# PDF Viewer by Nutrient vs calmdocs

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: calmdocs at none against PDF Viewer by Nutrient's 2. calmdocs also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs monthly). PDF Viewer by Nutrient's advantage is device support (4 vs 2). On price, 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. calmdocs asks for nothing beyond the download.

PDF Viewer by Nutrient ships an update monthly, calmdocs every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF Viewer by Nutrient | calmdocs |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (9.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-viewer-by-nutrient/id1120099014/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **9.1K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 73.4% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Size | 109 MB | 9 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [PSPDFKit GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/966931428) | [Elaine Bevington](https://appshunter.io/developer/1692157387) |

## 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


### calmdocs

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/calmdocs/id6470709778)

**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 calmdocs free?

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

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

Neither PDF Viewer by Nutrient nor calmdocs shows ads.

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

PDF Viewer by Nutrient ships an update monthly, and calmdocs every 9 days. Most recently, PDF Viewer by Nutrient was updated on October 22, 2026 and calmdocs on October 11, 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.*