If you often use your iPhone or iPad for something inherent in your work, the study or even simply to read documents you will certainly have had the need to use an application dedicated to reading the pdf. Pdf (Portable Document Format) are universally readable text files on all devices equipped with a suitable reader, without problems of fonts or compatibility of formats.
Until a few years ago the format was proprietary, and those who wanted to use it, both on computers and on the first PDAs, had to have an application developed by Adobe itself, holder of the copyright on the format. When this copyright was exhausted and give birth to dozens of new applications, including for iOS, which allow the reading (and not only) of pdf documents.
So we have collected here for you the best applications to read PDF on iOS dividing the same in two categories, those free and those paid and providing the links to immediately download from the iTunes store.
Best free PDF applications for IOS
1 – Adobe Acrobat Reader
We mentioned it just above, Adobe Acrobat Reader was the first, and still more widespread in general, reader of documents in pdf format. One of the peculiarities of this product is to be free, complete and very simple to use, even in its most advanced features such as sharing with Dropbox.
You can easily make changes to your documents, underlining, highlighting or commenting without any problem. Moreover, this version for iPhone and iPad also allows you to export the text document in PDF format to Word or Excel.
2 – Foxit Mobile PDF
Foxit MobilePDF is probably the application for reading the most popular PDF documents in the iOS environment, practically one of the applications to have if you use your iPad or iPhone for reading documents. The reason is easy to say, this is probably the application that simply allows you to do the majority of operations, almost free from bugs and with a truly enviable speed.
It also allows you to add comments “written” with your finger, thus being able (for example) to place your signature on a PDF form.
3 – WPS Office: FREE Mobile Office + PDF
The third application we recommend here is something that goes beyond the simple PDF document reader, WPS Office: FREE Mobile Office + PDF is the most popular free suite for creating and editing documents on smartphones, both iOS and Android, going beyond the compatibility with the PDF format.
We are talking about a small Office suite in miniature that will allow you not only to read pdf, but also to create, edit and share almost any text document, spreadsheet or presentation, with a really high compatibility with the main standards.
4 – PDF Max 5
Last but not least, PDF Max 5. This free application tries to combine simplicity with speed, trying not only to make it easy to read and edit documents in PDF, but also to allow you to easily switch from one document to another, doing just a tap on a card, just like if you were in a web browser and you were moving from one page to another.
Editing documents here also means leaving annotations, comments, underlining or highlighting not signing your documents in PDF format. The ability to share and synchronize your files on multiple cloud platforms is unmatched.
Best PDF applications for paid iOS
1 – PDF Expert 5
Turning to paid applications we could start from PDF Expert 5, one of the most useful applications if you are a professional and you need to work more often with documents in PDF format. It doesn’t allow you only to read them, highlight them, and leave notes both written with the keyboard and freehand, but also to stamp your documents and to merge or split one or more files in PDF.
You can also edit text, font, color, copy and paste and much more, with full power on your documents. It costs $9.99 but the price often varies for promotions and updates.
2 – GoodReader
GoodReader costs less than the previous one, traveling on $4.99 (net of periodic price changes), but it is equally valid. We talk about a professional tool for reading and managing your documents, we do not just talk about PDF files, which you can open, read, annotate, modify and sign, but also documents in other formats, such as those produced by a computer through Microsoft Office and other similar suites. You can also share your files in email, on your cloud space or compress them to reduce their size.
3 – PDF Reader Pro
The last application we suggest is PDF Reader Pro, one of the best productivity apps on iOS, which currently costs $9.99. You can of course read your documents in PDF format but also enter annotations, comments, underline or highlight them and much more, making your small iPhone or your iPad tablet a complete professional tool for productivity.
By connecting your Apple device via HDMI or Airplay cable to a projector or monitor, you can also use it to make great presentations.