# PDF Reader vs PDF Master

The clearest difference is review sentiment: PDF Reader at 47% against PDF Master's 9%. PDF Reader also leads on monetization model (freemium vs subscription) and ads (none vs shown). PDF Master's advantage is rating (4.3 vs 4.0) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs monthly). On price, ratings volume, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PDF Reader sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and PDF Master sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

PDF Master holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 91 and 200 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 47% of PDF Reader's written reviews are positive against 9% of PDF Master's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

PDF Reader ships an update monthly, PDF Master every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 8, 2026 and September 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF Reader | PDF Master |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (91 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-reader-edit-and-storage/id889642590/reviews) | **[4.3 (200 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-master-editor-reader/id6471487318/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 91 | **200** |
| Positive reviews | **46.7% of reviews** | 9.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Freemium** | Subscription |
| Size | 52 MB | 119 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 14.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [ABV Mobile](https://appshunter.io/developer/595885253) | [CheeseJoy Apps](https://appshunter.io/developer/1727983156) |

## What reviewers say

### PDF Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-reader-edit-and-storage/id889642590)

Easily view, edit, search, and annotate PDF documents. This software helps manage your daily work needs by supporting multiple document formats and offering convenient sharing and printing options.

**Highlights:** View PDF documents, Text search within PDFs, Annotate documents, Document management, Support multiple formats, Share and print PDFs

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly VIP | $1.99 | per month |
| Annual VIP | $14.49 | per year |


### PDF Master

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-master-editor-reader/id6471487318)

This app offers a comprehensive suite of tools for managing PDF documents on iOS. It allows users to scan physical documents and gallery images into PDFs, create new PDFs from scratch, view existing files, merge multiple PDFs, and extract text using OCR technology.

**Highlights:** Scan photos to PDF, Convert gallery images to PDF, Create new PDF files, View and read PDF documents, Merge multiple PDF files, OCR text recognition

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PDF Master | $0.99 | per 7 days |
| weekly | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| PDF Master PRO 1 Week | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| PDF Master PRO 1 Week | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| PDF Master PRO 1 Week | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| PDF Master PRO 1 Week | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| PDF Master PRO 1 Week | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly Pro | $9.99 | per month |
| PDF Master PRO 1 Year | $29.99 | per year |
| PDF Master PRO 1 Year | $34.99 | per year |
| PDF Master PRO 1 Year | $39.99 | per year |
| PDF Master Pro | $19.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PDF Reader free?

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

### Is PDF Master free?

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

### Which has better reviews, PDF Reader or PDF Master?

PDF Master is rated higher. PDF Reader averages 4.0 out of 5 from 91 ratings, while PDF Master averages 4.3 from 200 ratings.

### Do PDF Reader or PDF Master have ads?

PDF Master shows ads; PDF Reader does not.

### Which is updated more often, PDF Reader or PDF Master?

PDF Reader ships an update monthly, and PDF Master every 2 weeks. Most recently, PDF Reader was updated on September 8, 2026 and PDF Master on September 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.*