# SmartEX vs UPDF

The clearest difference is review sentiment: UPDF at 84% against SmartEX's 0%. UPDF also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs monthly). SmartEX's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 13) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 14.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. UPDF sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. SmartEX asks for nothing beyond the download.

SmartEX ships an update monthly, UPDF fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SmartEX | UPDF |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[4.6 (694 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/updf-ai-powered-pdf-editor/id1595826623/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **694** |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | **84.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 42 MB | 195 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 14.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Doxinet](https://appshunter.io/developer/631338306) | [Superace Software Technology Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1595826625) |

## What reviewers say

### SmartEX

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smartex/id1209424279)

This app digitizes business expense management by allowing users to capture receipts and invoices with their smartphone camera. It supports both online and offline use, streamlines expense association with projects, and integrates with accounting systems for faster reimbursements.

**Highlights:** Digitize receipts and invoices, Online and offline functionality, Associate expenses with projects, Automated expense categorization, Integrates with accounting systems, Policy enforcement and alerts

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### UPDF

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/updf-ai-powered-pdf-editor/id1595826623)

This app is a powerful PDF editor for mobile devices, offering AI-powered features for summarizing, translating, and chatting with documents. It allows users to read, edit, annotate, convert, and sign PDFs, as well as scan paper documents into editable files. Manage all your PDF files and protect them with security features.

**Highlights:** AI-powered summarization and translation, Edit text, images, and watermarks in PDFs, Annotate with various markup tools, Convert PDFs to Word, Excel, and PPT, Scan documents to editable PDFs, Sign and fill PDF forms, Organize and protect PDF files

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (13)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $9.99 | per month |
| UPDF AI Unlimited | $15.00 | per month |
| UPDF AI Standard | $15.00 | per month |
| UPDF Pro + AI Unlimited | $18.99 | per month |
| Quarterly Subscription | $19.00 | per 3 months |
| Annual Subscription | $49.99 | per year |
| UPDF AI Standard | $69.00 | per year |
| UPDF AI Unlimited | $79.00 | per year |
| UPDF Pro + AI Standard | $98.99 | per year |
| UPDF Pro + AI Unlimited | $118.99 | per year |
| Perpetual License | $79.99 | one-time |
| Perpetual License | $128.99 | one-time |
| UPDF & AI Add-on for iOS | $148.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent PDF editor
- 👍 Intuitive and easy to use
- 🔒 Secure file management
- 💡 Powerful features like AI-powered summarization
- 🚀 Fast and responsive performance

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or stability issues
- 💡 Need for more customization options
- 💡 Lack of integration with third-party cloud storage
- 🐛 Issues with handwriting recognition and annotation

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to edit text directly in PDF files
- Inconsistent behavior when switching between devices
- Occasional loss of editing progress when app is minimized

**Requested features**

- Add password protection for PDF files
- Improve file organization and folder management
- Implement keyboard shortcuts for power users
- Expand OCR capabilities and text extraction
- Allow custom signature and stamp imports


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SmartEX free?

SmartEX is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is UPDF free?

UPDF is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do SmartEX or UPDF have ads?

Neither SmartEX nor UPDF shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SmartEX or UPDF?

SmartEX ships an update monthly, and UPDF fortnightly. Most recently, SmartEX was updated on October 19, 2026 and UPDF on October 24, 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.*