# PDF Reader vs Dark Reader

PDF Reader and Dark Reader both sit at 4.3 stars, but that hides the real split: 77% of PDF Reader's written reviews are positive against 30% of Dark Reader's. PDF Reader also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ratings volume (3.9K vs 7). Dark Reader's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Dark Reader sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per year. 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 Dark 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 30% of Dark Reader's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF Reader | Dark 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/dark-reader-pdf-viewer/id6736392716/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **3.9K** | 7 |
| Positive reviews | **76.7% of reviews** | 30.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 173 MB | 67 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) | [Utsav Mangla](https://appshunter.io/developer/1729995457) |

## 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.)


### Dark Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dark-reader-pdf-viewer/id6736392716)

Easily read PDF documents in a comfortable dark mode to reduce eye strain and save battery. This app automatically converts any PDF into a dark theme for a better reading experience on your devices.

**Highlights:** PDF dark mode conversion, Automatic dark mode application, All-in-one PDF viewer, Eye comfort focus, Supports iPhone, iPad, macOS

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Annual | $4.99 | per year |
| Lifetime: Buy once Use forever | $5.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PDF Reader free?

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

### Is Dark Reader free?

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

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

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

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

Neither PDF Reader nor Dark Reader shows ads.

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

PDF Reader ships an update every 2 months, and Dark Reader every 2 months. Most recently, PDF Reader was updated on October 21, 2026 and Dark Reader on September 28, 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.*