# Optica vs LightPDF

The clearest difference is rating: Optica at 5.0 against LightPDF's 4.1. Optica also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 13) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 14.0). LightPDF's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 62 months) and ratings volume (54 vs 1). On price, review sentiment, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. LightPDF sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $13.99 per 7 days. Optica asks for nothing beyond the download.

Optica holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: LightPDF has 54 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 93% of Optica's written reviews are positive against 88% of LightPDF's.

Optica ships an update every 62 months, LightPDF every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Optica | LightPDF |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/optica-app/id930867575/reviews)** | [4.1 (54 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lightpdf-ai-chat-pdf-scanner/id1622949837/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **54** |
| Positive reviews | **92.9% of reviews** | 88.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 62 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 83 MB | 113 MB |
| Requires iOS | **10.0** | 14.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Luis Cornejo](https://appshunter.io/developer/930867574) | [Wangxu Technology Co., Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1254320291) |

## What reviewers say

### Optica

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/optica-app/id930867575)

This app assists opticians and optometrists with complex optical calculations. It helps explain optical concepts to clients and includes tools for lens transposition, vertex distance adjustments, and addition calculations.

**Highlights:** Lens transposition with optical cross representation, Distometry for vertex distance power adjustments, Over-correction calculation for toric lenses, Theoretical addition calculation based on age and distance, Approximate lens edge and center thickness calculation

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### LightPDF

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lightpdf-ai-chat-pdf-scanner/id1622949837)

This app offers a comprehensive suite of tools for managing PDF documents on your mobile device. It leverages AI to summarize, chat with, and convert PDFs, along with scanning capabilities, text extraction, and editing features. It also includes an ID photo maker and watermark removal.

**Highlights:** AI Chat with PDFs, Phone Scanner to PDF, PDF to Word/JPG/Excel Converter, OCR Text Extraction, PDF Editing and Annotation, ID Photo Maker, Watermark Removal

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| LightPDF Weekly Subscription | $13.99 | per 7 days |
| LightPDF Monthly Subscription | $19.99 | per month |
| LightPDF Yearly Subscription | $47.99 | per year |
| LightPDF Annual Subscription | $49.99 | per year |
| LightPDF Yearly Subscription | $59.99 | per year |
| iOS LightPDF - 1 Week | $9.99 | one-time |
| 買一年送一年 | $79.99 | one-time |
| 1年購入で1年おまけ | $84.99 | one-time |
| 2 zum Preis von 1 | $99.99 | one-time |
| 3-Year Subscription | $99.99 | one-time |
| Mac LightPDF Lifetime Plan | $109.99 | one-time |
| Buy 3 yrs Get 3 yrs Free | $149.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 🚀 Efficient PDF tools
- ✨ High-quality PDF to Word conversion
- 💡 Impressive OCR functionality
- 💬 Helpful AI chatbot

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💸 High price
- ❌ App doesn't work
- 💳 Unexpected charges
- 🚫 Watermark removal issues
- 📉 Blurry pictures

**Reported bugs**

- App requests more money after payment
- Paid subscription not unlocking features
- Trial period charged despite cancellation
- Scans cut off PDF to 3 pages or under
- Performance issues

**Requested features**

- iPad support
- Edit text in the exact same font
- More advanced editing features


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Optica free?

Optica is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is LightPDF free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Optica or LightPDF?

Optica is rated higher. Optica averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while LightPDF averages 4.1 from 54 ratings.

### Do Optica or LightPDF have ads?

Neither Optica nor LightPDF shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Optica or LightPDF?

Optica ships an update every 62 months, and LightPDF every 2 weeks. Most recently, Optica was updated on October 19, 2026 and LightPDF on October 23, 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.*