# PDF Pro vs PDF Reader

The clearest difference is review sentiment: PDF Pro at 60% against PDF Reader's 20%. PDF Pro also leads on ads (none vs shown) and rating (4.7 vs 4.3). PDF Reader's advantage is monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and update cadence (monthly vs every 2 months). On price, 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 $2.99 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 6.9K ratings behind it against 408, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 60% of PDF Pro's written reviews are positive against 20% of PDF Reader's.

PDF Pro ships an update every 2 months, PDF Reader monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 20, 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)** | [4.3 (408 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-reader-document-reader/id6450378658/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **6.9K** | 408 |
| Positive reviews | **60.3% of reviews** | 20.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 91 MB | 28 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) | [Rajanibhai Sheladiya](https://appshunter.io/developer/1693041623) |

## 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-document-reader/id6450378658)

This app allows users to easily find, open, read, and manage all PDF and Office files stored on their mobile device. It offers features for annotating, signing, and organizing documents, with options for offline viewing and sharing.

**Highlights:** Auto scan and find all files, Offline PDF viewer, Read and annotate PDFs, File management and organization, Share files easily, Favorite PDF pages

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly ( 1 Week ) | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly ( 1 Month ) | $6.99 | per month |
| Yearly ( 1 Year ) | $24.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Very useful for processing files
- 👍 Easy to use
- 👍 Brilliant application
- 👍 Helped with work progression

**What reviewers complain about**

-  anúncios Excessivos
- 👎 Cannot open PDFs
- 👎 App is useless
- 👎 Forced vertical orientation
- 👎 Constant ads

**Reported bugs**

- App crashed and locked PDF
- Photos not appearing in PDF conversion
- Ads cannot be closed
- App tries to load scanning software instead of reading PDF
- App does not appear in preferred app list

**Requested features**

- Save page number for resuming reading
- Respect user time before asking for payment


## 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 4.3 from 408 ratings.

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

PDF Reader shows ads; PDF Pro does not.

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

PDF Pro ships an update every 2 months, and PDF Reader monthly. Most recently, PDF Pro was updated on September 22, 2026 and PDF Reader on September 20, 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.*