# Hive vs Nitro PDF Pro

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Hive at none against Nitro PDF Pro's 2. Hive also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (16.4 vs 18.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Nitro PDF Pro sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per year. Hive asks for nothing beyond the download.

Hive ships an update monthly, Nitro PDF Pro every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hive | Nitro PDF Pro |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[3.9 (161 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nitro-pdf-pro-read-and-edit/id1608616539/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **161** |
| Positive reviews | — | 12.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 115 MB | 59 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.4** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Whaller](https://appshunter.io/developer/860673959) | [Nitro Software, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1607870122) |

## What reviewers say

### Hive

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hive-po/id1498083118)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Nitro PDF Pro

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nitro-pdf-pro-read-and-edit/id1608616539)

Edit, read, sign, and secure PDF documents on your iOS device. This powerful yet lightweight app allows for on-the-go productivity with features like text editing, annotation, form filling, and cloud syncing.

**Highlights:** Edit PDF text, Annotate and highlight PDFs, Fill and save PDF forms, Sign and share PDF documents, Password protect PDFs, Sync with cloud storage, Merge and organize PDFs

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Annual Subscription | $19.99 | per year |
| Nitro PDF Pro for iOS | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Helpful for managing project documents
- 👍 Convenient for PDF modifications
- 👍 Superior PDF handling on Mac
- 👍 Satisfactory in both Mac and Windows environments

**What reviewers complain about**

- 👎 Pro features not available on iOS/iPadOS
- 👎 Yearly charges for basic features
- 👎 Expensive and useless
- 👎 Fails to deliver promised features
- 👎 Impossible to reorder PDF files

**Reported bugs**

- Cannot reorder PDF files
- Crashes when opening PDFs from websites/email
- Does not save markups or documents
- Difficulty creating new folders
- Cannot rotate pages

**Requested features**

- Keyboard support (Cmd + F for search)
- Ability to cancel search with Esc
- OCR and conversion to text documents on tablets
- User manual for iPad app
- Support for Apple Pencil


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hive free?

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

### Is Nitro PDF Pro free?

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

### Do Hive or Nitro PDF Pro have ads?

Neither Hive nor Nitro PDF Pro shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Hive or Nitro PDF Pro?

Hive ships an update monthly, and Nitro PDF Pro every 2 months. Most recently, Hive was updated on October 25, 2026 and Nitro PDF Pro on October 27, 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.*