Comparison

PDF Reader & Tools vs Bionic Reader

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

Head to head
About

PDF Reader & Tools

Features
Read full description

PDFKit is the privacy-first PDF reader and toolbox that does everything on your device β€” no uploads, no accounts, no waiting in line. Open any PDF and read it like a book, with paginated turn animations, sepia/dark backgrounds, font-size and line-spacing controls, bookmarks, and highlights that sync across reading sessions. Or stay in classic document mode for forms, contracts, and reports. Then jump straight into the toolbox: merge multiple PDFs, split a single document by page range, compress a giant scan to email size, convert images to PDF (and PDF pages back to images), rotate, reorder pages, add a password, watermark a draft, or stamp page numbers. Every operation runs locally β€” your files never leave your device. BUILT FOR READING β€’ Three reader modes: Document, Book (paginated), Reflow (resizable text) β€’ Five backgrounds: White, Sepia, Gray, Dark, AMOLED Black β€’ Bookmarks and highlights, with one-tap export β€’ Auto-resume where you left off, even across app restarts FULL OFFLINE TOOLBOX β€’ Merge multiple PDFs into one β€’ Split by page range or every N pages β€’ Compress with quality presets (low / medium / high) β€’ Convert images (JPG/PNG/HEIC) to PDF β€’ Convert PDF pages to images β€’ Rotate, reorder, delete pages β€’ Password-protect a PDF β€’ Add watermark or page numbers PRIVACY FIRST β€’ 100% on-device processing β€” files NEVER uploaded β€’ No account required β€’ No data collection or tracking β€’ Works fully offline LIBRARY YOU'LL ACTUALLY USE β€’ Grid and list views β€’ Filter by recents, favorites, or completed β€’ Sort by name, date, size, or last opened β€’ Search across imported documents β€’ Custom collections for organizing If you've been frustrated by web-based tools that limit free uploads, slow conversion queues, and unclear data policies, PDFKit is the tool you've been waiting for. Read your PDFs, fix your PDFs, and keep them entirely yours. Download PDFKit and own your PDF workflow.

About

Bionic Reader

Features
Read full description

Read faster, without losing comprehension Bionic Reader highlights the start of each word so your brain completes it automatically. Your eyes glide through the text faster and you stay focused for longer. A bionic reading technique especially useful for people with dyslexia, and for anyone who wants to read faster and better. IMPORT ANY DOCUMENT Open and bionic-format PDF, EPUB, DOCX, TXT, Markdown, RTF and HTML. You can also paste or type your own text, or open files shared from other apps. READING TAILORED TO YOU Adjust size, spacing and bionic intensity. Choose between Paper, Sepia and Night themes, and enable the OpenDyslexic font, designed to make reading easier for people with dyslexia. RSVP MODE: WORD-BY-WORD SPEED READING Train your reading speed with RSVP mode (Rapid Serial Visual Presentation): words appear one at a time at the pace you set, in words per minute. EXPORT TO BIONIC PDF Generate a PDF with the bionic-formatted text and share it, print it, or save it for studying. YOUR LIBRARY, ALWAYS READY Save your documents and pick up reading right where you left off. AVAILABLE IN 8 LANGUAGES English, Spanish, German, Chinese, French, Italian, Catalan and Basque, with automatic detection or a manual picker. YOUR DOCUMENTS, ON YOUR DEVICE The documents you import are processed and saved on your own device: no account needed, and we never upload your content to any server. FREE WITH ADS, NO LIMITS ON READING FEATURES Bionic Reader is free and supported by non-personalized ads. If you'd rather read without ads, you can subscribe (monthly) or buy lifetime access with a single purchase that removes ads forever. Download Bionic Reader and notice the difference from the first page. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

PDF Reader & Tools4 screens
Bionic Reader4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: PDF Reader & Tools at none against Bionic Reader's 2. PDF Reader & Tools also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (daily vs every 3 months). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. Bionic Reader sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. PDF Reader & Tools asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PDF Reader & Tools ships an update daily, Bionic Reader every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences Β· 2 level
PDF Reader & Tools versus Bionic Reader: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPDF Reader & ToolsBionic Reader
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyDaily β€” betterEvery 3 months
AdsNo β€” betterYes
In-app purchasesNo β€” betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 β€” better15.0
Further details β€” not scored
Size37 MB48 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGunawan SantosoJonatan Ortega

In-app purchases

None

PDF Reader & Tools

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Bionic Reader

Subscriptions1
  • Bionic Reader Premium$0.991 Month
One-time1
  • Bionic Reader β€” De por vida$3.99

Questions

Is PDF Reader & Tools free?
PDF Reader & Tools is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Bionic Reader free?
Bionic Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do PDF Reader & Tools or Bionic Reader have ads?
Bionic Reader shows ads; PDF Reader & Tools does not.
Which is updated more often, PDF Reader & Tools or Bionic Reader?
PDF Reader & Tools ships an update daily, and Bionic Reader every 3 months. Most recently, PDF Reader & Tools was updated on October 11, 2026 and Bionic Reader on October 17, 2026.

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