palm rejection and gesture support
- Allow customization of toolbar and shortcuts
- Provide better options for PDF file management


### 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 Viewer by Nutrient free?

PDF Viewer by Nutrient 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 Viewer by Nutrient or PDF Reader?

PDF Viewer by Nutrient is rated higher. PDF Viewer by Nutrient averages 4.6 out of 5 from 9.1K ratings, while PDF Reader averages 4.3 from 3.9K ratings.

### Do PDF Viewer by Nutrient or PDF Reader have ads?

Neither PDF Viewer by Nutrient nor PDF Reader shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, PDF Viewer by Nutrient or PDF Reader?

PDF Viewer by Nutrient ships an update monthly, and PDF Reader every 2 months. Most recently, PDF Viewer by Nutrient was updated on September 24, 2026 and PDF Reader on September 23, 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.*