# PDF Reader vs PDF Reader

PDF Reader and PDF Reader both sit at 4.3 stars, but that hides the real split: 77% of PDF Reader's written reviews are positive against 20% of PDF Reader's. PDF Reader also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 3) and ads (none vs shown). On price, rating, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PDF Reader sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. 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 4.3 for PDF Reader. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PDF Reader has 3.9K ratings behind it against 408, 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 20% of PDF Reader's.

PDF Reader ships an update every 2 months, PDF Reader monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF Reader | PDF Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (3.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-reader-pdfelement/id1150215996/reviews) | [4.3 (408 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-reader-document-reader/id6450378658/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **3.9K** | 408 |
| Positive reviews | **76.7% of reviews** | 20.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 173 MB | 28 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Wondershare Technology (Hunan) Co.,Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1721309409) | [Rajanibhai Sheladiya](https://appshunter.io/developer/1693041623) |

## 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 Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-reader-document-reader/id6450378658)

This app allows users to easily find, open, read, and manage all PDF and Office files stored on their mobile device. It offers features for annotating, signing, and organizing documents, with options for offline viewing and sharing.

**Highlights:** Auto scan and find all files, Offline PDF viewer, Read and annotate PDFs, File management and organization, Share files easily, Favorite PDF pages

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly ( 1 Week ) | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly ( 1 Month ) | $6.99 | per month |
| Yearly ( 1 Year ) | $24.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Very useful for processing files
- 👍 Easy to use
- 👍 Brilliant application
- 👍 Helped with work progression

**What reviewers complain about**

-  anúncios Excessivos
- 👎 Cannot open PDFs
- 👎 App is useless
- 👎 Forced vertical orientation
- 👎 Constant ads

**Reported bugs**

- App crashed and locked PDF
- Photos not appearing in PDF conversion
- Ads cannot be closed
- App tries to load scanning software instead of reading PDF
- App does not appear in preferred app list

**Requested features**

- Save page number for resuming reading
- Respect user time before asking for payment


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PDF Reader free?

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

### Is PDF Reader free?

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

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

PDF Reader and PDF Reader are both rated 4.3 out of 5 on the App Store, from 3.9K and 408 ratings respectively.

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

PDF Reader shows ads; PDF Reader does not.

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

PDF Reader ships an update every 2 months, and PDF Reader monthly. Most recently, PDF Reader was updated on September 23, 2026 and PDF Reader on September 20, 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.*