Comparison

Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup vs Bluebeam

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup

Enhance your PDF workflow with powerful annotation and markup tools. This app offers a dynamic and intuitive experience for editing, drawing, and adding text to your documents. Access your work across multiple devices and collaborate in real-time.

Highlights
  • Dynamic PDF annotation tools
  • Cross-platform access and cloud sync
  • Real-time collaboration
  • Insert text, images, lines, and shapes
  • Convert images to PDF
  • Redact sensitive information (Pro)
  • Measurement tools (Pro)
Features
Read full description

Powerful PDF tools at your fingertips. The latest PDF technology and software for a better experience. With an intuitive UI designed for delight – there’s a better way to PDF! Do your best work with Drawboard. - Dynamic PDF tools that feel good to use - Multi-platform access and storage. Where you are, your work is. - Paperless. A way of working for a sustainable future TOOLS FOR EVERY JOB Fast, responsive, and accurate markup tools. Draw with best-in-class ink for flawless Apple Pencil hand-feel and finally replace pen and paper. CROSS-PLATFORM ACCESS ON ANY DEVICE Upload your annotated PDFs to the cloud and mark up with others in real time with instant sync. Go Pro in-app for additional storage capacity and advanced features. WORK YOUR WAY Customize your workspace by docking your favorite tools and build a toolbar that works for you! MORE - Text review markup - freehand highlighter, text highlighter, underline, strikeout, squiggly on PDF. - Insert lines and shapes - cloud tool, rectangle, ellipse, line, arrow, polygon and polyline on PDF. - Add text with a range of fonts and text styling options - Insert images and camera photos onto PDFs. - Convert JPG and PNG image files to PDF. - Write, annotate, ink and draw on PDFs. - Customize and edit annotation colors, stroke widths, and opacities. - Create new blank PDF documents of different size, color, orientation and page count. - Insert, rotate and delete PDF pages. - Open, read, mark up and save large and complex PDF documents. GET MORE WITH PRO - Redact text and sections of your PDF documents - Measure elements on your page with length and area measurement tools and smart page calibration - Add callouts, hyperlinks and audio notes to your documents - On-page ruler - measure objects on your page with the ease of using a tape measure

About

Bluebeam

Access and collaborate on PDF documents directly from your mobile device. Communicate project updates with markups and work offline by syncing files. Seamlessly join live collaboration sessions and manage document revisions from the field.

Highlights
  • Real-time PDF collaboration
  • Markup and annotation tools
  • Offline file access
  • Document syncing
  • Studio Project management
  • Live session joining
Features
Read full description

Bluebeam for iOS keeps you connected to your teams and documents, so you can quickly access the information you need in the field and capture what matters for the office. - Communicate with markups using tools like callouts, text, clouds, and status indicators - Import your team's custom Tool Sets from Revu, so your standardized markups are ready to go in the field, even offline - Attach photos captured in the field directly to a markup, so supporting documentation stays organized without cluttering your drawings - Open your files stored on your device, Studio Projects, or Studio Sessions - Join Studio Sessions for live collaboration. If your connection drops, your changes sync when you're back online - Check out files in Studio Projects to make edits, then check them back in when you're ready - Work offline by syncing Project files ahead of time or opening PDFs stored on your device Whether you’re reviewing submittals, placing markups in the field, or tracking revisions with your team, Bluebeam gives you the flexibility to get the job done from anywhere.

Screenshots

Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup4 screens
Bluebeam4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup at 64% against Bluebeam's 3%. Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup also leads on rating (4.8 vs 1.5) and update cadence (weekly vs monthly). Bluebeam's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 8). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Bluebeam asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 1.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.9K and 392 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 64% of Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup's written reviews are positive against 3% of Bluebeam's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup ships an update weekly, Bluebeam monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup versus Bluebeam: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDrawboard PDF Annotate, MarkupBluebeam
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (1.9K ratings) — better1.5 (392 ratings)
Positive reviews64.5% of reviews — better2.6% of reviews
Number of ratings1.9K — better392
Update frequencyWeekly — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size97 MB288 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDrawboard Pty LtdBluebeam, Inc.

