# Acrobat Reader vs e Signature Scanner, Sign PDF

Acrobat Reader and e Signature Scanner, Sign PDF both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 84% of e Signature Scanner, Sign PDF's written reviews are positive against 49% of Acrobat Reader's. e Signature Scanner, Sign PDF also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.3). Acrobat Reader's advantage is ratings volume (654K vs 2K) and chart position (#2 vs unranked). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Acrobat Reader sells 16 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and e Signature Scanner, Sign PDF sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Acrobat Reader against 4.6 for e Signature Scanner, Sign PDF. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Acrobat Reader has 654K ratings behind it against 2K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 49% of Acrobat Reader's written reviews are positive against 84% of e Signature Scanner, Sign PDF's.

Acrobat Reader ships an update every 9 days, e Signature Scanner, Sign PDF weekly. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Acrobat Reader | e Signature Scanner, Sign PDF |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (654K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/acrobat-reader-pdf-editor/id469337564/reviews) | [4.6 (2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/e-signature-scanner-sign-pdf/id1502608223/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **654K** | 2K |
| Positive reviews | 49.2% of reviews | **84.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#2** | — |
| Size | 522 MB | 161 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.3 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Adobe Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/331646274) | [Profuse](https://appshunter.io/developer/1476041889) |

## 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, #71 Top Grossing (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


### e Signature Scanner, Sign PDF

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/e-signature-scanner-sign-pdf/id1502608223)

Capture your handwritten signature from paper using your phone's camera. The app automatically cleans and refines it for a professional, transparent digital signature to use on PDFs and other documents. Sign contracts, invoices, and agreements quickly and securely.

**Highlights:** Scan handwritten signatures from paper, Automatic background cleaning and refinement, Create transparent digital signatures, Sign PDFs, forms, and business agreements, Securely store signatures on device, Sign and share files instantly

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium | $14.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium | $19.99 | per month |
| Premium | $29.99 | per month |
| Premium | $39.99 | per year |
| Premium | $49.99 | per year |
| Premium | $99.99 | per year |
| Save 1 signature | $4.99 | one-time |
| Premium | $79.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Efficient signature creation
- 💡 Convenient for on-the-go signing
- 🔒 Secure signature storage
- 👍 User-friendly interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Signature not appearing in documents
- 🐛 Signature quality issues (faint, thin)
- 💰 Expensive subscription
- 🔒 Concerns about unauthorized charges

**Reported bugs**

- Signature not loading properly
- App crashing or freezing
- Compatibility issues with older devices

**Requested features**

- Ability to customize signature appearance
- Option to export/share signature
- Support for more document types


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Acrobat Reader free?

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

### Is e Signature Scanner, Sign PDF free?

e Signature Scanner, Sign PDF is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Acrobat Reader or e Signature Scanner, Sign PDF?

Acrobat Reader and e Signature Scanner, Sign PDF are both rated 4.6 out of 5 on the App Store, from 654K and 2K ratings respectively.

### Do Acrobat Reader or e Signature Scanner, Sign PDF have ads?

Neither Acrobat Reader nor e Signature Scanner, Sign PDF shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Acrobat Reader or e Signature Scanner, Sign PDF?

Acrobat Reader ships an update every 9 days, and e Signature Scanner, Sign PDF weekly. Most recently, Acrobat Reader was updated on September 24, 2026 and e Signature Scanner, Sign PDF on September 24, 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.*