Comparison

Bluebeam vs SLATE

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

Head to head
About

Bluebeam

Access and collaborate on PDF documents directly from your mobile device. Communicate project updates with markups and work offline by syncing files. Seamlessly join live collaboration sessions and manage document revisions from the field.

Highlights
  • Real-time PDF collaboration
  • Markup and annotation tools
  • Offline file access
  • Document syncing
  • Studio Project management
  • Live session joining
Features
Read full description

Bluebeam for iOS keeps you connected to your teams and documents, so you can quickly access the information you need in the field and capture what matters for the office. - Communicate with markups using tools like callouts, text, clouds, and status indicators - Import your team's custom Tool Sets from Revu, so your standardized markups are ready to go in the field, even offline - Attach photos captured in the field directly to a markup, so supporting documentation stays organized without cluttering your drawings - Open your files stored on your device, Studio Projects, or Studio Sessions - Join Studio Sessions for live collaboration. If your connection drops, your changes sync when you're back online - Check out files in Studio Projects to make edits, then check them back in when you're ready - Work offline by syncing Project files ahead of time or opening PDFs stored on your device Whether you’re reviewing submittals, placing markups in the field, or tracking revisions with your team, Bluebeam gives you the flexibility to get the job done from anywhere.

About

SLATE

Features
Read full description

Slate is a clean, modern PDF annotation app built for professionals, students, and anyone who works with documents. Import PDFs, review files, add annotations, sign documents, and export completed work—all from your iPhone or iPad. Whether you're reviewing contracts, completing forms, marking up plans, or organizing paperwork, Slate helps you stay focused with a simple, distraction-free workspace. FEATURES • Import and annotate PDF documents • Add text anywhere on the page • Create and place signatures • Insert dates, initials, and checkmarks • Highlight important information • Draw freehand with customizable pen tools • Add stamps and annotations • Save your progress and revisit documents later • Export and share completed PDFs • Designed specifically for iPhone and iPad BUILT FOR EVERYDAY WORK Slate is ideal for: • Business professionals • Contractors and field teams • Students and educators • Real estate professionals • Office administration • Anyone who regularly works with PDF documents SIMPLE BY DESIGN Slate was designed around one goal: making document markup fast and intuitive. Every feature is focused on helping you review, complete, and share documents without unnecessary complexity.

Screenshots

Bluebeam4 screens
SLATE4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Bluebeam at 18.0 against SLATE's 26.5. On price, ads, in-app purchases 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

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Bluebeam versus SLATE: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBluebeamSLATE
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.5 (392 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews3.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings392 — better—
Update frequencyMonthly—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.0 — better26.5
Further details — not scored
Size288 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBluebeam, Inc.Danielle Dockery

Bugs and requests

Bluebeam

Reported bugs

28 issues
  • Markups fail to load or display correctly
  • App deletes markups instead of saving them
  • Documents wipe clean when reopened
  • Files uploaded disappear from app
  • Corrupted file errors when opening PDFs
Show 23 more
  • Keyboard disappears during login
  • Selection boundaries too large, preventing precise markup selection
  • Apple Pencil input stops working intermittently
  • Pen tool produces no line output despite input
  • App crashes when opening large file sets
  • Session documents fail to load
  • Blank PDF pages displayed
  • Scaling doesn't work properly
  • Blue screen errors
  • Markups missing after checkout and checkin
  • Incomplete markups syncing between devices
  • App freezes during document checkin
  • Unable to add users to sessions
  • Projects not showing up in app
  • App crashes when opening Studio sessions
  • Drawings won't load or open
  • Markup placement doesn't correspond to tap location
  • PDF goes blank when inserting callouts
  • Constant logout requiring re-authentication
  • Links to details don't work
  • App crashes on older iOS versions
  • Audio communication issues
  • File synchronization failures

Requested features

25 requests
  • Restore measurement and scaling tools
  • Add custom toolsets and tool libraries
  • Implement bookmarks for document navigation
  • Enable image embedding in callouts
  • Add undo/redo functionality
Show 20 more
  • Support multiple PDF tabs simultaneously
  • Create stamp library with standardized markups
  • Add dimension markup capabilities
  • Allow local PDF file access and import
  • Full Studio session integration
  • Improve Apple Pencil responsiveness and precision
  • Add eraser tool for pen markups
  • Enable photo capture and attachment to markups
  • Support Dropbox and cloud storage integration
  • Add form field editing capabilities
  • Implement punch list and defect tracking
  • Add RFI creation functionality
  • Support for custom columns and data fields
  • Reset viewpoints feature
  • Pen width and cloud shape customization
  • Settings menu for preferences
  • Better pen and drawing mechanics like Notability
  • Ability to download session documents to device
  • Support for opening PDF attachments from desktop
  • Batch file upload capability

SLATE

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Bluebeam

No in-app purchases

None

SLATE

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Bluebeam free?
Bluebeam is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is SLATE free?
SLATE is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Bluebeam or SLATE have ads?
Neither Bluebeam nor SLATE shows ads.

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