# Acrobat Reader vs eSign App

The clearest difference is monetization model: Acrobat Reader at freemium against eSign App's subscription. Acrobat Reader also leads on ratings volume (654K vs 1.5K) and chart position (#2 vs #74). eSign App's advantage is review sentiment (85% vs 49%) and rating (4.8 vs 4.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Acrobat Reader sells 16 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and eSign App sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

eSign App 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 1.5K, 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 85% of eSign App's.

Acrobat Reader ships an update every 9 days, eSign App every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Acrobat Reader | eSign App |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (654K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/acrobat-reader-pdf-editor/id469337564/reviews) | **[4.8 (1.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/esign-app-sign-pdf-documents/id6446249178/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **654K** | 1.5K |
| Positive reviews | 49.2% of reviews | **84.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | **Freemium** | Subscription |
| Best chart rank | **#2** | #74 |
| Size | 522 MB | 109 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.3 | **16.4** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Adobe Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/331646274) | [Municorn Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/380984285) |

## 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, #95 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


### eSign App

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/esign-app-sign-pdf-documents/id6446249178)

**Currently charting:** #74 Top Grossing · Business (US App Store)

Transform your device into a powerful tool for signing PDF documents and other file types. Easily import, scan, sign, and share documents locally, or send them to others for their signatures. Integrates with popular cloud services for seamless workflow.

**Highlights:** Sign documents anywhere, Fill and edit documents, Create custom e-signatures, Import documents, Send documents for signing, Cloud service integration

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium features | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium features | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium features | $9.99 | per month |
| Premium features | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium features | $14.99 | per month |
| The Documents Bundle 1 week | $14.99 | per 7 days |
| The Documents Bundle 1 month | $39.99 | per month |
| Electronic Signature Creator | $49.99 | per year |
| Premium features | $69.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 🚀 Efficient signing process
- 🚀 Convenient for on-the-go document signing
- 🔒 Secure document handling

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Difficulty canceling subscription
- 🐛 Unexpected charges/subscription renewals
- 🐛 Limited functionality in free version
- 🐛 Unresponsive customer support

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when uploading certain file types
- Syncing issues between devices

**Requested features**

- Option to easily cancel subscription
- More customization options for signatures
- Ability to add dates and annotations to signed documents


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Acrobat Reader free?

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

### Is eSign App free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Acrobat Reader or eSign App?

eSign App is rated higher. Acrobat Reader averages 4.6 out of 5 from 654K ratings, while eSign App averages 4.8 from 1.5K ratings.

### Do Acrobat Reader or eSign App have ads?

Neither Acrobat Reader nor eSign App shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Acrobat Reader or eSign App?

Acrobat Reader ships an update every 9 days, and eSign App every 3 weeks. Most recently, Acrobat Reader was updated on September 25, 2026 and eSign App on September 24, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Acrobat Reader or eSign App?

Acrobat Reader currently peaks at #2 in the App Store charts, and eSign App at #74. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*