# PDF Reader vs PDF Converter & PDF Scanner

The clearest difference is ads: PDF Reader at none against PDF Converter & PDF Scanner's shown. PDF Reader also leads on ratings volume (3.5K vs 91). PDF Converter & PDF Scanner's advantage is update cadence (every 8 days vs every 2 months) and review sentiment (98% vs 81%). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model 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 Converter & PDF Scanner sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for PDF Reader against 4.6 for PDF Converter & PDF Scanner. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PDF Reader has 3.5K ratings behind it against 91, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 81% of PDF Reader's written reviews are positive against 98% of PDF Converter & PDF Scanner's.

PDF Reader ships an update every 2 months, PDF Converter & PDF Scanner every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and August 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF Reader | PDF Converter & PDF Scanner |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (3.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-reader-editor-and-viewer/id368377690/reviews) | **[4.6 (91 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-converter-and-pdf-scanner/id6502906331/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **3.5K** | 91 |
| Positive reviews | 80.9% of reviews | **97.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 8 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 190 MB | 42 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 14.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Kdan Mobile Software LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/318936474) | [家俊 张](https://appshunter.io/developer/1745982381) |

## 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 Converter & PDF Scanner

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-converter-and-pdf-scanner/id6502906331)

This app acts as a portable PDF assistant, allowing users to scan, edit, and convert documents and photos into PDF format. It offers high-quality scanning, smart OCR for text recognition, and versatile editing tools. Convert PDFs to various formats and secure your files with encryption.

**Highlights:** High-quality scanning, Smart OCR text recognition, All-in-one PDF editing, Format conversion (Word, Excel, images), Secure file encryption, Add text, images, annotations, signatures

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 week | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| 1 month | $16.99 | per month |
| 1 year | $39.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PDF Reader free?

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

### Is PDF Converter & PDF Scanner free?

PDF Converter & PDF Scanner is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, PDF Reader or PDF Converter & PDF Scanner?

PDF Converter & PDF Scanner is rated higher. PDF Reader averages 4.5 out of 5 from 3.5K ratings, while PDF Converter & PDF Scanner averages 4.6 from 91 ratings.

### Do PDF Reader or PDF Converter & PDF Scanner have ads?

PDF Converter & PDF Scanner shows ads; PDF Reader does not.

### Which is updated more often, PDF Reader or PDF Converter & PDF Scanner?

PDF Reader ships an update every 2 months, and PDF Converter & PDF Scanner every 8 days. Most recently, PDF Reader was updated on September 25, 2026 and PDF Converter & PDF Scanner on August 27, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*