# PDF Expert vs PDF Pro Reader Edit

The clearest difference is review sentiment: PDF Pro Reader Edit at 75% against PDF Expert's 46%. PDF Pro Reader Edit also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7). PDF Expert's advantage is ratings volume (216K vs 4) and chart position (#71 vs unranked). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

PDF Pro Reader Edit holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PDF Expert has 216K ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 46% of PDF Expert's written reviews are positive against 75% of PDF Pro Reader Edit's.

PDF Expert ships an update fortnightly, PDF Pro Reader Edit every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF Expert | PDF Pro Reader Edit |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (216K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-expert-editor-and-reader/id743974925/reviews) | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-pro-reader-edit-converter/id1505038693/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **216K** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 46.0% of reviews | **75.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 4 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#71** | — |
| Size | 307 MB | 13 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 16.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Readdle Technologies Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/285035419) | [崴 杨](https://appshunter.io/developer/1505035148) |

## What reviewers say

### PDF Expert

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

**Currently charting:** #71 Top Grossing · Productivity, #193 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


### PDF Pro Reader Edit

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-pro-reader-edit-converter/id1505038693)

This app allows you to read, edit, and manage PDF files. It offers features like merging, splitting, converting PDFs to images, adding text, highlighting, and creating digital signatures. You can also import PDFs from iCloud or scan documents.

**Highlights:** Merge and split PDF files, Convert PDF to images, Add text and annotations, Create digital signatures, Encrypt and unlock PDFs, Scan documents to PDF, Import from iCloud

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Upgrade to PRO | $1.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PDF Expert free?

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

### Is PDF Pro Reader Edit free?

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

### Which has better reviews, PDF Expert or PDF Pro Reader Edit?

PDF Pro Reader Edit is rated higher. PDF Expert averages 4.7 out of 5 from 216K ratings, while PDF Pro Reader Edit averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do PDF Expert or PDF Pro Reader Edit have ads?

Neither PDF Expert nor PDF Pro Reader Edit shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, PDF Expert or PDF Pro Reader Edit?

PDF Expert ships an update fortnightly, and PDF Pro Reader Edit every 4 weeks. Most recently, PDF Expert was updated on September 25, 2026 and PDF Pro Reader Edit on September 15, 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.*