# Acrobat Reader vs Smart PDF Editor

The clearest difference is rating: Acrobat Reader at 4.6 against Smart PDF Editor's 3.8. Acrobat Reader also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 9 days vs every 7 months). Smart PDF Editor's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 18) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 18.3). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Acrobat Reader sells 16 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Smart PDF Editor asks for nothing beyond the download.

Acrobat Reader holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Acrobat Reader has 654K ratings behind it against 109, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 49% of Acrobat Reader's written reviews are positive against 21% of Smart PDF Editor's.

Acrobat Reader ships an update every 9 days, Smart PDF Editor every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Acrobat Reader | Smart PDF Editor |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (654K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/acrobat-reader-pdf-editor/id469337564/reviews)** | [3.8 (109 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smart-pdf-editor/id1184081486/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **654K** | 109 |
| Positive reviews | **49.1% of reviews** | 20.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 7 months |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Ad-supported** |
| Best chart rank | **#2** | — |
| Size | 522 MB | 11 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.3 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Adobe Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/331646274) | [Qrayon, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/354980265) |

## What reviewers say

### Acrobat Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/acrobat-reader-pdf-editor/id469337564)

**Currently charting:** #2 Top Grossing · Business, #15 Top Free · Business, #83 Top Grossing, #209 Top Free (US App Store)

This app is a powerful PDF tool for viewing, editing, annotating, and signing documents. It offers AI-powered features for summarizing and interacting with PDFs, along with robust conversion and security options. Collaborate on files and access your documents from anywhere.

**Highlights:** View, edit, and annotate PDFs, Sign and fill PDF forms, Convert files to and from PDF, AI-powered document summarization, Collaborate in PDF Spaces, Compress and secure PDFs, Optical Character Recognition (OCR)

**Features:** iMessage stickers, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (16)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Acrobat Premium - Monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| Adobe Acrobat Premium | $4.99 | per month |
| AI Assistant for Acrobat | $6.99 | per month |
| Acrobat Premium | $7.49 | per 7 days |
| Acrobat Premium - Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Acrobat Premium - Weekly | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| PDF Pack - Doc Creator | $9.99 | per month |
| Premium - Edit & Create PDF | $9.99 | per month |
| PDF Edit and Convert Monthly | $12.99 | per month |
| Acrobat Premium - Monthly | $12.99 | per month |
| Acrobat Premium - Monthly | $14.99 | per month |
| Acrobat Reader Plus - Yearly | $19.99 | per year |
| Adobe ExportPDF | $23.99 | per year |
| Adobe Acrobat Pro | $24.99 | per month |
| Acrobat Premium - Yearly | $48.99 | per year |
| Acrobat Premium - Yearly | $69.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and efficient
- 🔒 Secure document storage
- 👍 Convenient for reading and annotating PDFs
- 👍 Useful for students and professionals

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and unreliable
- 🔒 Overly intrusive login requirements
- 💰 Expensive subscription model
- 👎 Counterintuitive user interface changes
- 🔍 Poor search and organization features

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent crashes and freezes
- Inconsistent behavior when editing PDFs
- Inability to open or save certain file types
- Sync issues between mobile and desktop versions

**Requested features**

- Add erase tool for annotations
- Improve palm rejection for Apple Pencil
- Allow direct text editing in PDFs
- Provide better cloud integration and sync
- Offer more customization options


### Smart PDF Editor

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smart-pdf-editor/id1184081486)

This app is a PDF editor designed for efficient ink annotations, especially with a stylus. It helps professionals sign and share documents, and students take notes on study materials. Organize your files with a built-in manager.

**Highlights:** Ink annotation optimized, Digital signature tool, Document review and sharing, Note-taking on documents, Built-in file manager, Color-coded categories

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Acrobat Reader free?

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

### Is Smart PDF Editor free?

Smart PDF Editor is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Acrobat Reader or Smart PDF Editor?

Acrobat Reader is rated higher. Acrobat Reader averages 4.6 out of 5 from 654K ratings, while Smart PDF Editor averages 3.8 from 109 ratings.

### Do Acrobat Reader or Smart PDF Editor have ads?

Smart PDF Editor shows ads; Acrobat Reader does not.

### Which is updated more often, Acrobat Reader or Smart PDF Editor?

Acrobat Reader ships an update every 9 days, and Smart PDF Editor every 7 months. Most recently, Acrobat Reader was updated on September 26, 2026 and Smart PDF Editor on September 15, 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.*