# PDF Export Pro vs PDF Reader

The clearest difference is price: PDF Reader at Free against PDF Export Pro's $12.99. PDF Reader also leads on review sentiment (77% vs 39%) and in-app purchases (none vs 10). PDF Export Pro's advantage is rating (4.6 vs 4.3) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). On ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

PDF Reader is free to download; PDF Export Pro costs $12.99 up front. PDF Export Pro sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. PDF Reader asks for nothing beyond the download.

PDF Export Pro holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PDF Reader has 3.9K ratings behind it against 217, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 39% of PDF Export Pro's written reviews are positive against 77% of PDF Reader's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

PDF Export Pro ships an update fortnightly, PDF Reader every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF Export Pro | PDF Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $12.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.6 (217 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-export-pro-pdf-editor/id623856305/reviews)** | [4.3 (3.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-reader-pdfelement/id1150215996/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 217 | **3.9K** |
| Positive reviews | 39.4% of reviews | **76.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Size | 214 MB | 173 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [LiveBird Technologies Private Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/551521372) | [Wondershare Technology (Hunan) Co.,Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1721309409) |

## What reviewers say

### PDF Export Pro

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-export-pro-pdf-editor/id623856305)

This comprehensive application allows you to create, edit, convert, organize, and secure PDF files directly on your device. It offers a wide range of tools for document manipulation, including scanning, OCR, transcription, and even faxing, all without requiring an internet connection.

**Highlights:** Convert Word, Excel, JPG to PDF, Convert PDF to Word, Excel, PPT, Edit text and images in PDFs, Annotate and sign documents, Merge, split, and organize PDFs, Scan documents with OCR, Add watermarks and password protection

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 Fax Credit | $0.99 | one-time |
| Convert 5 Documents Online | $0.99 | one-time |
| 5 Fax Credit | $3.99 | one-time |
| PDF Export Pro Plus | $3.99 | one-time |
| Convert 30 Documents Online | $4.99 | one-time |
| 10 Fax Credit | $5.99 | one-time |
| 20 Fax Credit | $9.99 | one-time |
| Convert 70 Documents Online | $9.99 | one-time |
| 50 Fax Credit | $19.99 | one-time |
| Convert 150 Documents Online | $19.99 | one-time |


### PDF Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-reader-pdfelement/id1150215996)

This app offers a superior PDF reading experience with its innovative Liquid Mode, which optimizes documents for mobile screens. It also provides robust tools for annotating, signing, managing, and sharing your PDF files, catering to both work and study needs.

**Highlights:** Liquid Mode for optimized mobile reading, Annotation tools (pencil, text, highlighting), Handwritten signature insertion, File management (move, merge, copy, delete), Cloud service integration (Wondershare, iCloud), Create blank PDFs and folders

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Efficient PDF editing
- 💡 Useful annotation tools
- 🚀 Convenient for students/professionals
- 👍 Great value for free app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and glitches
- 🔒 Privacy concerns with account requirement
- 👎 Unintuitive user interface
- 🐛 Unreliable saving/syncing
- 👎 Limited functionality compared to paid version

**Reported bugs**

- Text boxes appearing randomly
- Inability to select/edit text in some PDFs
- Scrolling issues and page loading delays
- Incompatibility with certain PDF formats

**Requested features**

- Ability to edit text formatting (font, size, color)
- Support for multiple open documents
- Improved Apple Pencil integration
- Bookmark/favorite feature for frequently used PDFs
- Expanded cloud storage integration (OneDrive, Google Drive, etc.)


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PDF Export Pro free?

PDF Export Pro costs $12.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is PDF Reader free?

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

### Which has better reviews, PDF Export Pro or PDF Reader?

PDF Export Pro is rated higher. PDF Export Pro averages 4.6 out of 5 from 217 ratings, while PDF Reader averages 4.3 from 3.9K ratings.

### Do PDF Export Pro or PDF Reader have ads?

Neither PDF Export Pro nor PDF Reader shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, PDF Export Pro or PDF Reader?

PDF Export Pro ships an update fortnightly, and PDF Reader every 2 months. Most recently, PDF Export Pro was updated on September 22, 2026 and PDF Reader on September 23, 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.*