# Reader vs Pextro

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Pextro at none against Reader's 1. Reader's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 4 months) and device support (5 vs 1). On price and ads there is nothing between them.

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

Reader ships an update weekly, Pextro every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Reader | Pextro |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reader/id1179373118/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **3** | — |
| Positive reviews | 57.1% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 1 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Vision Pro** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [The Augmented Text Company LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/459748478) | [Ranbijay SinghDeo](https://appshunter.io/developer/1869937028) |

## 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 |


### Pextro

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pextro/id6758269731)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Reader free?

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

### Is Pextro free?

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

### Do Reader or Pextro have ads?

Neither Reader nor Pextro shows ads.

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

Reader ships an update weekly, and Pextro every 4 months. Most recently, Reader was updated on October 10, 2026 and Pextro on October 2, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*