# PDF Pro vs LightPDF

The clearest difference is monetization model: LightPDF at free with in-app purchases against PDF Pro's subscription. LightPDF also leads on review sentiment (88% vs 60%) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months). PDF Pro's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 4.3) and ratings volume (7K vs 52). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PDF Pro sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and LightPDF sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $13.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

PDF Pro holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PDF Pro has 7K ratings behind it against 52, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 60% of PDF Pro's written reviews are positive against 88% of LightPDF's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

PDF Pro ships an update every 2 months, LightPDF every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF Pro | LightPDF |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-pro-reader-editor-forms/id454936656/reviews)** | [4.3 (52 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lightpdf-ai-chat-pdf-scanner/id1622949837/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **7K** | 52 |
| Positive reviews | 60.0% of reviews | **88.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 97 MB | 113 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Dominic Rodemer](https://appshunter.io/developer/309872333) | [Wangxu Technology Co., Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1254320291) |

## What reviewers say

### PDF Pro

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-pro-reader-editor-forms/id454936656)

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:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Offer - Monthly - macOS | $1.99 | per month |
| Offer - Monthly - iOS | $2.99 | per month |
| Premium - Monthly - iOS | $3.99 | per month |
| Premium - Monthly - macOS | $4.99 | per month |
| Offer - Annual - iOS | $12.99 | per year |
| Offer - Annual - macOS | $22.99 | per year |
| Premium  - Annual - iOS | $24.99 | per year |
| Offer - macOS + iOS | $24.99 | per year |
| Offer - iOS + macOS | $29.99 | per year |
| Premium - Annual - macOS | $44.99 | per year |
| Premium - iOS + macOS | $49.99 | per year |
| Premium - macOS + iOS | $49.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

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


### LightPDF

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lightpdf-ai-chat-pdf-scanner/id1622949837)

This app offers a comprehensive suite of tools for managing PDF documents on your mobile device. It leverages AI to summarize, chat with, and convert PDFs, along with scanning capabilities, text extraction, and editing features. It also includes an ID photo maker and watermark removal.

**Highlights:** AI Chat with PDFs, Phone Scanner to PDF, PDF to Word/JPG/Excel Converter, OCR Text Extraction, PDF Editing and Annotation, ID Photo Maker, Watermark Removal

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| LightPDF Weekly Subscription | $13.99 | per 7 days |
| LightPDF Monthly Subscription | $19.99 | per month |
| LightPDF Yearly Subscription | $47.99 | per year |
| LightPDF Annual Subscription | $49.99 | per year |
| LightPDF Yearly Subscription | $59.99 | per year |
| iOS LightPDF - 1 Week | $9.99 | one-time |
| 買一年送一年 | $79.99 | one-time |
| 1年購入で1年おまけ | $84.99 | one-time |
| 2 zum Preis von 1 | $99.99 | one-time |
| 3-Year Subscription | $99.99 | one-time |
| Mac LightPDF Lifetime Plan | $109.99 | one-time |
| Buy 3 yrs Get 3 yrs Free | $149.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 🚀 Efficient PDF tools
- ✨ High-quality PDF to Word conversion
- 💡 Impressive OCR functionality
- 💬 Helpful AI chatbot

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💸 High price
- ❌ App doesn't work
- 💳 Unexpected charges
- 🚫 Watermark removal issues
- 📉 Blurry pictures

**Reported bugs**

- App requests more money after payment
- Paid subscription not unlocking features
- Trial period charged despite cancellation
- Scans cut off PDF to 3 pages or under
- Performance issues

**Requested features**

- iPad support
- Edit text in the exact same font
- More advanced editing features


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PDF Pro free?

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

### Is LightPDF free?

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

### Which has better reviews, PDF Pro or LightPDF?

PDF Pro is rated higher. PDF Pro averages 4.7 out of 5 from 7K ratings, while LightPDF averages 4.3 from 52 ratings.

### Do PDF Pro or LightPDF have ads?

Neither PDF Pro nor LightPDF shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, PDF Pro or LightPDF?

PDF Pro ships an update every 2 months, and LightPDF every 2 weeks. Most recently, PDF Pro was updated on October 22, 2026 and LightPDF on October 19, 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.*