# Dark Reader vs PDFDarkMode

The clearest difference is review sentiment: PDFDarkMode at 100% against Dark Reader's 30%. PDFDarkMode also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.4) and update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 months). Dark Reader's advantage is ratings volume (7 vs 1) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Dark Reader sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per year and PDFDarkMode sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

PDFDarkMode holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Dark Reader has 7 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 30% of Dark Reader's written reviews are positive against 100% of PDFDarkMode's.

Dark Reader ships an update every 2 months, PDFDarkMode every 4 days. Both last shipped on September 10, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Dark Reader | PDFDarkMode |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dark-reader-pdf-viewer/id6736392716/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdfdarkmode-customize-pdfs/id6744872327/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **7** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 30.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 67 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Utsav Mangla](https://appshunter.io/developer/1729995457) | [Wildcatter LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1229934042) |

## What reviewers say

### Dark Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dark-reader-pdf-viewer/id6736392716)

Easily read PDF documents in a comfortable dark mode to reduce eye strain and save battery. This app automatically converts any PDF into a dark theme for a better reading experience on your devices.

**Highlights:** PDF dark mode conversion, Automatic dark mode application, All-in-one PDF viewer, Eye comfort focus, Supports iPhone, iPad, macOS

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Annual | $4.99 | per year |
| Lifetime: Buy once Use forever | $5.99 | one-time |


### PDFDarkMode

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdfdarkmode-customize-pdfs/id6744872327)

Easily convert PDFs to a comfortable dark mode with custom text and background colors. Reduce eye strain while reading or studying long documents. Save and revisit your personalized PDFs in a private library.

**Highlights:** Upload PDFs from device, Customize text and background colors, Preview dark mode changes, Download converted PDFs, Personal PDF library, Private by design

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Download PDF (up to 100 pages) | $0.99 | one-time |
| Dark Mode PDF Download | $2.99 | one-time |
| Download PDF (up to 500 pages) | $4.99 | one-time |
| PDFDarkMode Pro | $9.99 | one-time |
| Download PDF (500+ pages) | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Dark Reader free?

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

### Is PDFDarkMode free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Dark Reader or PDFDarkMode?

PDFDarkMode is rated higher. Dark Reader averages 4.4 out of 5 from 7 ratings, while PDFDarkMode averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Dark Reader or PDFDarkMode have ads?

Neither Dark Reader nor PDFDarkMode shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Dark Reader or PDFDarkMode?

Dark Reader ships an update every 2 months, and PDFDarkMode every 4 days. Most recently, Dark Reader was updated on September 10, 2026 and PDFDarkMode on September 10, 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.*