Comparison

PDF Viewer by Nutrient vs LAYER

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

PDF Viewer by Nutrient

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
Read full description

PDF Viewer is a fast and beautiful app, allowing you to view, search, and annotate PDF documents with ease on your iPhone and iPad. Access your files from iCloud, Dropbox, Box, OneDrive, Google Drive or any other cloud solution via Apple's familiar Document Browser interface. +++ Listed as “Productivity lifesaver” on the App Store +++ "A streamlined interface packed with powerful features - it’s like having a desktop-quality PDF toolkit wherever we go" – App Store Editor Notes “I'm impressed by how the folks at PSPDFKit have been able to fine-tune the document browser to the app's needs.” – MacStories.net "If you want a PDF viewer that is designed for reading PDF books, this is it." – App Review VIEW DOCUMENTS ON THE GO • Easily import a PDF from your favorite cloud service provider, email, or directly off a website. • Supports Open In Place, Drag & Drop and features the familiar Apple Document Browser interface from the Files app. • Search for the exact text you are looking for within the document. • Double tap on the screen to Smart Zoom directly to the text you want to read. • Annotate images (JPEG, PNG) non-destructive, just like PDF documents. (PRO) ANNOTATE WITH EASE • While reviewing a document, use your finger or Apple Pencil to highlight and markup text. • Leave comments by adding a note, text, or drawing directly on the PDF. • Add images or audio. • Reply to notes. (PRO) SIGN DOCUMENTS ANYWHERE • Add your signature to any document using your finger or Apple Pencil. • Move and resize your signature as needed. • Flatten a document to ensure the signature doesn’t change. CREATE AND EDIT PDFs • Create new documents from existing documents by moving, rotating, deleting, or adding new pages. • Combine multiple documents into a single one. (PRO) • Add bookmarks to easily return to certain pages in large documents. FILL OUT FORMS • Quickly fill out PDF Forms by adding text to the fields. • Flatten and secure the form once you’re done to ensure the document doesn’t change. • Add a signature to any Form. STORE, ORGANIZE AND SHARE • Store documents, create folders and organize your documents. • Share documents by printing, emailing or saving your edits back any cloud service. PASSWORD PROTECT DOCUMENTS • Read document metadata, title and keywords. • Protect documents with user and owner passwords and limit permissions. (PRO) AND SO MUCH MORE • Conveniently switch to night mode when viewing your documents at night. • Present on external screens without the distraction of toolbars. (PRO) • Have the text from a PDF read out loud to you with text-to-speech. • PDF Viewer remembers where you were down to the page/position where you left off - even across devices. PRICING PDF Viewer comes with a large feature set, completely free. Some advanced features require the purchase of PDF Viewer Pro, available as a subscription. We offer 3-monthly and yearly subscription plans. There’s also a fully functional 7-day trial, so you can test PDF Viewer Pro (including document merging and password editing) before you commit. All plans unlock the app on iPhone and iPad. TRUSTED BY COMPANIES YOU KNOW PDF Viewer is built on top of and powered by PSPDFKit, the same PDF engine trusted around the world by companies like Dropbox, Box, IBM, Atlassian, SAP, and Lufthansa. BE PART OF THE PDF VIEWER COMMUNITY pdfviewer.io twitter.com/pdfviewerapp LEGAL Duration and price of each subscription are displayed in PDF Viewers’ storefront, updated at the time of purchase. Payment will be charged to iTunes account at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off no later than 24 hours before the end of the current period. Subscriptions and auto-renewal can be managed/turned off in the iTunes account settings. Any unused portion of a free trial period is forfeited as soon as a subscription is purchased. Terms of Use: https://pdfviewer.io/terms Privacy Policy: https://pdfviewer.io/privacy

About

LAYER

Features
Read full description

A to do list and habit tracker with a bigger picture. LAYER connects everyday tasks and routines to the goals you care about. Start with today's tasks Capture an idea quickly and check it off. You can start in the inbox without a goal and connect it later. Set priorities and due dates, or filter for actions that take 15 minutes or less. Build habits at your pace Choose repeat days, a starting cue and a minimum action. Try “after dinner, read one page.” Review your weekly check-ins and pause a habit when you need a break. Turn small actions into meaningful goals Break a dream into smaller goals, tasks and habits. Open the connected goal from a task, or find the next step from a goal. Action completion and goal achievement stay separate so effort never pretends to be an outcome. A universe built by small actions See dreams, goals and actions as your own constellations. Use LAYER for reading, study plans, exercise routines or a personal project. Write your own plan or use an optional AI draft to get started. Start with Google, Apple or this device. You can link an account later in My. Link Google or Apple before deleting the app or changing devices. To draft your plan, we send your dream, goals, actions and revision requests to OpenAI. We do not send passwords or payment details. You can write your plan yourself instead. LAYER Orbit Free accounts can keep one major goal and create another after deleting it. The first onboarding AI plan is free; each subsequent AI generation requires watching one rewarded ad. Orbit includes unlimited major goals and four AI planning or redesign requests per day. Watch one rewarded ad for each additional AI request. Unlimited duration is a one-time purchase with no fixed expiry, available while the service operates. Monthly and yearly plans renew automatically. Cancel in your store account settings before renewal. Unlimited duration is a one-time purchase with no automatic renewal. Prices and renewal terms appear on the store’s confirmation screen. Available in Korean, English, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese for Taiwan and Hong Kong. Privacy policy: https://layer.microcephalus7.dev/privacy?lang=en Terms of use: https://layer.microcephalus7.dev/terms?lang=en Delete account: https://layer.microcephalus7.dev/delete-account?lang=en

Screenshots

PDF Viewer by Nutrient4 screens
LAYER2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: PDF Viewer by Nutrient at none against LAYER's shown. LAYER's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs monthly) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. PDF Viewer by Nutrient sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per 3 months and LAYER sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PDF Viewer by Nutrient ships an update monthly, LAYER weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
PDF Viewer by Nutrient versus LAYER: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPDF Viewer by NutrientLAYER
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (9.1K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews73.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings9.1K — better—
Update frequencyMonthlyWeekly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS17.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size109 MB36 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPSPDFKit GmbHseokho heo

Bugs and requests

PDF Viewer by Nutrient

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • 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

5 requests
  • 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

LAYER

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

PDF Viewer by Nutrient

Subscriptions2
  • PDF Viewer Pro 3 Months7 Days trial$6.993 Months
  • PDF Viewer Pro Yearly7 Days trial$19.991 Year
3 purchases

LAYER

Subscriptions2
  • LAYER Orbit Monthly$1.991 Month
  • LAYER Orbit Yearly$11.991 Year
One-time1
  • LAYER Orbit Unlimited Duration$22.99

Questions

Is PDF Viewer by Nutrient free?
PDF Viewer by Nutrient is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is LAYER free?
LAYER is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do PDF Viewer by Nutrient or LAYER have ads?
LAYER shows ads; PDF Viewer by Nutrient does not.
Which is updated more often, PDF Viewer by Nutrient or LAYER?
PDF Viewer by Nutrient ships an update monthly, and LAYER weekly. Most recently, PDF Viewer by Nutrient was updated on October 26, 2026 and LAYER on October 17, 2026.

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