# Acrobat Reader vs PDF Scanner－Document Scanner

The clearest difference is review sentiment: PDF Scanner－Document Scanner at 100% against Acrobat Reader's 49%. PDF Scanner－Document Scanner also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.6) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 18.3). Acrobat Reader's advantage is update cadence (every 9 days vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (654K vs 10). 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 PDF Scanner－Document Scanner sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

PDF Scanner－Document Scanner holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Acrobat Reader has 654K ratings behind it against 10, 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 100% of PDF Scanner－Document Scanner's.

Acrobat Reader ships an update every 9 days, PDF Scanner－Document Scanner every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Acrobat Reader | PDF Scanner－Document Scanner |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (654K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/acrobat-reader-pdf-editor/id469337564/reviews) | **[5.0 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-scannerdocument-scanner/id6633430192/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **654K** | 10 |
| Positive reviews | 49.1% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#2** | — |
| Size | 522 MB | 31 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) | [Asad Ahsan](https://appshunter.io/developer/1326954499) |

## 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, #76 Top Grossing, #208 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


### PDF Scanner－Document Scanner

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-scannerdocument-scanner/id6633430192)

Transform your phone into a portable document scanner. Easily capture papers, receipts, and notes, converting them into searchable digital files. Organize and edit your scanned documents on the go, eliminating paper clutter.

**Highlights:** Scan documents and photos to PDF, Convert scanned images to editable text (OCR), Combine multiple pages into one file, Add electronic signatures, Crop, straighten, and adjust scans, Organize documents into folders

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly subscription | $4.99 | per month |
| Yearly Plan | $29.99 | per year |
| LifeTime Plan | $49.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Acrobat Reader free?

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

### Is PDF Scanner－Document Scanner free?

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

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

PDF Scanner－Document Scanner is rated higher. Acrobat Reader averages 4.6 out of 5 from 654K ratings, while PDF Scanner－Document Scanner averages 5.0 from 10 ratings.

### Do Acrobat Reader or PDF Scanner－Document Scanner have ads?

Neither Acrobat Reader nor PDF Scanner－Document Scanner shows ads.

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

Acrobat Reader ships an update every 9 days, and PDF Scanner－Document Scanner every 2 months. Most recently, Acrobat Reader was updated on September 25, 2026 and PDF Scanner－Document Scanner on September 4, 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.*