# PDF Viewer by Nutrient vs PDF Scanner & Simple Reader

The clearest difference is review sentiment: PDF Viewer by Nutrient at 74% against PDF Scanner & Simple Reader's 0%. PDF Scanner & Simple Reader's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs monthly) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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 and PDF Scanner & Simple Reader sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

PDF Viewer by Nutrient ships an update monthly, PDF Scanner & Simple Reader weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF Viewer by Nutrient | PDF Scanner & Simple Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 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 | **73.6% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 112 MB | 64 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [PSPDFKit GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/966931428) | [KunWoo Kwon](https://appshunter.io/developer/1603506815) |

## 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 Scanner & Simple Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-scanner-and-simple-reader/id6753705461)

Transform paper documents into searchable PDFs using your device's camera. Read, bookmark, and organize your scanned files offline with a simple, intuitive interface. Offers tools for page extraction and merging for efficient document management.

**Highlights:** Document scanning to PDF, Simple PDF reader with zoom, Continue reading from last page, Bookmark important pages, Offline PDF access, Extract and merge PDF pages

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| remove ads (one month) | $0.99 | per month |
| remove ads (life time) | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PDF Viewer by Nutrient free?

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

### Is PDF Scanner & Simple Reader free?

PDF Scanner & Simple Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do PDF Viewer by Nutrient or PDF Scanner & Simple Reader have ads?

Neither PDF Viewer by Nutrient nor PDF Scanner & Simple Reader shows ads.

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

PDF Viewer by Nutrient ships an update monthly, and PDF Scanner & Simple Reader weekly. Most recently, PDF Viewer by Nutrient was updated on October 13, 2026 and PDF Scanner & Simple Reader on October 14, 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.*