# PDF Hero vs PDF Editor

PDF Hero and PDF Editor both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 70% of PDF Editor's written reviews are positive against 18% of PDF Hero's. PDF Hero's advantage is monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and ratings volume (10K vs 900). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PDF Hero sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days and PDF Editor sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. 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 4.5 for PDF Editor. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PDF Hero has 10K ratings behind it against 900, 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 70% of PDF Editor's.

PDF Hero ships an update every 3 weeks, PDF Editor fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 22, 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)** | [4.5 (900 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-editor-fill-edit-e-sign/id1591585643/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **10K** | 900 |
| Positive reviews | 17.8% of reviews | **70.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Best chart rank | **#190** | — |
| Size | 536 MB | 129 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Mosaic S.r.l.](https://appshunter.io/developer/570748343) | [MK Apps Private Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1523050331) |

## What reviewers say

### PDF Hero

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

**Currently charting:** #190 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 (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly with free trial | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly Subscription | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly Premium | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly Premium with Free Trial | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| PDF Hero Premium 1 Month | $9.99 | per month |
| PDF Hero Premium 1 Month | $10.99 | per month |
| PDF Hero Premium 1 Month | $11.99 | per month |
| Convert & Merge PDF Documents | $14.99 | per month |
| PDF Hero Premium 3 Months | $19.99 | per 3 months |
| PDF Hero Premium 1 Year | $34.99 | per year |
| PDF Hero Premium 1 Year | $89.99 | per year |
| PDF Hero Premium 1 Year | $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-fill-edit-e-sign/id1591585643)

Easily edit, fill, and sign PDF documents on your mobile device. This app allows you to scan documents, convert them to PDF, and annotate files. Share your business contracts and important documents with advanced editing and signing capabilities.

**Highlights:** Fill PDF forms, Scan documents to PDF, Edit PDF files, Sign PDFs, Annotate PDFs, Photo to PDF conversion, Reorder and rotate pages

**Features:** Vision Pro support, SharePlay

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PDF Editor & Converter | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| PDF Editor, Fill & Sign | $9.99 | per month |
| Smart PDF Editor & Reader App | $9.99 | per month |
| All-in-One PDF Editor & Reader Pro | $29.99 | per year |
| PDF Editor & Converter Pro | $29.99 | per year |
| PDF Converter & Editor | $29.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Quick and efficient
- 💡 Useful features like signing and merging PDFs
- 🙌 Great for business needs
- 🎨 Good editing tools

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and compatibility issues
- 🔒 Concerns about unauthorized charges
- 📝 Difficult to edit and align text
- 🤦‍♀️ Poor user experience

**Reported bugs**

- Exported files cannot be opened
- Scanning feature does not save properly
- Editing tools like drawing and resizing are unreliable

**Requested features**

- Add ability to add text where needed
- Improve stability and reduce crashes
- Provide clear subscription details and cancellation options
- Enhance editing capabilities for better alignment and formatting


## 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 Hero is rated higher. PDF Hero averages 4.6 out of 5 from 10K ratings, while PDF Editor averages 4.5 from 900 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 fortnightly. Most recently, PDF Hero was updated on September 24, 2026 and PDF Editor on September 22, 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.*