# Smallpdf vs PDF Editor

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Smallpdf at 68% against PDF Editor's 0%. Smallpdf also leads on rating (4.8 vs 3.7) and update cadence (every 9 days vs every 2 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Smallpdf sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month and PDF Editor sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Smallpdf holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Smallpdf has 6.9K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 68% of Smallpdf's written reviews are positive against 0% of PDF Editor's.

Smallpdf ships an update every 9 days, PDF Editor every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and August 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Smallpdf | PDF Editor |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (6.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smallpdf-scanner-and-pdf-editor/id1485259500/reviews)** | [3.7 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-editor-draw-and-annotate/id6502292721/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **6.9K** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | **68.0% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 159 MB | 35 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Smallpdf](https://appshunter.io/developer/1485259499) | [Kamalkumar Trapasiya](https://appshunter.io/developer/1587617174) |

## What reviewers say

### Smallpdf

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smallpdf-scanner-and-pdf-editor/id1485259500)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Plan | $7.99 | per month |
| Monthly Plan | $11.99 | per month |
| Monthly Plan | $14.99 | per month |
| Yearly Plan | $49.99 | per year |
| Yearly Plan | $59.99 | per year |
| Yearly Plan | $107.99 | per year |
| Yearly Plan | $107.99 | per year |
| Yearly Plan | $119.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Fast and efficient
- 💡 Useful features
- 🔒 Secure
- 🆓 Free to use

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and crashes
- 💰 Paid version required for full functionality
- 🤔 Confusing account management
- 🤯 Missing key features
- 🤖 Poor customer support

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- 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


### PDF Editor

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-editor-draw-and-annotate/id6502292721)

Effortlessly annotate, highlight, draw, and organize PDF documents on your iOS device. This app offers a user-friendly interface with tools for students and professionals to enhance their document workflow and security.

**Highlights:** Annotation tools (draw, shapes, freehand), Highlighting important sections, Eraser for corrections, Undo/Redo functionality, File management system, Multi-file support, Password encryption

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PRO Access | $6.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Smallpdf free?

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

### Is PDF Editor free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Smallpdf or PDF Editor?

Smallpdf is rated higher. Smallpdf averages 4.8 out of 5 from 6.9K ratings, while PDF Editor averages 3.7 from 3 ratings.

### Do Smallpdf or PDF Editor have ads?

Neither Smallpdf nor PDF Editor shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Smallpdf or PDF Editor?

Smallpdf ships an update every 9 days, and PDF Editor every 2 months. Most recently, Smallpdf was updated on September 25, 2026 and PDF Editor on August 14, 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.*