# Smallpdf vs PDF Scanner & Simple Reader

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Smallpdf at 68% against PDF Scanner & Simple Reader's 0%. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Smallpdf sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month 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.

Smallpdf ships an update every 2 weeks, PDF Scanner & Simple Reader weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Smallpdf | PDF Scanner & Simple Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (6.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smallpdf-scanner-and-pdf-editor/id1485259500/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **6.9K** | — |
| Positive reviews | **67.7% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 112 MB | 64 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Smallpdf](https://appshunter.io/developer/1485259499) | [KunWoo Kwon](https://appshunter.io/developer/1603506815) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### 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 Smallpdf free?

Smallpdf 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 Smallpdf or PDF Scanner & Simple Reader have ads?

Neither Smallpdf nor PDF Scanner & Simple Reader shows ads.

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

Smallpdf ships an update every 2 weeks, and PDF Scanner & Simple Reader weekly. Most recently, Smallpdf was updated on October 21, 2026 and PDF Scanner & Simple Reader on October 14, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*