# PDF Reader vs OpenDocument Reader

The clearest difference is review sentiment: PDF Reader at 77% against OpenDocument Reader's 30%. PDF Reader also leads on ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). OpenDocument Reader's advantage is rating (4.5 vs 4.3) and update cadence (every 4 weeks vs every 2 months). 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.

OpenDocument Reader holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3.9K and 905 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 77% of PDF Reader's written reviews are positive against 30% of OpenDocument Reader'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, OpenDocument Reader every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF Reader | OpenDocument Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (3.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-reader-pdfelement/id1150215996/reviews) | **[4.5 (905 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/opendocument-reader-view-odt/id1510195065/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **3.9K** | 905 |
| Positive reviews | **76.7% of reviews** | 30.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 4 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Ad-supported |
| Size | 173 MB | 10 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Wondershare Technology (Hunan) Co.,Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1721309409) | [Stefl und Taschauer OG](https://appshunter.io/developer/1452061742) |

## 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.)


### OpenDocument Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/opendocument-reader-view-odt/id1510195065)

View and edit ODT, ODS, and ODP files on your mobile device. Seamlessly open documents from cloud storage or your device's file explorer, with support for password-protected files and keyword searching. Enjoy offline access and basic editing capabilities.

**Highlights:** View ODT, ODS, ODP files, Basic document editing, Open from cloud storage, Password-protected document support, Keyword search and highlighting, Offline functionality, Print documents

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Fast file opening
- 💡 Good ODT reader

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Corrupted files upon editing
- 🐛 Presentation issues with formatting and features
- 🐛 Inability to edit spreadsheets properly

**Reported bugs**

- Corrupted files
- Formatting issues
- Crashes and app closing issues

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Better spreadsheet editing capabilities
- Improved file format compatibility


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PDF Reader free?

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

### Is OpenDocument Reader free?

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

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

OpenDocument Reader is rated higher. PDF Reader averages 4.3 out of 5 from 3.9K ratings, while OpenDocument Reader averages 4.5 from 905 ratings.

### Do PDF Reader or OpenDocument Reader have ads?

OpenDocument Reader shows ads; PDF Reader does not.

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

PDF Reader ships an update every 2 months, and OpenDocument Reader every 4 weeks. Most recently, PDF Reader was updated on October 8, 2026 and OpenDocument Reader on October 10, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*