# PDF Reader vs PDF Craft

The clearest difference is review sentiment: PDF Reader at 50% against PDF Craft's 0%. PDF Reader also leads on rating (4.3 vs 3.7) and ratings volume (93 vs 9). PDF Craft's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PDF Reader sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $14.99 per 7 days. PDF Craft asks for nothing beyond the download.

PDF Reader holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PDF Reader has 93 ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of PDF Reader's written reviews are positive against 0% of PDF Craft's.

PDF Reader ships an update every 3 weeks, PDF Craft monthly. Both last shipped on October 25, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF Reader | PDF Craft |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.3 (93 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-reader-edit-and-ocr-scan/id6774545766/reviews)** | [3.7 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-craft-local-desk/id6785801320/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **93** | 9 |
| Positive reviews | **50.0% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Best chart rank | **#190** | — |
| Size | 21 MB | 91 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | +4 |
| Developer | [Duc Duong Tran](https://appshunter.io/developer/1580090879) | [Fuzhou Zhiyue Interactive Technology Co.,Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/6781202803) |

## What reviewers say

### PDF Reader

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

**Currently charting:** #190 Top Free · Productivity (US App Store)

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 Craft

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-craft-local-desk/id6785801320)

This app provides a local-first PDF workspace for creating, merging, organizing, and protecting documents on your iPhone and iPad. It allows you to scan paper, convert photos to PDFs, recognize text, and manage your files securely.

**Highlights:** Scan documents and photos into PDFs, Convert photos to PDF, Import and merge PDF files, On-device text recognition (OCR), Organize documents with filters and search, Password protection and Face ID lock, Local-first document workflows

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PDF Reader free?

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

### Is PDF Craft free?

PDF Craft is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

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

PDF Reader is rated higher. PDF Reader averages 4.3 out of 5 from 93 ratings, while PDF Craft averages 3.7 from 9 ratings.

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

Both PDF Reader and PDF Craft show ads.

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

PDF Reader ships an update every 3 weeks, and PDF Craft monthly. Most recently, PDF Reader was updated on October 25, 2026 and PDF Craft on October 25, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*