# Reader vs Polaris PDF Viewer

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Reader at 57% against Polaris PDF Viewer's 0%. Reader also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.5) and update cadence (weekly vs every 5 weeks). Polaris PDF Viewer's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ratings volume (47 vs 3). On price and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Reader sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Polaris PDF Viewer asks for nothing beyond the download.

Reader holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Polaris PDF Viewer has 47 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 57% of Reader's written reviews are positive against 0% of Polaris PDF Viewer's.

Reader ships an update weekly, Polaris PDF Viewer every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Reader | Polaris PDF Viewer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reader/id1179373118/reviews)** | [4.5 (47 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/polaris-pdf-viewer/id1495005441/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 3 | **47** |
| Positive reviews | **57.1% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 1 MB | 94 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | **10.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [The Augmented Text Company LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/459748478) | [Polaris Office Corp.](https://appshunter.io/developer/380275428) |

## What reviewers say

### Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reader/id1179373118)

This app provides a distraction-free reading and annotation experience for PDF documents on iOS. Seamlessly sync your annotated files with your Mac for further editing and workflow integration via iCloud.

**Highlights:** Distraction-free reading, PDF annotation, iCloud sync with Mac, Companion to macOS app

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Ask AI Subscription | $1.99 | one-time |


### Polaris PDF Viewer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/polaris-pdf-viewer/id1495005441)

View and manage PDF documents on your mobile device with a stable and optimized viewer. Offers features like text-to-speech, annotation tools, and cloud integration for efficient document handling.

**Highlights:** Mobile-optimized PDF viewer, Text-to-speech function, Annotation and drawing tools, Cloud service integration, Night mode and screen dimming, Print PDF documents

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Reader free?

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

### Is Polaris PDF Viewer free?

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

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

Reader is rated higher. Reader averages 5.0 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Polaris PDF Viewer averages 4.5 from 47 ratings.

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

Neither Reader nor Polaris PDF Viewer shows ads.

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

Reader ships an update weekly, and Polaris PDF Viewer every 5 weeks. Most recently, Reader was updated on October 14, 2026 and Polaris PDF Viewer on September 29, 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.*