# PDFelement vs PDFDarkMode

The clearest difference is ads: PDFDarkMode at none against PDFelement's shown. PDFDarkMode also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.6) and review sentiment (100% vs 76%). PDFelement's advantage is ratings volume (7.6K vs 1). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PDFelement sells 18 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and PDFDarkMode sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

PDFDarkMode holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PDFelement has 7.6K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 76% of PDFelement's written reviews are positive against 100% of PDFDarkMode's.

PDFelement ships an update every 10 days, PDFDarkMode every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDFelement | PDFDarkMode |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (7.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdfelement-pdf-editor-viewer/id1516765045/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdfdarkmode-customize-pdfs/id6744872327/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **7.6K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 75.9% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 200 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Wondershare Technology Group Co.,LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/298647757) | [Wildcatter LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1229934042) |

## What reviewers say

### PDFelement

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdfelement-pdf-editor-viewer/id1516765045)

This application offers comprehensive PDF management, including advanced editing, AI-powered summarization and translation, and efficient scanning with OCR. It helps organize, convert, and secure documents for work, study, and personal use.

**Highlights:** AI Chat with PDF, Scan and OCR, PDF to Office Conversion, Edit PDF like Word, Password Protection, Compress PDF

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (18)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription (AI) | $3.99 | per month |
| PDF Editor& Converter& Scanner | $6.99 | per month |
| PDF Editor & Scanner Pro（iOS） | $6.99 | per month |
| Weekly Subscription (iOS) | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Quarterly Subscription (iOS) | $9.99 | per 3 months |
| Weekly Subscription (iOS) | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly Subscription (iOS) | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly Subscription (All) | $19.99 | per month |
| Annual Subscription (iOS) | $24.99 | per year |
| PDF Editor & Scanner Pro | $29.99 | per year |
| Annual Subscription (iOS) | $29.99 | per year |
| Annual Subscription (iOS) | $29.99 | per year |
| Quarterly Subscription (All) | $39.99 | per 3 months |
| Annual Subscription (iOS+Win) | $99.99 | per year |
| Annual Subscription (iOS+Mac) | $99.99 | per year |
| Annual Subscription (All) | $109.99 | per year |
| PDF Editor & Scanner Pro | $39.99 | one-time |
| iOS | $39.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Efficient PDF editing
- 💡 Comprehensive feature set
- 🔒 Secure document handling
- 👍 Intuitive interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or glitches
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🔒 Mandatory account required
- 🔒 Unclear licensing and subscription model
- 🐛 Syncing issues between devices

**Reported bugs**

- Login issues and inability to restore purchases
- Corrupted scanned files or loss of progress
- Inconsistent behavior when editing PDF text
- Compatibility problems with older devices or OS versions

**Requested features**

- Add dark mode option
- Improve cloud integration and file management
- Enhance OCR accuracy and capabilities
- Introduce multi-tab support for better workflow
- Add more customization options for toolbars and UI


### PDFDarkMode

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdfdarkmode-customize-pdfs/id6744872327)

Easily convert PDFs to a comfortable dark mode with custom text and background colors. Reduce eye strain while reading or studying long documents. Save and revisit your personalized PDFs in a private library.

**Highlights:** Upload PDFs from device, Customize text and background colors, Preview dark mode changes, Download converted PDFs, Personal PDF library, Private by design

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Download PDF (up to 100 pages) | $0.99 | one-time |
| Dark Mode PDF Download | $2.99 | one-time |
| Download PDF (up to 500 pages) | $4.99 | one-time |
| PDFDarkMode Pro | $9.99 | one-time |
| Download PDF (500+ pages) | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PDFelement free?

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

### Is PDFDarkMode free?

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

### Which has better reviews, PDFelement or PDFDarkMode?

PDFDarkMode is rated higher. PDFelement averages 4.6 out of 5 from 7.6K ratings, while PDFDarkMode averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do PDFelement or PDFDarkMode have ads?

PDFelement shows ads; PDFDarkMode does not.

### Which is updated more often, PDFelement or PDFDarkMode?

PDFelement ships an update every 10 days, and PDFDarkMode every 4 days. Most recently, PDFelement was updated on September 24, 2026 and PDFDarkMode on September 10, 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.*