# PDF Editor vs PDF Hero

The clearest difference is ads: PDF Hero at none against PDF Editor's shown. PDF Hero also leads on ratings volume (10K vs 330). PDF Editor's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, rating, review sentiment and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PDF Editor sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days and PDF Hero sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for PDF Editor against 4.6 for PDF Hero. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PDF Hero has 10K ratings behind it against 330, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 22% of PDF Editor's written reviews are positive against 18% of PDF Hero's.

PDF Editor ships an update every 3 days, PDF Hero every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF Editor | PDF Hero |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (330 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-editor-edit-everything/id1356865117/reviews) | [4.6 (10K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-hero-pdf-editor-and-reader/id1512973255/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 330 | **10K** |
| Positive reviews | **22.3% of reviews** | 17.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 191 MB | 536 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Desygner Pty Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1121127855) | [Mosaic S.r.l.](https://appshunter.io/developer/570748343) |

## What reviewers say

### PDF Editor

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-editor-edit-everything/id1356865117)

Edit text, images, and layout in PDF files without altering formatting. Convert PDFs to various formats, merge documents, and secure them with passwords. Offers cloud integration and user-friendly navigation for efficient document management.

**Highlights:** Edit text and images, Convert to multiple formats (Word, PPT, JPG, PNG), Resize PDFs, Merge PDF files, Secure with password encryption, Add watermarks, headers, footers, Cloud integration

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (13)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Pro+ Weekly Subscription 2 | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Pro+ Weekly Subscription | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Pro+ Monthly Subscription | $9.95 | per month |
| Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Pro+ Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Pro+ Annual Subscription 2 | $83.99 | per year |
| Annual | $89.99 | per year |
| Pro+ Annual Subscription | $99.99 | per year |
| Credit pack: 5 credits | $4.99 | one-time |
| Credit pack: 10 credits | $7.99 | one-time |
| Special credit pack | $7.99 | one-time |
| Credit pack: 30 credits | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- ✏️ Comprehensive PDF editing capabilities
- 🎨 Advanced image editing features (logos, backgrounds, signatures)
- ⚡ Fast processing speed for document editing
- 👍 User-friendly interface for most users
- 🔧 Multiple editing tools and options available

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive subscription pricing ($7-99/month)
- 🚫 Limited free trial (3 days, not 7 as advertised)
- 📏 Output files are extremely small and illegible after export
- 🐢 Very slow file uploads and processing
- ❌ Text editing features unavailable in trial version

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when importing PDFs
- Exported PDFs render at extremely small, unreadable sizes
- Text editing causes font changes and formatting loss
- Duplicate function creates multiple unwanted copies or deletes originals
- App won't open or gets stuck on logo screen

**Requested features**

- Better zoom functionality without distorting document sections
- Ability to edit files across multiple devices with same account
- Improved text editing capabilities
- Document rotation (not just flip) functionality
- Better font compatibility and handling


### PDF Hero

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-hero-pdf-editor-and-reader/id1512973255)

Edit, create, and manage PDF documents on your mobile device. Annotate, fill forms, sign, and share files with ease. Offers advanced features like OCR and compression for enhanced document control.

**Highlights:** Create PDFs from scratch, Edit text and annotate documents, Fill and sign PDF forms, Convert images/documents to PDF, OCR for editable text, Compress and merge PDFs, Password-protect sensitive data

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly with free trial | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly Subscription | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly Premium | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly Premium with Free Trial | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| PDF Hero Premium 1 Month | $9.99 | per month |
| PDF Hero Premium 1 Month | $10.99 | per month |
| PDF Hero Premium 1 Month | $11.99 | per month |
| Convert & Merge PDF Documents | $14.99 | per month |
| PDF Hero Premium 3 Months | $19.99 | per 3 months |
| PDF Hero Premium 1 Year | $34.99 | per year |
| PDF Hero Premium 1 Year | $89.99 | per year |
| PDF Hero Premium 1 Year | $99.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 💡 Useful PDF editing features
- 🚀 Easy to use
- 👍 Signature functionality

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and malfunctions
- 🐛 Inconsistent behavior and glitches
- 🔋 High subscription cost
- 🔒 Difficult to cancel subscription
- 👎 Poor text editing capabilities

**Reported bugs**

- Text disappearing or jumping around during editing
- Inability to save or transfer edited documents
- App crashing or freezing during use
- Incorrect rendering of PDF content

**Requested features**

- Improved text editing and manipulation
- Better file management and organization
- Seamless integration with other apps
- Clearer subscription and cancellation policies


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PDF Editor free?

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

### Is PDF Hero free?

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

### Which has better reviews, PDF Editor or PDF Hero?

PDF Editor and PDF Hero are both rated 4.6 out of 5 on the App Store, from 330 and 10K ratings respectively.

### Do PDF Editor or PDF Hero have ads?

PDF Editor shows ads; PDF Hero does not.

### Which is updated more often, PDF Editor or PDF Hero?

PDF Editor ships an update every 3 days, and PDF Hero every 3 weeks. Most recently, PDF Editor was updated on September 21, 2026 and PDF Hero on September 24, 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.*