# PDF vs PDF Compressor

The clearest difference is rating: PDF Compressor at 4.3 against PDF's 3.5. PDF Compressor also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 5 months). PDF's advantage is review sentiment (33% vs 0%) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PDF sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days and PDF Compressor sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

PDF Compressor holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PDF Compressor has 83 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 33% of PDF's written reviews are positive against 0% of PDF Compressor's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

PDF ships an update every 5 months, PDF Compressor every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF | PDF Compressor |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.5 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-lock-and-unlock/id6444889806/reviews) | **[4.3 (83 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-compressor-reduce-size/id6476273989/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 6 | **83** |
| Positive reviews | **33.3% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 35 MB | 61 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Hardik Dhameliya](https://appshunter.io/developer/1611140120) | [NextPixel apps](https://appshunter.io/developer/1584487280) |

## What reviewers say

### PDF

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-lock-and-unlock/id6444889806)

Secure your documents by adding password protection or remove existing passwords from PDF files. This app also offers tools to merge, extract, and convert PDFs, along with OCR capabilities to recognize text.

**Highlights:** Lock PDF with password, Unlock password-protected PDFs, Merge multiple PDF files, Extract or remove PDF pages, Add watermarks to PDFs, Scan and recognize text (OCR), Digitally sign PDFs, Convert web pages to PDF

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Subscription Weekly | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Subscription Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Subscription Yearly | $19.99 | per year |


### PDF Compressor

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-compressor-reduce-size/id6476273989)

Reduce the size of your PDF documents without sacrificing quality. Optimize PDFs for storage, sharing, and faster loading. Effortlessly manage and share your compressed files anywhere.

**Highlights:** Efficient PDF compression, Retain document quality, User-friendly file management, Easy sharing via multiple platforms, Optimize for storage and transfer

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| File Compressor - PDF | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| File Compressor - PDF | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| PDF Compressor - Resize file | $9.99 | per month |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PDF free?

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

### Is PDF Compressor free?

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

### Which has better reviews, PDF or PDF Compressor?

PDF Compressor is rated higher. PDF averages 3.5 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while PDF Compressor averages 4.3 from 83 ratings.

### Do PDF or PDF Compressor have ads?

PDF shows ads; PDF Compressor does not.

### Which is updated more often, PDF or PDF Compressor?

PDF ships an update every 5 months, and PDF Compressor every 6 weeks. Most recently, PDF was updated on October 24, 2026 and PDF Compressor on October 27, 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.*