Verithiathe honest score on any app
Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
Head-to-head

Acrobat Reader vs PDF Expert

Acrobat Reader 4.7★ · Free to download 45
Winner PDF Expert
PDF Expert 4.7★ · Free to download 70

PDF Expert is generally preferred for its robust editing features and reliability, especially for professional use, while Acrobat Reader faces significant criticism for performance issues and aggressive monetization.

Full reviews: Acrobat Reader · PDF Expert

PDF Expert offers a powerful and reliable PDF editing experience, though its subscription model and customer service draw some criticism. Acrobat Reader, despite its widespread use, is frequently criticized for being slow, buggy, and having aggressive paywalls for basic features.

Head to head

Features and Functionality edge: PDF ExpertR2R36R50R25
Acrobat Reader Acrobat Reader is praised for opening all kinds of documents and being a great tool for some users R2R36R50. However, many users complain that essential features are locked behind paywalls R25R40R49R53 and that the free version is very limited R41. Some users also report issues with specific features like checkboxes not appearing or the app not keeping up with document organization .
PDF Expert PDF Expert is highly praised for its powerful features, especially for editing, annotating, and studying . Users appreciate its ability to add text, highlight, and sync with cloud services . However, some users report that previously available features are now behind a subscription and some specific features like Apple Pencil Pro support are missing .
Ease of Use edge: PDF ExpertR9R10R49R28
Acrobat Reader Acrobat Reader is described as difficult to use and not user-friendly by many R9R10. Some find it overly complicated for simple tasks R49 and struggle with basic functions like signing in R28 or finding instructions . However, some users still find it convenient and easy to keep .
PDF Expert PDF Expert is generally considered easy to use with a good UI . However, some users find it frustrating for tasks like renaming or finding files and report issues with signing in on multiple devices . The search function is also noted as not obvious .
Reliability and Performance edge: PDF ExpertR10R18R21R51
Acrobat Reader Acrobat Reader frequently receives complaints about being slow R10R18, glitchy, freezing R21R51, and not working . Users report issues with files not saving or being lost R21 and general instability, especially on iPad R51.
PDF Expert PDF Expert is generally described as reliable and fast . However, recent reviews mention issues with freezing, crashing, and losing tabs . Some users also report problems with articles not downloading completely and file sizes inflating exponentially after updates .
Price and Value tieR13R59R25R40
Acrobat Reader Acrobat Reader is heavily criticized for its pricing model, with users feeling trapped into subscriptions R13R59 and charged for basic features R25R40R49R53. Many express dissatisfaction with unexpected charges after canceling trials R7R16 and the high cost for limited functionality R41.
PDF Expert PDF Expert is seen as good value by some who find the paid subscription worth it for its features . However, a significant number of users express frustration with the subscription model, especially after previously purchasing lifetime licenses for features that are now paywalled . There are also complaints about unexpected charges and difficulty canceling subscriptions R92.
Customer Support tieR7R19R47R64
Acrobat Reader Acrobat Reader users report extremely poor customer service, with difficulties contacting support R7 and dissatisfaction with interactions, especially regarding cancellations and billing R19R47.
PDF Expert PDF Expert also receives criticism for poor customer service, with users reporting unhelpful responses, difficulty restoring purchases R64, and being ignored after unexpected charges R92. Some users have had to argue with support to regain access to features they previously paid for .
Pick Acrobat Reader if

you need a basic PDF reader and are already integrated into the Adobe ecosystem, or if your company requires its use .

Pick PDF Expert if

you need robust PDF editing, annotation, and organization features for professional or academic work and are willing to pay for a subscription .

Evidence note: Both apps have a significant number of negative reviews related to their subscription models and customer service, which skews recent sentiment. For Acrobat Reader, many positive reviews are very short or generic, while negative reviews often detail specific issues.

Frequently asked

Is Acrobat Reader truly free?
Acrobat Reader is free to download, but many users report that essential features, such as editing, exporting, and even viewing certain documents, are locked behind a paid subscription, with some basic tasks costing $14 a month R25R41R53.
Can I use PDF Expert across multiple devices?
While PDF Expert offers plans for multiple devices, some users who purchased a lifetime license for one device (e.g., Mac for £129.99) found they needed to purchase a separate plan or subscription for other devices like iPhone or iPad R105R115.
Do these apps have issues with subscriptions and cancellations?
Both apps have numerous complaints regarding their subscription models, including unexpected charges after free trials R7R16R92 and difficulties canceling subscriptions R57. Users also report features they previously paid for becoming paywalled .