Customer experience

Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup

All ratings1,905 ratings
Positive96.3%
Neutral1.7%
Negative2.0%
Written reviews287 reviews
Positive64.5%
Neutral11.8%
Negative23.7%

Bluebeam

All ratings392 ratings
Positive9.9%
Neutral2.0%
Negative88.0%
Written reviews229 reviews
Positive2.6%
Neutral3.1%
Negative94.3%

User reviews

Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup

From 1.9K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Excellent PDF annotation tools
  • 👍 Convenient cross-platform sync
  • 🚀 Fast and responsive
  • 👍 Great for students and professionals
  • 🚀 Smooth writing experience with Apple Pencil

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
  • 🔒 Cloud storage limitations
  • 💰 Expensive subscription model
  • 🔍 Missing search and bookmark features
  • 🔧 Inconsistent functionality between platforms

Bluebeam

From 392 App Store ratings

What we love

  • ✅ Automatic saving functionality works well
  • 📱 Useful for viewing PDFs on the go
  • 🔄 Good for accessing Studio sessions
  • 📊 Desktop version is powerful and feature-rich
  • 🎯 Cleaner, more modern interface design

Room to improve

  • ❌ Massive feature loss compared to Revu for iPad
  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezing issues
  • 📉 Severely limited markup tools and capabilities
  • 🖊️ Apple Pencil input is unresponsive and laggy
  • 💾 Data loss and corruption issues

Bugs and requests

Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Annotations not syncing properly between devices
  • Unexpected loss of work and unsaved changes
  • Scrolling and page navigation issues
  • Compatibility problems with certain PDF files
  • Text input box disappearing after scrolling

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add page flattening and form filling options
  • Improve eraser tool and precision
  • Implement a dark mode
  • Provide better organization and folder support
  • Add more customization options for tools and UI

Bluebeam

Reported bugs

28 issues
  • Markups fail to load or display correctly
  • App deletes markups instead of saving them
  • Documents wipe clean when reopened
  • Files uploaded disappear from app
  • Corrupted file errors when opening PDFs
Show 23 more
  • Keyboard disappears during login
  • Selection boundaries too large, preventing precise markup selection
  • Apple Pencil input stops working intermittently
  • Pen tool produces no line output despite input
  • App crashes when opening large file sets
  • Session documents fail to load
  • Blank PDF pages displayed
  • Scaling doesn't work properly
  • Blue screen errors
  • Markups missing after checkout and checkin
  • Incomplete markups syncing between devices
  • App freezes during document checkin
  • Unable to add users to sessions
  • Projects not showing up in app
  • App crashes when opening Studio sessions
  • Drawings won't load or open
  • Markup placement doesn't correspond to tap location
  • PDF goes blank when inserting callouts
  • Constant logout requiring re-authentication
  • Links to details don't work
  • App crashes on older iOS versions
  • Audio communication issues
  • File synchronization failures

Requested features

25 requests
  • Restore measurement and scaling tools
  • Add custom toolsets and tool libraries
  • Implement bookmarks for document navigation
  • Enable image embedding in callouts
  • Add undo/redo functionality
Show 20 more
  • Support multiple PDF tabs simultaneously
  • Create stamp library with standardized markups
  • Add dimension markup capabilities
  • Allow local PDF file access and import
  • Full Studio session integration
  • Improve Apple Pencil responsiveness and precision
  • Add eraser tool for pen markups
  • Enable photo capture and attachment to markups
  • Support Dropbox and cloud storage integration
  • Add form field editing capabilities
  • Implement punch list and defect tracking
  • Add RFI creation functionality
  • Support for custom columns and data fields
  • Reset viewpoints feature
  • Pen width and cloud shape customization
  • Settings menu for preferences
  • Better pen and drawing mechanics like Notability
  • Ability to download session documents to device
  • Support for opening PDF attachments from desktop
  • Batch file upload capability

In-app purchases

8 purchases

Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup

Subscriptions6
  • Pro Lite7 Days trial$5.991 Month
  • Pro Plus7 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Pro Unlimited7 Days trial$18.991 Month
Show 3 more
  • Pro Lite7 Days trial$49.991 Year
  • Pro Plus7 Days trial$83.901 Year
  • Pro Unlimited7 Days trial$159.991 Year
One-time2
  • Pro Plus$10.00
  • Pro Unlimited$20.00
None

Bluebeam

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup free?
Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Bluebeam free?
Bluebeam is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup or Bluebeam?
Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup is rated higher. Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup averages 4.8 out of 5 from 1.9K ratings, while Bluebeam averages 1.5 from 392 ratings.
Do Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup or Bluebeam have ads?
Neither Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup nor Bluebeam shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup or Bluebeam?
Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup ships an update weekly, and Bluebeam monthly. Most recently, Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup was updated on September 22, 2026 and Bluebeam on September 24, 2026.

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