PDF Reader Pro vs PDF Hero
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
PDF Reader Pro
This app offers comprehensive tools for managing PDF documents on mobile devices. It allows users to read, edit text and images, annotate, fill forms, convert to various formats, compress files, and perform OCR. Organize, protect, and share your PDFs with ease.
- Read PDFs with multiple viewing options
- Edit PDF text and images
- Annotate with highlights, notes, and drawings
- Fill out PDF forms
- Convert PDFs to Word, Excel, and other formats
- Perform OCR on PDFs
- Compress PDF file sizes
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PDF Reader Pro helps much for anyone who reads, edit, highlights, OCR, signs, converts, creates, protects, compresses and fills out PDFs on their iPhone and iPad. It also makes it easy to organize, annotate and edit your PDFs. Import files from your computer or the cloud, then complete forms, add freehand drawings and audio notes and more. PDF Reader Pro offers even more - merge and combine multiple documents, split your PDFs, insert pages from another PDF, insert photos or hyperlinks to your PDFs, Convert PDF to Word and other Microsoft Office® formats. With support for reading files from popular productivity suites, it’s a convenient way to take the office anywhere you go. PDF Reader Pro Edition for Professional is your last choice of PDF application. READ ・ View PDFs with various themes like night mode to comfort your eyes. ・ Choose vertically/horizontally scroll pages or single pages/two pages/book mode. ・ Support crop mode, tabbed PDF reading, continuous page view, auto scroll and more. ・ Use text-to-speech feature to read selected text with no time limits. ・ Easy content navigation with bookmarks/outlines. ・ Fast files Printing to directly print PDFs from your device. ・ DRM, supports Vitrium* protected PDF files. ANNOTATE ・ Annotate PDFs with highlight, underline, strikethrough, note, freehand, text box, anchored note, rectangle, circle, line etc. ・ Create multiple signatures with trackpad, keyboard or images. ・ Insert pre-designed stamps such as Approved, Confidential and more. ・ Support to link any part of the text to a different page, email or website. ・ Share your annotated PDFs with others via PDF documents/Flattened copy/ Summary/ Original PDF. EDIT PDF ・Edit PDF text. Easily fix typos or other inaccurate content. Fast change the font color, size and style. ・Modify PDF images such as cropping, rotating, deleting, replacing, etc. Easily resize or move images for a better layout. ・Add and edit watermarks to keep your PDFs safe and professional. Watermark tiling is supported. ・Extract images from PDFs. ・Create a Flattened copy to flatten PDF to make the contents static. PAGE EDITOR ・ Merge & Split PDFs available, split documents into multiple documents or combine multiple pages into a new one. ・ Extract the desired pages to create a new PDF. ・ Insert blank pages / another PDF to import specified content. ・ Rotate, rearrange, add, and delete PDF pages. Fill FORMS ・ Work with static PDF forms created in Adobe Acrobat. ・ Fill out any PDF forms with interactive fields such as text fields, checkboxes, radio buttons, combo boxes, list boxes, etc. CONVERT PDF · Export from PDF to Microsoft Word (.docx), PowerPoint (.pptx), Excel (.xlsx), RTF, Text, Image, HTML, CSV, and more Offline. ・ Convert MS Office documents, iWorks, web content, and images to PDFs. ・ Create a new PDF as a blank PDF / from your clipboard content. COMPRESS PDFs ・ Compress large PDFs to reduce file size. PDF size-reduction for easily sharing. OCR · OCR pdfs to convert scanned PDF files or pictures into editable and searchable PDFs or TXT files. 50+ languages supported! PROTECT CONTENT WITH PASSWORD AND ENCRYPTION ・ Passcode to prevent unauthorized use of PDF Reader Pro. ・ Encrypt to protect your PDF files from unauthorized reading with a password. SCANNER ・Make continuous scans and automatically detect edges of scanned objects. Text-to-Speech ・ Support a total of 36 voices for 26 languages. WORK IN THE CLOUD ・ Store and secure files on iCloud Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive, Evernote, Box, FTP, WebDav, etc. Backup Files between iOS Devices, Mac and PC ・ Connect your iPhone/iPad with a desktop for transferring files using USB or WiFi connection. Support Various File Types ・ MS Office, iWork, image files ・ Compressed files (zip, rar) ・ audio and video files ・ Other file formats Have any feedback? Please contact us directly at support@pdfreaderpro.com Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
PDF Hero
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.
