Comparison

Lumin vs PDFelement

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Lumin

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
Read full description

Lumin for iOS allows you to edit and sync to your Google documents in seconds. Collaborate with colleagues in real-time with a diverse set of editing tools. Lumin auto-saves your changes and syncs them to all your devices. Connect your Google account and stay on top of your documents. You can effortlessly view and share files with anybody via email or shareable links. TRUSTED BY MILLIONS Join over 100 million Lumin users worldwide who use our app to edit, share, and collaborate in the cloud. From note-taking and project management to client onboarding and legal document review, Lumin empowers you across industries. KEY FEATURES - Seamless document management: Import from your favorite storage (Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive), edit, and share PDFs effortlessly. - Cloud integration: Automatically save changes and sync across devices. - Versatile editing tools: Highlight, annotate, draw on PDFs and more. - Document organization: Organize, extract pages, merge files, convert to/from PDF,... - Pre-designed templates: Choose from various templates for various purposes and industries, such as real estate, education, job application, etc. - Collaboration: Share files and receive real-time notifications. - eSignatures: Sign and fill out forms with ease. - Scanning: Convert paper documents into portable PDFs. LUMIN IN THE REVIEWS “I use Lumin to mark up PDF drawings and send them to my subcontractors. In my role, time is of the essence. Lumin provides me with a tool to make collaboration and feedback easy.” – Construction site manager, US “We have been using Lumin for a little over two years, and it's been amazing. Using Lumin on-the-go and in-office allows us better turnaround time for our patients' care.” – Director of Services and Operations, US “It s very useful and handful for studying and I feel like they make good improvements with each upgrade. I use it for studying, it's cool that I can connect my university Google Drive to the Lumin account and I can edit, draw, write, highlight and add comments and they always get saved.” – Individual user “Too loud. You can open and edit texts from any device, everything is saved automatically, quickly. Access is very fast. The options for editing documents are diverse.” – Individual user Terms & conditions: https://www.luminpdf.com/terms-of-use/

About

PDFelement

This application offers comprehensive PDF management, including advanced editing, AI-powered summarization and translation, and efficient scanning with OCR. It helps organize, convert, and secure documents for work, study, and personal use.

Highlights
  • AI Chat with PDF
  • Scan and OCR
  • PDF to Office Conversion
  • Edit PDF like Word
  • Password Protection
  • Compress PDF
Features
Read full description

PDFelement is optimized for the latest Liquid Glass experience, with a more refined interface, clearer navigation, and smoother interactions for your PDF workflow. AI PDF Editor, PDF Reader, PDF Scanner, PDF Converter, PDF Signer. One app for work, study, and everyday life. Customize Your Toolbar Arrange your PDF tools the way you work. Reorder, show, or hide toolbar items to keep your favorite actions within easy reach and create a cleaner, faster, and more efficient workspace. AI PDF • Chat with PDF: Ask questions and get instant, accurate answers from your PDFs. • AI Summarize PDF: Turn lengthy contracts, reports, and documents into concise key points. • AI Translate: Translate selected text instantly across 60+ languages. • Generate Mind Map: Transform PDF content into clear visual mind maps. • AI Record: Record, transcribe, and convert voice notes into editable text for efficient note-taking. Edit PDF Like Word • Edit PDF: Edit PDF text, images, links, and watermarks with ease. • Font Editing: Keep the original font, erase content, and adjust font size, spacing, and formatting effortlessly. Professional PDF Reader • Liquid Mode: Optimize PDFs for comfortable reading on any screen. • Bookmarks: Save and jump to important pages instantly. • Read Aloud: Listen to PDFs with your preferred voice and playback speed. Scan & OCR • PDF Scanner: Scan receipts, invoices, contracts, IDs, and certificates into high-quality PDFs. • OCR: Extract editable text from scanned documents and images. • Multi-Page Scan: Combine multiple scans into a single PDF. PDF Converter • PDF to Word, Excel, PowerPoint & Images: Convert PDFs into editable Office files or JPG, PNG, and more. • Create PDF: Convert Microsoft Office documents and images into PDFs. Annotate PDF • Markup & Notes: Highlight, underline, draw, and add sticky notes. • Comments: Review documents with professional commenting tools. • Measure: Measure distance, perimeter, and area directly inside PDFs. Create PDF • Blank PDF: Start with customizable paper templates. • Image to PDF: Create PDFs from photos or camera scans. Manage PDF • Compress PDF: Reduce file size while maintaining quality. • Merge PDF: Combine multiple PDFs into one document. • Organize Pages: Add, delete, rotate, extract, split, and rearrange PDF pages. Fill & Sign • Fill PDF Forms: Complete interactive PDF forms quickly and accurately. • E-Sign PDF: Add typed or handwritten signatures. • Custom Stamps: Create reusable stamps with text, drawings, or images. Store & Share PDF • PDFelement Cloud: Access your PDFs anytime, anywhere across your devices. • Protect PDF: Secure sensitive files with passwords and encryption. • Share PDF: Share documents via links, email, AirDrop, or social apps. PDF Templates • Professional Templates: Browse resumes, invoices, planners, contracts, invitations, and more. • Easy Customization: Personalize colors, fonts, and layouts in seconds. • Business & Education Ready: Create polished documents for work, school, and everyday use. MEMBERSHIP SUBSCRIPTION DETAILS Payment will be charged to your iTunes Account upon confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current subscription period. You can manage or cancel your subscription anytime in your App Store account settings. Terms of Use: https://www.wondershare.com/company/terms_conditions.html Privacy Policy: https://www.wondershare.com/privacy.html

