# Polaris Viewer vs PDF Scanner & Simple Reader

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Polaris Viewer at 56% against PDF Scanner & Simple Reader's 0%. Polaris Viewer also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.1). PDF Scanner & Simple Reader's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (weekly vs every 3 months). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Polaris Viewer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and PDF Scanner & Simple Reader sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Polaris Viewer ships an update every 3 months, PDF Scanner & Simple Reader weekly. Both last shipped on October 25, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Polaris Viewer | PDF Scanner & Simple Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (74 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/polaris-viewer-pdf-document/id1361508774/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **74** | — |
| Positive reviews | **56.4% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 177 MB | 64 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Polaris Office Corp.](https://appshunter.io/developer/380275428) | [KunWoo Kwon](https://appshunter.io/developer/1603506815) |

## What reviewers say

### Polaris Viewer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/polaris-viewer-pdf-document/id1361508774)

This app offers a mobile-optimized experience for viewing various document types, including Microsoft Office files, PDFs, and TXT. It provides smart document management features and supports cloud integration for easy access to your files.

**Highlights:** Mobile optimized document viewer, Supports Microsoft Office, PDF, TXT, Zip, CSV, Cloud storage integration (iCloud, Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.), Smart document management, App lock with fingerprint, face, or password, Night mode and paper texture background options

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $10.99 | one-time |


### PDF Scanner & Simple Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-scanner-and-simple-reader/id6753705461)

Transform paper documents into searchable PDFs using your device's camera. Read, bookmark, and organize your scanned files offline with a simple, intuitive interface. Offers tools for page extraction and merging for efficient document management.

**Highlights:** Document scanning to PDF, Simple PDF reader with zoom, Continue reading from last page, Bookmark important pages, Offline PDF access, Extract and merge PDF pages

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| remove ads (one month) | $0.99 | per month |
| remove ads (life time) | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Polaris Viewer free?

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

### Is PDF Scanner & Simple Reader free?

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

### Do Polaris Viewer or PDF Scanner & Simple Reader have ads?

Polaris Viewer shows ads; PDF Scanner & Simple Reader does not.

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

Polaris Viewer ships an update every 3 months, and PDF Scanner & Simple Reader weekly. Most recently, Polaris Viewer was updated on October 25, 2026 and PDF Scanner & Simple Reader on October 25, 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.*