# Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup vs Reader's Bench

The clearest difference is rating: Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup at 4.8 against Reader's Bench's 3.5. Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup also leads on ratings volume (1.9K vs 2). Reader's Bench's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 64%). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and Reader's Bench sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup has 1.9K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 64% of Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup's written reviews are positive against 100% of Reader's Bench's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup | Reader's Bench |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (1.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drawboard-pdf-annotate-markup/id1086503728/reviews)** | [3.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/readers-bench-pdf-and-notes/id1671846175/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.9K** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 64.5% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Weekly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 97 MB | 7 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Drawboard Pty Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1081203672) | [Rohmiapps Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/982578674) |

## What reviewers say

### Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drawboard-pdf-annotate-markup/id1086503728)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Lite | $5.99 | per month |
| Pro Plus | $9.99 | per month |
| Pro Unlimited | $18.99 | per month |
| Pro Lite | $49.99 | per year |
| Pro Plus | $83.90 | per year |
| Pro Unlimited | $159.99 | per year |
| Pro Plus | $10.00 | one-time |
| Pro Unlimited | $20.00 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- 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


### Reader's Bench

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/readers-bench-pdf-and-notes/id1671846175)

This app is a PDF reader and markup tool designed for serious study and research. It allows users to read, annotate, take notes, and review highlighted content from PDF documents with efficient performance and a distraction-free interface.

**Highlights:** PDF reading and markup, Handwriting and typed notes, Annotation extraction for review, Highlight, underline, strikethrough, Image capture and insertion, Export notes and annotated PDFs, Word definition and sentence translation

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Reader's Bench Subscription | $0.99 | per month |
| Pro Monthly | $5.99 | per month |
| Pro Yearly | $39.99 | per year |
| Pro Lifetime | $69.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup free?

Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Reader's Bench free?

Reader's Bench is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup or Reader's Bench?

Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup is rated higher. Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup averages 4.8 out of 5 from 1.9K ratings, while Reader's Bench averages 3.5 from 2 ratings.

### Do Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup or Reader's Bench have ads?

Neither Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup nor Reader's Bench shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup or Reader's Bench?

Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup ships an update weekly, and Reader's Bench weekly. Most recently, Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup was updated on September 22, 2026 and Reader's Bench on September 6, 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.*