# PDF Read vs PDF Cabinet

The clearest difference is rating: PDF Cabinet at 3.8 against PDF Read's 2.6. PDF Cabinet also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ratings volume (56 vs 5). PDF Read's advantage is iOS requirement (8.0 vs 13.0). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PDF Read sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. PDF Cabinet asks for nothing beyond the download.

PDF Cabinet holds the better App Store score, 3.8 against 2.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PDF Cabinet has 56 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 63% of PDF Read's written reviews are positive against 66% of PDF Cabinet's.

PDF Read ships an update every 6 weeks, PDF Cabinet every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF Read | PDF Cabinet |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.6 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-read/id634845932/reviews) | **[3.8 (56 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-cabinet/id764366087/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 5 | **56** |
| Positive reviews | 63.0% of reviews | **66.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 82 MB | 75 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [世木 林](https://appshunter.io/developer/528007397) | [Bright Nine SIA](https://appshunter.io/developer/1891636727) |

## What reviewers say

### PDF Read

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-read/id634845932)

This app is a powerful PDF reader that allows for annotation, highlighting, and bookmarking. It offers fast rendering, supports password-protected files, and includes features like full-text search and form filling. Documents can be added via file sharing or Wi-Fi.

**Highlights:** Annotate and highlight PDFs, Bookmark and outline management, Full-text search, Form filling, Password-protected file support, Add documents via Wi-Fi, Freehand drawing signature

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $2.99 | one-time |


### PDF Cabinet

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-cabinet/id764366087)

This application offers a streamlined PDF experience for reading and annotating documents. It focuses on essential features with an intuitive interface, making it easy to mark up PDFs, share annotations, and collaborate in real-time with others. Optimized for performance, it handles large documents efficiently.

**Highlights:** Effortless PDF annotation, Intuitive user interface, Fast document review with thumbnails, Annotations sharing, Real-time collaboration, Quick note taking

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth performance
- 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
- 💡 Excellent annotation tools
- 🚀 Fast and responsive
- 👍 Simple and clean design

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and stability issues
- 💡 Limited highlighter and pen customization
- 💡 Lack of iCloud/cloud sync support
- 🐛 Text disappearing issue
- 🐛 Slow document loading and navigation

**Reported bugs**

- Randomly deleting files
- Sync issues causing loss of annotations
- Crashing when opening large documents
- Navigation problems when zoomed in
- Annotations not exporting properly

**Requested features**

- Add more highlighter and pen color options
- Implement palm rejection for Apple Pencil
- Add ability to resize and move annotation tools
- Improve cloud/sync functionality (iCloud, Dropbox, etc.)
- Implement vertical scrolling for continuous reading


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PDF Read free?

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

### Is PDF Cabinet free?

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

### Which has better reviews, PDF Read or PDF Cabinet?

PDF Cabinet is rated higher. PDF Read averages 2.6 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while PDF Cabinet averages 3.8 from 56 ratings.

### Do PDF Read or PDF Cabinet have ads?

Neither PDF Read nor PDF Cabinet shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, PDF Read or PDF Cabinet?

PDF Read ships an update every 6 weeks, and PDF Cabinet every 5 weeks. Most recently, PDF Read was updated on October 8, 2026 and PDF Cabinet on October 6, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*