# Acrobat Reader vs Doc Scanner

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Doc Scanner at none against Acrobat Reader's 18. Doc Scanner also leads on review sentiment (83% vs 49%) and rating (4.8 vs 4.6). Acrobat Reader's advantage is ratings volume (654K vs 17) and chart position (#2 vs unranked). On price, update cadence, ads 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. Doc Scanner asks for nothing beyond the download.

Doc Scanner 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 17, 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 83% of Doc Scanner's.

Acrobat Reader ships an update every 9 days, Doc Scanner every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Acrobat Reader | Doc Scanner |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (654K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/acrobat-reader-pdf-editor/id469337564/reviews) | **[4.8 (17 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/doc-scanner-pdf-converter/id6468593589/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **654K** | 17 |
| Positive reviews | 49.2% of reviews | **83.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#2** | — |
| Size | 522 MB | 18 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.3 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Adobe Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/331646274) | [Nishan Singh](https://appshunter.io/developer/1668515485) |

## 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


### Doc Scanner

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/doc-scanner-pdf-converter/id6468593589)

Easily convert images and documents into high-quality PDF files using your device's camera. Organize, manage, and share your scanned files securely and offline. Designed for a smooth user experience.

**Highlights:** Scan documents with camera, Convert images to PDF, Organize and manage files, Secure data handling, Offline functionality, Easy file sharing

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Acrobat Reader free?

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

### Is Doc Scanner free?

Doc Scanner is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Acrobat Reader or Doc Scanner?

Doc Scanner is rated higher. Acrobat Reader averages 4.6 out of 5 from 654K ratings, while Doc Scanner averages 4.8 from 17 ratings.

### Do Acrobat Reader or Doc Scanner have ads?

Neither Acrobat Reader nor Doc Scanner shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Acrobat Reader or Doc Scanner?

Acrobat Reader ships an update every 9 days, and Doc Scanner every 2 weeks. Most recently, Acrobat Reader was updated on September 25, 2026 and Doc Scanner on September 23, 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.*