# PDF Expert vs ReaderView

PDF Expert and ReaderView both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 88% of ReaderView's written reviews are positive against 46% of PDF Expert's. ReaderView also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs fortnightly). PDF Expert's advantage is ratings volume (216K vs 66) and chart position (#73 vs unranked). On price, rating, 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 ReaderView sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

PDF Expert holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PDF Expert has 216K ratings behind it against 66, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 46% of PDF Expert's written reviews are positive against 88% of ReaderView's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

PDF Expert ships an update fortnightly, ReaderView every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF Expert | ReaderView |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (216K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-expert-editor-and-reader/id743974925/reviews)** | [4.5 (66 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/readerview/id954343811/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **216K** | 66 |
| Positive reviews | 46.0% of reviews | **88.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#73** | — |
| Size | 307 MB | 17 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 16.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Readdle Technologies Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/285035419) | [AppBlit LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/295536769) |

## What reviewers say

### PDF Expert

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

**Currently charting:** #73 Top Grossing · Productivity, #205 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


### ReaderView

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/readerview/id954343811)

Transform cluttered web pages and documents into a clean, distraction-free reading experience. Save articles, videos, and more for offline access, with features like highlighting, note-taking, and full-text search.

**Highlights:** Distraction-free reading mode, Save content for offline access, Highlight passages and add notes, Full-text search across saved articles, Organize content with folders, Sync across devices with iCloud

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ReaderView PRO | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PDF Expert free?

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

### Is ReaderView free?

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

### Which has better reviews, PDF Expert or ReaderView?

PDF Expert is rated higher. PDF Expert averages 4.7 out of 5 from 216K ratings, while ReaderView averages 4.5 from 66 ratings.

### Do PDF Expert or ReaderView have ads?

Neither PDF Expert nor ReaderView shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, PDF Expert or ReaderView?

PDF Expert ships an update fortnightly, and ReaderView every 3 days. Most recently, PDF Expert was updated on September 25, 2026 and ReaderView on September 21, 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.*