Comparison

PDF Ultra vs Glide Reader

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

Head to head
About

PDF Ultra

Features
Read full description

PDF Ultra is a fast, elegant PDF reader for iPhone and iPad โ€” built to make reading, listening to, and marking up documents feel effortless. It runs entirely on your device: no ads, no accounts, no tracking, and nothing ever leaves your iPhone. Whether you're studying a textbook, reviewing a report, or catching up on long documents hands-free, PDF Ultra keeps everything calm, focused, and beautifully native. READ YOUR WAY Day, Night and Sepia reading modes Continuous or single-page, vertical or horizontal scrolling Pinch and double-tap zoom, with a default zoom you choose Immersive reading mode and gentle auto-scroll Remembers your last page, reading progress and time LISTEN TO ANY PDF Natural read-aloud with true background audio Lock screen and Control Center playback controls Follow-along highlighting as each sentence is read Adjustable speed and voice, with auto-advance between pages Picks up exactly where you left off โ€” even after relaunch FIND ANYTHING INSTANTLY Full-text search across the entire document Live results with match counts and next / previous In-page highlighting and recent-search history MARK IT UP Pen, highlighter and eraser with color palettes Undo, redo and clear Ink saves right into the PDF โ€” and stays removable STAY ORGANIZED Library with Continue Reading, Favorites and All Files Sort by name, date or size Bookmarks and a tap-to-jump table of contents Open PDFs straight from Files, Mail, Safari and more Opens password-protected PDFs MADE FOR IPHONE & IPAD Universal, edge-to-edge layout with a roomy iPad sidebar Light, Dark and System themes with seven accent colors PRIVATE BY DESIGN PDF Ultra works fully offline. Your files stay on your device โ€” there are no accounts to create and no data collection. Just open a PDF and start reading. No ads. No tracking.

About

Glide Reader

Features
Read full description

Keep your eyes still. Let the words glide beneath them. Glide Reader reimagines how reading an ebook can feel. Instead of scanning back and forth across a page, or repeatedly scrolling through blocks of text, the words move smoothly beneath your gaze in one continuous horizontal flow. Simply tap and hold to start reading. Move your finger to the right to accelerate, or move left to slow down. You have precise, intuitive control over your reading rhythm. ADD EBOOKS TO YOUR LIBRARY Import your own EPUB, TXT, HTML, and text-based PDF files. Browse chapters, continue where you left off and track your progress. (EPUB provides the best reading experience. Complex HTML and PDF layouts may not always be reproduced exactly correct. DRM-protected ebook files purchased in other apps are not supported.) USE YOUR OWN STYLE โ€ข Choose from carefully selected reading fonts โ€ข Adjust text size and brightness โ€ข Read with White, Paper, Sepia, Night, or Black OLED themes โ€ข Position the text at a comfortable height โ€ข Use stepped paragraph transitions to preserve paragraph structure โ€ข Reverse the glide controls if that feels more natural FOLLOW YOUR PROGRESS See your chapter progress, reading time, words read, average reading speed, and estimated time remaining. As Glide Reader learns your actual reading pace, its time estimates become more personal. FOCUS WITHOUT DISTRACTIONS Focus Mode gently fades away the toolbar and reading statistics while the text is moving. A simple tap brings everything back whenever you need it. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Your imported books and reading progress remain on your device. No account is required. Terms of service: https://www.arcanamedia.nl/glidereader/privacy

Screenshots

PDF Ultra4 screens
Glide Reader4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: PDF Ultra at 17.0 against Glide Reader's 26.6. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Scorecard1 real difference ยท 5 level
PDF Ultra versus Glide Reader: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPDF UltraGlide Reader
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyโ€”Every 2 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac โ€” betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.0 โ€” better26.6
Further details โ€” not scored
Size6 MB13 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRam TuluguArcana Media

In-app purchases

None

PDF Ultra

No in-app purchases

None

Glide Reader

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is PDF Ultra free?
PDF Ultra is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Glide Reader free?
Glide Reader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do PDF Ultra or Glide Reader have ads?
Neither PDF Ultra nor Glide Reader shows ads.

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