# PDF Hero vs PDF Editor

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.

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.

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.

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.

## 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 (39 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-editor-fill-editsign-pdf/id1672899598/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **10K** | 39 |
| Positive reviews | 17.8% of reviews | **48.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Size | 536 MB | 93 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Mosaic S.r.l.](https://appshunter.io/developer/570748343) | [AHAD DURRANI](https://appshunter.io/developer/1666830783) |

## What reviewers say

### PDF Hero

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

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-fill-editsign-pdf/id1672899598)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium | $4.99 | per month |
| Premium AI Assistant | $9.99 | per month |
| Yearly Offer | $19.99 | per year |
| Premium | $29.99 | per year |
| Premium | $29.99 | per year |
| Premium AI Assistant | $49.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Premium | $89.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

- PDF reader not working
- Cannot open PDF files
- Cannot edit PDF files
- App crashes constantly
- Unable to fill PDF forms by typing

**Requested features**

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


## 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 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*