Comparison

QR Reader vs PDF Reader

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

Head to head
About

QR Reader

Easily scan QR codes and barcodes with your device's camera. Generate custom QR codes for various information types like URLs, contacts, and text. Features real-time scanning, a built-in web browser, and a history log of all your scans.

Highlights
  • Real-time QR code scanning
  • QR code generation
  • Integrated web browser
  • Scan history logs
  • Flashlight scanning
Read full description

QR Reader is more than a QR reader — it is also an AI-assisted safer QR scanner that alerts you about suspicious or unsafe links before you open them. This is very useful while scanning QR Reader for public Wifi Scan QR codes and barcodes instantly using your camera, or scan codes from images in your photo gallery. You can also generate memorable QR codes by adding an image or photo to your QR code. If you are in the dark, QR Reader offers flashlight support for easy scanning. Open links more safely with built-in security checks that warn you about suspicious links, phishing, malware, risky websites, and unverified sources before you continue. QR Reader is an essential app for every iOS device.
A simple, fast, easy, and safer QR code and barcode scanner. Generate QR codes and barcodes for text, URLs, contacts, emails, SMS, calls, events, WiFi, vCards, and more. Fast, effective, and simple. The app opens instantly in real-time scanning mode. FEATURES • Flashlight support for scanning in low light • Scan QR codes and barcodes in real time using the camera • Scan QR codes from images in your photo gallery • Generate QR codes for text, websites, emails, phone numbers, SMS, WiFi, contacts, vCards, and more • Create memorable QR codes by adding an image • AI-assisted security warnings for risky links, phishing pages, malware, and unverified sources • Integrated web browser for opening links inside the app • Scan history to view and manage previous scans • Fast and simple design for everyday use • Improved scanning accuracy and app stability • Better alerts, progress messages, and error handling • Useful for shopping, coupons, business cards, websites, contact sharing, and mobile commerce • Favorite scans, QR folders/categories, export scan history, dark mode, batch scan from images, custom QR colors and logo styles, AI explanation of scanned links before opening them.

About

PDF Reader

This app offers a superior PDF reading experience with its innovative Liquid Mode, which optimizes documents for mobile screens. It also provides robust tools for annotating, signing, managing, and sharing your PDF files, catering to both work and study needs.

Highlights
  • Liquid Mode for optimized mobile reading
  • Annotation tools (pencil, text, highlighting)
  • Handwritten signature insertion
  • File management (move, merge, copy, delete)
  • Cloud service integration (Wondershare, iCloud)
  • Create blank PDFs and folders
Features
Read full description

PDFelement - PDF Reader is a PDF reader using the latest technology. The newly connected Liquid Mode function allows you to enjoy the best reading experience. In addition, there are various annotation tools, file management, signature, Various functions such as cloud services can meet your PDF needs in work and study. PDF VIEWER • Liquid Mode gives you the best PDF reading experience • Star files to find them quickly • Easily locate recently accessed files in the "Recent" list. • Enter the page number to navigate to the desired page for viewing LIQUID MODE • Get the best PDF Reading experience with Liquid Mode • PDF document fully fits the mobile phone screen, no need to zoom in and out repeatedly. • Easily adjust brightness, font size,style, and spacing. ANNOTATE • Using Pencil to annotate like writing on the paper • Add text annotations, freely modify the text and background, border colors, choose the appropriate font and font size. • Supports many annotating tools like highlighting, underlining, squiggly lines, or strikethroughs. MANAGE • Move, merge, copy or delete files SIGNATURE • Enables handwritten signatures to be inserted anywhere within the document, while also offering the ability to zoom in and out for greater flexibility. • Built-in commonly used stamps CREATE • Quickly create completely blank PDF documents • Creat blank folders. SHARE • Sharing document content with others is just a click away with capture feature. • Select sentence(s) or pragraph(s) to share CLOUD SERVICE • PDF Reader supports uploading or downloading docs via computer, Wondershare document cloud and iCloud. Please note that this app only supports editing native PDF files. It does not support editing scanned or raster PDF. If you find you cannot edit text in PDF, please check if it is scanned PDF. Thank you! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Need HELP? Please contact us! We'll feedback to you ASAP. Email: pdfelement@wondershare.com Support Center: http://support.wondershare.com Forum: http://forum.pdf.wondershare.com Official Website: https://pdf.wondershare.com If you think this App helps you, your positive review in the App Store would be much appreciated.

Screenshots

QR Reader2 screens
PDF Reader4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: QR Reader at 4.7 against PDF Reader's 4.3. QR Reader also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). PDF Reader's advantage is ratings volume (3.9K vs 162) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 6 months). On price, review sentiment, 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

QR Reader holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PDF Reader has 3.9K ratings behind it against 162, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 75% of QR Reader's written reviews are positive against 77% of PDF Reader's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

QR Reader ships an update every 6 months, PDF Reader every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
QR Reader versus PDF Reader: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterQR ReaderPDF Reader
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (162 ratings) — better4.3 (3.9K ratings)
Positive reviews75.0% of reviews76.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1623.9K — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size34 MB173 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperiFahjaWondershare Technology (Hunan) Co.,Ltd.

Customer experience

QR Reader

All ratings153 ratings
Positive92.8%
Neutral5.2%
Negative2.0%
Written reviews12 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%

PDF Reader

All ratings3,923 ratings
Positive83.1%
Neutral3.2%
Negative13.7%
Written reviews1,582 reviews
Positive76.7%
Neutral6.1%
Negative17.2%

Bugs and requests

QR Reader

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

PDF Reader

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Text boxes appearing randomly
  • Inability to select/edit text in some PDFs
  • Scrolling issues and page loading delays
  • Incompatibility with certain PDF formats

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to edit text formatting (font, size, color)
  • Support for multiple open documents
  • Improved Apple Pencil integration
  • Bookmark/favorite feature for frequently used PDFs
  • Expanded cloud storage integration (OneDrive, Google Drive, etc.)

In-app purchases

None

QR Reader

No in-app purchases

None

PDF Reader

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is QR Reader free?
QR Reader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is PDF Reader free?
PDF Reader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, QR Reader or PDF Reader?
QR Reader is rated higher. QR Reader averages 4.7 out of 5 from 162 ratings, while PDF Reader averages 4.3 from 3.9K ratings.
Do QR Reader or PDF Reader have ads?
Neither QR Reader nor PDF Reader shows ads.
Which is updated more often, QR Reader or PDF Reader?
QR Reader ships an update every 6 months, and PDF Reader every 2 months. Most recently, QR Reader was updated on November 1, 2026 and PDF Reader on November 5, 2026.

Other comparisons