# CHMate vs PDF Reader

The clearest difference is rating: PDF Reader at 4.9 against CHMate's 3.8. PDF Reader also leads on review sentiment (71% vs 55%) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. CHMate sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and PDF Reader sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

PDF Reader holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 20 and 8 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 55% of CHMate's written reviews are positive against 71% of PDF Reader's.

CHMate ships an update every 2 months, PDF Reader every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and August 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | CHMate | PDF Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.8 (20 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chmate-epub-and-chm-reader/id335157929/reviews) | **[4.9 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-reader-mini-version/id898564035/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **20** | 8 |
| Positive reviews | 55.1% of reviews | **71.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 48 MB | 50 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [贤安 陈](https://appshunter.io/developer/318015371) | [绪强 任](https://appshunter.io/developer/898564038) |

## What reviewers say

### CHMate

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chmate-epub-and-chm-reader/id335157929)

This app offers a robust reading experience for EPUB and CHM eBooks. Organize your library, add bookmarks and notes, and customize your reading environment. Share passages and easily search within your books.

**Highlights:** Organize eBooks into collections, Add bookmarks and notes, Customizable fonts and line height, Fast scrolling and pagination, Highlight favorite passages, Built-in search functionality, Share quotes with friends

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| CHMate+ | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Excellent UI/UX design and interface
- 📖 Best CHM file reader available
- ⚡ Fast and smooth performance
- 🎨 Customizable text formatting and fonts
- 🔍 Powerful search functionality

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability issues
- ⚠️ iCloud sync deletes files irreversibly
- 💰 Expensive pricing for functionality
- 🔄 Highlighting and annotations don't persist
- 📱 Compatibility issues with iOS updates

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when searching CHM files
- Crashes when using tap-hold for bookmarking
- Highlighting functionality broken after iOS updates
- Notes and bookmarks not saving properly
- Highlights disappear or move between chapters

**Requested features**

- Dark mode and additional color themes (Sepia)
- Book cover display instead of text-only library view
- PDF support
- Text-to-speech functionality
- Better pagination options


### PDF Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-reader-mini-version/id898564035)

This app allows you to read various document formats like PDF, EPUB, and CHM on your iPhone and iPad. It supports file import, text search, annotation, and even previewing MS Office files and videos. A simple to-do list and auto-save reading progress are also included.

**Highlights:** Reads PDF, CHM, EPUB, TXT files, PDF annotation and text search, File import via Files, Airdrop, iTunes, web, MS Office and video file preview, Simple To-Do list functionality, Auto-save reading progress

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Reader App donate | $0.99 | one-time |
| Dropbox Support | $0.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ad | $4.99 | one-time |
| Todo donate | $7.99 | one-time |
| Todo donate | $14.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is CHMate free?

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

### Is PDF Reader free?

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

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

PDF Reader is rated higher. CHMate averages 3.8 out of 5 from 20 ratings, while PDF Reader averages 4.9 from 8 ratings.

### Do CHMate or PDF Reader have ads?

Neither CHMate nor PDF Reader shows ads.

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

CHMate ships an update every 2 months, and PDF Reader every 3 weeks. Most recently, CHMate was updated on September 21, 2026 and PDF Reader on August 30, 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.*