# PDF Search vs 3tabs Secure

The clearest difference is price: PDF Search at Free against 3tabs Secure's $0.99. PDF Search also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 23 months) and ratings volume (129 vs 1). On ads, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

PDF Search is free to download; 3tabs Secure costs $0.99 up front. PDF Search sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and 3tabs Secure sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

PDF Search holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PDF Search has 129 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

PDF Search ships an update every 5 days, 3tabs Secure every 23 months. Both last shipped on October 29, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF Search | 3tabs Secure |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $0.99 |
| Rating | **[4.3 (129 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-search-ai-chat-and-ocr/id1303227688/reviews)** | [4.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/3tabs-secure/id1453332721/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **129** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Every 23 months |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Paid** |
| Size | 16 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Muharrem Ozkan](https://appshunter.io/developer/443806426) | [Vedant Malhotra](https://appshunter.io/developer/1121297377) |

## What reviewers say

### PDF Search

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-search-ai-chat-and-ocr/id1303227688)

This app uses AI to quickly search through multiple documents, finding information in seconds. It features NLP for smarter searches, OCR for text recognition in scanned documents and images, and allows for unified searching across devices.

**Highlights:** AI-powered document search, Natural Language Processing (NLP), Built-in OCR for text recognition, Document scanning to PDF, Exportable search results, Unified search across devices

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PRO Monthly Access | $4.99 | per month |
| PRO Annual Access | $14.99 | per year |
| PRO Lifetime Access | $29.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and accurate search
- 💡 Excellent for research and academic use
- 👍 Intuitive UI and easy navigation
- ✨ AI features for search accuracy
- 🔄 Syncs across devices (Mac/iPhone/iPad)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes
- 🐛 Indexing issues and failures
- 🐛 Sync problems (Mac, iCloud)
- 🐛 Page repetition and skipping
- 🐛 Search results inaccurate or missed

**Reported bugs**

- Mac sync broken
- App crashes frequently, especially with large catalogs or during indexing/downloading
- Scrolling documents repeats and skips pages
- Search results are unreliable, missing pages or displaying duplicates
- App cannot index large files

**Requested features**

- Add Boolean search functionality
- Improve export functionality
- Add dark theme option
- Implement lasso tool for document capture
- Ability to search only in specific folders


### 3tabs Secure

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/3tabs-secure/id1453332721)

This app helps you stay organized and secure while browsing the web. It offers quick switching between three tabs, dedicated search and favorites tabs, and robust security features like passcode and biometric unlocking.

**Highlights:** One-click tab switching, Dedicated Search tab, Dedicated Favorites tab, Passcode lock, Face ID/Touch ID unlock

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Tip Level 1 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Tip Level 2 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Tip Level 3 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Tip Level 4 | $3.99 | one-time |
| Tip Level 5 | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PDF Search free?

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

### Is 3tabs Secure free?

3tabs Secure costs $0.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, PDF Search or 3tabs Secure?

PDF Search is rated higher. PDF Search averages 4.3 out of 5 from 129 ratings, while 3tabs Secure averages 4.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do PDF Search or 3tabs Secure have ads?

Neither PDF Search nor 3tabs Secure shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, PDF Search or 3tabs Secure?

PDF Search ships an update every 5 days, and 3tabs Secure every 23 months. Most recently, PDF Search was updated on October 29, 2026 and 3tabs Secure on October 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.*