Comparison

PDF Viewer by Nutrient vs HeadsUp

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

HeadsUp

Features
Read full description

Twelve group chats. One list. Between the thumbs-ups and thank-yous, there is always something you need to do. Bring fruit to hockey. Send a client a quote. Sign up for the members meeting. HeadsUp reads along in your chats and every morning lists what you need to do, bring, pay or arrange. FROM CHAT TO ACTION • Your list every morning, in the app and in your inbox • A notification as soon as something new is for you • A reminder on the day it needs to happen • A badge on the app icon with what is still open • Tap a task to see who said what and why it is for you • Match moved or cancelled? Your list updates by itself WHO IT'S FOR • Family: school, sports, birthdays and class parents. Fruit for Sunday's match, money for Thursday's school trip. • Work and IT: "Could you shut down the test environment today?" between deploys and memes. • Clients: a quote, a change or a callback request in a client group. • Recruitment: candidates and hiring managers waiting for a reply. • Clubs and neighbourhood: boards, teams, residents' associations and the neighbourhood chat. HOW IT WORKS 1. Sign in with your email. You get a code, no password. 2. Link WhatsApp as a linked device, with a code you enter in WhatsApp. 3. Choose which chats HeadsUp may read. The rest stays untouched. 4. Your list every morning, plus a nudge when something is for you. CAREFUL WITH OTHER PEOPLE'S MESSAGES • HeadsUp only reads along and never sends messages • Only the chats you switch on, and only text, no photos • Raw messages are deleted after 14 days, your list stays • AI only through providers that store or reuse nothing • Delete your account in the app and everything is gone right away HeadsUp is not affiliated with WhatsApp or Meta.

Screenshots

PDF Viewer by Nutrient4 screens
HeadsUp4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: HeadsUp at none against PDF Viewer by Nutrient's 2. HeadsUp also leads on update cadence (every 4 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.

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. HeadsUp asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PDF Viewer by Nutrient ships an update monthly, HeadsUp every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
PDF Viewer by Nutrient versus HeadsUp: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPDF Viewer by NutrientHeadsUp
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (9.1K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews73.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings9.1K — better—
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.016.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size109 MB57 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPSPDFKit GmbHRene Weteling

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

HeadsUp

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
None

HeadsUp

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is PDF Viewer by Nutrient free?
PDF Viewer by Nutrient is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is HeadsUp free?
HeadsUp is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do PDF Viewer by Nutrient or HeadsUp have ads?
Neither PDF Viewer by Nutrient nor HeadsUp shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PDF Viewer by Nutrient or HeadsUp?
PDF Viewer by Nutrient ships an update monthly, and HeadsUp every 4 days. Most recently, PDF Viewer by Nutrient was updated on October 28, 2026 and HeadsUp on October 23, 2026.

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