# File Viewer vs Simple PDF

The clearest difference is update cadence: Simple PDF at every 3 weeks against File Viewer's every 6 months. Simple PDF also leads on rating (3.7 vs 3.4) and iOS requirement (16.6 vs 18.0). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Simple PDF holds the better App Store score, 3.7 against 3.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5 and 3 respectively.

File Viewer ships an update every 6 months, Simple PDF every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | File Viewer | Simple PDF |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.4 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/file-viewer/id495987613/reviews) | **[3.7 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-pdf-pdf-reader/id6746363157/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **5** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 37.8% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 20 MB | 12 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **16.6** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Sharpened Productions](https://appshunter.io/developer/410672596) | [Chang Keun Jung](https://appshunter.io/developer/1813307401) |

## What reviewers say

### File Viewer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/file-viewer/id495987613)

Easily open and view over 100 different file types, including documents, images, videos, and archives. Browse files stored on your device or in iCloud Drive. This app also identifies unknown files and displays detailed file information.

**Highlights:** Open 100+ file types, Browse device and iCloud Drive, Built-in readers for Office, PDF, and images, Extract compressed archives, Identify unknown files, View file information and metadata

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Simple PDF

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-pdf-pdf-reader/id6746363157)

This application allows users to view, annotate, and edit PDF documents with ease. Features include document management, OCR capabilities, and a built-in scanner. It's designed for students and professionals to stay productive on the go.

**Highlights:** View, annotate, and edit PDFs, Full-text search and navigation, Free-draw and text box annotation, Page reordering and PDF merging, Scan documents with built-in camera, OCR for text extraction, Home screen widget for quick access

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is File Viewer free?

File Viewer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Simple PDF free?

Simple PDF is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, File Viewer or Simple PDF?

Simple PDF is rated higher. File Viewer averages 3.4 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while Simple PDF averages 3.7 from 3 ratings.

### Do File Viewer or Simple PDF have ads?

Neither File Viewer nor Simple PDF shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, File Viewer or Simple PDF?

File Viewer ships an update every 6 months, and Simple PDF every 3 weeks. Most recently, File Viewer was updated on October 7, 2026 and Simple PDF on October 6, 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.*