Comparison

PDF vs PDF Tools

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

PDF

This app provides a comprehensive suite of tools for managing PDF documents. It allows users to view, edit, scan, convert, and sign PDFs, as well as extract text using OCR technology. Securely protect and share your files with ease.

Highlights
  • PDF Viewer & Reader
  • PDF Editor
  • E-Signature
  • PDF Scanner
  • OCR Text Extraction
  • PDF Conversion
  • Form Filling
  • Password Protection
Read full description

PDF Viewer, Scanner & Editor – All-in-One PDF Tool! Key Features: - PDF Viewer & Reader – Open and read PDF files with a smooth, user-friendly interface. - PDF Editor – Add text, highlight content, draw, and make edits effortlessly. - E-Signature – Sign documents electronically and share them instantly. - PDF Scanner – Scan documents using your camera and convert them into PDFs. - OCR (Optical Character Recognition) – Extract and recognize text from scanned PDFs. - Convert PDFs – Export PDFs to Word, Excel, JPG, and more. - Annotate & Highlight – Add comments, highlight text, and mark up PDFs with ease. - Fill PDF Forms – Complete and submit PDF forms digitally. - Secure & Share – Protect PDFs with passwords and share via email or cloud services. Perfect for students, professionals, and anyone who works with PDFs daily! Easily upgrade to Pro and unlock unlimited access to measurements and more with a renewable App Store subscription. We offer auto-renewing subscription plans with the following terms: • Available durations: 1 week, 1 month, or 12 months. • Payment is charged to your App Store account upon purchase confirmation. • Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current billing cycle. • Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours before your subscription expires, with the renewal cost clearly indicated. • You can manage your subscription and turn off auto-renewal anytime in your Account Settings. • Active subscriptions cannot be canceled before the end of the billing period. • If a free trial is available, any unused portion will be forfeited upon purchasing a subscription. Terms of use(EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

PDF Tools

Easily create, merge, split, and reorder PDF pages from photos or existing documents. This app offers a user-friendly interface for managing PDFs on the go, perfect for students and professionals.

Highlights
  • Convert photos to PDF
  • Merge multiple PDF files
  • Split PDFs into separate files
  • Reorder and delete PDF pages
  • User-friendly interface
  • High-quality output
Features
Read full description

PDF Tools is your all-in-one PDF app for iOS. Create PDFs from photos, merge multiple files, split PDFs into separate documents, and reorder or delete pages—all in a simple, user-friendly interface. Perfect for students, professionals, and anyone who works with documents on the go. Key Features: Photos to PDF • Convert photos from your library into a professional PDF document • Combine up to 20 photos into a single PDF • Drag-and-drop reordering to arrange pages exactly how you want • Multiple page sizes: A4, Letter, Legal, A5, or B5 • Image fit options: Fit maintains aspect ratio, Fill crops to fit the page • High-quality output optimized for printing and sharing Reorder & Delete PDF Pages • Open any PDF and rearrange pages with intuitive drag-and-drop • Remove unwanted pages in a few taps • Save and share your edited PDF with ease Split PDF • Split one PDF into multiple files • Choose exactly where to split—by page or section • Get separate PDFs ready to share Merge PDFs • Combine multiple PDF files into one document • Select several PDFs and merge them in your chosen order • Ideal for assembling reports, contracts, or portfolios Perfect For: • Document scanning and archiving • Creating photo albums and portfolios • Sharing multiple images in one file • Organizing receipts and invoices • Merging reports or contracts • Splitting large PDFs for easier sharing • Reordering or removing pages before sending PDF Tools gives you everything you need to create, edit, and manage PDFs on your iPhone or iPad. Download now and handle all your PDF tasks in one app.

Screenshots

PDF4 screens
PDF Tools4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: PDF Tools at none against PDF's 3. PDF's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. PDF sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. PDF Tools asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for PDF against 5.0 for PDF Tools. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 2 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PDF ships an update every 2 weeks, PDF Tools fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 6 level
PDF versus PDF Tools: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPDFPDF Tools
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (4 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings)
Number of ratings4 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterFortnightly
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesAd-supported — better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS18.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size11 MB10 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperArtem DorozhkinPixelWave LLC

In-app purchases

3 purchases

PDF

Subscriptions3
  • 1 week3 Days trial$4.997 Days
  • 1 month$9.991 Month
  • 1 year$49.991 Year
None

PDF Tools

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is PDF free?
PDF is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is PDF Tools free?
PDF Tools is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, PDF or PDF Tools?
PDF and PDF Tools are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 4 and 2 ratings respectively.
Do PDF or PDF Tools have ads?
PDF Tools shows ads; PDF does not.
Which is updated more often, PDF or PDF Tools?
PDF ships an update every 2 weeks, and PDF Tools fortnightly. Most recently, PDF was updated on September 29, 2026 and PDF Tools on October 6, 2026.

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