# PDF Hero vs PDF Reader & PDF Editor

The clearest difference is ads: PDF Hero at none against PDF Reader & PDF Editor's shown. PDF Hero also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (10K vs 777). PDF Reader & PDF Editor's advantage is review sentiment (51% vs 18%). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model 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 Reader & PDF Editor sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 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 Reader & PDF Editor. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PDF Hero has 10K ratings behind it against 777, 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 51% of PDF Reader & PDF Editor's.

PDF Hero ships an update every 3 weeks, PDF Reader & PDF Editor every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF Hero | PDF Reader & 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 (777 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-reader-and-pdf-editor/id1627156674/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **10K** | 777 |
| Positive reviews | 17.8% of reviews | **51.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#190** | — |
| Size | 536 MB | 113 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Mosaic S.r.l.](https://appshunter.io/developer/570748343) | [ABISHKKING LIMITED.](https://appshunter.io/developer/896501517) |

## 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 Reader & PDF Editor

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-reader-and-pdf-editor/id1627156674)

This app is a comprehensive tool for managing PDF documents. It allows users to quickly view, annotate, edit, and organize PDFs, as well as convert images to PDF. Advanced features like merging, splitting, and password protection are also available.

**Highlights:** Fast PDF viewing, PDF annotation and markup, Add e-signatures, Image to PDF conversion, Merge and split PDFs, File management and sorting, Password protection for files

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Premium | $9.99 | per month |
| Annual Premium | $29.99 | per year |
| Annual Premium | $29.99 | per year |
| Annual Premium | $29.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Quick PDF editing and responsiveness
- 👍 Image to PDF conversion is useful
- 👍 Handles large files seamlessly
- 👍 Option to sort and lock PDFs
- 👍 Merge, split, and manage files effortlessly

**What reviewers complain about**

- 👎 Aggressive premium push with popups
- 👎 Not intuitive outside of basic PDF editing
- 👎 Charges are costly compared to free apps
- 👎 Free trial is misleading, charged immediately
- 👎 Billing errors and unexpected charges

**Reported bugs**

- Popups for premium are hard to close
- Free trial is deceptive, charged immediately
- Merge/split functions stopped working after one use
- App crashes when opening documents
- App crashes after a minute of use

**Requested features**

- Add bookmark functionality
- Add dark mode
- Add ability to view file outlines
- Add ability to add bookmarks
- Add text selection for copying in edit mode


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PDF Hero free?

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

### Is PDF Reader & PDF Editor free?

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

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

PDF Reader & PDF Editor is rated higher. PDF Hero averages 4.6 out of 5 from 10K ratings, while PDF Reader & PDF Editor averages 4.7 from 777 ratings.

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

PDF Reader & PDF Editor shows ads; PDF Hero does not.

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

PDF Hero ships an update every 3 weeks, and PDF Reader & PDF Editor every 2 months. Most recently, PDF Hero was updated on September 24, 2026 and PDF Reader & PDF Editor on September 21, 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.*