# PDF Hero vs PDF Editor

PDF Hero and PDF Editor both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 69% of PDF Editor's written reviews are positive against 18% of PDF Hero's. PDF Hero's advantage is ratings volume (10K vs 512) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 6 weeks). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PDF Hero sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days and PDF Editor sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for PDF Hero against 4.7 for PDF Editor. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PDF Hero has 10K ratings behind it against 512, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 18% of PDF Hero's written reviews are positive against 69% of PDF Editor's.

PDF Hero ships an update every 3 weeks, PDF Editor every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF Hero | PDF Editor |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (10K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-hero-pdf-editor-and-reader/id1512973255/reviews) | **[4.7 (512 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-editor-edit-and-convert-pdf/id1550574425/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **10K** | 512 |
| Positive reviews | 17.8% of reviews | **69.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | **#187** | — |
| Size | 536 MB | 77 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Mosaic S.r.l.](https://appshunter.io/developer/570748343) | [Maxima Apps](https://appshunter.io/developer/1153277200) |

## What reviewers say

### PDF Hero

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-hero-pdf-editor-and-reader/id1512973255)

**Currently charting:** #187 Top Grossing · Business (US App Store)

Edit, create, and manage PDF documents on your mobile device. Annotate, fill forms, sign, and share files with ease. Offers advanced features like OCR and compression for enhanced document control.

**Highlights:** Create PDFs from scratch, Edit text and annotate documents, Fill and sign PDF forms, Convert images/documents to PDF, OCR for editable text, Compress and merge PDFs, Password-protect sensitive data

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Premium with Free Trial | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly Premium | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly Premium | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly Premium with Free Trial | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly Sub with Free Trial | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly Subscription | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| Yearly with Free Trial | $69.99 | per year |
| Yearly Subscription | $69.99 | per year |
| Yearly Bundle | $99.99 | per year |
| Yearly Bundle with Free Trial | $99.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 💡 Useful PDF editing features
- 🚀 Easy to use
- 👍 Signature functionality

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and malfunctions
- 🐛 Inconsistent behavior and glitches
- 🔋 High subscription cost
- 🔒 Difficult to cancel subscription
- 👎 Poor text editing capabilities

**Reported bugs**

- Text disappearing or jumping around during editing
- Inability to save or transfer edited documents
- App crashing or freezing during use
- Incorrect rendering of PDF content

**Requested features**

- Improved text editing and manipulation
- Better file management and organization
- Seamless integration with other apps
- Clearer subscription and cancellation policies


### PDF Editor

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-editor-edit-and-convert-pdf/id1550574425)

Easily edit, sign, and convert PDF documents. This app allows you to import files from various sources, add signatures, text, and annotations, and even convert documents to speech. It offers a comprehensive solution for managing and sharing your PDFs.

**Highlights:** Import files from multiple sources, Sign, edit, and annotate PDFs, Live text scanning and image text import, Merge multiple files, Convert text to speech, Save and manage signatures

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PDF Editor Monthly Pro | $4.99 | per month |
| PDF Editor Monthly Plus Offer | $4.99 | per month |
| PDF Editor Monthly Offer Plus | $9.99 | per month |
| PDF Editor Weekly | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| PDF Editor Monthly | $12.99 | per month |
| PDF Editor Yearly Pro | $29.99 | per year |
| PDF Editor Yearly Offer Plus | $49.99 | per year |
| PDF Editor Yearly Plus Offer | $49.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 User-friendly
- 🚀 Easy to use
- 💡 Useful features
- 🚀 Efficient
- 👍 Simple

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes frequently
- 🐛 Doesn't work properly
- 🐛 Glitchy
- 🐛 Deletes user's work
- 🐛 Incompatible with older devices

**Reported bugs**

- Login screen freezes
- Crashes when merging documents
- Unable to view PDF content
- Adds unwanted elements to documents

**Requested features**

- Ability to upload/import from other apps
- Ability to change font color
- Ability to print manuals


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PDF Hero free?

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

### Is PDF Editor free?

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

### Which has better reviews, PDF Hero or PDF Editor?

PDF Editor is rated higher. PDF Hero averages 4.6 out of 5 from 10K ratings, while PDF Editor averages 4.7 from 512 ratings.

### Do PDF Hero or PDF Editor have ads?

Neither PDF Hero nor PDF Editor shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, PDF Hero or PDF Editor?

PDF Hero ships an update every 3 weeks, and PDF Editor every 6 weeks. Most recently, PDF Hero was updated on November 4, 2026 and PDF Editor on November 3, 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.*