# Merge PDF vs PDF Tools

The clearest difference is update cadence: Merge PDF at every 9 days against PDF Tools's every 5 months. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Merge PDF sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days and PDF Tools sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Merge PDF ships an update every 9 days, PDF Tools every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Merge PDF | PDF Tools |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (352 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/merge-pdf-combine-pdf/id1613323089/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **352** | — |
| Positive reviews | 88.1% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 32 MB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [talha rehman](https://appshunter.io/developer/1573036144) | [云峰 林](https://appshunter.io/developer/1740866485) |

## What reviewers say

### Merge PDF

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/merge-pdf-combine-pdf/id1613323089)

This app offers a comprehensive suite of tools for managing PDF documents. It allows users to merge, split, compress, convert, and secure PDFs, making document handling efficient for various needs. The app prioritizes user privacy by processing files locally on the device.

**Highlights:** Merge PDF files, Split PDF files, Compress PDF files, Convert PDF to PNG, Image to PDF conversion, Lock and unlock PDFs, Rearrange and delete PDF pages

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 3-Day Free Trial - Weekly | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium User - Weekly | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium User - Weekly | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium User - 1 Month | $5.99 | per month |
| Premium User - 3 Month | $6.99 | per 3 months |
| Premium User - Yearly | $29.99 | per year |
| Premium User - Yearly | $29.99 | per year |
| Gets Ads Free Version | $2.99 | one-time |
| Premium user - Lifetime | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Quick and efficient
- 💯 Works as expected
- 🆓 Free app with great features
- 🤩 Excellent for beginners

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes
- 📢 Too many ads
- 🔍 Issues with aspect ratio and layout
- 🔒 Requires internet connection
- 🔄 Reverse order of added PDFs

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes from start
- Deleting information from documents
- Hyperlinks not working

**Requested features**

- Add PDF rotation tool
- Improve PDF layout and formatting
- Enhance share functionality
- Add PDF inversion feature


### PDF Tools

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-tools-merge-split-edit/id6738097501)

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PDF Assistant Weekly VIP+Trial | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| PDF Assistant Permanent VIP | $3.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Merge PDF free?

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

### Is PDF Tools free?

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

### Do Merge PDF or PDF Tools have ads?

Both Merge PDF and PDF Tools show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Merge PDF or PDF Tools?

Merge PDF ships an update every 9 days, and PDF Tools every 5 months. Most recently, Merge PDF was updated on October 26, 2026 and PDF Tools on October 25, 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.*