# HEX Editor vs PDFReader

The clearest difference is price: PDFReader at Free against HEX Editor's $2.99. HEX Editor's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ads (none vs shown). On update cadence there is nothing between them.

PDFReader is free to download; HEX Editor costs $2.99 up front. PDFReader sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. HEX Editor asks for nothing beyond the download.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | HEX Editor | PDFReader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[1.7 (24 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hex-editor/id542187044/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **24** | — |
| Positive reviews | 23.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 4 MB | 14 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 18.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [aZeR DiLLs](https://appshunter.io/developer/491310978) | [克 谢](https://appshunter.io/developer/1722475771) |

## What reviewers say

### HEX Editor

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hex-editor/id542187044)

View and edit the raw data contents of any file in hexadecimal or ASCII format. Offers robust search, replace, and navigation features for precise file manipulation. Easily manage, save, and export your edited files.

**Highlights:** Edit in HEX or TEXT mode, Switch between HEX, TEXT, or both views, Search and replace HEX/TEXT, Insert and delete bytes, Jump to specific byte locations, Save and export files, File manager with preview

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### PDFReader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdfreader-ai-pdf-assistant/id6758230344)

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Pro | $9.99 | per month |
| Yearly Pro | $49.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is HEX Editor free?

HEX Editor costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is PDFReader free?

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

### Do HEX Editor or PDFReader have ads?

PDFReader shows ads; HEX Editor does not.

### Which is updated more often, HEX Editor or PDFReader?

HEX Editor ships an update every 2 months, and PDFReader every 2 months. Most recently, HEX Editor was updated on October 23, 2026 and PDFReader on October 28, 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.*