# PDF Max vs PDF Maker & Reader

The clearest difference is ads: PDF Max at none against PDF Maker & Reader's shown. PDF Max also leads on rating (4.5 vs 4.2) and ratings volume (1.2K vs 25). PDF Maker & Reader's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.0). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PDF Max sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days and PDF Maker & Reader sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

PDF Max holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PDF Max has 1.2K ratings behind it against 25, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 35% of PDF Max's written reviews are positive against 20% of PDF Maker & Reader's.

PDF Max ships an update monthly, PDF Maker & Reader every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF Max | PDF Maker & Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (1.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-max-edit-sign-pdfs/id540572073/reviews)** | [4.2 (25 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-maker-and-reader/id1293534601/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.2K** | 25 |
| Positive reviews | **35.4% of reviews** | 20.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 266 MB | 27 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Mobeera](https://appshunter.io/developer/540572076) | [NAOAKI SEKIGUCHI](https://appshunter.io/developer/1146328819) |

## What reviewers say

### PDF Max

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-max-edit-sign-pdfs/id540572073)

This app allows you to read, annotate, and sign PDF documents on your mobile device. You can mark up text, add handwritten notes, insert stamps, fill out forms, and manage PDF pages. It also offers robust file management and cloud integration for seamless access to your documents.

**Highlights:** Read and annotate PDFs, Fill and sign PDF forms, Handwriting and text markup, Manage PDF pages, Cloud storage integration, Voice annotations

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Subscription (1 week) | $1.99 | per 7 days |
| One year premium | $34.99 | per year |
| Yearly Onboarding Offer | $34.99 | per year |
| Standard Annotating Package | $0.99 | one-time |
| Cloud Access Package | $1.99 | one-time |
| Advanced Annotating Package | $3.99 | one-time |
| Form Filling Package | $3.99 | one-time |
| Pro Package | $4.99 | one-time |
| Premium Package (Update) | $4.99 | one-time |
| Premium Package (New User) | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 👍 Helpful for studies and work
- 🚀 Fast and efficient
- 👍 Great for annotating PDFs

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes frequently
- 🔒 Unreliable cloud sync
- 💰 Paywall for basic features
- 🐛 Buggy updates
- 👎 Poor customer support

**Reported bugs**

- Disappearing documents and annotations
- Incompatibility with newer devices
- Crashes on launch
- Unreliable file saving

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Ability to edit/delete annotations
- Better integration with cloud storage
- Split-screen viewing for PDFs
- Improved handwriting recognition


### PDF Maker & Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-maker-and-reader/id1293534601)

Create and read PDF documents on your iPhone and iPad. Easily add text, photos, maps, and diagrams to new or existing PDFs. Share your creations via iCloud Drive, email, and other compatible applications.

**Highlights:** Create new PDF documents, Read PDF documents from various sources, Add text manually or via keyboard, Insert photos, maps, and diagrams, Export PDFs to other applications, Compatible with App Extensions and Apple Pencil

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PDF Maker & Reader Pro | $1.99 | one-time |
| License | $3.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PDF Max free?

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

### Is PDF Maker & Reader free?

PDF Maker & Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, PDF Max or PDF Maker & Reader?

PDF Max is rated higher. PDF Max averages 4.5 out of 5 from 1.2K ratings, while PDF Maker & Reader averages 4.2 from 25 ratings.

### Do PDF Max or PDF Maker & Reader have ads?

PDF Maker & Reader shows ads; PDF Max does not.

### Which is updated more often, PDF Max or PDF Maker & Reader?

PDF Max ships an update monthly, and PDF Maker & Reader every 2 months. Most recently, PDF Max was updated on October 17, 2026 and PDF Maker & Reader 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.*