# PDF Pro vs PDF Reader

The clearest difference is rating: PDF Pro at 4.7 against PDF Reader's 3.7. PDF Pro also leads on ratings volume (6.9K vs 13) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 5 months). PDF Reader's advantage is monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 17.0). 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 PDF Reader sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 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 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PDF Pro has 6.9K ratings behind it against 13, so its average is the more settled of the two.

PDF Pro ships an update every 2 months, PDF Reader every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and August 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF Pro | PDF Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (6.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-pro-reader-editor-forms/id454936656/reviews)** | [3.7 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-reader-all-pdf-viewer/id6448699108/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **6.9K** | 13 |
| Positive reviews | 60.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 91 MB | 19 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Dominic Rodemer](https://appshunter.io/developer/309872333) | [Sagar Rudani](https://appshunter.io/developer/1663592356) |

## 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


### PDF Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-reader-all-pdf-viewer/id6448699108)

Easily view and manage all your PDF files on your mobile device. This app offers offline access, dark mode, and convenient file management features for efficient document handling.

**Highlights:** Offline PDF viewing, Dark mode support, File management, Bookmark pages, Search and copy text, Share files easily

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly   1 Week | $0.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly   1 Month | $2.99 | per month |
| Remove Ads for 1 year | $14.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PDF Pro free?

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

### Is PDF Reader free?

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

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

PDF Pro is rated higher. PDF Pro averages 4.7 out of 5 from 6.9K ratings, while PDF Reader averages 3.7 from 13 ratings.

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

Neither PDF Pro nor PDF Reader shows ads.

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

PDF Pro ships an update every 2 months, and PDF Reader every 5 months. Most recently, PDF Pro was updated on September 24, 2026 and PDF Reader on August 26, 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.*