Comparison

PDF Expert 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

PDF Expert

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
Read full description

Unlock your potential with a fast and easy PDF Expert app with all the features you need in a well-designed and intuitive user interface. BEST FOR iPHONE, iPAD, MAC & VISION PRO Read PDF files easily, highlight and annotate PDFs, fill out forms, convert any file to PDF, merge several files into one, add notes, summarize and navigate PDF documents in seconds with AI-powered tools. Unlock unlimited possibilities with PDF Expert Premium features and work across all your Apple devices, effortlessly letting you complete any PDF task on the go. “PDF Expert is one of my must-have iPad apps and a desktop-class PDF reader.” – MacStories “The best app for managing, editing, and reading PDFs on your iPad.” – The Sweet Setup ▶ WITH PDF EXPERT, YOU CAN: READ PDFs WITH JOY • Pick Day, Night, or Sepia mode and enjoy reading anytime, anywhere. • Enjoy both vertical and horizontal scrolling. • Export PDF files from email, web, or any app that supports the Apple system-wide Share menu • Use Text to Speech to hear the selected text read out loud HIGHLIGHT AND ANNOTATE PDFs • Mark important info in books using colors, text, or stickers • Add stamps such as Approved, Confidential, etc. • Record your voice and add it to the doc FILL OUT FORMS • Fill out PDF forms using interactive text fields, checkboxes, and radio buttons • All the major form formats support, including acro forms and static XFA forms ***PREMIUM FEATURES *** EDIT PDFs DOCS EASILY • Edit or modify existing text directly in a PDF – just as you would in a Word document • Add links: link any part of the text or image to a different page or website • Add outlines to big PDFs to simplify navigation for hundreds of pages • Easily add, replace, and resize images in your PDFs SUMMARIZE AND ANALYZE HUGE PDFs WITH PDF COPILOT – YOUR SMART AI ASSISTANT • List Main Points – instantly scan and highlight key takeaways from any PDF • Summarize – get concise summaries of entire PDFs, or annotations • Ask Anything – find specific details with AI-powered answers and references • Explain – no more Googling! Get instant, contextual explanations of words or phrases MERGE AND COMBINE PDFs • Merge and combine multiple PDF files into one • Add, delete, and rearrange pages with a thumbnail preview • Rotate and reorder pages in PDFs EDIT SCANNED DOCUMENTS • Access the scanned PDFs that you’ve created using PDF Expert • Open your scans to fill out, sign, comment, and share CONVERT FROM AND TO PDF • Convert PDFs to Word, Excel, PPT, JPG/PNG, TXT, and vice versa • Converts any file in seconds SIGN DOCUMENTS • Use e-signatures to sign contracts on the go • Create custom stamps or import one from the images PROTECT YOUR FILES • Restrict access to PDF Expert with a password • Permanently blackout or erase sensitive information like credit card numbers • Secure and Safe trusted brand software COMPRESS PDFs • Compress large PDF files to save space on your device • Merge several files into one and compress it to reduce the file size CONSTRUCTION TOOLS • Scale and measure drawings using our Measure tab • Polygon and polyline shapes • Redline tools COLLABORATE ON THE GO PDF Expert provides the best platform for paperless collaboration between team members. Annotate and add notes in project materials, fill and sign contracts and invoices, and exchange files via email or cloud on the go. OTHER AMAZING FEATURES: • Fully customizable toolbar • Create a Link (drag and add a landing page or a Web) • Presentation Mode • Print and Share ONE ACCOUNT FOR ALL YOUR APPLE DEVICES Now, you don’t need to purchase Mac and iPhone & iPad versions separately. PDF Expert introduces a single Premium subscription for all your Apple devices. Read more about our terms and conditions here: https://pdfexpert.com/privacy https://pdfexpert.com/terms Don’t hesitate to reach out to us at http://readdle.com/contact

About

PDF Reader

This app allows users to easily find, open, read, and manage all PDF and Office files stored on their mobile device. It offers features for annotating, signing, and organizing documents, with options for offline viewing and sharing.

