Comparison

PDF Pro vs PDF Scanner & Simple Reader

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

PDF Scanner & Simple Reader

Transform paper documents into searchable PDFs using your device's camera. Read, bookmark, and organize your scanned files offline with a simple, intuitive interface. Offers tools for page extraction and merging for efficient document management.

Highlights
  • Document scanning to PDF
  • Simple PDF reader with zoom
  • Continue reading from last page
  • Bookmark important pages
  • Offline PDF access
  • Extract and merge PDF pages
Features
Read full description

PDF Scanner & Simple Reader helps you scan paper documents into PDF, then read, bookmark, and keep them offline on your device. Use your camera to save receipts, handwritten notes, contracts, study papers, manuals, certificates, and everyday documents as PDFs. Open scanned files right away, return to them from recent files, and continue reading without a complicated editor. KEY FEATURES Document Scan to PDF • Scan paper documents with your camera • Save receipts, notes, contracts, and study material as PDF • Create multi-page PDFs from scanned images • Open the scanned PDF immediately after saving Simple PDF Reader • Fast PDF opening for everyday documents • Smooth vertical scrolling and pinch-to-zoom • Page-by-page navigation • Clean reading screen with a floating toolbar Continue Reading & Bookmarks • Keep recently opened PDFs in one place • Continue from the last page you read • Bookmark important pages • Jump back to saved pages quickly Offline & Private • Read PDFs offline • Files are stored locally on your device • Open password-protected PDF files • No account required for basic reading PDF Tools • Extract selected pages into a new PDF • Merge PDF files • Save only the pages you need • Use scan, export, and merge as part of your document workflow PRO BUNDLE Upgrade to Pro for more room to work: • Unlimited document scanning • Unlimited PDF export • Unlimited PDF merge • Clean ad-free reading PERFECT FOR Students • Scan handouts, notes, textbooks, and study papers • Read saved PDFs offline • Bookmark important pages for review Work & Business • Scan contracts, receipts, reports, and forms • Keep documents easy to reopen • Extract or merge pages when needed Everyday Documents • Save receipts, certificates, manuals, and letters • Turn paper documents into PDFs you can read later • Keep a simple local document library WHY SIMPLE READER? • Scan first: turn paper documents into PDF • Read right away: open scanned PDFs instantly • Simple: no complicated menus • Offline: keep files on your device • Accessible: clean reading UI • Flexible: scan, read, bookmark, extract, and merge PDFs Download PDF Scanner & Simple Reader and start turning paper documents into readable PDFs. FEEDBACK & SUPPORT Send us your feedback through the in-app feature. Your input helps us improve the reading and scanning experience. PRIVACY PROTECTION PDF files are stored only on your device. No PDF content is sent to external servers. TERMS & POLICIES • Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ • Privacy Policy: https://general-beaufort-538.notion.site/Pdf-2853c0f6ead280999815c6b541866c07

Screenshots

PDF Pro4 screens
PDF Scanner & Simple Reader4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: PDF Scanner & Simple Reader at free with in-app purchases against PDF Pro's subscription. PDF Scanner & Simple Reader also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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

Both are free to download. PDF Pro sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and PDF Scanner & Simple Reader sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PDF Pro ships an update every 2 months, PDF Scanner & Simple Reader every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
PDF Pro versus PDF Scanner & Simple Reader: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPDF ProPDF Scanner & Simple Reader
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (6.9K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews60.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings6.9K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscriptionFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, MaciPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS17.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size91 MB64 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDominic RodemerKunWoo Kwon

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

PDF Scanner & Simple Reader

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

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
2 purchases

PDF Scanner & Simple Reader

Subscriptions1
  • remove ads (one month)$0.991 Month
One-time1
  • remove ads (life time)$4.99

Questions

Is PDF Pro free?
PDF Pro is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is PDF Scanner & Simple Reader free?
PDF Scanner & Simple Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do PDF Pro or PDF Scanner & Simple Reader have ads?
Neither PDF Pro nor PDF Scanner & Simple Reader shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PDF Pro or PDF Scanner & Simple Reader?
PDF Pro ships an update every 2 months, and PDF Scanner & Simple Reader every 5 days. Most recently, PDF Pro was updated on October 11, 2026 and PDF Scanner & Simple Reader on September 29, 2026.

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