Comparison

PDF Hero vs PDF Editor

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

PDF Hero

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
Read full description

Looking for a convenient and easy-to-use PDF editor? View and edit PDF files on the go with PDF Hero! The app works on iPhone and iPad. PDF Hero helps you take control of your papers and run your business in the ever-changing digital world. Create and read PDFs, then annotate, edit, fill and sign forms, or share files. Manage paperwork hassle-free from anywhere – the office, remotely, or from home. There’s no need for printed copies when you can access and edit the docs you need, on the go – all in an app. Stay one step ahead when it comes to document management. CREATE & VIEW - Create PDFs from scratch. - Open and view any PDF file. - Zoom in and out while reading. - Search to find the necessary information using text search. - Read PDFs easier with Read Mode by creating bookmarks and navigating conveniently. EDIT & ANNOTATE - Edit text in your PDF files, fix typos, and correct paragraphs. - Add comments and annotations using text notes. - Write on PDFs with your finger or stylus. - Fill PDF forms. - Highlight key ideas and add shapes. - Insert images, crop, resize, or change the angle if necessary. MANAGE & STORE - Import files from your device or online storage services like iCloud and Dropbox. - Delete pages from a multi-page PDF document. - Share PDF files with or without annotations for further reading and commenting. - Print files right from your device. Level up with Premium features! PRO EDITING - Convert images and documents to PDF files. - Sign docs right on the screen of your device. - Add stamps to PDF documents. - Transform PDF files into editable text with OCR (Optical Character Recognition) technology. PRO MANAGEMENT - Compress PDFs and share them as ZIP files. - Manage PDF pages: add pages, rotate, and reorder them. - Share selected pages of a multi-page PDF file. - Merge two or more PDF pages into a single document. - Password-protect sensitive data. *To digitize printed copies and transform them into editable PDF scans, try our Scan Hero app! Subscription payments will be charged to your App Store account at confirmation of your purchase. Subscriptions will automatically renew and you will be charged unless auto-renew is turned off or unless you cancel at least 24 hours prior to the end of the current subscription or trial period. Any unused portion of a free trial period will be forfeited when you purchase a premium subscription during the free trial period. The cost of renewal depends on the Subscription Plan you choose. Subscriptions and auto-renewal may be managed by going to Account Settings after purchase or by contacting Customer Support. Privacy Policy: https://support.bendingspoons.com/privacy.html?app=1512973255 Terms of Service: https://support.bendingspoons.com/tos.html?app=1512973255 Got questions or suggestions? Please don’t hesitate to email us at pdfhero@bendingspoons.com

About

PDF Editor

Edit, annotate, and convert PDF files with advanced tools. This app allows for text and image modification, form creation and filling, and secure document management. It also includes OCR technology for scanned documents and AI assistance for smarter interactions.

Highlights
  • Edit existing PDF content
  • Modify text and images
  • Smart annotations
  • Scan and convert documents
  • OCR technology
  • E-signature support
  • Merge and split PDFs
Features
Read full description

Looking for an easy-to-use yet powerful true PDF editor that lets you modify existing PDF text, edit images, make deep-level content adjustments, use smart annotations, scan documents quickly, and convert files — all in one place? Our app also supports powerful conversions like Photo to PDF, PDF to Word, PDF to Images, JPEG to PDF, and more — covering almost all file formats with built-in OCR technology. Available for your iPhone, iPad, and MacBook — all under a single subscription. Look no further than our PDF Editor, Document Scanner & Converter app! With our app, you can easily create, edit, and manage PDF documents right from your iPhone, iPad or Macbook, iMac. Whether you need to annotate a document, add a signature, or merge multiple PDFs into one file, our app has you covered. Here are some of the key features of our PDF Editor, Documents Scanner & Converter app! (All in One PDF Editor) ********** Highlighted Features: ********** + Existing PDF Content Editing. + Modify Text, Change Fonts & Images. + Smart Annotations (Highlight, Comment, Draw & Markup) + PDF Lock & Unlock. + AI Integration. + Dropbox Integration. + Excel to PDF & PPTX to PDF. + Scan PDF. + Create New PDF. + Create or Design Any Form. + Share or Print Any Form. + Form Fill Out. + Edit PDF. + Split PDF. + Merge PDF. + Reorder PDF. + Print or Share PDF. + Remove Page From PDF. + E- Sign. + Add Text Box. + Add Image. + OCR (Image to Text). + Secure PDF. + Convert Photo to PDF. (R:Reverse) + Convert PDF to Word.(R) + Convert Text to PDF.(R) + File Converter (Pro Supported). + Single Subscription use in your iPhone, iPad, iMac, Mac book - All Apple Devices Easy document creation: Create new PDF documents with a few taps, or import existing documents from your device or cloud storage services. Advanced editing tools: Edit text, images, and other content within your PDFs, and add annotations, comments, and highlights. AI Assistant — Smarter PDF Interactions: Interact with the AI Assistant using simple text prompts to get instant, intelligent responses OCR Technology: OCR features enable users to convert scanned documents into editable and searchable text. With advanced OCR technology, the app recognizes text in scanned documents and converts it into editable text. The app supports multiple languages, making it a versatile tool for users around the world. Signature support: Sign PDF documents directly within the app, or import and save your signature for later use. Merge and split PDFs: Easily combine multiple PDFs into a single document, or split one PDF into multiple files. File management: Organize and manage your PDFs with ease, including renaming, moving, and deleting files. Cloud integration: Sync your PDFs with a popular cloud storage service like iCloud to access your documents from anywhere. Our PDF Document Editor & Maker app is designed to be intuitive and user-friendly, with a clean and modern interface that makes it easy to get started. Download it today and start creating and editing PDF documents like a pro! SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION Monthly price : $4.99 Yearly price : $29.99 Consider PDF Editor, Documents Scanner & Converter app! (All in one PDF Editor) pro and enjoy full access to all features and content. If you choose a All in One PDF Editor subscription, payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. The subscription will automatically renew unless turned off in your iTunes Account Settings at least 24 hours before the current period ends. From iTunes Account settings you can manage your subscription and turn off auto-renew. Your iTunes Account will be charged when the purchase is confirmed. Privacy Policy: https://www.lazyvariable.com/pdf-editor-privacy-policy/ Terms of use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ https://www.lazyvariable.com/pdf-editor-terms-of-use/ Support: Please contact us by email at "contact.pdfdocumenteditor@gmail.com".

