# PDF Reader vs eSign PDF Sign Documents

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: PDF Reader at none against eSign PDF Sign Documents's 14. PDF Reader also leads on ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (3.9K vs 45). eSign PDF Sign Documents's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). On price, rating, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. eSign PDF Sign Documents sells 14 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 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 4.2 for eSign PDF Sign Documents. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PDF Reader has 3.9K ratings behind it against 45, 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 61% of eSign PDF Sign Documents's.

PDF Reader ships an update every 2 months, eSign PDF Sign Documents fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and June 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF Reader | eSign PDF Sign Documents |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.3 (3.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-reader-pdfelement/id1150215996/reviews)** | [4.2 (45 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/esign-pdf-sign-documents/id6472438583/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **3.9K** | 45 |
| Positive reviews | **76.7% of reviews** | 60.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 173 MB | 38 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) | [HEN AI Co., Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1716694033) |

## 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.)


### eSign PDF Sign Documents

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/esign-pdf-sign-documents/id6472438583)

Easily sign PDFs and other documents electronically with your handwritten signature. This app allows you to scan, edit, and sign documents from your phone, making paperwork quick and convenient. Share and print signed documents directly from the application.

**Highlights:** Add digital signatures to documents, Scan paper documents, Create documents from photos, Sign PDF, DOC, XLS, and more, Share and print signed documents

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (14)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro(Weekly) | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Signature Maker Premium | $9.99 | per month |
| Signature Maker Premium | $12.99 | per month |
| Signature Maker Premium | $19.99 | per year |
| Pro(monthly)(3 Trial) | $19.99 | per month |
| Premium | $19.99 | per month |
| Premium | $29.99 | per year |
| Premium | $35.99 | per year |
| Signature Maker Premium(1Year) | $39.99 | per year |
| Premium | $49.99 | per year |
| Signature Maker Premium(1Year) | $49.99 | per year |
| Signature Maker Premium | $19.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Pro | $59.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PDF Reader free?

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

### Is eSign PDF Sign Documents free?

eSign PDF Sign Documents is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, PDF Reader or eSign PDF Sign Documents?

PDF Reader is rated higher. PDF Reader averages 4.3 out of 5 from 3.9K ratings, while eSign PDF Sign Documents averages 4.2 from 45 ratings.

### Do PDF Reader or eSign PDF Sign Documents have ads?

eSign PDF Sign Documents shows ads; PDF Reader does not.

### Which is updated more often, PDF Reader or eSign PDF Sign Documents?

PDF Reader ships an update every 2 months, and eSign PDF Sign Documents fortnightly. Most recently, PDF Reader was updated on September 23, 2026 and eSign PDF Sign Documents on June 10, 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.*