# PDF Reader vs Read+ PDF Reader

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: PDF Reader at none against Read+ PDF Reader's 2. PDF Reader also leads on ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (3.9K vs 7). Read+ PDF Reader's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, rating and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Read+ PDF Reader sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.49 per month. PDF Reader asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.3 for PDF Reader against 4.4 for Read+ PDF Reader. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PDF Reader has 3.9K ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 77% of PDF Reader's written reviews are positive against 67% of Read+ PDF Reader's.

PDF Reader ships an update every 2 months, Read+ PDF Reader every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and August 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF Reader | Read+ PDF Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (3.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-reader-pdfelement/id1150215996/reviews) | **[4.4 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/read-plus-pdf-reader/id1540059125/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **3.9K** | 7 |
| Positive reviews | **76.7% of reviews** | 66.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 173 MB | 24 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Wondershare Technology (Hunan) Co.,Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1721309409) | [B TO J PTY LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/569308231) |

## 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.)


### Read+ PDF Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/read-plus-pdf-reader/id1540059125)

This application allows users to read, manage, and annotate PDF files on their iOS devices. It offers features like text search, OCR extraction, file merging, and integration with cloud storage services. Users can also share and print their documents.

**Highlights:** Read PDF books naturally, Bookmark and annotate PDFs, Search text within files, Extract text with OCR, Merge and rearrange PDF pages, Cloud storage integration, Share and print PDFs

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 Month Subscription | $3.49 | per month |
| 1 Year Subscription | $28.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PDF Reader free?

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

### Is Read+ PDF Reader free?

Read+ PDF Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, PDF Reader or Read+ PDF Reader?

Read+ PDF Reader is rated higher. PDF Reader averages 4.3 out of 5 from 3.9K ratings, while Read+ PDF Reader averages 4.4 from 7 ratings.

### Do PDF Reader or Read+ PDF Reader have ads?

Read+ PDF Reader shows ads; PDF Reader does not.

### Which is updated more often, PDF Reader or Read+ PDF Reader?

PDF Reader ships an update every 2 months, and Read+ PDF Reader every 3 days. Most recently, PDF Reader was updated on September 23, 2026 and Read+ PDF Reader on August 31, 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.*