PDFelement vs PDF Reader
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
PDFelement
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.
- AI Chat with PDF
- Scan and OCR
- PDF to Office Conversion
- Edit PDF like Word
- Password Protection
- Compress PDF
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PDFelement is optimized for the latest Liquid Glass experience, with a more refined interface, clearer navigation, and smoother interactions for your PDF workflow. AI PDF Editor, PDF Reader, PDF Scanner, PDF Converter, PDF Signer. One app for work, study, and everyday life. Customize Your Toolbar Arrange your PDF tools the way you work. Reorder, show, or hide toolbar items to keep your favorite actions within easy reach and create a cleaner, faster, and more efficient workspace. AI PDF • Chat with PDF: Ask questions and get instant, accurate answers from your PDFs. • AI Summarize PDF: Turn lengthy contracts, reports, and documents into concise key points. • AI Translate: Translate selected text instantly across 60+ languages. • Generate Mind Map: Transform PDF content into clear visual mind maps. • AI Record: Record, transcribe, and convert voice notes into editable text for efficient note-taking. Edit PDF Like Word • Edit PDF: Edit PDF text, images, links, and watermarks with ease. • Font Editing: Keep the original font, erase content, and adjust font size, spacing, and formatting effortlessly. Professional PDF Reader • Liquid Mode: Optimize PDFs for comfortable reading on any screen. • Bookmarks: Save and jump to important pages instantly. • Read Aloud: Listen to PDFs with your preferred voice and playback speed. Scan & OCR • PDF Scanner: Scan receipts, invoices, contracts, IDs, and certificates into high-quality PDFs. • OCR: Extract editable text from scanned documents and images. • Multi-Page Scan: Combine multiple scans into a single PDF. PDF Converter • PDF to Word, Excel, PowerPoint & Images: Convert PDFs into editable Office files or JPG, PNG, and more. • Create PDF: Convert Microsoft Office documents and images into PDFs. Annotate PDF • Markup & Notes: Highlight, underline, draw, and add sticky notes. • Comments: Review documents with professional commenting tools. • Measure: Measure distance, perimeter, and area directly inside PDFs. Create PDF • Blank PDF: Start with customizable paper templates. • Image to PDF: Create PDFs from photos or camera scans. Manage PDF • Compress PDF: Reduce file size while maintaining quality. • Merge PDF: Combine multiple PDFs into one document. • Organize Pages: Add, delete, rotate, extract, split, and rearrange PDF pages. Fill & Sign • Fill PDF Forms: Complete interactive PDF forms quickly and accurately. • E-Sign PDF: Add typed or handwritten signatures. • Custom Stamps: Create reusable stamps with text, drawings, or images. Store & Share PDF • PDFelement Cloud: Access your PDFs anytime, anywhere across your devices. • Protect PDF: Secure sensitive files with passwords and encryption. • Share PDF: Share documents via links, email, AirDrop, or social apps. PDF Templates • Professional Templates: Browse resumes, invoices, planners, contracts, invitations, and more. • Easy Customization: Personalize colors, fonts, and layouts in seconds. • Business & Education Ready: Create polished documents for work, school, and everyday use. MEMBERSHIP SUBSCRIPTION DETAILS Payment will be charged to your iTunes Account upon confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current subscription period. You can manage or cancel your subscription anytime in your App Store account settings. Terms of Use: https://www.wondershare.com/company/terms_conditions.html Privacy Policy: https://www.wondershare.com/privacy.html
PDF Reader
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- Read PDFs Without Touching the Screen AutoScroll PDF Reader lets you read documents effortlessly. Pages scroll automatically at your pace, so you can focus on content — not swiping. Perfect for students, professionals, and anyone who reads long PDFs. - Key Features Auto-Scroll Reading Smooth automatic scrolling Adjustable speed to match your reading style Ideal for hands-free reading Document Scanner Scan physical documents using your camera Convert scans into clean PDFs instantly Save and read scanned documents inside the app Smart PDF Reader Fast and lightweight Works with large PDF files Clean, distraction-free interface Designed for Focus Minimal UI No clutter Built for long reading sessions -Who Is This For? Students reading notes and textbooks Professionals reviewing documents Anyone tired of constant scrolling -Privacy Friendly Your documents stay on your device. We don’t upload or track your files. - Simple. Fast. Useful. If you read PDFs every day, this is the reader you’ll love.
Screenshots
Verdict
PDFelement and PDF Reader are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters — price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. PDFelement sells 18 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and PDF Reader sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
PDFelement ships an update every 10 days, PDF Reader weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | PDFelement | PDF Reader |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (7.6K ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 76.1% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 7.6K — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days | Weekly — better |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 16.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 196 MB | 9 MB |
| Age rating | 9+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Wondershare Technology Group Co.,LTD | Rajesh Ray |
Bugs and requests
PDFelement
Reported bugs
4 issues- 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
5 requests- 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
PDF Reader
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
PDFelement
- Monthly Subscription (AI)$3.991 Month
- PDF Editor& Converter& Scanner$6.991 Month
- PDF Editor & Scanner Pro(iOS)$6.991 Month
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- Weekly Subscription (iOS)$6.997 Days
- Quarterly Subscription (iOS)$9.993 Months
- Weekly Subscription (iOS)7 Days trial$9.997 Days
- Weekly Subscription (iOS)$9.997 Days
- Monthly Subscription (All)$19.991 Month
- Annual Subscription (iOS)$24.991 Year
- PDF Editor & Scanner Pro7 Days trial$29.991 Year
- Annual Subscription (iOS)2 variants$29.991 Year
- Annual Subscription (iOS)3 Days trial$29.991 Year
- Quarterly Subscription (All)$39.993 Months
- Annual Subscription (iOS+Win)$99.991 Year
- Annual Subscription (iOS+Mac)$99.991 Year
- Annual Subscription (All)$109.991 Year
- PDF Editor & Scanner Pro$39.99
- iOS$39.99
PDF Reader
- Premium Lifetime$9.99








