Comparison

PDF Pro vs GoodReader Pro PDF Editor

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

PDF Pro

Edit, annotate, and read PDF documents on your iPhone and iPad. Highlight text, add notes, shapes, voice recordings, and photos. Search your entire PDF library, fill out forms, and sign documents.

Highlights
  • Edit and annotate PDFs
  • Highlight text and add notes
  • Embed audio and photo annotations
  • Full-text search of PDF library
  • Fill out and sign PDF forms
  • Organize PDFs with folders and tags
  • Import from cloud storage
Features
Read full description

PDF Pro lets you read, edit and annotate your PDF documents directly on your iPhone and iPad. Highlight text, take notes, embed shapes or draw with your finger. You can even embed voice recordings or photo annotations. Full-text-search your entire PDF library with just a single tap. Above all PDF Pro comes with full-featured PDF form and signature support. Key-Features At A Glance: • POWERFUL SEARCH: ∙ Full-text-search your entire PDF library. ∙ Search inside specific documents with easy navigation through the search results. ∙ Look-up selected text directly on Wikipedia or in the included dictionaries. • FILE-MANAGEMENT: ∙ Group your PDFs in folders and tag them with colorful labels. ∙ Import PDFs from your Dropbox®, Microsoft OneDrive® or Google Drive®. ∙ Add PDFs via USB or WiFi. ∙ Open E-Mail attachments. • CLEAR VIEW: ∙ Easily browse through all your annotations. ∙ Full PDF outline support. You can even search the outline. ∙ Get an overview of all your bookmarked or annotated pages just with a single tap. • SHARE and PRINT: ∙ Easily share your annotated documents with your friends or co-workers. ∙ Print your annotated and edited PDFs. ∙ You can even share or print single pages of a document. • HIGH SPEED and STABILITY: ∙ Rapid viewing of PDF documents. ∙ Smooth display of very large PDF files. • NIGHT MODE: ∙ Makes reading in the dark much easier on the eyes. • SECURITY: ∙ Support for password-protected PDFs • AND MUCH MORE... Premium Features and Premium Offer include: • ANNOTATIONS and NOTES: ∙ Highlight text, take notes or draw with your finger. ∙ Powerful shape editor for arrows, rectangles, circles, lines and much more. ∙ Embed audio and photo annotations into your PDFs. ∙ Use predefined stamps or create your own. • DOCUMENT EDITOR: ∙ Create new pages. ∙ Export pages or merge them into existing documents. ∙ Reorder, rotate and delete pages. • CONTENT EDITOR: • Modify the existing content of PDF documents. • MULTITASKING: ∙ Work with multiple PDFs at a time. ∙ Copy and paste annotations, shapes, images or text from one PDF document into another. • FORM SUPPORT: ∙ Just fill out your PDF form, sign it with your handwritten signature and you are ready to send it via E-Mail or print it via AirPrint®. A monthly or annual subscription is required to get access to all premium features and premium offer. --- Subscriptions automatically renew monthly or yearly depending on your plan unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. Plans are priced at $3.99USD monthly and $24.99USD yearly (pricing may vary in countries other than the U.S.). Payment will be charged to your App Store Account at confirmation of purchase. To avoid automatic renewal, you must turn off auto-renew at least 24 hours before your subscription ends. You can turn off auto-renew at any time from your App Store Account Settings. Terms of Use: https://pdf-pro.net/terms-of-service/ Privacy Policy: https://pdf-pro.net/privacy-policy/

About

GoodReader Pro PDF Editor

This app offers robust PDF editing and annotation capabilities, alongside comprehensive file management for various document types. It allows users to securely store, organize, and access files from cloud services, enhancing productivity on mobile devices.

