Comparison

Smart PDF Editor vs PDF Editor

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

Head to head
About

Smart PDF Editor

This app is a PDF editor designed for efficient ink annotations, especially with a stylus. It helps professionals sign and share documents, and students take notes on study materials. Organize your files with a built-in manager.

Highlights
  • Ink annotation optimized
  • Digital signature tool
  • Document review and sharing
  • Note-taking on documents
  • Built-in file manager
  • Color-coded categories
Features
Read full description

Smart PDF is a PDF editor specially optimized for ink annotations. Use it with an Apple Pencil for the ultimate ease in note taking. Great for professionals Quickly sign and send documents. Review, annotate and share files with your colleagues. Great for students If you spend a lot of time reading and studying documents on your iPad, then Smart PDF is an indispensable tool for getting the most out of your study time. Take notes on documents in class, or while studying at home. Keep all your files organized with the built-in file manager, with color-coded categories. We hope you enjoy Smart PDF! -- The App Makers @ Qrayon

About

PDF Editor

Edit text, images, and layout in PDF files without altering formatting. Convert PDFs to various formats, merge documents, and secure them with passwords. Offers cloud integration and user-friendly navigation for efficient document management.

Highlights
  • Edit text and images
  • Convert to multiple formats (Word, PPT, JPG, PNG)
  • Resize PDFs
  • Merge PDF files
  • Secure with password encryption
  • Add watermarks, headers, footers
  • Cloud integration
Features
Read full description

Edit a PDF and get back the file you expected. Many PDF editors move your fonts, your spacing and your layout. PDF Editor is built to keep them where they are. Open a PDF, change the text, the images and the pages, export it, and the document still looks like the original. If a file ever does not come out right, message us from inside the app: we reply within one business day and fix import, editing and font problems as a priority, keeping you posted until it is done. Built in Australia. Your documents stay yours. What you can do • Edit PDF text: change words, font, size and color directly on the page. • Edit PDF images: replace, crop, resize or delete any image. • Sign PDF: draw or type your signature once and place it on any document. • Fill PDF forms: complete a form, save it and send it. • Merge PDF: combine several PDF files into one. • Split PDF: separate one PDF into smaller files. • Compress PDF: reduce the file size for email and upload. • Convert PDF to JPG or PNG: turn any page into an image. • Turn images into a PDF: combine photos or scans into one document. • Open Word, PowerPoint and Illustrator files: edit them as a PDF and export. • Organize pages: reorder, rotate, duplicate, delete, crop and number pages. • Annotate PDF: highlight and underline what matters. • Redact PDF: black out text that must not be shared. • Scan to text (OCR): turn a scanned page into text you can edit. • Unlock PDF: remove a password you own. • Watermark PDF: add a watermark, a header or a footer. • Resize PDF: change the page format without losing quality. Read and annotate any PDF Open any PDF file, read it and highlight what matters. Large files stay sharp when you zoom. Edit PDF text properly Tap a paragraph and type. PDF Editor keeps the font, the line breaks and the spacing you already have, so you do not have to rebuild the page after every change. Sign and fill without printing Draw or type a signature, place it, save it. Fill in a contract, an invoice or an application form and send it back the same day. No printer needed. Merge, split and compress Combine a set of files into one report. Pull three pages out of a long contract. Compress a large PDF so it fits an email limit. All from your phone. Convert and export Save as PDF for print or for web. Export a page as JPG or PNG for a message or a slide. Turn a set of photos into one PDF. Open a Word, PowerPoint or Illustrator file and work on it as a PDF. Start from a template Do not start from an empty page. Open a ready-made invoice, report, proposal, contract, letter, resume, flyer or business card, then change the parts you need. Every template is editable and exports as a PDF. Phone, tablet and web Your documents sync, so you can start on a phone and finish on a laptop. What is free and what is paid Every month a free account includes 5 PDF edits and 20 PDF tool operations such as merge, split, compress or rotate. Subscriptions raise these allowances and more: monthly AI credits and extra storage are included. Common questions Can I change text in a file someone else made? Yes. Open it and tap the text. Can I put two files together? Yes, use Merge. Can I make a file smaller? Yes, use Compress. Can I turn a scan into text? Yes, use Scan to text. Do I need an account? Merge, split, compress, rotate and the other page tools work without one. Editing text, signing, filling forms and watermarks need a free account. Does it work offline? Merge, split, compress, sign, fill forms and the other page tools run on your device and work offline. Editing PDF text in the full editor, scan to text and the AI tools need an internet connection. Something did not import or export correctly. What now? Send it to us from Settings → Feedback & Support. We reply within one business day. Download PDF Editor and fix the PDF properly, the first time. Privacy Policy: https://desygner.com/privacy Terms of Use (EULA): https://desygner.com/terms

