# Acrobat Reader vs PDF Manager

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Acrobat Reader at 654K against PDF Manager's 78. Acrobat Reader also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs every 6 weeks) and chart position (#2 vs unranked). PDF Manager's advantage is review sentiment (67% vs 49%) and rating (4.8 vs 4.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Acrobat Reader sells 16 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and PDF Manager sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

PDF Manager holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Acrobat Reader has 654K ratings behind it against 78, 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 67% of PDF Manager's.

Acrobat Reader ships an update every 9 days, PDF Manager every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and August 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Acrobat Reader | PDF Manager |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (654K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/acrobat-reader-pdf-editor/id469337564/reviews) | **[4.8 (78 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-manager-scan-text-photo/id1530075244/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **654K** | 78 |
| Positive reviews | 49.1% of reviews | **66.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#2** | — |
| Size | 522 MB | 34 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.3 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Adobe Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/331646274) | [MULTI MOBILE Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/593288070) |

## 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, #91 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


### PDF Manager

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-manager-scan-text-photo/id1530075244)

Transform your device into a mobile scanner and PDF editor. Easily scan documents with automatic border detection, edit, sign, and share them in high-quality PDF or JPEG formats. Organize your files with folders and protect them with passwords.

**Highlights:** Automatic document border detection, Export to PDF or JPEG, Digital signature and watermarks, Organize documents in folders, Password protection for documents, Cloud and local storage options

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PDF Pro App Plus Weekly | $1.49 | per 7 days |
| PDF Pro Plus | $3.49 | per month |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Acrobat Reader free?

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

### Is PDF Manager free?

PDF Manager is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Acrobat Reader or PDF Manager?

PDF Manager is rated higher. Acrobat Reader averages 4.6 out of 5 from 654K ratings, while PDF Manager averages 4.8 from 78 ratings.

### Do Acrobat Reader or PDF Manager have ads?

Neither Acrobat Reader nor PDF Manager shows ads.

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

Acrobat Reader ships an update every 9 days, and PDF Manager every 6 weeks. Most recently, Acrobat Reader was updated on September 26, 2026 and PDF Manager on August 28, 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.*