# PDF Reader vs Smallpdf

The clearest difference is rating: Smallpdf at 4.8 against PDF Reader's 3.5. Smallpdf also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (68% vs 33%). PDF Reader's advantage is iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.6). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PDF Reader sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Smallpdf sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Smallpdf holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Smallpdf has 6.9K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 33% of PDF Reader's written reviews are positive against 68% of Smallpdf's.

PDF Reader ships an update every 9 months, Smallpdf every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on September 14, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF Reader | Smallpdf |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-reader-docs-viewer/id1240773558/reviews) | **[4.8 (6.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smallpdf-scanner-and-pdf-editor/id1485259500/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **6.9K** |
| Positive reviews | 33.3% of reviews | **68.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 7 MB | 159 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [小玲 白](https://appshunter.io/developer/1166875754) | [Smallpdf](https://appshunter.io/developer/1485259499) |

## What reviewers say

### PDF Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-reader-docs-viewer/id1240773558)

Easily view PDF documents on your mobile device or tablet. Upload files via WiFi, open encrypted PDFs with a password, and enjoy adaptive screen sizing for comfortable reading. Protect your documents with app lock and gesture passwords.

**Highlights:** View PDF documents, WiFi file upload, Encrypted PDF support, Adaptive screen size, Read Word, Excel, PPT, App lock and gesture password

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Permanently remove ads | $1.99 | one-time |


### Smallpdf

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smallpdf-scanner-and-pdf-editor/id1485259500)

This app offers a comprehensive suite of tools to manage PDF documents. Easily convert, edit, compress, sign, merge, and scan PDFs using your mobile device. It also features OCR technology to convert scanned documents into editable text.

**Highlights:** Convert PDFs to Word, Excel, PPT, JPG, PNG, Edit PDFs with text, images, and annotations, Compress PDFs to reduce file size, Sign PDFs electronically, Merge multiple PDF files, Scan documents to PDF with OCR, Fill out PDF forms

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Plan | $7.99 | per month |
| Monthly Plan | $11.99 | per month |
| Monthly Plan | $14.99 | per month |
| Yearly Plan | $49.99 | per year |
| Yearly Plan | $59.99 | per year |
| Yearly Plan | $107.99 | per year |
| Yearly Plan | $107.99 | per year |
| Yearly Plan | $119.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Fast and efficient
- 💡 Useful features
- 🔒 Secure
- 🆓 Free to use

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and crashes
- 💰 Paid version required for full functionality
- 🤔 Confusing account management
- 🤯 Missing key features
- 🤖 Poor customer support

**Reported bugs**

- Files not saving properly
- Conversion issues with larger documents
- Unexpected crashes and freezes
- Compatibility problems with older devices
- Incorrect file content after compression

**Requested features**

- Add more color options for annotations
- Improve search functionality for saved documents
- Enhance iPad compatibility
- Allow inserting images into PDFs
- Provide better file management and organization


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PDF Reader free?

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

### Is Smallpdf free?

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

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

Smallpdf is rated higher. PDF Reader averages 3.5 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Smallpdf averages 4.8 from 6.9K ratings.

### Do PDF Reader or Smallpdf have ads?

PDF Reader shows ads; Smallpdf does not.

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

PDF Reader ships an update every 9 months, and Smallpdf every 9 days. Most recently, PDF Reader was updated on September 14, 2026 and Smallpdf 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.*