# PDF Reader vs PDF Editor

The clearest difference is review sentiment: PDF Reader at 81% against PDF Editor's 0%. PDF Reader also leads on ratings volume (3.5K vs 3) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.0). PDF Editor's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.5). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

PDF Editor holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PDF Reader has 3.5K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 81% of PDF Reader's written reviews are positive against 0% of PDF Editor's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

PDF Reader ships an update every 2 months, PDF Editor monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF Reader | PDF Editor |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (3.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-reader-editor-and-viewer/id368377690/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-editor-merge-and-split/id6448696144/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **3.5K** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | **80.9% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 190 MB | 40 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Kdan Mobile Software LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/318936474) | [Moon Technolabs Pvt Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/558496197) |

## 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


### PDF Editor

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-editor-merge-and-split/id6448696144)

Easily merge multiple PDF files into one or split large PDFs into smaller ones. This app also allows for page deletion, unlocking, watermarking, and image-to-PDF conversion. It helps manage and customize your documents efficiently.

**Highlights:** Merge multiple PDFs, Split PDFs into single pages, Delete unwanted pages, Unlock password-protected PDFs, Add watermarks, Compress PDF size, Convert images to PDF, Convert PDF to text

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlimited Merge and Split | $19.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PDF Reader free?

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

### Is PDF Editor free?

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

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

PDF Editor is rated higher. PDF Reader averages 4.5 out of 5 from 3.5K ratings, while PDF Editor averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do PDF Reader or PDF Editor have ads?

Neither PDF Reader nor PDF Editor shows ads.

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

PDF Reader ships an update every 2 months, and PDF Editor monthly. Most recently, PDF Reader was updated on September 24, 2026 and PDF Editor on September 21, 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.*