# PDF Expert vs Polaris Viewer

The clearest difference is ads: PDF Expert at none against Polaris Viewer's shown. PDF Expert also leads on ratings volume (216K vs 74) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months). Polaris Viewer's advantage is review sentiment (56% vs 46%) and device support (4 vs 2). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PDF Expert sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Polaris Viewer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for PDF Expert against 4.6 for Polaris Viewer. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PDF Expert has 216K ratings behind it against 74, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 46% of PDF Expert's written reviews are positive against 56% of Polaris Viewer's.

PDF Expert ships an update fortnightly, Polaris Viewer every 3 months. Both last shipped on September 26, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF Expert | Polaris Viewer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (216K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-expert-editor-and-reader/id743974925/reviews)** | [4.6 (74 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/polaris-viewer-pdf-document/id1361508774/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **216K** | 74 |
| Positive reviews | 46.0% of reviews | **56.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#70** | — |
| Size | 307 MB | 177 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Vision Pro** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Readdle Technologies Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/285035419) | [Polaris Office Corp.](https://appshunter.io/developer/380275428) |

## What reviewers say

### PDF Expert

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-expert-editor-and-reader/id743974925)

**Currently charting:** #70 Top Grossing · Productivity, #203 Top Free · Productivity (US App Store)

This app allows you to edit, annotate, fill out forms, and convert PDF documents. It offers AI-powered summarization and analysis, along with tools to merge, sign, and protect your files. Work seamlessly across Apple devices with a user-friendly interface.

**Highlights:** Edit PDF text and images, Annotate and highlight PDFs, Fill out PDF forms, Convert files to and from PDF, AI-powered summarization and analysis, Merge and combine PDF files, Sign documents with e-signatures

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PDF Expert Premium Trial | $9.99 | per month |
| PDF Expert Premium No Trial | $9.99 | per month |
| PDF Expert for Education | $39.99 | per year |
| PDF Expert Premium | $49.99 | per year |
| PDF Expert Premium New | $49.99 | per year |
| PDF Expert Premium Existing | $49.99 | per year |
| PDF Expert – Premium Editing | $49.99 | per year |
| PDF Expert Mac & iOS Pro | $79.99 | per year |
| PDF Expert Mac & iOS | $79.99 | per year |
| PDF Expert Basic | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and responsive
- 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
- 💡 Powerful annotation and editing tools
- 🔒 Seamless cloud integration
- 📚 Excellent for reading and organizing PDFs

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability issues
- 🔒 Subscription model for advanced features
- 🔒 Inconsistent pricing and feature changes
- 🔍 Cluttered and confusing UI in latest update
- 🔍 Reduced customization options for annotations

**Reported bugs**

- Corrupted PDFs after editing
- Sync issues with cloud storage providers
- Unexpected loss of annotations and edits
- Unreliable performance on older iPad models

**Requested features**

- Improved palm rejection for Apple Pencil
- Customizable toolbar and annotation presets
- Better integration with other productivity apps
- More flexible file management and organization
- Ability to create fillable PDF forms


### Polaris Viewer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/polaris-viewer-pdf-document/id1361508774)

This app offers a mobile-optimized experience for viewing various document types, including Microsoft Office files, PDFs, and TXT. It provides smart document management features and supports cloud integration for easy access to your files.

**Highlights:** Mobile optimized document viewer, Supports Microsoft Office, PDF, TXT, Zip, CSV, Cloud storage integration (iCloud, Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.), Smart document management, App lock with fingerprint, face, or password, Night mode and paper texture background options

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $10.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PDF Expert free?

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

### Is Polaris Viewer free?

Polaris Viewer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, PDF Expert or Polaris Viewer?

PDF Expert is rated higher. PDF Expert averages 4.7 out of 5 from 216K ratings, while Polaris Viewer averages 4.6 from 74 ratings.

### Do PDF Expert or Polaris Viewer have ads?

Polaris Viewer shows ads; PDF Expert does not.

### Which is updated more often, PDF Expert or Polaris Viewer?

PDF Expert ships an update fortnightly, and Polaris Viewer every 3 months. Most recently, PDF Expert was updated on September 26, 2026 and Polaris Viewer on September 26, 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.*