# PDF Reader & Editor | Xodo vs PDF Hero

PDF Reader & Editor | Xodo and PDF Hero both sit at 4.4 stars, but that hides the real split: 55% of PDF Reader & Editor | Xodo's written reviews are positive against 18% of PDF Hero's. PDF Hero's advantage is chart position (#197 vs unranked) and ratings volume (10K vs 1.7K). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PDF Reader & Editor | Xodo sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $11.99 per month and PDF Hero sells 20 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

PDF Hero holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PDF Hero has 10K ratings behind it against 1.7K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 55% of PDF Reader & Editor | Xodo's written reviews are positive against 18% of PDF Hero's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF Reader & Editor | Xodo | PDF Hero |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (1.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-reader-and-editor-xodo/id805075929/reviews) | **[4.6 (10K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-hero-pdf-editor-and-reader/id1512973255/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 1.7K | **10K** |
| Positive reviews | **55.5% of reviews** | 17.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#197** |
| Size | 103 MB | 536 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Xodo Technologies Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/805075932) | [Mosaic S.r.l.](https://appshunter.io/developer/570748343) |

## What reviewers say

### PDF Reader & Editor | Xodo

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-reader-and-editor-xodo/id805075929)

Edit, sign, convert, and organize PDF documents with a comprehensive suite of tools. Scan images to PDF, compress files, and integrate with cloud storage for seamless access across devices. Offers advanced annotation and drawing capabilities.

**Highlights:** Edit PDFs, Scan to PDF, Fill & Sign Forms, Convert Files to PDF, Annotate & Draw, Cloud Integration, Compress PDFs

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

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Xodo Mobile (Monthly) | $11.99 | per month |
| Xodo PDF Converter & Editor | $11.99 | per month |
| Xodo PDF Converter & Editor | $39.99 | per year |
| Xodo Mobile (Yearly) | $107.99 | per year |
| Xodo Mobile (Yearly) | $107.99 | per year |
| Xodo Pro (Yearly) | $107.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Best PDF reader
- 👍 Intuitive and easy to use
- 🚀 Efficient PDF handling
- 👍 Useful annotation tools
- 👍 Convenient cloud sync

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and freezes
- 🐛 Losing annotations and files
- 🐛 Buggy updates
- 🐛 Inconsistent performance
- 🔒 Subscription model issues

**Reported bugs**

- Disappearing annotations
- Inability to open saved files
- Frequent crashes and freezes
- Syncing issues with cloud storage
- Incompatibility with iOS 14 updates

**Requested features**

- Add manual zoom percentage
- Improve Apple Pencil support
- Implement better page navigation
- Allow exporting annotations
- Add split-screen support on iPad


### PDF Hero

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-hero-pdf-editor-and-reader/id1512973255)

**Currently charting:** #197 Top Grossing · Business (US App Store)

Edit, create, and manage PDF documents on your mobile device. Annotate, fill forms, sign, and share files with ease. Offers advanced features like OCR and compression for enhanced document control.

**Highlights:** Create PDFs from scratch, Edit text and annotate documents, Fill and sign PDF forms, Convert images/documents to PDF, OCR for editable text, Compress and merge PDFs, Password-protect sensitive data

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (20)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Premium with Free Trial | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly Premium | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly with free trial | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly Subscription | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly Premium | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly Premium with Free Trial | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly Sub with Free Trial | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly Subscription | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| PDF Hero Premium 1 Month | $9.99 | per month |
| PDF Hero Premium 1 Month | $10.99 | per month |
| PDF Hero Premium 1 Month | $11.99 | per month |
| Convert & Merge PDF Documents | $14.99 | per month |
| PDF Hero Premium 3 Months | $19.99 | per 3 months |
| PDF Hero Premium 1 Year | $34.99 | per year |
| Yearly with Free Trial | $69.99 | per year |
| Yearly Subscription | $69.99 | per year |
| PDF Hero Premium 1 Year | $89.99 | per year |
| Yearly Bundle | $99.99 | per year |
| Yearly Bundle with Free Trial | $99.99 | per year |
| PDF Hero Premium 1 Year | $99.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 💡 Useful PDF editing features
- 🚀 Easy to use
- 👍 Signature functionality

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and malfunctions
- 🐛 Inconsistent behavior and glitches
- 🔋 High subscription cost
- 🔒 Difficult to cancel subscription
- 👎 Poor text editing capabilities

**Reported bugs**

- Text disappearing or jumping around during editing
- Inability to save or transfer edited documents
- App crashing or freezing during use
- Incorrect rendering of PDF content

**Requested features**

- Improved text editing and manipulation
- Better file management and organization
- Seamless integration with other apps
- Clearer subscription and cancellation policies


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PDF Reader & Editor | Xodo free?

PDF Reader & Editor | Xodo is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is PDF Hero free?

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

### Which has better reviews, PDF Reader & Editor | Xodo or PDF Hero?

PDF Hero is rated higher. PDF Reader & Editor | Xodo averages 4.4 out of 5 from 1.7K ratings, while PDF Hero averages 4.6 from 10K ratings.

### Do PDF Reader & Editor | Xodo or PDF Hero have ads?

Neither PDF Reader & Editor | Xodo nor PDF Hero shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, PDF Reader & Editor | Xodo or PDF Hero?

PDF Reader & Editor | Xodo ships an update every 3 weeks, and PDF Hero every 3 weeks. Most recently, PDF Reader & Editor | Xodo was updated on October 19, 2026 and PDF Hero on October 18, 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.*