# GoodReader PDF Editor & Viewer vs Highlights

The clearest difference is price: Highlights at Free against GoodReader PDF Editor & Viewer's $6.99. Highlights also leads on device support (4 vs 2) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.6). GoodReader PDF Editor & Viewer's advantage is review sentiment (69% vs 53%) and rating (4.7 vs 4.5). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Highlights 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 Highlights sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

GoodReader PDF Editor & Viewer holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: GoodReader PDF Editor & Viewer has 14K ratings behind it against 1.6K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 69% of GoodReader PDF Editor & Viewer's written reviews are positive against 53% of Highlights's.

GoodReader PDF Editor & Viewer ships an update weekly, Highlights fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | GoodReader PDF Editor & Viewer | Highlights |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $6.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.7 (14K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/goodreader-pdf-editor-and-viewer/id777310222/reviews)** | [4.5 (1.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/highlights-pdf-reader-and-notes/id1498912833/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **14K** | 1.6K |
| Positive reviews | **68.7% of reviews** | 53.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | **#30** | — |
| Size | 53 MB | 37 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Good.iWare, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/289191291) | [Jonas Myren Ribe](https://appshunter.io/developer/794854096) |

## What reviewers say

### GoodReader PDF Editor & Viewer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/goodreader-pdf-editor-and-viewer/id777310222)

**Currently charting:** #30 Top Paid · Productivity (US App Store)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Pack (monthly) | $3.99 | per month |
| Pro Pack (annual) | $24.99 | per year |
| Auto Sync | $59.99 | one-time |
| Pro Pack | $89.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent for reading and annotating PDFs
- 📚 Powerful file management and organization
- 💻 Seamless integration with cloud storage
- 🎨 Customizable reading experience
- ⚙️ Robust set of features and capabilities

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Subscription model for some features
- 🔀 Cluttered interface after recent update
- 🐛 Occasional crashes and stability issues
- 📁 Difficulty migrating files from older versions
- 🖌️ Lacking palm rejection and customizable Apple Pencil controls

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

- 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


### Highlights

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/highlights-pdf-reader-and-notes/id1498912833)

This app is a fast and lightweight PDF reader designed for research. It allows users to read, highlight, and annotate documents, and then extract this information into organized notes. Advanced features include table data extraction, text recognition, and smart copying of annotations into various formats.

**Highlights:** Read and browse PDF documents, Highlight, underline, and strikethrough text, Add comments and sticky notes, Extract annotations into organized notes, Convert table data and recognize text, Smart copy annotations to various formats (CSV, BibTex), Lookup citation metadata and DOI links

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Highlights Pro: Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Highlights Pro | $29.99 | per year |
| Highlights Pro: Legacy Upgrade | $29.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great for highlighting and annotating PDFs
- 🔍 Effective for research and note-taking
- 📚 Useful for academic and professional work
- 👍 Clean and intuitive user interface
- 🔗 Good integration with other apps and cloud storage

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Subscription model is too expensive
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔍 Limited search functionality
- 🔒 Lack of customization options
- 🔧 Poor customer support and unresponsive developers

**Reported bugs**

- Highlights and annotations randomly disappearing
- Text selection issues, especially with footnotes
- Compatibility problems with certain PDF files
- Syncing issues across devices
- Export functionality not working as expected

**Requested features**

- Add handwriting and freeform annotation support
- Implement a table of contents or bookmarking feature
- Allow editing of notes directly in the app
- Provide a one-time purchase option instead of subscription
- Improve search capabilities with visual results and navigation


## Frequently asked questions

### Is GoodReader PDF Editor & Viewer free?

GoodReader PDF Editor & Viewer costs $6.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Highlights free?

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

### Which has better reviews, GoodReader PDF Editor & Viewer or Highlights?

GoodReader PDF Editor & Viewer is rated higher. GoodReader PDF Editor & Viewer averages 4.7 out of 5 from 14K ratings, while Highlights averages 4.5 from 1.6K ratings.

### Do GoodReader PDF Editor & Viewer or Highlights have ads?

Neither GoodReader PDF Editor & Viewer nor Highlights shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, GoodReader PDF Editor & Viewer or Highlights?

GoodReader PDF Editor & Viewer ships an update weekly, and Highlights fortnightly. Most recently, GoodReader PDF Editor & Viewer was updated on October 15, 2026 and Highlights on October 14, 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.*