Screenshots

PDF Hero4 screens
PDF Editor3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: PDF Hero at free with in-app purchases against PDF Editor's subscription. PDF Hero also leads on ratings volume (10K vs 39) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 6 weeks). PDF Editor's advantage is review sentiment (48% vs 18%). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

PDF Hero holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PDF Hero has 10K ratings behind it against 39, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 18% of PDF Hero's written reviews are positive against 48% of PDF Editor's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PDF Hero ships an update every 3 weeks, PDF Editor every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
PDF Hero versus PDF Editor: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPDF HeroPDF Editor
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (10K ratings) — better4.5 (39 ratings)
Positive reviews17.8% of reviews48.4% of reviews — better
Number of ratings10K — better39
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 6 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterSubscription
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS14.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size536 MB93 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMosaic S.r.l.AHAD DURRANI

Customer experience

PDF Hero

All ratings10,328 ratings
Positive90.4%
Neutral2.4%
Negative7.1%
Written reviews247 reviews
Positive17.8%
Neutral5.3%
Negative76.9%

PDF Editor

All ratings38 ratings
Positive84.2%
Neutral5.3%
Negative10.5%
Written reviews64 reviews
Positive48.4%
Neutral3.1%
Negative48.4%

User reviews

PDF Hero

From 10K App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

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

PDF Editor

From 39 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to use for some
  • 👍 Fulfills basic PDF needs
  • 👍 Good for editing and signing
  • 👍 Useful for converting files
  • 👍 Handy for scanning documents

Room to improve

  • 👎 Not intuitive or user-friendly
  • 👎 Poorly designed
  • 👎 Limited features on Mac
  • 👎 Difficult to navigate
  • 👎 Strips formatting from PDFs

Bugs and requests

PDF Hero

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • 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

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

PDF Editor

Reported bugs

8 issues
  • PDF reader not working
  • Cannot open PDF files
  • Cannot edit PDF files
  • App crashes constantly
  • Unable to fill PDF forms by typing
Show 3 more
  • Subscription continues after cancellation
  • Formatting is lost when editing PDFs
  • App does not open when clicked from browser

Requested features

5 requests
  • Allow typing in PDF forms
  • Improve Mac compatibility and usability
  • Provide clear instructions or tutorials
  • Offer better customer support
  • Fix subscription charging issues

In-app purchases

10 purchases

PDF Hero

Subscriptions10
  • Weekly Premium with Free Trial7 Days trial$2.997 Days
  • Weekly Premium$2.997 Days
  • Weekly Premium$5.997 Days
Show 7 more
  • Weekly Premium with Free Trial7 Days trial$5.997 Days
  • Weekly Sub with Free Trial7 Days trial$7.997 Days
  • Weekly Subscription$7.997 Days
  • Yearly with Free Trial7 Days trial$69.991 Year
  • Yearly Subscription$69.991 Year
  • Yearly Bundle$99.991 Year
  • Yearly Bundle with Free Trial7 Days trial$99.991 Year
7 purchases

PDF Editor

Subscriptions6
  • Premium$4.991 Month
  • Premium AI Assistant$9.991 Month
  • Yearly Offer3 Days trial$19.991 Year
Show 3 more
  • Premium1 Year trial$29.991 Year
  • Premium$29.991 Year
  • Premium AI Assistant$49.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Premium$89.99

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 39 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 9, 2026 and PDF Editor on November 7, 2026.

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