# PDF Reader vs RipGuard

The clearest difference is ads: RipGuard at none against PDF Reader's shown. RipGuard also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7). PDF Reader's advantage is update cadence (every 8 days vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (665 vs 3). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PDF Reader sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days and RipGuard sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

RipGuard holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PDF Reader has 665 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two.

PDF Reader ships an update every 8 days, RipGuard every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF Reader | RipGuard |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (665 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-reader-editor-and-scanner/id6739480825/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ripguard-rip-current-detector/id6741720064/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **665** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 37.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 8 days** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 118 MB | 64 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **17.5** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [DAOWEI NETWORK TECHNOLOGY PTE.LTD.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1547755677) | [Exsolia Labs LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1790554248) |

## What reviewers say

### PDF Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-reader-editor-and-scanner/id6739480825)

This app provides comprehensive PDF management, including reading, editing, and scanning. It uses AI for intelligent document recognition, summarization, and conversion to various formats. Securely store and access your files in the cloud or from popular services.

**Highlights:** AI-powered PDF editing and summarization, Intelligent document scanning with OCR, Convert between PDF and other file formats, Annotate, sign, and fill PDF forms, Cloud storage integration (Google Drive, OneDrive), Merge, split, lock, and compress PDFs

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

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| One Week | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| One Week | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| One Week | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| One Week | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| One Month | $12.99 | per month |
| One Year | $49.99 | per year |
| One Year | $76.99 | per year |
| One Year | $76.99 | per year |
| Lifetime | $99.99 | one-time |


### RipGuard

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ripguard-rip-current-detector/id6741720064)

This app uses AI to detect dangerous rip currents at the beach in real-time using your device's camera. It provides a live map of reported currents and allows users to contribute their own findings, offering peace of mind for beachgoers.

**Highlights:** AI-powered rip current detection, Real-time camera scanning, Offline detection capability, Live rip current map, Crowdsourced alerts, User-submitted reports

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Subscription | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly Subscription | $9.99 | per month |
| Yearly Subscription | $39.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PDF Reader free?

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

### Is RipGuard free?

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

### Which has better reviews, PDF Reader or RipGuard?

RipGuard is rated higher. PDF Reader averages 4.7 out of 5 from 665 ratings, while RipGuard averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do PDF Reader or RipGuard have ads?

PDF Reader shows ads; RipGuard does not.

### Which is updated more often, PDF Reader or RipGuard?

PDF Reader ships an update every 8 days, and RipGuard every 2 months. Most recently, PDF Reader was updated on October 12, 2026 and RipGuard on October 2, 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.*