# Acrobat Reader vs PDF

The clearest difference is ads: Acrobat Reader at none against PDF's shown. Acrobat Reader also leads on ratings volume (654K vs 1.4K) and update cadence (every 9 days vs every 6 weeks). PDF's advantage is review sentiment (60% vs 49%) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.3). On price, rating, 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 sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Acrobat Reader holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Acrobat Reader has 654K ratings behind it against 1.4K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 49% of Acrobat Reader's written reviews are positive against 60% of PDF's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Acrobat Reader ships an update every 9 days, PDF every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Acrobat Reader | PDF |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (654K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/acrobat-reader-pdf-editor/id469337564/reviews)** | [4.4 (1.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-scanner-reader-and-editor/id1536913299/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **654K** | 1.4K |
| Positive reviews | 49.2% of reviews | **60.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#2** | — |
| Size | 522 MB | 228 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) | [Pravin Gondaliya](https://appshunter.io/developer/1210259494) |

## 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, #78 Top Grossing, #200 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


### PDF

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-scanner-reader-and-editor/id1536913299)

This app transforms your device into a comprehensive document management tool. Scan, read, edit, and securely sign PDFs with features like OCR, PIN protection, and cloud integration. Organize all your files effortlessly for work, study, or personal use.

**Highlights:** PIN Protection & Secure File Locking, Electronic Signature, Smart Document Scanner, Accurate OCR (Text Recognition), All-in-One File Manager, Multi-Format Export (PDF, JPG), Page Management Tools

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

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Camera Scanner Week | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| PDF Scanner - 1 Month | $4.99 | per month |
| Camera Scanner Pro | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| Camera Scanner Lite | $9.99 | per month |
| Camera Scanner Lite | $9.99 | per month |
| Camera Scanner Pro | $23.99 | per year |
| Camera Scanner Pro | $39.99 | per year |
| PDF Scanner - Lifetime | $79.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Acrobat Reader free?

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

### Is PDF free?

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

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

Acrobat Reader is rated higher. Acrobat Reader averages 4.6 out of 5 from 654K ratings, while PDF averages 4.4 from 1.4K ratings.

### Do Acrobat Reader or PDF have ads?

PDF shows ads; Acrobat Reader does not.

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

Acrobat Reader ships an update every 9 days, and PDF every 6 weeks. Most recently, Acrobat Reader was updated on September 24, 2026 and PDF on September 22, 2026.

---

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