Highlights
  • PDF annotation and editing
  • File management for various formats
  • Cloud service integration (Dropbox, Google Drive, etc.)
  • Military-grade AES-256 encryption
  • Split-screen viewing for iPad
  • PDF Reflow feature
Features
Read full description

GoodReader® Pro and our famous classic GoodReader app are essentially the same app, but this one comes with Pro Pack® pre-activated, no subscription or in-app purchase needed. First released in 2009, GoodReader® is truly a veteran of the App Store. In the modern app business, it's not easy to stay relevant that long. We're proud to say that after 17 years and counting, we've been delivering wonderful updates with extraordinary new features. And we're going to keep doing that! GoodReader is a perfect combination of document-reading and file-managing capabilities. It's your one-stop shop for all your document needs on your iOS device. Use the app once, and you'll be hooked. Soon you'll be wondering how you ever managed to work without it. -= File Reading =- PDF, TXT, MS Office, iWork, HTML, pictures, music & audio-books, videos. This is what you can view in GoodReader, plus you can also annotate PDF files and edit TXT files. -= PDF Reading and Annotating =- PDF files is where GoodReader truly shines. Reading experience is so superior, it's hard to describe. To rephrase one of our customers' review, "try it, and you'll see." While you're at it, give our PDF Reflow feature a try. You'll be surprised how much better PDF reading goes when you don't have to scroll left/right all the time, for every single line of text. Annotating PDFs is another star feature of our app. Adding notes and drawings, highlighting text, and then sharing your annotated files or annotation summaries will be your main productivity and collaboration asset. -= File Management =- While reading files is a big part of GoodReader, it's not all it can do. It can also serve as a central hub for all your files, even those that can't be opened by GoodReader itself. It's like bringing your personal computer experience to your mobile device — easily managing huge collections of files and folders will make you forget you don't have your laptop around. -= Connecting =- Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive, Box.com, WebDAV, SMB, FTP, SFTP — these are all accessible from inside GoodReader. Download, upload, and sync individual files or huge folder collections. -= Security =- With GoodReader, your data security steps up to the level previously only dreamt of. With Pro Pack®, our new set of professional-level super-features, you'll get AES-256, a military-grade encryption, for all your data, at a price of a cup of coffee! And it's completely independent from the built-in Apple's Data Protection, so even if a hacker steals and unlocks your device, your data will still be protected by another strong layer of security, our own. -= Multi-Windows =- Seamlessly view and manage multiple files simultaneously on iPad. -= Notes =- Capture ideas and comments while reading or studying a technical document without even leaving the app. Sort and group your notes into categories.

Screenshots

PDF Pro4 screens
GoodReader Pro PDF Editor3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: PDF Pro at Free against GoodReader Pro PDF Editor's $79.99. PDF Pro also leads on ratings volume (6.9K vs 269). GoodReader Pro PDF Editor's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 12) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). On rating, review sentiment, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

PDF Pro is free to download; GoodReader Pro PDF Editor costs $79.99 up front. PDF Pro sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. GoodReader Pro PDF Editor asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for PDF Pro against 4.7 for GoodReader Pro PDF Editor. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PDF Pro has 6.9K ratings behind it against 269, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 60% of PDF Pro's written reviews are positive against 68% of GoodReader Pro PDF Editor's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PDF Pro ships an update every 2 months, GoodReader Pro PDF Editor every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
PDF Pro versus GoodReader Pro PDF Editor: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPDF ProGoodReader Pro PDF Editor
PriceFree — better$79.99
Rating4.7 (6.9K ratings)4.7 (269 ratings)
Positive reviews60.3% of reviews68.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings6.9K — better269
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationSubscriptionPaid — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.0 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size91 MB53 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDominic RodemerGood.iWare, Inc.