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R2] Acrobat Reader 5/5 · US Genial: Está app es excelente. Abre toda clase de documentos recomendablemente 100%
  2. [R36] Acrobat Reader 5/5 · US Acrobat Reader: Great tool
  3. [R50] Acrobat Reader 5/5 · US Perfect PDF Reader/Editor: I love Adobe Acrobat ReaderPDF Editor, even though I don’t have the full package, it alone is a big help.
  4. [R25] Acrobat Reader 1/5 · US Money !?: I just don’t have $14 to view and save one document that I need to rent an apartment. If I ran a business or was a regular writer I could justify $14 a month, but that’s a lot outa small pocket
  5. [R9] Acrobat Reader 3/5 · US Sucks: Promises wonderful things, but it’s so difficult to what it says it will do that. It’s almost to work on. They’re real frustrating mess.
  6. [R10] Acrobat Reader 1/5 · US Slow and hard to use: This app is slow, often glitches and is not user friendly
  7. [R49] Acrobat Reader 1/5 · US Overly Complicated: Absolutely horrible experience trying to get a simple task done. They also have the audacity to charge for every single extension, tool, or service within the app it’s self because paying a monthly fee isn’t enough for them!
  8. [R28] Acrobat Reader 1/5 · US They make it hard to sign in: They don’t seem to care about productivity
  9. [R18] Acrobat Reader 3/5 · GB Soooo slow!: App itself is fine and works well, but takes an age to open (like 20+ seconds to open a small sized standard PDF document). Seriously, what is the app doing to take so long to load - I can open the same documents in other PDF reader apps virtually instantly…
  10. [R21] Acrobat Reader 3/5 · GB Acrobat: The app is great but it keep freezes and unable to type and get you out of the app and won’t save your files it is a shame been using this app for years for my work , the app has soo many bugs that need fixing .
  11. [R51] Acrobat Reader 2/5 · US Keep Freezing During Use.: Adobe Acrobat frequently freezes on my iPad Pro M4 while reading PDFs, forcing me to close and reopen the app multiple times a day. I also couldn’t reliably use my trackpad to add comments to PDF documents. Disappointing performance and poor iPad compatibility for an app that’s supposed to be a productivity tool.
  12. [R13] Acrobat Reader 1/5 · US Traps People: Adobe traps you into their universe so they can charge a bunch of money. Not cool.
  13. [R59] Acrobat Reader 1/5 · US 6/15/26: LUDICROUS: 1️⃣Terrible functionality. 2️⃣They force you into yearly plans & then hit you with a huge cancellation fee. 3️⃣You MUST pay the yearly $$$$ Ransom Note or lose all access to your documents. 4️⃣Adobe Execs should have to live behind the cat litter isle for a year.
  14. [R40] Acrobat Reader 5/5 · US My bottle: Loved this
  15. [R7] Acrobat Reader 1/5 · US Charged after Canceling subscription: I canceled 2 months after that the company charged me $29.99… I didn’t find some mail to write message to them. Thank you.
  16. [R19] Acrobat Reader 1/5 · US Tries to temporarily cancel: It would be hard to put into words the dissatisfaction in my experience with customer service for this product. I intended to shut it off temporarily, but, now, I will not go back and I will do my best to avoid Adobe products of any kind in the future.
  17. [R47] Acrobat Reader 1/5 · US Don’t buy: Purchased service so I could use decent voices. Still unable to get access to that service. Absolutely no customer service. Complete waste of money.
  18. [R64] PDF Expert 1/5 · US Poor customer service: I have purchased this software multiple times because no one will help me restore the purchase. Buyer beware
  19. [R41] Acrobat Reader 1/5 · US Great, if you want to spend $$$: You immediately are bombarded with “opportunities” to upgrade, upgrade, upgrade. You have options to export to Word…but, wait! That requires upgrade for $$$$. You can’t use half the functionality without (wait for it!) upgrade $$$$. If you are reminiscent of hucksters at carnivals and circuses, offering one thing and then fleecing you out of your money, then this i
  20. [R53] Acrobat Reader 1/5 · US Garbage: You have to pay to do simple tasks
  21. [R105] PDF Expert 3/5 · GB Only for one device？: I purchased this app on my Mac on 23rd October for £129.99, but I cannot find the purchase record on my mobile. Do I need to purchase the plan again? Wasn't it supposed to be usable simultaneously on iPhone, iPad, and Mac?
  22. [R115] PDF Expert 2/5 · US Disappointed in subscription: I just purchased a lifetime license for my Mac, and am so frustrated to find out there’s no way to actually purchase the app for my iPhone. Subscription models are just really getting on my nerves. I love Readdle’s products and use several of them, they are always very well made. But I definitely won’t be subscribing for this.
  23. [R16] Acrobat Reader 2/5 · US Billing Scam: I signed up for a 7 day free trial and cancelled it the same day (I have proof) and was still charged $14.99. After speaking with Apple, they said that I may have had a subscription in the past which is definitely not the case. Presenting consumers with a trial that is not honored is a deceptive practice.
  24. [R92] PDF Expert 4/5 · US Dysfunctional app, absent customer service, deceptive trial: There is no reason to give this app a chance, they’ll charge you $80 without notice, ignore your emails, and leave you dry with an app that functions worse than the free functions a simple browser can provide. I fell into this trap not realizing that I can simply get on my computer and use my email app to edit PDFs. Lo and behold, I reac
  25. [R57] Acrobat Reader 1/5 · US Cancellation is not allowed after trial: Cancel

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store