# Smallpdf vs PDF Compressor

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Smallpdf at 6.9K against PDF Compressor's 1. Smallpdf also leads on iOS requirement (15.6 vs 18.0). PDF Compressor's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 2 weeks). On price, rating, 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 Compressor sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

PDF Compressor holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Smallpdf has 6.9K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Smallpdf ships an update every 2 weeks, PDF Compressor every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Smallpdf | PDF Compressor |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (6.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smallpdf-scanner-and-pdf-editor/id1485259500/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-compressor-size-compress/id6799160505/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **6.9K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 67.6% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 112 MB | 26 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Smallpdf](https://appshunter.io/developer/1485259499) | [TechCreative Lab LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/6799160509) |

## 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 Compressor

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-compressor-size-compress/id6799160505)

Easily reduce the size of PDF files by up to 90% without sacrificing quality. This tool offers multiple compression levels and batch processing, making it ideal for emailing documents, saving storage, and meeting upload size limits.

**Highlights:** Compress PDFs up to 90%, 6 compression levels, Batch compression, Organize with folders, Secure file processing, Manage and preview files

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Week | $1.99 | per 7 days |
| Month | $6.99 | per month |
| Year | $29.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Smallpdf free?

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

### Is PDF Compressor free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Smallpdf or PDF Compressor?

PDF Compressor is rated higher. Smallpdf averages 4.8 out of 5 from 6.9K ratings, while PDF Compressor averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Smallpdf or PDF Compressor have ads?

Neither Smallpdf nor PDF Compressor shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Smallpdf or PDF Compressor?

Smallpdf ships an update every 2 weeks, and PDF Compressor every 3 days. Most recently, Smallpdf was updated on October 30, 2026 and PDF Compressor on October 6, 2026.

---

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