# PDF Viewer by Nutrient vs J

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: J at none against PDF Viewer by Nutrient's 2. J also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.6) and review sentiment (100% vs 74%). PDF Viewer by Nutrient's advantage is ratings volume (9.1K vs 1) and device support (4 vs 2). On price, update cadence, ads and iOS requirement 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. J asks for nothing beyond the download.

J holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PDF Viewer by Nutrient has 9.1K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 74% of PDF Viewer by Nutrient's written reviews are positive against 100% of J's.

PDF Viewer by Nutrient ships an update monthly, J fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF Viewer by Nutrient | J |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (9.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-viewer-by-nutrient/id1120099014/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/j-notes-notepad-lock-draw/id1634043414/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **9.1K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 73.6% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Size | 112 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [PSPDFKit GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/966931428) | [Robert Libsansky](https://appshunter.io/developer/1634043416) |

## 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


### J

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/j-notes-notepad-lock-draw/id1634043414)

This app helps you organize thoughts, sketch ideas, and manage tasks with a beautiful, intuitive interface. It offers rich text editing, smart organization, and flexible views for a personalized experience. Keep your data private with local storage and no cloud sync.

**Highlights:** Text and drawing notes, Rich text editing, Smart organization (pinning, color-coding), Trash and recovery system, Flexible display views, Calendar and map integration, Reminders and instant search

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, 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 J free?

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

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

J is rated higher. PDF Viewer by Nutrient averages 4.6 out of 5 from 9.1K ratings, while J averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

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

Neither PDF Viewer by Nutrient nor J shows ads.

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

PDF Viewer by Nutrient ships an update monthly, and J fortnightly. Most recently, PDF Viewer by Nutrient was updated on September 28, 2026 and J on September 18, 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.*