# Researchist vs Falcon PDF

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Falcon PDF at 18.2 against Researchist's 27.0. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Researchist sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $39.99 per year and Falcon PDF sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Researchist ships an update fortnightly, Falcon PDF every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Researchist | Falcon PDF |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 2 weeks |
| Size | 113 MB | 145 MB |
| Requires iOS | 27.0 | **18.2** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Essayist Software Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1537845386) | [ANRMS Private Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1884878239) |

## What reviewers say

### Researchist

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/researchist-pdf-reader/id6749282472)

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Researchist Pro (Yearly) | $39.99 | per year |


### Falcon PDF

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/falcon-pdf-editor-and-tools/id6760542830)

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Falcon PDF Premium - Monthly Subs | $4.99 | per month |
| Falcon PDF Premium - Yearly Subs | $49.99 | per year |
| Falcon PDF - Pro Features | $6.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Researchist free?

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

### Is Falcon PDF free?

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

### Do Researchist or Falcon PDF have ads?

Neither Researchist nor Falcon PDF shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Researchist or Falcon PDF?

Researchist ships an update fortnightly, and Falcon PDF every 2 weeks. Most recently, Researchist was updated on October 24, 2026 and Falcon PDF on October 19, 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.*