# Acrobat Reader vs Document Scanner & PDF Editor

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Document Scanner & PDF Editor at 100% against Acrobat Reader's 49%. Document Scanner & PDF Editor also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.3). Acrobat Reader's advantage is update cadence (every 9 days vs every 14 months) and ratings volume (654K vs 7). 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 Document Scanner & PDF Editor sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 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 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Acrobat Reader has 654K ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 49% of Acrobat Reader's written reviews are positive against 100% of Document Scanner & PDF Editor'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, Document Scanner & PDF Editor every 14 months. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Acrobat Reader | Document Scanner & PDF Editor |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (654K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/acrobat-reader-pdf-editor/id469337564/reviews)** | [4.3 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/document-scanner-and-pdf-editor/id1586783907/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **654K** | 7 |
| Positive reviews | 49.1% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 14 months |
| Monetization | Freemium | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | **#2** | — |
| Size | 522 MB | 136 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.3 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Adobe Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/331646274) | [Jignesh Thakkar Huf](https://appshunter.io/developer/1583179349) |

## What reviewers say

### Acrobat Reader

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

**Currently charting:** #2 Top Grossing · Business, #14 Top Free · Business, #84 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


### Document Scanner & PDF Editor

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/document-scanner-and-pdf-editor/id1586783907)

Easily scan documents, receipts, and business cards into high-quality PDFs. Enhance images with filters, convert scanned text to over 110 languages with OCR, and digitally sign documents. Secure your scans with biometric authentication and sync them to iCloud.

**Highlights:** Document scanning, Automatic border detection, Image filters, OCR with 110+ languages, Electronic signatures, Cloud integration (iCloud), QR code scanning

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Doc Scanner Premium Weekly | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Doc Scanner Premium Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Doc Scanner Premium Yearly | $34.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Acrobat Reader free?

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

### Is Document Scanner & PDF Editor free?

Document Scanner & PDF Editor is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Acrobat Reader or Document Scanner & PDF Editor?

Acrobat Reader is rated higher. Acrobat Reader averages 4.6 out of 5 from 654K ratings, while Document Scanner & PDF Editor averages 4.3 from 7 ratings.

### Do Acrobat Reader or Document Scanner & PDF Editor have ads?

Neither Acrobat Reader nor Document Scanner & PDF Editor shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Acrobat Reader or Document Scanner & PDF Editor?

Acrobat Reader ships an update every 9 days, and Document Scanner & PDF Editor every 14 months. Most recently, Acrobat Reader was updated on October 2, 2026 and Document Scanner & PDF Editor 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.*