# PDF Max vs ReadFlow

The clearest difference is review sentiment: ReadFlow at 100% against PDF Max's 35%. ReadFlow also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs monthly) and rating (4.8 vs 4.5). PDF Max's advantage is ratings volume (1.2K vs 5). On price, ads, 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 ReadFlow sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReadFlow holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PDF Max has 1.2K ratings behind it against 5, 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 100% of ReadFlow's.

PDF Max ships an update monthly, ReadFlow every 4 days. Both last shipped on October 17, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF Max | ReadFlow |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (1.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-max-edit-sign-pdfs/id540572073/reviews) | **[4.8 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/readflow/id6447425350/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1.2K** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | 35.4% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 266 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Mobeera](https://appshunter.io/developer/540572076) | [实 许](https://appshunter.io/developer/681075194) |

## 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


### ReadFlow

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/readflow/id6447425350)

This app transforms PDF documents into a comfortable reading experience on small screens. It offers text reflow, customization options for fonts and themes, and iCloud sync for seamless access across devices. Enjoy reading PDFs as easily as other ebook formats.

**Highlights:** PDF text reflow for mobile, Customizable fonts and themes, Import custom font files, iCloud sync, PDF file cropping, Metadata editing, Generate and share reflowed text

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ReadFlow Pro 1x | $0.99 | per month |
| ReadFlow Pro 12x | $9.99 | per year |
| ReadFlow Pro ∞ | $19.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PDF Max free?

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

### Is ReadFlow free?

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

### Which has better reviews, PDF Max or ReadFlow?

ReadFlow is rated higher. PDF Max averages 4.5 out of 5 from 1.2K ratings, while ReadFlow averages 4.8 from 5 ratings.

### Do PDF Max or ReadFlow have ads?

Neither PDF Max nor ReadFlow shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, PDF Max or ReadFlow?

PDF Max ships an update monthly, and ReadFlow every 4 days. Most recently, PDF Max was updated on October 17, 2026 and ReadFlow on October 17, 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.*