# iLovePDF vs PDF Viewer

The clearest difference is ratings volume: iLovePDF at 51K against PDF Viewer's 235. iLovePDF also leads on update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 3 months). PDF Viewer's advantage is review sentiment (89% vs 77%) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. iLovePDF sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $5.49 per month and PDF Viewer sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for iLovePDF against 4.8 for PDF Viewer. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: iLovePDF has 51K ratings behind it against 235, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 77% of iLovePDF's written reviews are positive against 89% of PDF Viewer's.

iLovePDF ships an update every 6 weeks, PDF Viewer every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | iLovePDF | PDF Viewer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (51K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ilovepdf-pdf-editor-and-scan/id1207332399/reviews) | [4.8 (235 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-viewer-reader-and-editor/id6720703022/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **51K** | 235 |
| Positive reviews | 77.4% of reviews | **89.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 weeks** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Freemium | Freemium |
| Size | 247 MB | 11 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [iLovePDF](https://appshunter.io/developer/1207332398) | [Andrew Lee](https://appshunter.io/developer/1206652057) |

## What reviewers say

### iLovePDF

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ilovepdf-pdf-editor-and-scan/id1207332399)

Edit, convert, annotate, and sign PDF documents on the go. This app offers tools to scan, merge, split, compress, and protect your files, enhancing productivity for work and study.

**Highlights:** Scan documents to PDF, Convert JPG/Office to PDF, Edit and annotate PDFs, Fill and e-sign forms, Compress and merge PDFs, Split and rotate PDFs, Protect PDFs with passwords

**Features:** Vision Pro support, SharePlay

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| iLovePDF Premium Monthly | $5.49 | per month |
| iLovePDF Premium Monthly | $5.49 | per month |
| iLovePDF Premium Yearly | $44.99 | per year |
| iLovePDF Premium | $44.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and efficient
- 👍 Easy to use
- 🔒 Unlocks password-protected PDFs
- 🎨 Good compression quality
- 💰 Free with useful features

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Paywall for advanced features
- 🐛 Inconsistent performance
- 🔒 Limited free usage
- 🐛 Buggy PDF editing
- 🔒 Mandatory account signup

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when processing large files
- Lost annotations and highlights
- Incorrect text output from OCR
- Inability to print zoomed PDFs

**Requested features**

- More PDF editing tools
- Improved OCR accuracy
- Ability to save custom stamps
- Native file integration on iOS
- Smoother pen/annotation tools


### PDF Viewer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-viewer-reader-and-editor/id6720703022)

Easily convert various file formats to PDF and back again. This app supports conversions from images, documents, and presentations, allowing you to manage and share your files efficiently. It also offers OCR capabilities to convert photos into editable text.

**Highlights:** Convert JPG, Word, Excel, PPT to PDF, Convert PDF to other formats, Share and save converted files, Access conversion history, Pull files from iCloud or gallery, Convert Photos to Text (OCR)

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PDF Converter: Premium | $4.99 | per month |
| PDF Converter: Premium | Free | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy and intuitive to use
- 🚀 Fast and efficient conversion
- 💰 Free or affordable pricing
- 📄 Excellent PDF conversion and merging capabilities
- 🎨 Clean and simple interface design

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Forced review prompt before app usage
- ❌ Missing file deletion option
- 📸 No in-app camera scanning capability
- ⚙️ No file size customization options
- 🔄 Inconsistent performance across devices

**Reported bugs**

- App doesn't function on iPad mini (current model)
- Forced review requirement blocks app access
- Document quality issues when converting images to PDF
- Occasional glitches during operation

**Requested features**

- Add file deletion functionality
- Implement in-app camera scanning feature
- Add page merge and delete options
- Include file size/quality customization
- Support for more device types (iPad compatibility)


## Frequently asked questions

### Is iLovePDF free?

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

### Is PDF Viewer free?

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

### Which has better reviews, iLovePDF or PDF Viewer?

iLovePDF and PDF Viewer are both rated 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store, from 51K and 235 ratings respectively.

### Do iLovePDF or PDF Viewer have ads?

Neither iLovePDF nor PDF Viewer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, iLovePDF or PDF Viewer?

iLovePDF ships an update every 6 weeks, and PDF Viewer every 3 months. Most recently, iLovePDF was updated on September 24, 2026 and PDF Viewer on September 8, 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.*