# PDF Reader vs CS PDF Editor

The clearest difference is ads: PDF Reader at none against CS PDF Editor's shown. PDF Reader also leads on ratings volume (3.9K vs 13) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). CS PDF Editor's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months) and review sentiment (86% vs 77%). On price, rating, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

CS PDF Editor holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PDF Reader has 3.9K ratings behind it against 13, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 77% of PDF Reader's written reviews are positive against 86% of CS PDF Editor's.

PDF Reader ships an update every 2 months, CS PDF Editor every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and June 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF Reader | CS PDF Editor |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (3.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-reader-pdfelement/id1150215996/reviews) | **[4.5 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cs-pdf-editor-scanner-app/id6471626000/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **3.9K** | 13 |
| Positive reviews | 76.7% of reviews | **85.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Ad-supported |
| Size | 173 MB | 82 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Wondershare Technology (Hunan) Co.,Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1721309409) | [MACROMATRIX (PRIVATE) LIMITED](https://appshunter.io/developer/1820476435) |

## 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.)


### CS PDF Editor

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cs-pdf-editor-scanner-app/id6471626000)

This app offers a comprehensive suite of tools for managing documents on iOS devices. It allows users to view, edit, and scan PDFs, convert Word documents to PDF, and add digital signatures. The app aims to enhance productivity and streamline document workflows for professionals and students.

**Highlights:** All Documents and PDF Viewer, Signature Pad, Word to PDF Conversion, PDF Editor and Annotator, Text Recognition Scan, Document Scanner

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PDF Reader free?

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

### Is CS PDF Editor free?

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

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

CS PDF Editor is rated higher. PDF Reader averages 4.3 out of 5 from 3.9K ratings, while CS PDF Editor averages 4.5 from 13 ratings.

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

CS PDF Editor shows ads; PDF Reader does not.

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

PDF Reader ships an update every 2 months, and CS PDF Editor every 3 weeks. Most recently, PDF Reader was updated on September 23, 2026 and CS PDF Editor on June 4, 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.*