Comparison

Acrobat Reader vs QR Code Reader & PDF Scanner

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Acrobat Reader

This app allows you to view, edit, sign, and convert PDF documents. It offers free tools for reading and annotating PDFs, with premium features for advanced editing, creation, and conversion. An AI assistant is also available for summarizing and extracting information from documents.

Highlights
  • View, read, and annotate PDFs
  • Fill and sign PDF forms
  • Create PDFs from photos and files
  • Edit text and images in PDFs
  • Convert PDFs to Word, Excel, PowerPoint
  • AI Assistant for document summarization and Q&A
  • Password-protect PDFs
Features
Read full description

Adobe Acrobat Reader is the free PDF reader for opening, reading, filling in, signing and commenting on PDFs on your iPhone or iPad. It’s the world’s most trusted PDF reader, PDF editor and PDF maker, with more than 635 million installs and an App Store Editors’ Choice award. You also don’t need a subscription to read, fill in or sign PDFs. Need to do more? With Acrobat Premium, you can create PDFs from photos and files, edit text, convert PDFs to Word, Excel or PowerPoint, combine PDFs into one file and reorder pages. Free in Acrobat Reader: PDF viewer and PDF signer • Open and read any PDF, and use Liquid Mode to fit the text to your screen • Highlight text and add comments and sticky notes to your PDF • Fill in PDF forms and sign them with your finger using Fill & Sign • Share PDFs straight from the app • Open files and PDFs from your iPhone, email, Google Drive, OneDrive or Dropbox • Store and manage files, and star important docs for quick access • Open scans from the free Adobe Scan app to fill in, sign and share • Listen to PDFs read aloud with free voices With Acrobat Premium: PDF editor and PDF converter Start with a 7-day free trial. • Create a PDF from photos, Microsoft Office files, Google Docs or web pages • Edit text and images, fix typos and add paragraphs • Convert PDFs to Word, Excel, PowerPoint or image files, keeping fonts and formatting • Merge or combine PDFs into one file, like a resume and cover letter for a job application • Make a PDF smaller so it fits an email or upload limit • Insert, reorder, rotate, delete, extract or crop pages, or split a PDF into several files • Turn scanned docs into searchable, editable text with OCR • Password-protect PDFs • Edit, compress and export files and PDFs from Google Drive • Listen with higher-quality read-aloud voices Who Acrobat Reader is made for: • Students: merge notes into one file, highlight and comment on PDFs, listen to notes, and chat with AI Assistant • Mobile pros: open contracts and forms from email, fill and sign them, and send them back • Small businesses: create PDF invoices, sign contracts, convert PDFs to Word files, create PDF Spaces for projects • iPhone and iPad users: open PDFs from Files, Mail or your browser, set Acrobat Reader as your default PDF app, and go beyond viewing with comments and more • Get PDFs read aloud through Apple CarPlay for hands-free listening on the road Adobe Acrobat AI Assistant: Paid feature*, free for a limited time. • Work across multiple files in one place with PDF Spaces. Collaborate, store and use AI Assistant across files • Use voice or text prompts with AI Assistant chatbot and have answers read aloud • Ask questions and get cited answers about info in your PDF docs, including charts, graphs and tables • Use Hands-free to keep the conversation flowing with voice only • Instantly generate summaries from your PDFs • Get content for emails, text, study notes, blogs and more What’s new in Acrobat Reader: Collaborate and share your files in PDF Spaces, and turn your document summaries into podcast-style audio in Acrobat Studio. Frequently asked questions: Is Acrobat Reader free? Yes. You can open, read, fill in and sign PDFs for free. Do I need an Adobe account? No. You can read PDFs without one. Sign in with a free Adobe account to store files in Adobe Document Cloud storage, access them across devices and use more tools. Can I turn off AI features? Yes. AI Assistant features are optional, and you can turn them off in Preferences. The Acrobat Reader mobile app is designed to work with EMM enabled. *An Adobe Acrobat AI Assistant add-on plan is available to Acrobat Individual customers. iOS 18.316 or above required. Terms & Conditions: Your use of this application is governed by the Adobe General Terms of Use http://www.adobe.com/go/terms_linkfree_en and the Adobe Privacy Policy http://www.adobe.com/go/privacy_policy_linkfree_en Do not sell or share my personal information www.adobe.com/go/ca-rights-linkfree

About

QR Code Reader & PDF Scanner

Transform your device into a powerful portable scanner. Digitize documents, photos, and QR codes into high-quality digital files. Organize, edit, and share your scans effortlessly.

Highlights
  • Scan documents and images to PDF
  • Read QR codes and barcodes
  • Import and organize files
  • Professional editing tools
  • Text recognition (OCR)
  • E-signature functionality
Features
Read full description

