# PDF Reader vs PDF Pro Reader Edit

The clearest difference is rating: PDF Pro Reader Edit at 5.0 against PDF Reader's 4.3. PDF Pro Reader Edit also leads on update cadence (every 4 weeks vs every 2 months). PDF Reader's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ratings volume (3.9K vs 4). On price, review sentiment, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PDF Pro Reader Edit sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. PDF Reader asks for nothing beyond the download.

PDF Pro Reader Edit holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PDF Reader has 3.9K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 77% of PDF Reader's written reviews are positive against 75% of PDF Pro Reader Edit'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, PDF Pro Reader Edit every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF Reader | PDF Pro Reader Edit |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (3.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-reader-pdfelement/id1150215996/reviews) | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-pro-reader-edit-converter/id1505038693/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **3.9K** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | **76.7% of reviews** | 75.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 4 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 173 MB | 13 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) | [崴 杨](https://appshunter.io/developer/1505035148) |

## 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.)


### PDF Pro Reader Edit

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-pro-reader-edit-converter/id1505038693)

This app allows you to read, edit, and manage PDF files. It offers features like merging, splitting, converting PDFs to images, adding text, highlighting, and creating digital signatures. You can also import PDFs from iCloud or scan documents.

**Highlights:** Merge and split PDF files, Convert PDF to images, Add text and annotations, Create digital signatures, Encrypt and unlock PDFs, Scan documents to PDF, Import from iCloud

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Upgrade to PRO | $1.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PDF Reader free?

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

### Is PDF Pro Reader Edit free?

PDF Pro Reader Edit is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, PDF Reader or PDF Pro Reader Edit?

PDF Pro Reader Edit is rated higher. PDF Reader averages 4.3 out of 5 from 3.9K ratings, while PDF Pro Reader Edit averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do PDF Reader or PDF Pro Reader Edit have ads?

Neither PDF Reader nor PDF Pro Reader Edit shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, PDF Reader or PDF Pro Reader Edit?

PDF Reader ships an update every 2 months, and PDF Pro Reader Edit every 4 weeks. Most recently, PDF Reader was updated on September 23, 2026 and PDF Pro Reader Edit on September 15, 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.*