Comparison

PDF Projector vs Simplify Notes

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

Head to head
About

PDF Projector

Turn your device into a presentation projector. Display PDF slideshows full-screen on external monitors and control navigation from your iPhone or iPad. An Apple Watch can even act as a remote.

Highlights
  • Projects PDFs to external screens
  • Use iPhone/iPad for navigation
  • Apple Watch remote control
  • Thumbnail and page preview
  • Supports iCloud documents
  • Share PDFs from other apps
Features
Read full description

Projects PDF slideshows onto an external screen. If you have an Apple Watch, you can also use it as a remote control. This app is useful if you write presentations using LaTeX Beamer, or LibreOffice Impress, or some other application that exports to PDF. Simply open your PDF in the app and connect an external display (e.g., via VGA, HDMI, USB-C, or AirPlay). Your slides will be displayed full-screen on the external display, while the app provides additional navigation controls on your iPad or iPhone. You can navigate on your iPad or iPhone by tapping and swiping, or using the buttons on the toolbar, or scrolling through the thumbnails, or using an external keyboard. When in landscape mode, you will also see a preview of the next page (which you can turn on/off using the button on the upper toolbar). You can browse and open any of your iCloud documents, or you can share PDFs from your favourite app to open in PDF Projector. WATCH REMOTE: If you have an Apple Watch, you can use this as a remote control. Simply open a PDF document in the iPhone app and connect it to an external display, and then start the Watch app to use the remote control. If you talk a lot between slides, try adding the "Next Page" complication to your clock face (requires watchOS 7). This will let you step through the slides without having to keep reopening the app. You can also configure Settings / General / Wake Screen (on any watchOS version) to keep the app on screen for longer while you present your talk.

About

Simplify Notes

Capture and organize handwritten notes, notebooks, and PDFs in one place. Create unlimited notebooks, draw naturally with Apple Pencil, and import PDFs to study, plan, or research. Reduce clutter and enhance focus with a calm, organized system.

Highlights
  • Unlimited notebooks
  • Natural handwriting and drawing
  • Apple Pencil support
  • PDF import and annotation
  • Folder organization
  • Add images and tags
  • Quick search and PDF export
Features
Read full description

CAPTURE EVERY IDEA. ORGANIZE EVERY SUBJECT. Simplify Notes brings handwritten notes, notebooks and PDFs together in one calm, organized place. Write naturally with Apple Pencil, create notebooks for every subject, organize your work into folders and keep important ideas easy to find. Whether you’re studying for an exam, attending a lecture or planning a personal project, everything stays clear and connected. BUILT FOR THE WAY YOU STUDY • Create unlimited notebooks • Write and draw naturally • Use Apple Pencil on iPad • Import and work with PDFs • Organize notebooks into folders • Add images to your notes • Mark important content with tags and favorites • Search and find notes quickly • Export your work as PDF • Choose from multiple paper formats • Keep courses, projects and ideas together LESS CLUTTER. MORE FOCUS. Simplify Notes helps you reduce the mental load of scattered files, loose pages and disconnected ideas. Give every course, subject or project its own place, so you can focus on learning instead of searching. PERFECT FOR • College and university students • Lecture and class notes • Exam preparation • Research and assignments • Engineering and MBA studies • Personal projects • Everyday ideas and planning No account required. No subscription. Just open the app and start writing. Your ideas deserve a place you’ll actually remember.

Screenshots

PDF Projector4 screens
Simplify Notes2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Simplify Notes at Free against PDF Projector's $0.99. Simplify Notes also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). PDF Projector's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and device support (4 vs 2). On in-app purchases 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

Simplify Notes is free to download; PDF Projector costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Simplify Notes holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 1 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PDF Projector ships an update every 2 months, Simplify Notes weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
PDF Projector versus Simplify Notes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPDF ProjectorSimplify Notes
Price$0.99Free — better
Rating4.7 (3 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews83.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings3 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidAd-supported — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS12.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB13 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBenjamin BurtonMario Guzman

Customer experience

PDF Projector

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive83.3%
Neutral16.7%
Negative0.0%

Simplify Notes

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

PDF Projector

No in-app purchases

None

Simplify Notes

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is PDF Projector free?
PDF Projector costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Simplify Notes free?
Simplify Notes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, PDF Projector or Simplify Notes?
Simplify Notes is rated higher. PDF Projector averages 4.7 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Simplify Notes averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do PDF Projector or Simplify Notes have ads?
Simplify Notes shows ads; PDF Projector does not.
Which is updated more often, PDF Projector or Simplify Notes?
PDF Projector ships an update every 2 months, and Simplify Notes weekly. Most recently, PDF Projector was updated on September 26, 2026 and Simplify Notes on September 30, 2026.

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