# Acrobat Reader vs Sign PDF Documents

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Acrobat Reader at 654K against Sign PDF Documents's 55. Acrobat Reader also leads on chart position (#2 vs unranked) and update cadence (every 9 days vs every 3 weeks). Sign PDF Documents's advantage is rating (4.9 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 Sign PDF Documents sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Sign PDF Documents holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Acrobat Reader has 654K ratings behind it against 55, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Acrobat Reader ships an update every 9 days, Sign PDF Documents every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Acrobat Reader | Sign PDF Documents |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (654K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/acrobat-reader-pdf-editor/id469337564/reviews) | **[4.9 (55 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sign-pdf-documents-esign-app/id1661630551/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **654K** | 55 |
| Positive reviews | 49.2% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Freemium | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | **#2** | — |
| Size | 522 MB | 89 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.3 | **17.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Adobe Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/331646274) | [NextPixel apps](https://appshunter.io/developer/1584487280) |

## 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, #80 Top Grossing, #206 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


### Sign PDF Documents

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sign-pdf-documents-esign-app/id1661630551)

Easily sign documents like PDFs and other files directly from your device. Scan, capture, or create custom signatures to apply to your files. Manage and share all your signed documents with this offline app.

**Highlights:** Sign documents from files, Sign documents from iCloud, Sign documents from photos, Scan and sign documents, Create and capture signatures, Edit PDFs with signatures, Share signed documents, Manage signed documents

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, iMessage stickers, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PDF Signature weekly plan | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Sign PDF Documents with Esign | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Sign PDF Documents with Esign | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| E-signature documents & PDF | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Document sign now - Monthly | $7.99 | per month |
| PDF Signature - eSign App | $9.99 | per month |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Acrobat Reader free?

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

### Is Sign PDF Documents free?

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

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

Sign PDF Documents is rated higher. Acrobat Reader averages 4.6 out of 5 from 654K ratings, while Sign PDF Documents averages 4.9 from 55 ratings.

### Do Acrobat Reader or Sign PDF Documents have ads?

Neither Acrobat Reader nor Sign PDF Documents shows ads.

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

Acrobat Reader ships an update every 9 days, and Sign PDF Documents every 3 weeks. Most recently, Acrobat Reader was updated on September 25, 2026 and Sign PDF Documents on September 10, 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.*