# PDF Reader Pro vs PDF Hero

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF Reader Pro | PDF Hero |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (437 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-reader-pro-lite-edition/id919472509/reviews) | **[4.6 (10K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-hero-pdf-editor-and-reader/id1512973255/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 437 | **10K** |
| Positive reviews | **63.7% of reviews** | 17.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 194 MB | 536 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 14.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [PDF Technologies, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1263126485) | [Mosaic S.r.l.](https://appshunter.io/developer/570748343) |

## What reviewers say

### PDF Reader Pro

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-reader-pro-lite-edition/id919472509)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Add 2-Device · Advanced Annual | $39.99 | per year |
| Add Devices · Advanced Annual | $49.99 | per year |
| PDF Pro · Advanced Annual | $79.99 | per year |
| PDF Pro · AI Annual | $79.99 | per year |
| Permanent License | $24.99 | one-time |
| PDF Pro · Advanced Permanent | $39.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Fast and efficient
- 💡 Useful features like highlighting and annotating
- 👍 Great for reading and studying PDFs

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and bugs
- 🔒 Security issues with locked files
- 💰 Expensive upgrade to unlock full functionality
- 🤖 Poor customer support and unresponsive developers

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- Undo/redo functionality for annotations
- More font and theme options
- Improved compatibility with cloud storage services
- Better support for older devices


### PDF Hero

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

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 Pro free?

PDF Reader Pro 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 Pro or PDF Hero?

PDF Hero is rated higher. PDF Reader Pro averages 4.4 out of 5 from 437 ratings, while PDF Hero averages 4.6 from 10K ratings.

### Do PDF Reader Pro or PDF Hero have ads?

PDF Reader Pro shows ads; PDF Hero does not.

### Which is updated more often, PDF Reader Pro or PDF Hero?

PDF Reader Pro ships an update every 2 months, and PDF Hero every 3 weeks. Most recently, PDF Reader Pro was updated on October 16, 2026 and PDF Hero on October 17, 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.*