# PDF Reader vs PDF Scanner

The clearest difference is rating: PDF Scanner at 5.0 against PDF Reader's 3.5. PDF Scanner also leads on ads (none vs shown). PDF Reader's advantage is ratings volume (13 vs 1). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PDF Reader sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $14.99 per 7 days and PDF Scanner sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

PDF Scanner holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PDF Reader has 13 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

PDF Reader ships an update every 3 weeks, PDF Scanner every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 18, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF Reader | PDF Scanner |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.5 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-reader-edit-and-ocr-scan/id6774545766/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-scanner-ai-ocr/id6785408517/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **13** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 21 MB | 47 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 16 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Duc Duong Tran](https://appshunter.io/developer/1580090879) | [浩浩 李](https://appshunter.io/developer/1688965369) |

## What reviewers say

### PDF Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-reader-edit-and-ocr-scan/id6774545766)

Easily scan, read, edit, and manage PDF documents on your iPhone and iPad. Convert images to PDF, extract text with OCR, and sign your documents. Organize files with merging, splitting, and password protection.

**Highlights:** Scan documents with camera, Convert photos to PDF, Extract text with OCR, Edit and annotate PDFs, Sign documents, Merge and split PDFs, Password protection

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Weekly | $14.99 | per 7 days |


### PDF Scanner

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-scanner-ai-ocr/id6785408517)

Transform your device into a powerful AI scanner. Effortlessly capture documents, extract text with OCR, summarize content, and get answers from your files. Stay organized and productive whether for work, study, or personal use.

**Highlights:** AI Document Scanning, High-Quality PDF Creation, OCR Text Recognition, AI Document Summarization, AI Chat with Files, Key Information Extraction, Export and Share Scans

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Premium | $4.99 | per month |
| Yearly Premium | $12.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Premium | $29.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PDF Reader free?

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

### Is PDF Scanner free?

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

### Which has better reviews, PDF Reader or PDF Scanner?

PDF Scanner is rated higher. PDF Reader averages 3.5 out of 5 from 13 ratings, while PDF Scanner averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do PDF Reader or PDF Scanner have ads?

PDF Reader shows ads; PDF Scanner does not.

### Which is updated more often, PDF Reader or PDF Scanner?

PDF Reader ships an update every 3 weeks, and PDF Scanner every 2 weeks. Most recently, PDF Reader was updated on September 18, 2026 and PDF Scanner on September 30, 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.*