# PDF Expert vs PDF Reader PDF Viewer

The clearest difference is rating: PDF Expert at 4.7 against PDF Reader PDF Viewer's 3.0. PDF Expert also leads on ratings volume (216K vs 2) and chart position (#73 vs unranked). PDF Reader PDF Viewer's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.0). 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 Reader PDF Viewer sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 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 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PDF Expert has 216K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

PDF Expert ships an update fortnightly, PDF Reader PDF Viewer every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and June 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF Expert | PDF Reader PDF Viewer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (216K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-expert-editor-and-reader/id743974925/reviews)** | [3.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-reader-pdf-viewer/id6470454445/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **216K** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 46.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#73** | — |
| Size | 307 MB | 13 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Readdle Technologies Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/285035419) | [Mohit Rudani](https://appshunter.io/developer/1673702969) |

## What reviewers say

### PDF Expert

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

**Currently charting:** #73 Top Grossing · 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 Reader PDF Viewer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-reader-pdf-viewer/id6470454445)

Edit, sign, and share PDF documents on your iPhone. Import files from your gallery, convert them to PDF, and manage all your documents in one place. Offers a simple interface for reading, annotating, and creating PDFs.

**Highlights:** Edit and sign PDF documents, Import and convert to PDF, Read, comment, and annotate PDFs, Create new PDF files, Share documents as PDF, Offline PDF viewing

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove ads for 1 Month | $0.99 | per month |
| Remove ads for 1 Year | $3.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PDF Expert free?

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

### Is PDF Reader PDF Viewer free?

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

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

PDF Expert is rated higher. PDF Expert averages 4.7 out of 5 from 216K ratings, while PDF Reader PDF Viewer averages 3.0 from 2 ratings.

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

Neither PDF Expert nor PDF Reader PDF Viewer shows ads.

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

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