# PDF Reader vs Light PDF

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Light PDF at none against PDF Reader's 10. Light PDF also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 months). PDF Reader's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price 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. Light PDF asks for nothing beyond the download.

PDF Reader ships an update every 2 months, Light PDF every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF Reader | Light PDF |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (3.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-reader-editor-and-viewer/id368377690/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **3.5K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 80.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Size | 190 MB | 33 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Kdan Mobile Software LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/318936474) | [其达 林](https://appshunter.io/developer/1781276360) |

## 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


### Light PDF

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/light-pdf-lite-pdf-reader/id6739862474)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PDF Reader free?

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

### Is Light PDF free?

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

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

Light PDF shows ads; PDF Reader does not.

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

PDF Reader ships an update every 2 months, and Light PDF every 5 days. Most recently, PDF Reader was updated on September 24, 2026 and Light PDF on September 14, 2026.

---

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