# PDF Reader Pro Edition® vs PDF Hero

The clearest difference is price: PDF Hero at Free against PDF Reader Pro Edition®'s $1.99. PDF Hero also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (10K vs 1.7K). PDF Reader Pro Edition®'s advantage is review sentiment (54% vs 18%) and in-app purchases (none vs 14). On rating, ads, chart position and device support there is nothing between them.

PDF Hero is free to download; PDF Reader Pro Edition® costs $1.99 up front. PDF Hero sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. PDF Reader Pro Edition® asks for nothing beyond the download.

PDF Hero holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PDF Hero has 10K ratings behind it against 1.7K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 54% of PDF Reader Pro Edition®'s written reviews are positive against 18% of PDF Hero's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

PDF Reader Pro Edition® ships an update every 4 months, PDF Hero every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF Reader Pro Edition® | PDF Hero |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.4 (1.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-reader-pro-edition/id364502063/reviews) | **[4.6 (10K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-hero-pdf-editor-and-reader/id1512973255/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 1.7K | **10K** |
| Positive reviews | **54.3% of reviews** | 17.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#137** | #194 |
| Size | 66 MB | 536 MB |
| Requires iOS | **10.0** | 14.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [iTECH DEVELOPMENT SYSTEMS INC.](https://appshunter.io/developer/298779208) | [Mosaic S.r.l.](https://appshunter.io/developer/570748343) |

## What reviewers say

### PDF Reader Pro Edition®

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-reader-pro-edition/id364502063)

**Currently charting:** #137 Top Paid · Business (US App Store)

This powerful application allows users to read, manage, edit, and annotate PDF files on iOS devices. It offers real-time online collaboration, form filling, and advanced annotation tools. Create, organize, and secure your PDF documents with ease.

**Highlights:** Real-time online collaboration and chat, Fillable PDF forms, Extensive annotation tools (highlight, notes, signature), EasyReview mode for text markup, Create new PDF files, Secure Vault folder, Built-in scanner

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and easy to use
- 📁 Good file organization and management
- ✍️ Useful annotation and highlighting tools
- 🔒 Secure document storage

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and stability issues
- 🔍 Poor search functionality
- 📤 Difficulty sharing/exporting annotated files
- 🤔 Unintuitive user interface

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when opening certain PDF files
- Annotations disappear or fail to save
- Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions
- Slow performance on older iPad models

**Requested features**

- Add support for password-protected PDFs
- Improve annotation tools with better undo/redo
- Implement cloud storage integration (Dropbox, iCloud, etc.)
- Add ability to insert, delete, and rearrange PDF pages


### PDF Hero

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-hero-pdf-editor-and-reader/id1512973255)

**Currently charting:** #194 Top Grossing · Business (US App Store)

Edit, create, and manage PDF documents on your mobile device. Annotate, fill forms, sign, and share files with ease. Offers advanced features like OCR and compression for enhanced document control.

**Highlights:** Create PDFs from scratch, Edit text and annotate documents, Fill and sign PDF forms, Convert images/documents to PDF, OCR for editable text, Compress and merge PDFs, Password-protect sensitive data

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly with free trial | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly Subscription | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly Premium | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly Premium with Free Trial | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| PDF Hero Premium 1 Month | $9.99 | per month |
| PDF Hero Premium 1 Month | $10.99 | per month |
| PDF Hero Premium 1 Month | $11.99 | per month |
| Convert & Merge PDF Documents | $14.99 | per month |
| PDF Hero Premium 3 Months | $19.99 | per 3 months |
| PDF Hero Premium 1 Year | $34.99 | per year |
| PDF Hero Premium 1 Year | $89.99 | per year |
| PDF Hero Premium 1 Year | $99.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 💡 Useful PDF editing features
- 🚀 Easy to use
- 👍 Signature functionality

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and malfunctions
- 🐛 Inconsistent behavior and glitches
- 🔋 High subscription cost
- 🔒 Difficult to cancel subscription
- 👎 Poor text editing capabilities

**Reported bugs**

- Text disappearing or jumping around during editing
- Inability to save or transfer edited documents
- App crashing or freezing during use
- Incorrect rendering of PDF content

**Requested features**

- Improved text editing and manipulation
- Better file management and organization
- Seamless integration with other apps
- Clearer subscription and cancellation policies


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PDF Reader Pro Edition® free?

PDF Reader Pro Edition® costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is PDF Hero free?

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

### Which has better reviews, PDF Reader Pro Edition® or PDF Hero?

PDF Hero is rated higher. PDF Reader Pro Edition® averages 4.4 out of 5 from 1.7K ratings, while PDF Hero averages 4.6 from 10K ratings.

### Do PDF Reader Pro Edition® or PDF Hero have ads?

Neither PDF Reader Pro Edition® nor PDF Hero shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, PDF Reader Pro Edition® or PDF Hero?

PDF Reader Pro Edition® ships an update every 4 months, and PDF Hero every 3 weeks. Most recently, PDF Reader Pro Edition® was updated on September 24, 2026 and PDF Hero on September 25, 2026.

### Which is more popular, PDF Reader Pro Edition® or PDF Hero?

PDF Reader Pro Edition® currently peaks at #137 in the App Store charts, and PDF Hero at #194. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*