# PDF Reader vs Polaris PDF Viewer

The clearest difference is rating: Polaris PDF Viewer at 4.4 against PDF Reader's 3.5. Polaris PDF Viewer also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). PDF Reader's advantage is review sentiment (33% vs 0%). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

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

Polaris PDF Viewer holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Polaris PDF Viewer has 49 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 33% of PDF Reader's written reviews are positive against 0% of Polaris PDF Viewer's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

PDF Reader ships an update every 9 months, Polaris PDF Viewer every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF Reader | Polaris PDF Viewer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-reader-docs-viewer/id1240773558/reviews) | **[4.4 (49 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/polaris-pdf-viewer/id1495005441/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **49** |
| Positive reviews | **33.3% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 8 MB | 94 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | **10.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [小玲 白](https://appshunter.io/developer/1166875754) | [Polaris Office Corp.](https://appshunter.io/developer/380275428) |

## 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 |


### 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 PDF Reader free?

PDF 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, PDF Reader or Polaris PDF Viewer?

Polaris PDF Viewer is rated higher. PDF Reader averages 3.5 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Polaris PDF Viewer averages 4.4 from 49 ratings.

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

PDF Reader shows ads; Polaris PDF Viewer does not.

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

PDF Reader ships an update every 9 months, and Polaris PDF Viewer every 5 weeks. Most recently, PDF Reader was updated on October 2, 2026 and Polaris PDF Viewer on October 26, 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.*