# PDF Tools vs PDF Toolkit

The clearest difference is rating: PDF Tools at 5.0 against PDF Toolkit's 3.8. PDF Toolkit's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PDF Tools sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. PDF Toolkit asks for nothing beyond the download.

PDF Tools holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 9 and 5 respectively.

PDF Tools ships an update weekly, PDF Toolkit fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on July 5, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF Tools | PDF Toolkit |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-tools-read-and-edit/id6745811413/reviews)** | [3.8 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-toolkit-scanner-and-creator/id6749149760/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **9** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | — | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 96 MB | 97 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | +4 |
| Developer | [Shilong Lu](https://appshunter.io/developer/1185413008) | [Cogniflow Systems Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1799685969) |

## What reviewers say

### PDF Tools

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-tools-read-and-edit/id6745811413)

Edit, convert, and manage PDF files with features like OCR scanning, electronic signatures, and file merging. This tool allows for local processing without requiring a login, ensuring privacy and security for your documents.

**Highlights:** PDF to Word/Excel/TXT conversion, OCR scanning, Electronic signature, Merge and split PDFs, File encryption, Highlight and doodle on PDFs

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Yearly | $29.99 | per year |
| Permanent Member | $3.99 | one-time |


### PDF Toolkit

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-toolkit-scanner-and-creator/id6749149760)

Instantly scan documents and convert them into professional PDFs using advanced OCR technology. Create PDFs from photos or text, merge multiple files, and edit recognized text. Manage your documents offline with a user-friendly interface.

**Highlights:** Smart document scanning with OCR, Convert photos to PDFs, Merge multiple PDFs, Extract and edit text from images, Offline document processing, Intuitive user interface

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PDF Tools free?

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

### Is PDF Toolkit free?

PDF Toolkit is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, PDF Tools or PDF Toolkit?

PDF Tools is rated higher. PDF Tools averages 5.0 out of 5 from 9 ratings, while PDF Toolkit averages 3.8 from 5 ratings.

### Do PDF Tools or PDF Toolkit have ads?

Both PDF Tools and PDF Toolkit show ads.

### Which is updated more often, PDF Tools or PDF Toolkit?

PDF Tools ships an update weekly, and PDF Toolkit fortnightly. Most recently, PDF Tools was updated on July 5, 2026 and PDF Toolkit on September 21, 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.*