# PDF vs PDF Tools

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.

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.

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.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF | PDF Tools |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-reader-scanner-editor/id6742465810/reviews) | [5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-tools-create-and-edit-pdfs/id6757467950/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **4** | 2 |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 11 MB | 10 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **17.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Artem Dorozhkin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1798545981) | [PixelWave LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1813104661) |

## What reviewers say

### PDF

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-reader-scanner-editor/id6742465810)

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 week | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| 1 month | $9.99 | per month |
| 1 year | $49.99 | per year |


### PDF Tools

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-tools-create-and-edit-pdfs/id6757467950)

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:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


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