# PDF Merge X vs DeftPDF PDF Edit, Annotate

The clearest difference is rating: DeftPDF PDF Edit, Annotate at 5.0 against PDF Merge X's 4.1. DeftPDF PDF Edit, Annotate also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.0). PDF Merge X's advantage is review sentiment (65% vs 50%) and ratings volume (92 vs 7). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PDF Merge X sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and DeftPDF PDF Edit, Annotate sells 23 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

DeftPDF PDF Edit, Annotate holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PDF Merge X has 92 ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 65% of PDF Merge X's written reviews are positive against 50% of DeftPDF PDF Edit, Annotate's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

PDF Merge X ships an update every 2 months, DeftPDF PDF Edit, Annotate every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF Merge X | DeftPDF PDF Edit, Annotate |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.1 (92 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-merge-x-pdf-merger/id1032533451/reviews) | **[5.0 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/deftpdf-pdf-edit-annotate/id1611128959/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **92** | 7 |
| Positive reviews | **64.9% of reviews** | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 17 MB | 104 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Daniel Jirku](https://appshunter.io/developer/883861022) | [Sictec Infotech](https://appshunter.io/developer/1365388381) |

## What reviewers say

### PDF Merge X

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-merge-x-pdf-merger/id1032533451)

Easily merge, reorder, and rotate PDF documents. This app offers fast, secure, and offline processing for organizing notes, contracts, and more. It provides a simple interface for combining multiple files into one, with options to add pages and preview changes before sharing.

**Highlights:** Merge multiple PDFs, Reorder and rotate pages, Combine PDFs without quality loss, Add blank pages or images, Offline processing, No watermarks

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PDF Merge X Pro | $6.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Quick and easy merging
- 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly
- 💡 Adds empty pages
- 👍 Makes users feel like wizards
- 👍 Avoids Adobe subscription

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Cannot view 2 pages side-by-side
- 🐛 No landscape mode for iPads
- 🐛 Free version limited after update
- 🐛 Cannot search for PDFs locally
- 🐛 App is not free

**Reported bugs**

- Cannot view 2 pages side-by-side
- App gets stuck on saving screen
- No landscape mode for iPads
- Latest update made free version paid
- Cannot search for PDFs on phone unless cloud/recents

**Requested features**

- Batch renaming
- Better preview zoom
- Night mode
- Landscape mode for iPads
- Advanced search functionality


### DeftPDF PDF Edit, Annotate

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/deftpdf-pdf-edit-annotate/id1611128959)

This comprehensive tool offers over 40 PDF functions, including editing text and images, merging, compressing, signing, and converting files to various formats. It also features OCR for searchable PDFs and password protection.

**Highlights:** Edit PDF text and images, Merge and reorder PDF files, Compress PDF file size, Sign documents digitally, Convert PDF to/from multiple formats, OCR for searchable PDFs, Add password protection and watermarks

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

**In-app purchases (23)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Pro Plan | $4.99 | per month |
| Yearly Pro Plan | $49.99 | per year |
| Translate file | $0.99 | one-time |
| Translate file | $91.00 | one-time |
| Translate file | $92.00 | one-time |
| Translate file | $93.00 | one-time |
| Translate file | $96.00 | one-time |
| Translate file | $97.00 | one-time |
| Translate file | $98.00 | one-time |
| Translate file | $99.00 | one-time |
| Translate file | $374.99 | one-time |
| Translate file | $379.99 | one-time |
| Translate file | $384.99 | one-time |
| Translate file | $390.00 | one-time |
| Translate file | $399.00 | one-time |
| Translate file | $399.99 | one-time |
| Translate file | $449.99 | one-time |
| Translate file | $499.99 | one-time |
| Translate file | $599.99 | one-time |
| Translate file | $699.99 | one-time |
| Translate file | $799.99 | one-time |
| Translate file | $899.99 | one-time |
| Translate file | $999.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PDF Merge X free?

PDF Merge X is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is DeftPDF PDF Edit, Annotate free?

DeftPDF PDF Edit, Annotate is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, PDF Merge X or DeftPDF PDF Edit, Annotate?

DeftPDF PDF Edit, Annotate is rated higher. PDF Merge X averages 4.1 out of 5 from 92 ratings, while DeftPDF PDF Edit, Annotate averages 5.0 from 7 ratings.

### Do PDF Merge X or DeftPDF PDF Edit, Annotate have ads?

Neither PDF Merge X nor DeftPDF PDF Edit, Annotate shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, PDF Merge X or DeftPDF PDF Edit, Annotate?

PDF Merge X ships an update every 2 months, and DeftPDF PDF Edit, Annotate every 3 days. Most recently, PDF Merge X was updated on October 26, 2026 and DeftPDF PDF Edit, Annotate on October 30, 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.*