# PDF Reader vs PDF Master

The clearest difference is monetization model: PDF Reader at freemium against PDF Master's subscription. PDF Reader also leads on ads (none vs shown). PDF Master's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 6 months) and ratings volume (200 vs 18). On price, rating, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PDF Reader sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days and PDF Master sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for PDF Reader against 4.3 for PDF Master. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PDF Master has 200 ratings behind it against 18, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 0% of PDF Reader's written reviews are positive against 9% of PDF Master's.

PDF Reader ships an update every 6 months, PDF Master every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 6, 2026 and September 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF Reader | PDF Master |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (18 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-reader-editor-and-converter/id1547414913/reviews)** | [4.3 (200 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-master-editor-reader/id6471487318/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 18 | **200** |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | **9.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Freemium** | Subscription |
| Size | 79 MB | 119 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15 | **14.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Laxay Gajera](https://appshunter.io/developer/1534406445) | [CheeseJoy Apps](https://appshunter.io/developer/1727983156) |

## What reviewers say

### PDF Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-reader-editor-and-converter/id1547414913)

This application allows users to read, edit, annotate, and convert PDF documents. It supports cloud syncing, form filling, and password protection for files. Users can also scan documents and convert images to PDF.

**Highlights:** Read and edit PDFs, Annotate and highlight text, Convert documents to PDF, Fill and sign PDF forms, Sync with cloud storage, Scan documents to PDF, Password protect PDFs

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PDF Editor Pro - Weekly | $0.99 | per 7 days |
| PDF Editor Pro - Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| PDF Editor Pro - Yearly | $9.99 | per year |
| PDF Reader - Remove Ads | $3.99 | one-time |


### PDF Master

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-master-editor-reader/id6471487318)

This app offers a comprehensive suite of tools for managing PDF documents on iOS. It allows users to scan physical documents and gallery images into PDFs, create new PDFs from scratch, view existing files, merge multiple PDFs, and extract text using OCR technology.

**Highlights:** Scan photos to PDF, Convert gallery images to PDF, Create new PDF files, View and read PDF documents, Merge multiple PDF files, OCR text recognition

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PDF Master | $0.99 | per 7 days |
| weekly | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| PDF Master PRO 1 Week | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| PDF Master PRO 1 Week | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| PDF Master PRO 1 Week | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| PDF Master PRO 1 Week | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| PDF Master PRO 1 Week | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly Pro | $9.99 | per month |
| PDF Master PRO 1 Year | $29.99 | per year |
| PDF Master PRO 1 Year | $34.99 | per year |
| PDF Master PRO 1 Year | $39.99 | per year |
| PDF Master Pro | $19.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PDF Reader free?

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

### Is PDF Master free?

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

### Which has better reviews, PDF Reader or PDF Master?

PDF Reader is rated higher. PDF Reader averages 4.4 out of 5 from 18 ratings, while PDF Master averages 4.3 from 200 ratings.

### Do PDF Reader or PDF Master have ads?

PDF Master shows ads; PDF Reader does not.

### Which is updated more often, PDF Reader or PDF Master?

PDF Reader ships an update every 6 months, and PDF Master every 2 weeks. Most recently, PDF Reader was updated on September 6, 2026 and PDF Master on September 14, 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.*