# pdf vs Reader's Bench

The clearest difference is price: Reader's Bench at Free against pdf's $9.99. Reader's Bench also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 72%) and update cadence (weekly vs every 2 weeks). pdf's advantage is rating (4.4 vs 3.5) and in-app purchases (none vs 4). On ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Reader's Bench is free to download; pdf costs $9.99 up front. Reader's Bench sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. pdf asks for nothing beyond the download.

pdf holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: pdf has 27 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 72% of pdf's written reviews are positive against 100% of Reader's Bench's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

pdf ships an update every 2 weeks, Reader's Bench weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | pdf | Reader's Bench |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $9.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.4 (27 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-notes-for-ipad/id417200844/reviews)** | [3.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/readers-bench-pdf-and-notes/id1671846175/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **27** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 71.5% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Freemium** |
| Size | 138 MB | 7 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [AMuseTec Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/342152781) | [Rohmiapps Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/982578674) |

## What reviewers say

### pdf

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-notes-for-ipad/id417200844)

Manage and annotate PDF files on your iPad with fast page turning and intuitive finger-writing. Easily import, organize, and share your notes with friends. Offers a seamless reading and editing experience.

**Highlights:** Fast page turning and content scanning, Intuitive finger-writing with zoom-in, Easy PDF import via Dropbox, Email, or iTunes, Organized bookshelves with search, Variety of pens, highlighters, and text notes, Export annotated PDFs via email

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Reader's Bench

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/readers-bench-pdf-and-notes/id1671846175)

This app is a PDF reader and markup tool designed for serious study and research. It allows users to read, annotate, take notes, and review highlighted content from PDF documents with efficient performance and a distraction-free interface.

**Highlights:** PDF reading and markup, Handwriting and typed notes, Annotation extraction for review, Highlight, underline, strikethrough, Image capture and insertion, Export notes and annotated PDFs, Word definition and sentence translation

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Reader's Bench Subscription | $0.99 | per month |
| Pro Monthly | $5.99 | per month |
| Pro Yearly | $39.99 | per year |
| Pro Lifetime | $69.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is pdf free?

pdf costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Reader's Bench free?

Reader's Bench is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, pdf or Reader's Bench?

pdf is rated higher. pdf averages 4.4 out of 5 from 27 ratings, while Reader's Bench averages 3.5 from 2 ratings.

### Do pdf or Reader's Bench have ads?

Neither pdf nor Reader's Bench shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, pdf or Reader's Bench?

pdf ships an update every 2 weeks, and Reader's Bench weekly. Most recently, pdf was updated on October 9, 2026 and Reader's Bench on October 7, 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.*