# PDF Reader vs WinZip

The clearest difference is review sentiment: PDF Reader at 81% against WinZip's 20%. PDF Reader also leads on rating (4.6 vs 4.3). WinZip's advantage is iOS requirement (11.0 vs 13.0). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PDF Reader sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and WinZip sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $9.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

PDF Reader holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3.8K and 2.4K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 81% of PDF Reader's written reviews are positive against 20% of WinZip's.

PDF Reader ships an update every 2 months, WinZip every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF Reader | WinZip |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (3.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-reader-editor-and-viewer/id368377690/reviews)** | [4.3 (2.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/winzip-1-zip-and-unzip-tool/id500637987/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **3.8K** | 2.4K |
| Positive reviews | **80.8% of reviews** | 20.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 190 MB | 56 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Kdan Mobile Software LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/318936474) | [WinZip Computing LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/389735097) |

## What reviewers say

### PDF Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-reader-editor-and-viewer/id368377690)

Edit, convert, and manage PDF documents on your mobile device. This app allows you to directly edit text, scan documents, fill out forms, and secure your files with passwords and watermarks. It also supports OCR to extract text from scans and convert PDFs to various formats.

**Highlights:** Edit PDF text directly, Convert PDF to Word, Excel, PPT, images, OCR for text extraction from scans, Fill and sign PDF forms, Secure PDFs with passwords and watermarks, Annotate PDFs with highlights and notes, Merge and split PDF files

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| KDAN Cloud | $2.99 | per month |
| Deluxe Business Pack | $5.99 | per month |
| Creativity 365 | $9.99 | per month |
| Document 365 (Month) | $9.99 | per month |
| Deluxe PDF Pack for iPhone | $12.99 | per 3 months |
| Creativity 365 - 3 Months | $19.99 | per 3 months |
| Document 365 (Quarter) | $19.99 | per 3 months |
| Deluxe PDF Pack for iPhone | $39.99 | per year |
| Document 365 | $59.99 | per year |
| Upgrade to Premium | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Good app
- 🚀 Fast and efficient
- 📚 Useful for reading PDFs
- 🔒 Secure file storage
- 💡 Helpful features like highlighting and annotation

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and freezes
- 🔐 Locked files behind paywall
- 💰 Expensive subscription
- 📢 Intrusive ads
- 🤯 Confusing and unintuitive UI

**Reported bugs**

- Unable to open or access saved files
- Syncing and backup issues
- Compatibility problems with newer iOS versions

**Requested features**

- Improved file management and organization
- Better integration with cloud storage services
- More customization options
- Enhanced accessibility features


### WinZip

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/winzip-1-zip-and-unzip-tool/id500637987)

This app is a powerful file manager for creating, extracting, and sharing compressed files. It supports various formats and integrates with cloud storage services for easy file management and secure sharing.

**Highlights:** Create and extract Zip and Zipx files, Open Zip, Zipx, 7z, RAR, and LHA files, Encrypt files with AES encryption, Share files via email and social media, Integrate with Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, iCloud, View common document and image file types

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| WinZip iOS Pro | $9.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great app
- 🚀 Awesome
- 👍 Excellent
- 👍 Works well

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes frequently
- 🔒 Requires subscription to use
- 🔒 Paywalls basic features
- 🐛 Unstable after updates
- 🐛 Difficult to use

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when trying to open files
- Unable to unzip files
- Freezes when accessing certain features
- Corrupts files during extraction

**Requested features**

- Allow zipping of entire folders
- Improve integration with cloud storage
- Add more compression formats support
- Simplify user interface


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PDF Reader free?

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

### Is WinZip free?

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

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

PDF Reader is rated higher. PDF Reader averages 4.6 out of 5 from 3.8K ratings, while WinZip averages 4.3 from 2.4K ratings.

### Do PDF Reader or WinZip have ads?

Neither PDF Reader nor WinZip shows ads.

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

PDF Reader ships an update every 2 months, and WinZip every 3 months. Most recently, PDF Reader was updated on November 10, 2026 and WinZip on November 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.*