Highlights
  • Auto scan and find all files
  • Offline PDF viewer
  • Read and annotate PDFs
  • File management and organization
  • Share files easily
  • Favorite PDF pages
Features
Read full description

Looking for a simple and easy-to-use PDF Reader : Document Reader app? Document Reader is exactly what you need! It can auto scan, find, and list all PDF files on your phone, allows you to fast open, read and manage your files in one place conveniently. This PDF Viewer is both easy to use and powerful, enabling you to effortlessly read, annotate, and sign your PDF documents. Try All Document Reader! This all-in-one file viewer is perfectly compatible with all Office files, helping you easily process files in all formats, such as PDF. It can automatically scan the files on your phone, organize them in one place into corresponding folders so that you can search and view them conveniently. ====: Features of Document Reader :==== - Offline PDF Viewer - Import PDF Files easily - Open All Documents with a PDF reader for iphone - PDF File management - Favourite PDF pages for future reference. - Easily find your PDFs and documents by name. - Rename PDF File - Save PDF Files On a New File or replace on Existing one - Share PDF Files with iCloud,WhatsApp,Google Drive,DropBox etc. - Sort PDF Date wise - Fast Page Scrolling Horizontal and Vertical ====: PDF Viewer :==== - Page by page and continuous scrolling mode - Horizontal and vertical viewing mode - Zoom in and zoom out pages - Go to the desired page directly ====: Free PDF Reader :==== - Auto scan and find all PDF files on your phone - Display PDF files in a simple list view - Fast open and view documents - Favourite PDF pages - Privacy policy : https://rsappsprivacypolicy.blogspot.com - Terms of use : https://sites.google.com/view/rs-apps-terms-of-use/home Thanks for using PDF Reader : Document Reader

Screenshots

PDF Expert4 screens
PDF Reader4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: PDF Expert at none against PDF Reader's shown. PDF Expert also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.3) and review sentiment (46% vs 20%). PDF Reader's advantage is iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16.0). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. PDF Expert sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and PDF Reader sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

PDF Expert holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PDF Expert has 216K ratings behind it against 408, 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 20% of PDF Reader's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PDF Expert ships an update fortnightly, PDF Reader monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
PDF Expert versus PDF Reader: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPDF ExpertPDF Reader
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (216K ratings) — better4.3 (408 ratings)
Positive reviews46.0% of reviews — better20.0% of reviews
Number of ratings216K — better408
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterMonthly
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#67 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS16.014.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size307 MB28 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperReaddle Technologies LimitedRajanibhai Sheladiya

Customer experience

PDF Expert

All ratings215,851 ratings
Positive92.4%
Neutral2.3%
Negative5.3%
Written reviews1,135 reviews
Positive46.0%
Neutral7.4%
Negative46.6%

PDF Reader

All ratings408 ratings
Positive81.4%
Neutral4.2%
Negative14.5%
Written reviews30 reviews
Positive20.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative80.0%

User reviews

PDF Expert

From 216K App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

  • 🐛 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

PDF Reader

From 408 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Very useful for processing files
  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 👍 Brilliant application
  • 👍 Helped with work progression

Room to improve

  • anúncios Excessivos
  • 👎 Cannot open PDFs
  • 👎 App is useless
  • 👎 Forced vertical orientation
  • 👎 Constant ads

Bugs and requests

PDF Expert

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

5 requests
  • 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 Reader

Reported bugs

6 issues
  • App crashed and locked PDF
  • Photos not appearing in PDF conversion
  • Ads cannot be closed
  • App tries to load scanning software instead of reading PDF
  • App does not appear in preferred app list
Show 1 more
  • App locks up tablet with broken ads

Requested features

2 requests
  • Save page number for resuming reading
  • Respect user time before asking for payment

In-app purchases

10 purchases

PDF Expert

Subscriptions9
  • PDF Expert Premium Trial7 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • PDF Expert Premium No Trial$9.991 Month
  • PDF Expert for Education7 Days trial$39.991 Year
Show 6 more
  • PDF Expert Premium7 Days trial3 variants$49.991 Year
  • PDF Expert Premium New7 Days trial$49.991 Year
  • PDF Expert Premium Existing7 Days trial$49.991 Year
  • PDF Expert – Premium Editing1 Year trial$49.991 Year
  • PDF Expert Mac & iOS Pro7 Days trial$79.991 Year
  • PDF Expert Mac & iOS7 Days trial$79.991 Year
One-time1
  • PDF Expert Basic$9.99
3 purchases

PDF Reader

Subscriptions3
  • Weekly ( 1 Week )$2.997 Days
  • Monthly ( 1 Month )$6.991 Month
  • Yearly ( 1 Year )$24.991 Year

Questions

Is PDF Expert free?
PDF Expert is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is PDF Reader free?
PDF Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, PDF Expert or PDF Reader?
PDF Expert is rated higher. PDF Expert averages 4.7 out of 5 from 216K ratings, while PDF Reader averages 4.3 from 408 ratings.
Do PDF Expert or PDF Reader have ads?
PDF Reader shows ads; PDF Expert does not.
Which is updated more often, PDF Expert or PDF Reader?
PDF Expert ships an update fortnightly, and PDF Reader monthly. Most recently, PDF Expert was updated on September 24, 2026 and PDF Reader on September 20, 2026.

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