# LightPDF vs PDF Compressor

The clearest difference is rating: PDF Compressor at 5.0 against LightPDF's 4.1. PDF Compressor also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 2 weeks). LightPDF's advantage is ratings volume (54 vs 1) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 18.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. LightPDF sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $13.99 per 7 days and PDF Compressor sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

PDF Compressor holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: LightPDF has 54 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

LightPDF ships an update every 2 weeks, PDF Compressor every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | LightPDF | PDF Compressor |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.1 (54 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lightpdf-ai-chat-pdf-scanner/id1622949837/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-compressor-size-compress/id6799160505/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **54** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 88.4% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 113 MB | 26 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Wangxu Technology Co., Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1254320291) | [TechCreative Lab LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/6799160509) |

## What reviewers say

### LightPDF

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lightpdf-ai-chat-pdf-scanner/id1622949837)

This app offers a comprehensive suite of tools for managing PDF documents on your mobile device. It leverages AI to summarize, chat with, and convert PDFs, along with scanning capabilities, text extraction, and editing features. It also includes an ID photo maker and watermark removal.

**Highlights:** AI Chat with PDFs, Phone Scanner to PDF, PDF to Word/JPG/Excel Converter, OCR Text Extraction, PDF Editing and Annotation, ID Photo Maker, Watermark Removal

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| LightPDF Weekly Subscription | $13.99 | per 7 days |
| LightPDF Monthly Subscription | $19.99 | per month |
| LightPDF Yearly Subscription | $47.99 | per year |
| LightPDF Annual Subscription | $49.99 | per year |
| LightPDF Yearly Subscription | $59.99 | per year |
| iOS LightPDF - 1 Week | $9.99 | one-time |
| 買一年送一年 | $79.99 | one-time |
| 1年購入で1年おまけ | $84.99 | one-time |
| 2 zum Preis von 1 | $99.99 | one-time |
| 3-Year Subscription | $99.99 | one-time |
| Mac LightPDF Lifetime Plan | $109.99 | one-time |
| Buy 3 yrs Get 3 yrs Free | $149.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 🚀 Efficient PDF tools
- ✨ High-quality PDF to Word conversion
- 💡 Impressive OCR functionality
- 💬 Helpful AI chatbot

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💸 High price
- ❌ App doesn't work
- 💳 Unexpected charges
- 🚫 Watermark removal issues
- 📉 Blurry pictures

**Reported bugs**

- App requests more money after payment
- Paid subscription not unlocking features
- Trial period charged despite cancellation
- Scans cut off PDF to 3 pages or under
- Performance issues

**Requested features**

- iPad support
- Edit text in the exact same font
- More advanced editing features


### PDF Compressor

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-compressor-size-compress/id6799160505)

Easily reduce the size of PDF files by up to 90% without sacrificing quality. This tool offers multiple compression levels and batch processing, making it ideal for emailing documents, saving storage, and meeting upload size limits.

**Highlights:** Compress PDFs up to 90%, 6 compression levels, Batch compression, Organize with folders, Secure file processing, Manage and preview files

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Week | $1.99 | per 7 days |
| Month | $6.99 | per month |
| Year | $29.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is LightPDF free?

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

### Is PDF Compressor free?

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

### Which has better reviews, LightPDF or PDF Compressor?

PDF Compressor is rated higher. LightPDF averages 4.1 out of 5 from 54 ratings, while PDF Compressor averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do LightPDF or PDF Compressor have ads?

Neither LightPDF nor PDF Compressor shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, LightPDF or PDF Compressor?

LightPDF ships an update every 2 weeks, and PDF Compressor every 3 days. Most recently, LightPDF was updated on October 23, 2026 and PDF Compressor on October 6, 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.*