Comparison

GoodReader PDF Editor & Viewer vs Polaris Viewer

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

GoodReader PDF Editor & Viewer

This app offers robust PDF editing and viewing capabilities, alongside comprehensive file management tools. It allows users to annotate PDFs, manage files from various cloud services, and secure sensitive data with advanced encryption. Enjoy a superior reading experience with features like PDF Reflow and split-screen viewing.

Highlights
  • PDF annotation and editing
  • Extensive file format support
  • Cloud service integration (Dropbox, Google Drive, etc.)
  • AES-256 military-grade encryption
  • Split-screen viewing for iPad
  • File management and organization
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

First released in 2009, GoodReader® is truly a veteran of the App Store. In the modern app business, it's not easy to stay relevant that long. We're proud to say that after 17 years and counting, we've been delivering wonderful updates with extraordinary new features. And we're going to keep doing that! GoodReader is a perfect combination of document-reading and file-managing capabilities. It's your one-stop shop for all your document needs on your iOS device. Use the app once, and you'll be hooked. Soon you'll be wondering how you ever managed to work without it. -= File Reading =- PDF, TXT, MS Office, iWork, HTML, pictures, music & audio-books, videos. This is what you can view in GoodReader, plus you can also annotate PDF files and edit TXT files. -= PDF Reading and Annotating =- PDF files is where GoodReader truly shines. Reading experience is so superior, it's hard to describe. To rephrase one of our customers' review, "try it, and you'll see." While you're at it, give our PDF Reflow feature a try. You'll be surprised how much better PDF reading goes when you don't have to scroll left/right all the time, for every single line of text. Annotating PDFs is another star feature of our app. Adding notes and drawings, highlighting text, and then sharing your annotated files or annotation summaries will be your main productivity and collaboration asset. -= File Management =- While reading files is a big part of GoodReader, it's not all it can do. It can also serve as a central hub for all your files, even those that can't be opened by GoodReader itself. It's like bringing your personal computer experience to your mobile device — easily managing huge collections of files and folders will make you forget you don't have your laptop around. -= Connecting =- Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive, Box.com, WebDAV, SMB, FTP, SFTP — these are all accessible from inside GoodReader. Download, upload, and sync individual files or huge folder collections. -= Security =- With GoodReader, your data security steps up to the level previously only dreamt of. With Pro Pack®, our new set of professional-level super-features, you'll get AES-256, a military-grade encryption, for all your data, at a price of a cup of coffee! And it's completely independent from the built-in Apple's Data Protection, so even if a hacker steals and unlocks your device, your data will still be protected by another strong layer of security, our own. -= Multi-Windows =- Seamlessly view and manage multiple files simultaneously on iPad. -= Notes =- Capture ideas and comments while reading or studying a technical document without even leaving the app. Sort and group your notes into categories. (Note: Some features require a Pro Pack® subscription.)

About

Polaris Viewer

This app offers a mobile-optimized experience for viewing various document types, including Microsoft Office files, PDFs, and TXT. It provides smart document management features and supports cloud integration for easy access to your files.

Highlights
  • Mobile optimized document viewer
  • Supports Microsoft Office, PDF, TXT, Zip, CSV
  • Cloud storage integration (iCloud, Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.)
  • Smart document management
  • App lock with fingerprint, face, or password
  • Night mode and paper texture background options
Read full description

Polaris Office, selected by 100 million users across the world, provides mobile optimized document viewer at the requests of numerous users. Using compact and stable Polaris Office Viewer which takes some edit functions out and strengthens view function, quickly and easily manage all the document files such as Microsoft Office, TXT, Zip file, as well as Adobe PDF! ■ Supporting Languages ■ • English, Korean, Japanese, German, Russian, Indonesian, Brazilian Portuguese ■ Supported formats ■ • (NEW) Now we support CSV format. • Microsoft Word : DOC, DOCX • Microsoft Excel : XLS, XLSX • Microsoft Powerpoint : PPT, PPTX, PPS, PPSX • Other documents and files : PDF, TXT, ODT, Zip ■ Main functions ■ Mobile optimized document viewer : Supporting must-have functions to easily view the documents in Mobile. • Landscape mode / Portrait mode / Multi window mode • View per page, View in a row • Able to dim the screen and choose background (Providing Night mode and Paper texture) • Supporting text copy function in document Smart document managing : Supporting the functions for managing various documents more efficiently. • Able to check all the documents in My device storage & other cloud service (Supporting iCloud, Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, Box, WebDAV, FTP) • Able to manage main documents separately through bookmark settings. • Support various sorting methods. (Name order / Date order / Size order etc) • Support view function per document format. • Able to search document you need through search function. • Able to use App lock function (via fingerprint, face, password) ■ Note ■ • Homepage : Polarisoffice.com • Facebook : facebook.com/polarisoffice • Youtube : youtube.com/user/infrawareinc • Inquiry : support@polarisoffice.com • Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy : www.polarisoffice.com/privacy

