PDF Reader Pro vs Skim (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, PDF Reader Pro grades higher than Skim: 3.0 against 2.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
PDF Reader Pro grades higher on features and platforms. Skim grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
PDF Reader Pro
PDF viewer and editor for Mac, Windows, mobile and web
Which one is for you
Pick PDF Reader Pro if
- Fits if you want one PDF app on a Mac, a PC and a phone
- Works for people who prefer a one-time license over a subscription
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you plan to stay free, because OCR and eSign are one-time trials and uploads stop at 10 MB
- Watch out: the one-time license covers 1 device, while yearly plans cover 4
- Skip it if you want the AI assistant on a phone, as it runs only on Windows and Mac
- Watch out: 500 AI points come with the first purchase only
- Watch out: the store showed a Black Friday sale to Nov 30, 2026, so regular prices are higher
Pick Skim if
- Fits if you read and mark up papers on a Mac, especially with LaTeX or BibDesk
- Works for anyone who wants a free annotator and not an editor
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use Windows, Linux or a phone, as it runs on Mac only
- Too light for editing text or filling in forms, since neither is listed
- Watch out: support is a wiki, mailing lists and bug trackers, not a help desk
- Tight if your Mac is old, because the current version needs macOS 10.13
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAPDF Reader ProVery good | 2.8GPASkimGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BThe $99.99 one-time license is under two years of the $6.67 middle subscription; the $59.99 yearly Standard is about $5 a month. | AFree to download and use, with no paid tier, so it sits well under the cheapest quarter of PDF tools. |
| Free plan and trial | CFree version for reading and annotating, but OCR and eSign are one-time trials and uploads are capped at 10 MB. | AThe whole app is free, with nothing held back. |
| Features | BEdit text and images, convert, OCR, forms, signatures, redaction and an AI assistant. The listing shows no gap in the core work. | CNotes, highlights, snapshots, a reading bar and AppleScript. It does that job fully, but it is a smaller one: the listing shows no text editing or form filling. |
| Ease of use | BNo rating on record; a program you install and use, with nothing to set up. | BNo store rating is on record, but it is a program you install and open, with nothing to set up. |
| Platforms and integrations | AWeb, Mac, Windows, iOS and Android, with two integrations listed. | DmacOS only, version 1.7.19 needing macOS 10.13 or higher. There is no Windows, phone or web version. |
| Best for | PDF editing across Mac, Windows, phones and the web | reading and annotating papers on a Mac |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: PDF Reader Pro and Skim. How we grade
Price against what you get
PDF Reader Pro starts at $5 a month when paid by the year and scores 3.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Skim has no paid plan and scores 2.0.
PDF Reader Pro scores higher, and starts $5 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other PDF editors on the chart, none scores higher than PDF Reader Pro for less, and none scores higher than Skim for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- PDF Reader Pro can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Skim is open source, according to its own site.
- PDF Reader Pro also covers documents.
- Skim also covers notes and highlights.
At a glance
| PDF Reader Pro | Skim | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free |
| Starts at | $59.99 per year (Standard), or $99.99 one-time | Free |
| Free plan | Free version with reading and annotation; OCR and eSign are one-time trials, 1 GB cloud space, 10 MB upload limit. | Everything: the whole app is free to download and use. |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | PDF Technologies, Inc. | Skim project (SourceForge) |
| Price read from | pdfreaderpro.com | skim-app.sourceforge.io |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
PDF Reader Pro
- The one-time Permanent license covers only 1 device, on Mac or Windows; the yearly plans cover 4 devices across all five platforms.
- The AI assistant runs only on Windows and Mac, and 500 AI points come with the first purchase only.
- OCR and eSign are one-time trials on the free version; the yearly plans differ in eSign trials (1 on Standard, 3 on Advanced).
- The store showed a Black Friday sale through Nov 30, 2026; prices here are the regular ones.
Skim
- Mac only; current version 1.7.19 needs macOS 10.13 or higher, with older versions listed for older systems.
- It is a reader and annotator, with no listed tools for editing existing text or filling in forms.
- Support runs through a wiki, mailing lists and bug trackers rather than a company help desk.
Key features
PDF Reader Pro
- Edit text and images
- Change text with its formatting, crop, replace or rotate images, and add headers, footers, watermarks and backgrounds.
- Convert and OCR
- Converts PDFs to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, images, CSV, HTML and more; OCR turns scans into editable, searchable files.
- Forms and signatures
- Creates fillable forms, adds digital or ink signatures, and offers eSign workflows for sending and tracking signers.
- Annotate and organize
- Has 15+ annotation tools, stamps, and page tools to merge, split, extract, rotate and reorder pages.
- AI assistant
- Translates, summarizes, rewrites and answers questions about a document, with ChatGPT and DeepSeek models. Desktop apps only.
- Redaction and protection
- Search-based redaction, open passwords, and copy and print permissions.
Skim
- Notes and highlights
- Add and edit notes, highlight text with one-swipe modes, and view all notes and highlights in one list.
- Snapshots and reading bar
- Keep snapshots of other parts of a document for reference and focus a line at a time with a reading bar.
- Navigation
- Move around with the table of contents or thumbnails, with a visual history and previews of internal links.
- Presentations
- Present a PDF full screen with built-in transitions, and crop pages with the smart cropping tools.
- Export and scripting
- Export notes as text and automate with extensive AppleScript support.
- LaTeX and reference tools
- Works with LaTeX through SyncTeX and PDFSync, and integrates with BibDesk and other third-party apps.
Plans
PDF Reader Pro
Free Version$0
4 devices, 20 AI credits valid for 30 days, 1 GB cloud space and one-time trials of eSign and OCR.
Standard$59.99
per user / year, auto-renewing, tax included
Annual plan for 4 devices with 20 GB cloud space, 100 MB uploads and 500 AI points with the first purchase.
Advanced$79.99
per user / year, auto-renewing, tax included
Annual plan for 4 devices with 20 GB cloud space, 3 eSign trials and 500 AI points with the first purchase.
Permanent$99.99
one-time, for 1 device, tax included
Lifetime license for 1 Mac or Windows computer, with a 14-day conditional money-back guarantee.
Skim
Skim$0
Free to download; the site lists no paid plans or licence fees.
Ways to pay less
PDF Reader Pro
- Other savings
Black Friday sale, 20% off first purchase
The home page advertises 20% off a first purchase, with bonus AI credits and eSign tasks, until Nov 30, 2026.
- Lifetime license
Permanent one-time license
A single payment of $99.99 covers 1 Mac or Windows device with no renewal.
Skim
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, PDF Reader Pro or Skim?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Skim is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $5 a month when paid by the year for PDF Reader Pro. PDF Reader Pro starts at $59.99 per year (Standard), or $99.99 one-time, and Skim is free.
Which has a free plan, PDF Reader Pro or Skim?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both PDF Reader Pro and Skim have a free plan.
Which platforms do PDF Reader Pro and Skim run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only PDF Reader Pro lists a web app and Windows, iOS and Android apps. Both list a macOS app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.