Screenshots

Lumin4 screens
PDFelement4 screens

Verdict

The call

Lumin and PDFelement both sit at 4.5 stars, but that hides the real split: 76% of PDFelement's written reviews are positive against 32% of Lumin's. PDFelement also leads on ratings volume (7.6K vs 895). Lumin's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 20). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. PDFelement sells 18 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Lumin asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Lumin against 4.6 for PDFelement. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PDFelement has 7.6K ratings behind it against 895, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 32% of Lumin's written reviews are positive against 76% of PDFelement's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Lumin ships an update every 8 days, PDFelement every 10 days. Both last shipped on September 27, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Lumin versus PDFelement: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLuminPDFelement
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (895 ratings)4.6 (7.6K ratings) — better
Positive reviews32.5% of reviews75.9% of reviews — better
Number of ratings8957.6K — better
Update frequencyEvery 8 days — betterEvery 10 days
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.615.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size343 MB196 MB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperNitrolabs LimitedWondershare Technology Group Co.,LTD

Customer experience

Lumin

All ratings895 ratings
Positive87.3%
Neutral2.1%
Negative10.6%
Written reviews191 reviews
Positive32.5%
Neutral5.2%
Negative62.3%

PDFelement

All ratings7,566 ratings
Positive90.7%
Neutral2.4%
Negative6.9%
Written reviews827 reviews
Positive75.9%
Neutral3.6%
Negative20.4%

User reviews

Lumin

From 895 App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

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

PDFelement

From 7.6K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 🚀 Efficient PDF editing
  • 💡 Comprehensive feature set
  • 🔒 Secure document handling
  • 👍 Intuitive interface

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes or glitches
  • 🔋 High battery consumption
  • 🔒 Mandatory account required
  • 🔒 Unclear licensing and subscription model
  • 🐛 Syncing issues between devices

Bugs and requests

Lumin

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

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

PDFelement

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Login issues and inability to restore purchases
  • Corrupted scanned files or loss of progress
  • Inconsistent behavior when editing PDF text
  • Compatibility problems with older devices or OS versions

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add dark mode option
  • Improve cloud integration and file management
  • Enhance OCR accuracy and capabilities
  • Introduce multi-tab support for better workflow
  • Add more customization options for toolbars and UI

In-app purchases

None

Lumin

No in-app purchases

18 purchases

PDFelement

Subscriptions16
  • Monthly Subscription (AI)$3.991 Month
  • PDF Editor& Converter& Scanner$6.991 Month
  • PDF Editor & Scanner Pro(iOS)$6.991 Month
Show 13 more
  • Weekly Subscription (iOS)$6.997 Days
  • Quarterly Subscription (iOS)$9.993 Months
  • Weekly Subscription (iOS)7 Days trial$9.997 Days
  • Weekly Subscription (iOS)$9.997 Days
  • Monthly Subscription (All)$19.991 Month
  • Annual Subscription (iOS)$24.991 Year
  • PDF Editor & Scanner Pro7 Days trial$29.991 Year
  • Annual Subscription (iOS)2 variants$29.991 Year
  • Annual Subscription (iOS)3 Days trial$29.991 Year
  • Quarterly Subscription (All)$39.993 Months
  • Annual Subscription (iOS+Win)$99.991 Year
  • Annual Subscription (iOS+Mac)$99.991 Year
  • Annual Subscription (All)$109.991 Year
One-time2
  • PDF Editor & Scanner Pro$39.99
  • iOS$39.99

Questions

Is Lumin free?
Lumin is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is PDFelement free?
PDFelement is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Lumin or PDFelement?
PDFelement is rated higher. Lumin averages 4.5 out of 5 from 895 ratings, while PDFelement averages 4.6 from 7.6K ratings.
Do Lumin or PDFelement have ads?
Both Lumin and PDFelement show ads.
Which is updated more often, Lumin or PDFelement?
Lumin ships an update every 8 days, and PDFelement every 10 days. Most recently, Lumin was updated on September 27, 2026 and PDFelement on September 27, 2026.

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