Screenshots

GoodReader PDF Editor & Viewer3 screens
Polaris Viewer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Polaris Viewer at Free against GoodReader PDF Editor & Viewer's $6.99. Polaris Viewer also leads on device support (4 vs 2) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.6). GoodReader PDF Editor & Viewer's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (weekly vs every 3 months). On rating, 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

Polaris Viewer is free to download; GoodReader PDF Editor & Viewer costs $6.99 up front. GoodReader PDF Editor & Viewer sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Polaris Viewer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for GoodReader PDF Editor & Viewer against 4.6 for Polaris Viewer. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: GoodReader PDF Editor & Viewer has 14K ratings behind it against 74, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 69% of GoodReader PDF Editor & Viewer's written reviews are positive against 56% of Polaris Viewer's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

GoodReader PDF Editor & Viewer ships an update weekly, Polaris Viewer every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
GoodReader PDF Editor & Viewer versus Polaris Viewer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGoodReader PDF Editor & ViewerPolaris Viewer
Price$6.99Free — better
Rating4.7 (14K ratings) — better4.6 (74 ratings)
Positive reviews68.7% of reviews — better56.4% of reviews
Number of ratings14K — better74
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#28 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod, Vision Pro — better
Requires iOS17.613.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size53 MB177 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGood.iWare, Inc.Polaris Office Corp.

Customer experience

GoodReader PDF Editor & Viewer

All ratings13,805 ratings
Positive92.3%
Neutral2.3%
Negative5.5%
Written reviews1,840 reviews
Positive68.7%
Neutral7.9%
Negative23.4%

Polaris Viewer

All ratings74 ratings
Positive89.2%
Neutral5.4%
Negative5.4%
Written reviews55 reviews
Positive56.4%
Neutral10.9%
Negative32.7%

Bugs and requests

GoodReader PDF Editor & Viewer

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Syncing issues with cloud storage providers
  • Compatibility problems with newer iOS versions
  • Inconsistent behavior when switching between apps

Requested features

5 requests
  • Continuous scrolling for better reading experience
  • Improved search functionality with advanced filters
  • Ability to set custom color schemes and themes
  • Enhanced support for ebook formats like EPUB
  • Streamlined annotation tools and workflow

Polaris Viewer

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

4 purchases

GoodReader PDF Editor & Viewer

Subscriptions2
  • Pro Pack (monthly)7 Days trial$3.991 Month
  • Pro Pack (annual)7 Days trial$24.991 Year
One-time2
  • Auto Sync$59.99
  • Pro Pack$89.99
1 purchases

Polaris Viewer

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$10.99

Questions

Is GoodReader PDF Editor & Viewer free?
GoodReader PDF Editor & Viewer costs $6.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Polaris Viewer free?
Polaris Viewer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, GoodReader PDF Editor & Viewer or Polaris Viewer?
GoodReader PDF Editor & Viewer is rated higher. GoodReader PDF Editor & Viewer averages 4.7 out of 5 from 14K ratings, while Polaris Viewer averages 4.6 from 74 ratings.
Do GoodReader PDF Editor & Viewer or Polaris Viewer have ads?
Polaris Viewer shows ads; GoodReader PDF Editor & Viewer does not.
Which is updated more often, GoodReader PDF Editor & Viewer or Polaris Viewer?
GoodReader PDF Editor & Viewer ships an update weekly, and Polaris Viewer every 3 months. Most recently, GoodReader PDF Editor & Viewer was updated on October 31, 2026 and Polaris Viewer on October 30, 2026.

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