# PDF Reader vs Split PDF Merger

The clearest difference is rating: Split PDF Merger at 5.0 against PDF Reader's 4.5. Split PDF Merger also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 10) and review sentiment (100% vs 81%). PDF Reader's advantage is ratings volume (3.5K vs 1) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.6). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PDF Reader sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Split PDF Merger asks for nothing beyond the download.

Split PDF Merger 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 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 81% of PDF Reader's written reviews are positive against 100% of Split PDF Merger's.

PDF Reader ships an update every 2 months, Split PDF Merger every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and September 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF Reader | Split PDF Merger |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (3.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-reader-editor-and-viewer/id368377690/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/split-pdf-merger/id6514321660/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **3.5K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 80.9% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 4 weeks** |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Size | 190 MB | 87 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Kdan Mobile Software LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/318936474) | [Ernesto Gonzalez](https://appshunter.io/developer/1683765933) |

## 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


### Split PDF Merger

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/split-pdf-merger/id6514321660)

Easily split large PDF files into smaller ones or merge multiple documents into a single file. This app offers batch processing and custom page range selection for efficient PDF management.

**Highlights:** Intuitive user interface, Batch processing for multiple files, Custom page range splitting, Merge multiple PDFs into one, Compress PDFs to reduce size, Fast and efficient processing

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PDF Reader free?

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

### Is Split PDF Merger free?

Split PDF Merger is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, PDF Reader or Split PDF Merger?

Split PDF Merger is rated higher. PDF Reader averages 4.5 out of 5 from 3.5K ratings, while Split PDF Merger averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do PDF Reader or Split PDF Merger have ads?

Neither PDF Reader nor Split PDF Merger shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, PDF Reader or Split PDF Merger?

PDF Reader ships an update every 2 months, and Split PDF Merger every 4 weeks. Most recently, PDF Reader was updated on October 13, 2026 and Split PDF Merger on September 14, 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.*