- 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
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Looking for a convenient and easy-to-use PDF editor? View and edit PDF files on the go with PDF Hero! The app works on iPhone and iPad. PDF Hero helps you take control of your papers and run your business in the ever-changing digital world. Create and read PDFs, then annotate, edit, fill and sign forms, or share files. Manage paperwork hassle-free from anywhere – the office, remotely, or from home. There’s no need for printed copies when you can access and edit the docs you need, on the go – all in an app. Stay one step ahead when it comes to document management. CREATE & VIEW - Create PDFs from scratch. - Open and view any PDF file. - Zoom in and out while reading. - Search to find the necessary information using text search. - Read PDFs easier with Read Mode by creating bookmarks and navigating conveniently. EDIT & ANNOTATE - Edit text in your PDF files, fix typos, and correct paragraphs. - Add comments and annotations using text notes. - Write on PDFs with your finger or stylus. - Fill PDF forms. - Highlight key ideas and add shapes. - Insert images, crop, resize, or change the angle if necessary. MANAGE & STORE - Import files from your device or online storage services like iCloud and Dropbox. - Delete pages from a multi-page PDF document. - Share PDF files with or without annotations for further reading and commenting. - Print files right from your device. Level up with Premium features! PRO EDITING - Convert images and documents to PDF files. - Sign docs right on the screen of your device. - Add stamps to PDF documents. - Transform PDF files into editable text with OCR (Optical Character Recognition) technology. PRO MANAGEMENT - Compress PDFs and share them as ZIP files. - Manage PDF pages: add pages, rotate, and reorder them. - Share selected pages of a multi-page PDF file. - Merge two or more PDF pages into a single document. - Password-protect sensitive data. *To digitize printed copies and transform them into editable PDF scans, try our Scan Hero app! Subscription payments will be charged to your App Store account at confirmation of your purchase. Subscriptions will automatically renew and you will be charged unless auto-renew is turned off or unless you cancel at least 24 hours prior to the end of the current subscription or trial period. Any unused portion of a free trial period will be forfeited when you purchase a premium subscription during the free trial period. The cost of renewal depends on the Subscription Plan you choose. Subscriptions and auto-renewal may be managed by going to Account Settings after purchase or by contacting Customer Support. Privacy Policy: https://support.bendingspoons.com/privacy.html?app=1512973255 Terms of Service: https://support.bendingspoons.com/tos.html?app=1512973255 Got questions or suggestions? Please don’t hesitate to email us at pdfhero@bendingspoons.com
Screenshots
Verdict
PDF Reader Pro and PDF Hero both sit at 4.4 stars, but that hides the real split: 64% of PDF Reader Pro's written reviews are positive against 18% of PDF Hero's. PDF Hero's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, 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
Both are free to download. PDF Reader Pro sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $39.99 per year 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 437, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 64% of PDF Reader Pro'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.
PDF Reader Pro ships an update every 2 months, PDF Hero every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | PDF Reader Pro | PDF Hero |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.4 (437 ratings) | 4.6 (10K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 63.7% of reviews — better | 17.8% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 437 | 10K — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 14.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 194 MB | 536 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | PDF Technologies, Inc. | Mosaic S.r.l. |
Customer experience
PDF Reader Pro
PDF Hero
User reviews
PDF Reader Pro
From 437 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Fast and efficient
- 💡 Useful features like highlighting and annotating
- 👍 Great for reading and studying PDFs
Room to improve
- 🐛 Crashes and bugs
- 🔒 Security issues with locked files
- 💰 Expensive upgrade to unlock full functionality
- 🤖 Poor customer support and unresponsive developers
PDF Hero
From 10K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 💡 Useful PDF editing features
- 🚀 Easy to use
- 👍 Signature functionality
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and malfunctions
- 🐛 Inconsistent behavior and glitches
- 🔋 High subscription cost
- 🔒 Difficult to cancel subscription
- 👎 Poor text editing capabilities
Bugs and requests
PDF Reader Pro
Reported bugs
4 issues- Annotations not saving or displaying correctly
- App crashing when trying to convert or edit PDFs
- Syncing issues between devices
- Unexpected password locks on files
Requested features
4 requests- Undo/redo functionality for annotations
- More font and theme options
- Improved compatibility with cloud storage services
- Better support for older devices
PDF Hero
Reported bugs
4 issues- 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
4 requests- Improved text editing and manipulation
- Better file management and organization
- Seamless integration with other apps
- Clearer subscription and cancellation policies
In-app purchases
PDF Reader Pro
- Add 2-Device · Advanced Annual$39.991 Year
- Add Devices · Advanced Annual$49.991 Year
- PDF Pro · Advanced Annual$79.991 Year
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- PDF Pro · AI Annual1 Year trial$79.991 Year
- Permanent License$24.99
- PDF Pro · Advanced Permanent$39.99
PDF Hero
- Weekly Premium with Free Trial7 Days trial$2.997 Days
- Weekly Premium$2.997 Days
- Weekly with free trial7 Days trial$3.997 Days
Show 17 moreShow fewer
- Weekly Subscription$3.997 Days
- Weekly Premium$5.997 Days
- Weekly Premium with Free Trial7 Days trial$5.997 Days
- Weekly Sub with Free Trial7 Days trial$7.997 Days
- Weekly Subscription$7.997 Days
- PDF Hero Premium 1 Month$9.991 Month
- PDF Hero Premium 1 Month3 Days trial$10.991 Month
- PDF Hero Premium 1 Month3 Days trial2 variants$11.991 Month
- Convert & Merge PDF Documents3 Days trial$14.991 Month
- PDF Hero Premium 3 Months3 Days trial$19.993 Months
- PDF Hero Premium 1 Year3 Days trial$34.991 Year
- Yearly with Free Trial7 Days trial$69.991 Year
- Yearly Subscription$69.991 Year
- PDF Hero Premium 1 Year3 Days trial$89.991 Year
- Yearly Bundle$99.991 Year
- Yearly Bundle with Free Trial7 Days trial$99.991 Year
- PDF Hero Premium 1 Year3 Days trial$99.991 Year





