# PDF Pro vs PDF Scanner & Simple Reader

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.

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF Pro | PDF Scanner & Simple Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (6.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-pro-reader-editor-forms/id454936656/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **6.9K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 60.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 91 MB | 64 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Dominic Rodemer](https://appshunter.io/developer/309872333) | [KunWoo Kwon](https://appshunter.io/developer/1603506815) |

## 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 Scanner & Simple Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-scanner-and-simple-reader/id6753705461)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| remove ads (one month) | $0.99 | per month |
| remove ads (life time) | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*