Comparison

PDF Maker & Reader Pro vs Smallpdf

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

Head to head
About

PDF Maker & Reader Pro

Create and edit PDF documents on your iPhone and iPad. Add text, photos, maps, and diagrams to new or existing PDFs. Easily share your creations via email or cloud storage.

Highlights
  • Create new PDF documents
  • Edit existing PDFs
  • Add text, photos, and maps
  • Input manually or with keyboard
  • Support for Apple Pencil
  • Share via email and cloud storage
Features
Read full description

PDF Maker & Reader is a simple and powerful tool for reading and creating PDF. It can be displayed PDF documents on iPhone and iPad and you can input either manually or from the keyboard and add photos, maps, lines and diagrams. And you can make a new PDF document. PDF documents that you made can be output to many applications. [Major Functions] - You can read PDF documents from iTunes, iCloud Drive and many applications.(compatible with App Extensions) - You can make a new PDF document. - You can make a PDF document in the following way.  1. You can input either manually or from the keyboard (compatible with Apple Pencil).  2. You can paste up to photos.  3. You can paste maps.  4. By pasting figures and lines, you can display PDF documents graphically. - You can upload PDF documents to iTunes, iCloud Drive, applications compatible with PDF, and you can attach PDF to emails. [Contact us] https://www.studioks.net/en/contact-us/ [Studio K's - Business Applications Maker] https://www.studioks.net/en/

About

Smallpdf

This app offers a comprehensive suite of tools to manage PDF documents. Easily convert, edit, compress, sign, merge, and scan PDFs using your mobile device. It also features OCR technology to convert scanned documents into editable text.

Highlights
  • Convert PDFs to Word, Excel, PPT, JPG, PNG
  • Edit PDFs with text, images, and annotations
  • Compress PDFs to reduce file size
  • Sign PDFs electronically
  • Merge multiple PDF files
  • Scan documents to PDF with OCR
  • Fill out PDF forms
Features
Read full description

Smallpdf: All-In-One PDF Editor and Document Organizer Smallpdf is your go-to PDF tool, designed to simplify your document management. Whether you need to convert, compress, edit, sign, merge, or scan PDFs, our app makes it effortless. Trusted by 2.4 billion people since 2013, Smallpdf offers a seamless PDF experience right at your fingertips. Key Features: Convert PDFs Across All Document Formats Easily: PDF to Word doc PDF to Excel PDF to PPT PDF to JPG PDF to PNG Images to PDF and vice versa! Edit PDFs: Add text, images, and shapes directly in your PDF files Add annotations and highlights easily Rotate, delete, and rearrange PDF pages PDF editing tools Compress PDFs: Reduce the file size of your PDFs without compromising quality Optimize PDFs for sharing and saving storage space Shrink PDF files Compress PDF documents Sign PDFs: Add an e-signature to your documents Digitally sign PDFs securely Electronic signatures for PDFs Merge PDFs: Combine multiple PDF files into one Merge PDF documents Scan Documents to PDF: Use your camera to scan documents, receipts, notes, and more into PDFs Enhance scans with automatic cropping and optimization Convert scanned images to selectable text with OCR Scan image to PDF Scan doc to PDF Scan jpg to PDF Scan receipts to PDF OCR Technology: Convert scanned documents into selectable text with our advanced OCR feature Support for multiple languages OCR PDF converter Why Choose Smallpdf? User-Friendly Interface: Intuitive and easy to navigate, making PDF tasks simpler than ever. Cloud Integration: Access and save your files directly from your local device storage. Privacy and data protection: All uploaded files deleted 1 hour after processing (unless saved locally or to the cloud) Cross-Platform Availability: All major operating systems. Work on your PDFs anytime, anywhere. Fast and Reliable: Quick processing times ensure you can get your work done efficiently. High Security: We prioritize your privacy and data security, complying with GDPR standards. Additional Features: PDF Reader: View and read PDF documents with ease. PDF Scanner: Quickly scan and digitize your paper documents. PDF Filler: Fill out PDF forms and documents electronically. PDF Maker: Create PDFs from various file formats effortlessly. PDF Annotator: Highlight, underline, and strikethrough text in your PDFs. Download Smallpdf Now! Smallpdf is free within a daily task limit. If you would like to try out Smallpdf Pro for unlimited conversions across ALL tools, there’s a free 7-day trial available. The Smallpdf Mobile App is the all-in-one solution for all your document management needs. Simplify your tax return or scan in receipts easily using your camera to save, edit, and manage thousands of documents in all formats. Save backups on the drive or share directly to email to manage your documents on the go! Join 2.4B+ satisfied users and simplify your PDF tasks today. Download Smallpdf and enjoy a free trial of all premium features. Privacy policy: https://smallpdf.com/privacy Terms of use: https://smallpdf.com/support We love feedback, so feel free to send yours to support@smallpdf.com.

