# Lumin vs PDFelement

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 927). Lumin's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 20). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

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

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 927, 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.

Lumin ships an update every 8 days, PDFelement every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Lumin | PDFelement |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (927 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lumin-view-edit-share-pdf/id1367372862/reviews) | **[4.6 (7.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdfelement-pdf-editor-viewer/id1516765045/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 927 | **7.6K** |
| Positive reviews | 32.1% of reviews | **76.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 8 days** | Every 10 days |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 287 MB | 199 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Nitrolabs Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1367372861) | [Wondershare Technology Group Co.,LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/298647757) |

## 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


### PDFelement

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdfelement-pdf-editor-viewer/id1516765045)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (18)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription (AI) | $3.99 | per month |
| PDF Editor& Converter& Scanner | $6.99 | per month |
| PDF Editor & Scanner Pro（iOS） | $6.99 | per month |
| Weekly Subscription (iOS) | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Quarterly Subscription (iOS) | $9.99 | per 3 months |
| Weekly Subscription (iOS) | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly Subscription (iOS) | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly Subscription (All) | $19.99 | per month |
| Annual Subscription (iOS) | $24.99 | per year |
| PDF Editor & Scanner Pro | $29.99 | per year |
| Annual Subscription (iOS) | $29.99 | per year |
| Annual Subscription (iOS) | $29.99 | per year |
| Quarterly Subscription (All) | $39.99 | per 3 months |
| Annual Subscription (iOS+Win) | $99.99 | per year |
| Annual Subscription (iOS+Mac) | $99.99 | per year |
| Annual Subscription (All) | $109.99 | per year |
| PDF Editor & Scanner Pro | $39.99 | one-time |
| iOS | $39.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- 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


## Frequently asked 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 927 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 October 25, 2026 and PDFelement on October 26, 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.*