Comparison

PDF Lite vs PDF Reader & Editor

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

Head to head
About

PDF Lite

Features
Read full description

PDF Lite is a complete PDF editor that works offline. No account and no uploads to us: your documents stay on your iPhone or iPad, or in your own iCloud Drive if you turn sync on. Open any PDF straight from Mail, Safari, WhatsApp or Files with "Open in PDF Lite" or the share sheet, then edit, sign, convert and protect it on the device. EDIT • Edit existing text: change words, font, size, bold, italic, colour and alignment • Add text and images, then move, resize or replace them later • Watermarks, headers and footers, Bates numbers, backgrounds, links and bookmarks FILL & SIGN • Fill any form; type text, ticks, dates and initials • Draw or type your signature • Certified digital signatures (PAdES) with your own ID, and signature validation • Design forms: add fields, auto-detect them, set the tab order, export the data CONVERT • Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Pages, Numbers, Keynote, web pages, RTF, text and CSV to PDF, on the device • PDF to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, HTML, RTF, text or images • Turn photos into PDF; compress PDFs for email SCAN & OCR • Scan paper documents with the camera • ID card mode puts the front and back on one page at real size • Receipt mode reads the shop, date and total and names the file for you • Book mode splits two-page spreads; enhanced, grayscale and black-and-white filters • On-device text recognition makes scans searchable and copyable READ • Read Aloud highlights each word as it is spoken • Reading mode reflows text with adjustable size, sepia and night themes • Apple Pencil palette with marker and eraser, double tap and squeeze; tabs on iPad • Summarize a document or ask it questions with Apple Intelligence on supported devices, and translate PDFs with Apple's on-device translation. Nothing is sent to a server. ORGANISE & SYNC • Merge, split, reorder, rotate, extract, crop and delete pages • Optional iCloud Drive folder, in sync on your iPhone, iPad and Mac; both versions kept if a file changes on two devices • Shortcuts and Siri actions, Spotlight search and Home and Lock Screen widgets PROTECT & REVIEW • AES-256 passwords and print, copy and edit restrictions • True redaction that removes text, not just covers it • Highlight, comment, stamps and a comment manager • Compare two versions of a document and see every change • PDF/A conversion and an accessibility checker Reading and opening PDFs, scanning, iCloud Drive sync, Spotlight and widgets are free. Premium tools are available with a yearly subscription or a one-time lifetime purchase. PRIVACY & TERMS Privacy Policy: https://nahitfidanci.com/pdf-lite/privacy Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

PDF Reader & Editor

This app offers comprehensive PDF management with on-device AI powered by Apple Intelligence. It allows users to read, edit, sign, scan, and convert PDFs, with features like AI summarization, translation, and form auto-filling. All processing happens locally on your device for enhanced privacy.

Highlights
  • On-device AI for summarization, translation, and Q&A
  • Read, annotate, sign, and edit PDFs
  • High-quality document scanning with OCR
  • Convert PDFs to Word, Excel, JPG, and back
  • Merge, split, compress, and organize PDFs
  • iCloud sync across devices
  • Privacy-first design with no tracking or ads
Features
Read full description

Summarize, chat with, and translate any PDF entirely on your iPhone. The privacy-first PDF reader, editor, scanner & signer with Apple Intelligence built in. Try Pro free for 7 days. The all-in-one PDF app that respects your privacy. Read, annotate, sign, scan, convert, and edit PDFs - with on-device AI that summarizes, translates, and answers questions about your documents without ever sending them to a server. ON-DEVICE AI, POWERED BY APPLE INTELLIGENCE • Chat with any PDF — ask questions, get instant answers • One-tap summaries of long documents and contracts • Translate pages into 30+ languages instantly • Extract key data from invoices, receipts, and forms • Auto-fill forms from text you already have Everything runs locally on your device. Your documents never leave your iPhone. READ THE WAY YOU WANT • Smooth paginated and continuous reading modes • Outline, thumbnails, and bookmarks sidebar • Powerful in-document search across every page • Read Aloud — let your iPhone read documents to you • Open password-protected PDFs ANNOTATE & MARK UP • Highlight, underline, and strike-through in five colors • Freehand drawing with Apple Pencil • Sticky notes, shapes, arrows, and text boxes • Export annotated copies or annotation-only summaries SIGN ANYTHING • Draw signatures with your finger or Apple Pencil • Save reusable signatures, initials, and stamps • Place, resize, and rotate signatures on any page • Legally valid e-signatures with audit timestamps SCAN TO PDF • High-quality document scanner with auto edge detection • Built-in OCR — every scan becomes searchable text • Multi-page scans saved as a single PDF • Filters: original, B&W, magic color, grayscale CONVERT & ORGANIZE • Convert PDF to Word, Excel, JPG, and back • Reorder, rotate, duplicate, and delete pages • Merge multiple PDFs into one • Split a PDF into separate files • Compress to shrink file size for sharing • Add watermarks, page numbers, and headers • Redact sensitive text and images • Create blank PDFs from scratch LIBRARY THAT MAKES SENSE • Folders, tags, and color-coded bookmarks • iCloud sync across iPhone, iPad, and Mac • Import from Files, Mail, Drive, Dropbox, or any cloud • Offline access to everything you've opened PRIVACY FIRST • No tracking, no analytics, no ads • AI runs entirely on-device using Apple Intelligence • Your files stay in your iCloud — we never see them • Open-source PDFKit foundations PDF EDITOR PRO Unlock unlimited AI summaries, translations, chat, signatures, conversions, and advanced editing with a Pro subscription. • Monthly $2.99 • Yearly $29.99 (save 17%) • Lifetime $99.99 • Free 7-day trial — cancel anytime in Settings Subscriptions auto-renew unless cancelled 24 hours before the period ends. Manage in Settings > Apple ID > Subscriptions. Privacy Policy: propdfeditor.online/privacy.html Terms of Use: propdfeditor.online/terms.html

Screenshots

PDF Lite4 screens
PDF Reader & Editor4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: PDF Lite at 16.0 against PDF Reader & Editor's 26.0. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. PDF Lite sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and PDF Reader & Editor sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PDF Lite ships an update every 3 weeks, PDF Reader & Editor monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 7 level
PDF Lite versus PDF Reader & Editor: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPDF LitePDF Reader & Editor
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviews—0.0% of reviews
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size44 MB25 MB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperFerda Nahit FidanciZain Haider

In-app purchases

1 purchases

PDF Lite

One-time1
  • PDF Lite Unlock$1.99
3 purchases

PDF Reader & Editor

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Pro3 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Yearly Pro7 Days trial$29.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Pro$99.99

Questions

Is PDF Lite free?
PDF Lite is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is PDF Reader & Editor free?
PDF Reader & Editor is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do PDF Lite or PDF Reader & Editor have ads?
Neither PDF Lite nor PDF Reader & Editor shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PDF Lite or PDF Reader & Editor?
PDF Lite ships an update every 3 weeks, and PDF Reader & Editor monthly. Most recently, PDF Lite was updated on October 16, 2026 and PDF Reader & Editor on October 14, 2026.

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