Screenshots

Smart PDF Editor4 screens
PDF Editor4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: PDF Editor at 4.6 against Smart PDF Editor's 3.8. PDF Editor also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 3 days vs every 7 months). Smart PDF Editor's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 14). On price, review sentiment, 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. PDF Editor sells 14 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Smart PDF Editor asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

PDF Editor holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 109 and 331 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 21% of Smart PDF Editor's written reviews are positive against 23% of PDF Editor's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Smart PDF Editor ships an update every 7 months, PDF Editor every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Smart PDF Editor versus PDF Editor: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSmart PDF EditorPDF Editor
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.8 (109 ratings)4.6 (331 ratings) — better
Positive reviews20.9% of reviews22.9% of reviews — better
Number of ratings109331 — better
Update frequencyEvery 7 monthsEvery 3 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationAd-supported — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.615.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size11 MB228 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperQrayon, LLCDesygner Pty Ltd

Customer experience

Smart PDF Editor

All ratings109 ratings
Positive67.9%
Neutral5.5%
Negative26.6%
Written reviews43 reviews
Positive20.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative79.1%

PDF Editor

All ratings331 ratings
Positive91.5%
Neutral0.3%
Negative8.2%
Written reviews140 reviews
Positive22.9%
Neutral2.9%
Negative74.3%

Bugs and requests

Smart PDF Editor

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

PDF Editor

Reported bugs

14 issues
  • App crashes when importing PDFs
  • Exported PDFs render at extremely small, unreadable sizes
  • Text editing causes font changes and formatting loss
  • Duplicate function creates multiple unwanted copies or deletes originals
  • App won't open or gets stuck on logo screen
Show 9 more
  • Email verification not sending or sending to wrong address
  • Zoom functionality resets when attempting edits
  • Saved documents disappear from app after restart
  • File upload fails or gets stuck indefinitely
  • Black and white checkered screen replacing PDF content
  • Large chunks of text deleted when leaving text editor open
  • Pages display as blank after export
  • Subscription information not displaying correctly
  • App crashes when clicking add/import button

Requested features

8 requests
  • Better zoom functionality without distorting document sections
  • Ability to edit files across multiple devices with same account
  • Improved text editing capabilities
  • Document rotation (not just flip) functionality
  • Better font compatibility and handling
Show 3 more
  • Offline editing capability
  • Improved file saving and persistence
  • Cross-device synchronization

In-app purchases

None

Smart PDF Editor

No in-app purchases

14 purchases

PDF Editor

Subscriptions10
  • Weekly$2.997 Days
  • Starter — Weekly7 Days trial$3.957 Days
  • Pro+ Weekly Subscription 2$4.997 Days
Show 7 more
  • Pro+ Weekly Subscription7 Days trial$6.997 Days
  • Pro+ Monthly Subscription$9.951 Month
  • Monthly3 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Pro+ Monthly$9.991 Month
  • Pro+ Annual Subscription 2$83.991 Year
  • Annual3 Days trial$89.991 Year
  • Pro+ Annual Subscription$99.991 Year
One-time4
  • Credit pack: 5 credits$4.99
  • Credit pack: 10 credits$7.99
  • Special credit pack$7.99
Show 1 more
  • Credit pack: 30 credits$19.99

Questions

Is Smart PDF Editor free?
Smart PDF Editor is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is PDF Editor free?
PDF Editor is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Smart PDF Editor or PDF Editor?
PDF Editor is rated higher. Smart PDF Editor averages 3.8 out of 5 from 109 ratings, while PDF Editor averages 4.6 from 331 ratings.
Do Smart PDF Editor or PDF Editor have ads?
Smart PDF Editor shows ads; PDF Editor does not.
Which is updated more often, Smart PDF Editor or PDF Editor?
Smart PDF Editor ships an update every 7 months, and PDF Editor every 3 days. Most recently, Smart PDF Editor was updated on October 12, 2026 and PDF Editor on October 16, 2026.

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