# PDF Reader vs Lumin

The clearest difference is review sentiment: PDF Reader at 77% against Lumin's 32%. PDF Reader also leads on ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). Lumin's advantage is update cadence (every 8 days vs every 2 months) and rating (4.5 vs 4.3). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Lumin holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3.9K and 895 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 77% of PDF Reader's written reviews are positive against 32% of Lumin's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

PDF Reader ships an update every 2 months, Lumin every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF Reader | Lumin |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (3.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-reader-pdfelement/id1150215996/reviews) | **[4.5 (895 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lumin-view-edit-share-pdf/id1367372862/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **3.9K** | 895 |
| Positive reviews | **76.7% of reviews** | 32.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 8 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 173 MB | 343 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Wondershare Technology (Hunan) Co.,Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1721309409) | [Nitrolabs Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1367372861) |

## What reviewers say

### PDF Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-reader-pdfelement/id1150215996)

This app offers a superior PDF reading experience with its innovative Liquid Mode, which optimizes documents for mobile screens. It also provides robust tools for annotating, signing, managing, and sharing your PDF files, catering to both work and study needs.

**Highlights:** Liquid Mode for optimized mobile reading, Annotation tools (pencil, text, highlighting), Handwritten signature insertion, File management (move, merge, copy, delete), Cloud service integration (Wondershare, iCloud), Create blank PDFs and folders

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Efficient PDF editing
- 💡 Useful annotation tools
- 🚀 Convenient for students/professionals
- 👍 Great value for free app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and glitches
- 🔒 Privacy concerns with account requirement
- 👎 Unintuitive user interface
- 🐛 Unreliable saving/syncing
- 👎 Limited functionality compared to paid version

**Reported bugs**

- Text boxes appearing randomly
- Inability to select/edit text in some PDFs
- Scrolling issues and page loading delays
- Incompatibility with certain PDF formats

**Requested features**

- Ability to edit text formatting (font, size, color)
- Support for multiple open documents
- Improved Apple Pencil integration
- Bookmark/favorite feature for frequently used PDFs
- Expanded cloud storage integration (OneDrive, Google Drive, etc.)


### Lumin

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lumin-view-edit-share-pdf/id1367372862)

Edit, share, and collaborate on PDF documents in the cloud. This app offers a suite of tools for annotating, organizing, and signing PDFs, with seamless integration for cloud storage and real-time collaboration.

**Highlights:** Seamless document management, Cloud integration and auto-save, Versatile editing and annotation tools, Document organization and conversion, Pre-designed templates, Real-time collaboration, eSignatures and form filling, Scanning to PDF

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth performance
- 👍 Easy to use
- 💡 Useful annotation tools
- 🚀 Fast PDF rendering

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and freezes
- 🔒 Unreliable data sync
- 💰 Expensive subscription
- 🐛 Buggy app experience

**Reported bugs**

- Lost work and unsaved changes
- Inability to open/access files
- Frequent login issues
- Compatibility problems on mobile

**Requested features**

- Offline mode support
- Split-screen functionality
- Improved highlight/annotation tools
- Better Google Drive integration


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PDF Reader free?

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

### Is Lumin free?

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

### Which has better reviews, PDF Reader or Lumin?

Lumin is rated higher. PDF Reader averages 4.3 out of 5 from 3.9K ratings, while Lumin averages 4.5 from 895 ratings.

### Do PDF Reader or Lumin have ads?

Lumin shows ads; PDF Reader does not.

### Which is updated more often, PDF Reader or Lumin?

PDF Reader ships an update every 2 months, and Lumin every 8 days. Most recently, PDF Reader was updated on September 23, 2026 and Lumin on September 21, 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.*