# PDF Secure vs PDF

The clearest difference is review sentiment: PDF Secure at 99% against PDF's 33%. PDF Secure also leads on rating (4.9 vs 3.5) and in-app purchases (none vs 3). On price, update cadence, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PDF sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. PDF Secure asks for nothing beyond the download.

PDF Secure holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PDF Secure has 376 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 99% of PDF Secure's written reviews are positive against 33% of PDF's.

PDF Secure ships an update every 9 months, PDF every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF Secure | PDF |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (376 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-secure/id1515466852/reviews)** | [3.5 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-lock-and-unlock/id6444889806/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **376** | 6 |
| Positive reviews | **98.8% of reviews** | 33.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | **Every 5 months** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 1 MB | 26 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [iSolid apps](https://appshunter.io/developer/1215383083) | [Hardik Dhameliya](https://appshunter.io/developer/1611140120) |

## What reviewers say

### PDF Secure

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-secure/id1515466852)

Secure your PDF documents by adding password protection, ensuring they cannot be opened without authorization. You can also easily remove existing password protection from your files. This app offers a straightforward process for safeguarding your sensitive information.

**Highlights:** Password protect PDF documents, Remove PDF password protection, Cross-platform compatibility, Export to various locations, Dark mode support

**In-app purchases:** none


### PDF

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-lock-and-unlock/id6444889806)

Secure your documents by adding password protection or remove existing passwords from PDF files. This app also offers tools to merge, extract, and convert PDFs, along with OCR capabilities to recognize text.

**Highlights:** Lock PDF with password, Unlock password-protected PDFs, Merge multiple PDF files, Extract or remove PDF pages, Add watermarks to PDFs, Scan and recognize text (OCR), Digitally sign PDFs, Convert web pages to PDF

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Subscription Weekly | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Subscription Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Subscription Yearly | $19.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PDF Secure free?

PDF Secure is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is PDF free?

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

### Which has better reviews, PDF Secure or PDF?

PDF Secure is rated higher. PDF Secure averages 4.9 out of 5 from 376 ratings, while PDF averages 3.5 from 6 ratings.

### Do PDF Secure or PDF have ads?

PDF shows ads; PDF Secure does not.

### Which is updated more often, PDF Secure or PDF?

PDF Secure ships an update every 9 months, and PDF every 5 months. Most recently, PDF Secure was updated on September 24, 2026 and PDF on September 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.*