Comparison

OpenFile vs CharisPDF

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

Head to head
About

OpenFile

Instantly preview over 100 file formats on your iPhone or iPad without uploads or accounts. Explore 3D models, code, documents, databases, and more with built-in developer tools for advanced file analysis. Prioritizes privacy with on-device processing.

Highlights
  • Preview 100+ file formats
  • On-device processing, no uploads
  • Interactive 3D model viewer
  • Syntax highlighting for code
  • Browse and query SQLite databases
  • Built-in developer tools (Hex Inspector, Compare Files)
  • Integrates with Files app and Share Sheet
Features
Read full description

Open, preview, and explore over 100 file formats — right on your iPhone or iPad. No uploads, no account, no setup. Just tap a file and see it instantly. RICH FORMAT PREVIEWS Every format gets a purpose-built viewer: • 3D Models — Rotate and zoom glTF, OBJ, STL, PLY, and more in an interactive viewer • Code — Syntax highlighting for Swift, Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, Rust, Go, and 20+ languages • Databases — Browse SQLite tables, run SQL queries, and explore schema • Documents — Read PDFs, EPUB books, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files • Archives — Explore ZIP, RAR, 7-Zip, TAR, and ISO contents without extracting • Audio & Video — Play MP3, WAV, FLAC, MP4, MOV, MKV, and more • Data Formats — View JSON, YAML, XML, CSV, Parquet, and Jupyter notebooks • Geospatial — Visualize GeoJSON, GPX, and KML on interactive maps • Fonts — Preview OpenType and TrueType font files • Images — View JPEG, PNG, GIF, HEIC, WebP, PSD, and SVG BUILT-IN DEVELOPER TOOLS Go beyond viewing with 10 built-in tools: • Hex Inspector — View raw file bytes • Compare Files — Side-by-side diff • Checksum — Calculate MD5, SHA-1, and SHA-256 hashes • Extract Text — Pull text from any document • Export as PDF — Convert any preview to PDF • Base64 — Encode and decode • Pretty Print — Format JSON, XML, HTML, and CSS • Text Statistics — Word count, line count, reading time • File Identification — Detect the true file type from magic bytes PRIVACY FIRST All processing happens on your device. Files are never uploaded. No account is needed. No tracking. WORKS WITH YOUR WORKFLOW • Open files directly from the Files app or Share Sheet • Browse iCloud Drive • Track recently opened files and pin your favorites • Search your file history Works on iPhone and iPad. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

CharisPDF

Features
Read full description

CharisPDF is a free, local PDF editor for iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Add your marks to any PDF — text, shapes, signatures, highlights — without an account, without ads, and without touching the original page content. No sign-up. No subscription. No watermark. Your files never leave your device. WHAT YOU CAN DO • Open, read, search, and print any PDF • Add text, shapes, and signatures — move, restyle, resize, or rotate them anytime • Highlight, underline, strike through, and add notes • Organize pages: reorder, rotate, insert, delete, duplicate, extract • Undo and redo, all the way back • Save straight to Files or Finder • Full dark mode support, works completely offline WHY IT'S DIFFERENT Most free PDF tools try to rewrite the original text on the page — and often break the layout doing it. CharisPDF doesn't touch the original content. Everything you add sits on top as its own object, so it stays clean, selectable, and reversible. YOUR PRIVACY, BUILT IN The developer has no access to your files. Nothing is uploaded, tracked, or sold. You accept a short privacy statement once, and that's the entire "account" CharisPDF ever asks for. Charis is Greek for grace — the idea behind this app: put your mark on the document you have, and leave the rest alone.

Screenshots

OpenFile4 screens
CharisPDF1 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: CharisPDF at none against OpenFile's 2. CharisPDF also leads on iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.2). On price, ads and device support 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. OpenFile sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. CharisPDF asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
OpenFile versus CharisPDF: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterOpenFileCharisPDF
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequency—Every 2 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS26.217.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size113 MB2 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLife Utility Apps, LLCCheng Guan Teo

In-app purchases

2 purchases

OpenFile

Subscriptions1
  • Monthly$2.991 Month
One-time1
  • Lifetime Access$19.99
None

CharisPDF

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is OpenFile free?
OpenFile is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is CharisPDF free?
CharisPDF is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do OpenFile or CharisPDF have ads?
Neither OpenFile nor CharisPDF shows ads.

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