"Scanner App makes my operations with documents much faster and easier." — Feedback from one of our first users. Turn your iPhone into a powerful portable scanner with Scanner App: Documents to PDF! Scanner App is a versatile scanner app for documents and images that instantly converts paper documents into high-quality digital files. Whether you're scanning personal notes, business papers, or photos, you can do it quickly and effortlessly. Need to scan a QR code or barcode? Just point your iPhone’s camera at the code and let the app do the rest — what happens next depends on what’s inside. Open a link, view the text, or pull up the details behind the code, all in a couple of taps. Scan QR codes and barcodes on: • Posters and flyers • Product packaging and labels • Business cards • Tickets and receipts and much more! Perfect for scanning: • Paper notes and sketches • IDs and passports • Agreements and contracts • Book pages • Business cards • Receipts and much more! If you're running a business or simply want to stay organized, this PDF scanner app is a must-have on your smartphone. Our application includes free features and features available for users with the subscription. Enjoy the following free features: • Scan Everything: Digitize documents, IDs, and passports in seconds. • Import & Organize: Easily import documents and images from your gallery, rename files, and search by document name. • Professional Editing: Filter, rotate, straighten, and crop your scans for the perfect look. • Tools: Highlight key details, erase imperfections, and lock confidential documents. Unlock the following features with the subscription: • Text Recognition (OCR): Recognize text from documents to copy and edit. • E-Signature: Sign documents directly on your device. • Advanced Export: Share your scans, print documents, or convert them to Word. • Document Editing: Add pages, insert text or images, and apply custom watermarks. Why choose Scanner App? Because it's one of the most useful tools you can have on your phone, helping you manage documents quickly, efficiently, and anywhere you need. Don't wait — download Scanner App now and make scanning and managing documents easier than ever! Privacy Policy: https://pp.scannerapp.online/ Terms of Use: https://tou.scannerapp.online/

Screenshots

Acrobat Reader4 screens
QR Code Reader & PDF Scanner4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Acrobat Reader at none against QR Code Reader & PDF Scanner's shown. Acrobat Reader also leads on ratings volume (670K vs 2.5K) and chart position (#2 vs unranked). QR Code Reader & PDF Scanner's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.3). On price, rating, review sentiment and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Acrobat Reader sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month and QR Code Reader & PDF Scanner sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Acrobat Reader against 4.7 for QR Code Reader & PDF Scanner. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Acrobat Reader has 670K ratings behind it against 2.5K, 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 55% of QR Code Reader & PDF Scanner's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Acrobat Reader ships an update every 10 days, QR Code Reader & PDF Scanner every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 15, 2026 and November 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Acrobat Reader versus QR Code Reader & PDF Scanner: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAcrobat ReaderQR Code Reader & PDF Scanner
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (670K ratings)4.7 (2.5K ratings) — better
Positive reviews49.2% of reviews55.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings670K — better2.5K
Update frequencyEvery 10 days — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#2 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS18.315.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size556 MB275 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAdobe Inc.PrimeForm OU

Customer experience

Acrobat Reader

All ratings668,513 ratings
Positive91.2%
Neutral2.4%
Negative6.3%
Written reviews3,412 reviews
Positive49.2%
Neutral4.2%
Negative46.6%

QR Code Reader & PDF Scanner

All ratings2,460 ratings
Positive91.4%
Neutral3.1%
Negative5.5%
Written reviews320 reviews
Positive55.3%
Neutral0.6%
Negative44.1%

User reviews

Acrobat Reader

From 670K App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

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

QR Code Reader & PDF Scanner

From 2.5K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 🚀 Quick and efficient scanning
  • 💯 Reliable and accurate scans
  • 📁 Convenient document organization

Room to improve

  • 🔒 Restrictive subscription model
  • 💰 Expensive subscription fees
  • ⛔ Lack of free features
  • 🐛 Buggy and unreliable performance

Bugs and requests

Acrobat Reader

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • 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

5 requests
  • 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

QR Code Reader & PDF Scanner

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Freezing and crashing issues
  • Inability to delete scanned documents
  • Poor image quality in scanned documents
  • Subscription issues and unexpected charges

Requested features

4 requests
  • Support for additional languages
  • Improved subscription management
  • Ability to cancel subscription easily
  • Free trial period for all features

In-app purchases

9 purchases

Acrobat Reader

Subscriptions9
  • AI Assistant for Acrobat$6.991 Month
  • Acrobat Premium - Weekly$9.997 Days
  • PDF Pack - Doc Creator$9.991 Month
Show 6 more
  • Premium - Edit & Create PDF$9.991 Month
  • PDF Edit and Convert Monthly7 Days trial$12.991 Month
  • Acrobat Premium - Monthly$12.991 Month
  • Acrobat Premium - Monthly$14.991 Month
  • Acrobat Premium - Yearly7 Days trial$48.991 Year
  • Acrobat Premium - Yearly7 Days trial2 variants$69.991 Year
10 purchases

QR Code Reader & PDF Scanner

Subscriptions10
  • Weekly subscription$7.997 Days
  • PDF Scanner3 Days trial$9.997 Days
  • Monthly Subscription3 Days trial$9.991 Month
Show 7 more
  • Weekly Subscription$9.997 Days
  • App pdf scanner neat scanner3 Days trial$19.991 Month
  • Monthly Subscription$19.991 Month
  • Monthly subscription3 Days trial$24.991 Month
  • Annual subscription$29.991 Year
  • Annual Subscription$59.991 Year
  • Annual Subscription3 Days trial$59.991 Year

Questions

Is Acrobat Reader free?
Acrobat Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is QR Code Reader & PDF Scanner free?
QR Code Reader & PDF Scanner is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Acrobat Reader or QR Code Reader & PDF Scanner?
QR Code Reader & PDF Scanner is rated higher. Acrobat Reader averages 4.6 out of 5 from 670K ratings, while QR Code Reader & PDF Scanner averages 4.7 from 2.5K ratings.
Do Acrobat Reader or QR Code Reader & PDF Scanner have ads?
QR Code Reader & PDF Scanner shows ads; Acrobat Reader does not.
Which is updated more often, Acrobat Reader or QR Code Reader & PDF Scanner?
Acrobat Reader ships an update every 10 days, and QR Code Reader & PDF Scanner every 3 weeks. Most recently, Acrobat Reader was updated on November 15, 2026 and QR Code Reader & PDF Scanner on November 14, 2026.

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