# Lumin vs Smallpdf

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Smallpdf at 68% against Lumin's 32%. Smallpdf also leads on ads (none vs shown) and rating (4.8 vs 4.5). Lumin's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 11). On price, update cadence, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Smallpdf sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Lumin asks for nothing beyond the download.

Smallpdf holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Smallpdf has 6.9K ratings behind it against 931, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 32% of Lumin's written reviews are positive against 68% of Smallpdf's.

Lumin ships an update weekly, Smallpdf every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Lumin | Smallpdf |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (931 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lumin-view-edit-share-pdf/id1367372862/reviews) | **[4.8 (6.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smallpdf-scanner-and-pdf-editor/id1485259500/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 931 | **6.9K** |
| Positive reviews | 32.1% of reviews | **67.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 288 MB | 112 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nitrolabs Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1367372861) | [Smallpdf](https://appshunter.io/developer/1485259499) |

## What reviewers say

### Lumin

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lumin-view-edit-share-pdf/id1367372862)

Edit, share, and collaborate on PDF documents in the cloud. This app offers a suite of tools for annotating, organizing, and signing PDFs, with seamless integration for cloud storage and real-time collaboration.

**Highlights:** Seamless document management, Cloud integration and auto-save, Versatile editing and annotation tools, Document organization and conversion, Pre-designed templates, Real-time collaboration, eSignatures and form filling, Scanning to PDF

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth performance
- 👍 Easy to use
- 💡 Useful annotation tools
- 🚀 Fast PDF rendering

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and freezes
- 🔒 Unreliable data sync
- 💰 Expensive subscription
- 🐛 Buggy app experience

**Reported bugs**

- Lost work and unsaved changes
- Inability to open/access files
- Frequent login issues
- Compatibility problems on mobile

**Requested features**

- Offline mode support
- Split-screen functionality
- Improved highlight/annotation tools
- Better Google Drive integration


### 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 Lumin free?

Lumin is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Smallpdf free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Lumin or Smallpdf?

Smallpdf is rated higher. Lumin averages 4.5 out of 5 from 931 ratings, while Smallpdf averages 4.8 from 6.9K ratings.

### Do Lumin or Smallpdf have ads?

Lumin shows ads; Smallpdf does not.

### Which is updated more often, Lumin or Smallpdf?

Lumin ships an update weekly, and Smallpdf every 2 weeks. Most recently, Lumin was updated on October 29, 2026 and Smallpdf on November 1, 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.*