Customer experience

PDF Pro

All ratings6,925 ratings
Positive93.4%
Neutral3.2%
Negative3.3%
Written reviews423 reviews
Positive60.3%
Neutral10.4%
Negative29.3%

GoodReader Pro PDF Editor

All ratings269 ratings
Positive93.3%
Neutral0.7%
Negative5.9%
Written reviews119 reviews
Positive68.1%
Neutral2.5%
Negative29.4%

User reviews

PDF Pro

From 6.9K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 User-friendly interface
  • 🚀 Fast and efficient
  • 💡 Excellent PDF management features
  • 🔒 Secure and reliable
  • 🎨 Great annotation tools

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes and stability issues
  • 💰 Expensive subscription model
  • 🔍 Inconsistent search functionality
  • 📖 Loses last read position
  • 🖋️ Unreliable handwriting support

GoodReader Pro PDF Editor

From 269 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 📂 Excellent file management
  • 📚 Great for PDF organization
  • ✍️ Powerful annotation tools
  • 🚀 Fast loading and performance
  • 🔄 Reliable syncing

Room to improve

  • 💸 Expensive for some
  • 🔄 Tedious data transfer to Pro
  • ❓ Little difference between regular and Pro
  • 🔌 Sync issues with cloud services
  • 🚫 No PC version available

Bugs and requests

PDF Pro

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Annotations and highlights randomly disappearing
  • Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions
  • Corrupted PDF files after editing
  • Slow performance on older devices
  • Inconsistent behavior when switching between PDFs

Requested features

5 requests
  • Improved bookmarking and note-taking
  • Seamless iCloud/cloud storage integration
  • Customizable keyboard shortcuts
  • Advanced text editing and OCR capabilities
  • Better organization and folder management

GoodReader Pro PDF Editor

Reported bugs

15 issues
  • Cannot move bookmarks from old to Pro version
  • Dropbox/OneDrive sync not working
  • iCloud integration issues
  • App crashes when adding photos
  • App freezes after annotation
Show 10 more
  • App does not keep pattern open after closing
  • iPad version web server option not working
  • Cannot change or disable app password
  • Encrypted PDF export issues
  • Glitchy highlighter and eraser
  • Cannot access files through Dropbox
  • No longer syncs with OneDrive or Dropbox
  • Files lost after upgrading to new app
  • Cannot download embedded video
  • Cannot see iCloud files without workaround

Requested features

16 requests
  • Proper night mode (inverted colors)
  • Bookmark sharing feature
  • PC version of the app
  • Profile switching for open tabs
  • Editable text feature
Show 11 more
  • Support for Chinese language
  • Adjustable plain text font size
  • Two-page PDF viewing
  • Option to ignore finger/hand annotation
  • True dark mode with inverted colors
  • Edit text within PDFs
  • Improve note-taking and thumbnail features
  • Add text editing function
  • Make max number of open tabs configurable
  • Improve PDF annotation experience
  • Allow editing of actual text in PDFs

In-app purchases

12 purchases

PDF Pro

Subscriptions12
  • Offer - Monthly - macOS3 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • Offer - Monthly - iOS3 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Premium - Monthly - iOS3 Days trial$3.991 Month
Show 9 more
  • Premium - Monthly - macOS3 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Offer - Annual - iOS3 Days trial$12.991 Year
  • Offer - Annual - macOS3 Days trial$22.991 Year
  • Premium - Annual - iOS3 Days trial$24.991 Year
  • Offer - macOS + iOS3 Days trial$24.991 Year
  • Offer - iOS + macOS3 Days trial$29.991 Year
  • Premium - Annual - macOS3 Days trial$44.991 Year
  • Premium - iOS + macOS3 Days trial$49.991 Year
  • Premium - macOS + iOS3 Days trial$49.991 Year
None

GoodReader Pro PDF Editor

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is PDF Pro free?
PDF Pro is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is GoodReader Pro PDF Editor free?
GoodReader Pro PDF Editor costs $79.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, PDF Pro or GoodReader Pro PDF Editor?
PDF Pro and GoodReader Pro PDF Editor are both rated 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store, from 6.9K and 269 ratings respectively.
Do PDF Pro or GoodReader Pro PDF Editor have ads?
Neither PDF Pro nor GoodReader Pro PDF Editor shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PDF Pro or GoodReader Pro PDF Editor?
PDF Pro ships an update every 2 months, and GoodReader Pro PDF Editor every 3 weeks. Most recently, PDF Pro was updated on September 24, 2026 and GoodReader Pro PDF Editor on September 22, 2026.

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