Screenshots

PDF Maker & Reader Pro4 screens
Smallpdf4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Smallpdf at Free against PDF Maker & Reader Pro's $1.99. Smallpdf also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.3) and review sentiment (68% vs 40%). PDF Maker & Reader Pro's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 11) and iOS requirement (10.3 vs 15.6). On ads and device support 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

Smallpdf is free to download; PDF Maker & Reader Pro costs $1.99 up front. Smallpdf sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. PDF Maker & Reader Pro asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Smallpdf holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Smallpdf has 6.9K ratings behind it against 12, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 40% of PDF Maker & Reader Pro's written reviews are positive against 68% of Smallpdf's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PDF Maker & Reader Pro ships an update every 3 weeks, Smallpdf every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on September 18, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
PDF Maker & Reader Pro versus Smallpdf: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPDF Maker & Reader ProSmallpdf
Price$1.99Free — better
Rating4.3 (12 ratings)4.8 (6.9K ratings) — better
Positive reviews40.0% of reviews68.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings126.9K — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 9 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS10.3 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size14 MB159 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNAOAKI SEKIGUCHISmallpdf

Customer experience

PDF Maker & Reader Pro

All ratings12 ratings
Positive83.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative16.7%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive40.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative60.0%

Smallpdf

All ratings6,876 ratings
Positive96.1%
Neutral0.9%
Negative3.0%
Written reviews895 reviews
Positive68.0%
Neutral2.7%
Negative29.3%

Bugs and requests

PDF Maker & Reader Pro

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Smallpdf

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Files not saving properly
  • Conversion issues with larger documents
  • Unexpected crashes and freezes
  • Compatibility problems with older devices
  • Incorrect file content after compression

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add more color options for annotations
  • Improve search functionality for saved documents
  • Enhance iPad compatibility
  • Allow inserting images into PDFs
  • Provide better file management and organization

In-app purchases

None

PDF Maker & Reader Pro

No in-app purchases

8 purchases

Smallpdf

Subscriptions8
  • Monthly Plan7 Days trial2 variants$7.991 Month
  • Monthly Plan7 Days trial2 variants$11.991 Month
  • Monthly Plan7 Days trial$14.991 Month
Show 5 more
  • Yearly Plan7 Days trial2 variants$49.991 Year
  • Yearly Plan7 Days trial$59.991 Year
  • Yearly Plan$107.991 Year
  • Yearly Plan7 Days trial$107.991 Year
  • Yearly Plan7 Days trial$119.991 Year

Questions

Is PDF Maker & Reader Pro free?
PDF Maker & Reader Pro costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Smallpdf free?
Smallpdf is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, PDF Maker & Reader Pro or Smallpdf?
Smallpdf is rated higher. PDF Maker & Reader Pro averages 4.3 out of 5 from 12 ratings, while Smallpdf averages 4.8 from 6.9K ratings.
Do PDF Maker & Reader Pro or Smallpdf have ads?
Neither PDF Maker & Reader Pro nor Smallpdf shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PDF Maker & Reader Pro or Smallpdf?
PDF Maker & Reader Pro ships an update every 3 weeks, and Smallpdf every 9 days. Most recently, PDF Maker & Reader Pro was updated on September 18, 2026 and Smallpdf on September 24, 2026.

Other comparisons