# PDF Viewer by Nutrient vs Polaris PDF Viewer

The clearest difference is review sentiment: PDF Viewer by Nutrient at 73% against Polaris PDF Viewer's 0%. PDF Viewer by Nutrient also leads on ratings volume (9.1K vs 49) and rating (4.6 vs 4.4). Polaris PDF Viewer's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence, ads and device support 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. Polaris PDF Viewer asks for nothing beyond the download.

PDF Viewer by Nutrient holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PDF Viewer by Nutrient has 9.1K ratings behind it against 49, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 73% of PDF Viewer by Nutrient's written reviews are positive against 0% of Polaris PDF Viewer's.

PDF Viewer by Nutrient ships an update monthly, Polaris PDF Viewer every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF Viewer by Nutrient | Polaris PDF Viewer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (9.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-viewer-by-nutrient/id1120099014/reviews)** | [4.4 (49 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/polaris-pdf-viewer/id1495005441/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **9.1K** | 49 |
| Positive reviews | **73.2% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Size | 111 MB | 94 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **10.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [PSPDFKit GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/966931428) | [Polaris Office Corp.](https://appshunter.io/developer/380275428) |

## 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, iPhone Duo support

**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


### Polaris PDF Viewer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/polaris-pdf-viewer/id1495005441)

View and manage PDF documents on your mobile device with a stable and optimized viewer. Offers features like text-to-speech, annotation tools, and cloud integration for efficient document handling.

**Highlights:** Mobile-optimized PDF viewer, Text-to-speech function, Annotation and drawing tools, Cloud service integration, Night mode and screen dimming, Print PDF documents

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PDF Viewer by Nutrient free?

PDF Viewer by Nutrient is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Polaris PDF Viewer free?

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

### Which has better reviews, PDF Viewer by Nutrient or Polaris PDF Viewer?

PDF Viewer by Nutrient is rated higher. PDF Viewer by Nutrient averages 4.6 out of 5 from 9.1K ratings, while Polaris PDF Viewer averages 4.4 from 49 ratings.

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

Neither PDF Viewer by Nutrient nor Polaris PDF Viewer shows ads.

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

PDF Viewer by Nutrient ships an update monthly, and Polaris PDF Viewer every 5 weeks. Most recently, PDF Viewer by Nutrient was updated on November 6, 2026 and Polaris PDF Viewer on November 3, 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.*