# PDF Expert vs Read+ PDF Reader

The clearest difference is ads: PDF Expert at none against Read+ PDF Reader's shown. PDF Expert also leads on ratings volume (216K vs 7) and rating (4.7 vs 4.4). Read+ PDF Reader's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs fortnightly) and review sentiment (67% vs 46%). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PDF Expert sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Read+ PDF Reader sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.49 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

PDF Expert holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PDF Expert has 216K ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 46% of PDF Expert's written reviews are positive against 67% of Read+ PDF Reader's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

PDF Expert ships an update fortnightly, Read+ PDF Reader every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and August 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF Expert | Read+ PDF Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (216K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-expert-editor-and-reader/id743974925/reviews)** | [4.4 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/read-plus-pdf-reader/id1540059125/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **216K** | 7 |
| Positive reviews | 46.0% of reviews | **66.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#73** | — |
| Size | 307 MB | 24 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Readdle Technologies Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/285035419) | [B TO J PTY LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/569308231) |

## What reviewers say

### PDF Expert

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

**Currently charting:** #73 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


### Read+ PDF Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/read-plus-pdf-reader/id1540059125)

This application allows users to read, manage, and annotate PDF files on their iOS devices. It offers features like text search, OCR extraction, file merging, and integration with cloud storage services. Users can also share and print their documents.

**Highlights:** Read PDF books naturally, Bookmark and annotate PDFs, Search text within files, Extract text with OCR, Merge and rearrange PDF pages, Cloud storage integration, Share and print PDFs

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 Month Subscription | $3.49 | per month |
| 1 Year Subscription | $28.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PDF Expert free?

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

### Is Read+ PDF Reader free?

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

### Which has better reviews, PDF Expert or Read+ PDF Reader?

PDF Expert is rated higher. PDF Expert averages 4.7 out of 5 from 216K ratings, while Read+ PDF Reader averages 4.4 from 7 ratings.

### Do PDF Expert or Read+ PDF Reader have ads?

Read+ PDF Reader shows ads; PDF Expert does not.

### Which is updated more often, PDF Expert or Read+ PDF Reader?

PDF Expert ships an update fortnightly, and Read+ PDF Reader every 3 days. Most recently, PDF Expert was updated on September 25, 2026 and Read+ PDF Reader on August 31, 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.*