# PDF Hero vs eSign App

PDF Hero and eSign App both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 85% of eSign App'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 1.5K). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PDF Hero sells 20 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days and eSign App sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

eSign App holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PDF Hero has 10K ratings behind it against 1.5K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 18% of PDF Hero's written reviews are positive against 85% of eSign App's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF Hero | eSign App |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (10K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-hero-pdf-editor-and-reader/id1512973255/reviews) | **[4.8 (1.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/esign-app-sign-pdf-documents/id6446249178/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **10K** | 1.5K |
| Positive reviews | 17.8% of reviews | **85.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Best chart rank | #193 | **#75** |
| Size | 536 MB | 110 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 16.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Mosaic S.r.l.](https://appshunter.io/developer/570748343) | [Municorn Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/380984285) |

## What reviewers say

### PDF Hero

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

**Currently charting:** #193 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 (20)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Premium with Free Trial | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly Premium | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| 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 |
| Weekly Sub with Free Trial | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly Subscription | $7.99 | 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 |
| Yearly with Free Trial | $69.99 | per year |
| Yearly Subscription | $69.99 | per year |
| PDF Hero Premium 1 Year | $89.99 | per year |
| Yearly Bundle | $99.99 | per year |
| Yearly Bundle with Free Trial | $99.99 | 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


### eSign App

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/esign-app-sign-pdf-documents/id6446249178)

**Currently charting:** #75 Top Grossing · Business (US App Store)

Transform your device into a powerful tool for signing PDF documents and other file types. Easily import, scan, sign, and share documents locally, or send them to others for their signatures. Integrates with popular cloud services for seamless workflow.

**Highlights:** Sign documents anywhere, Fill and edit documents, Create custom e-signatures, Import documents, Send documents for signing, Cloud service integration

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium features | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium features | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium features | $9.99 | per month |
| Premium features | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium features | $14.99 | per month |
| The Documents Bundle 1 week | $14.99 | per 7 days |
| The Documents Bundle 1 month | $39.99 | per month |
| Electronic Signature Creator | $49.99 | per year |
| Premium features | $69.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 🚀 Efficient signing process
- 🚀 Convenient for on-the-go document signing
- 🔒 Secure document handling

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Difficulty canceling subscription
- 🐛 Unexpected charges/subscription renewals
- 🐛 Limited functionality in free version
- 🐛 Unresponsive customer support

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when uploading certain file types
- Syncing issues between devices

**Requested features**

- Option to easily cancel subscription
- More customization options for signatures
- Ability to add dates and annotations to signed documents


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PDF Hero free?

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

### Is eSign App free?

eSign App is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, PDF Hero or eSign App?

eSign App is rated higher. PDF Hero averages 4.6 out of 5 from 10K ratings, while eSign App averages 4.8 from 1.5K ratings.

### Do PDF Hero or eSign App have ads?

Neither PDF Hero nor eSign App shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, PDF Hero or eSign App?

PDF Hero ships an update every 3 weeks, and eSign App every 3 weeks. Most recently, PDF Hero was updated on November 1, 2026 and eSign App on October 30, 2026.

### Which is more popular, PDF Hero or eSign App?

PDF Hero currently peaks at #193 in the App Store charts, and eSign App at #75. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*