Comparison

Simple Pdf vs PDF Air

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

Head to head
About

Simple Pdf

This comprehensive utility allows users to view, edit, and manage PDF documents. Features include text editing, digital signatures, OCR for text extraction, document scanning, and file compression. It offers a fast and private offline experience for all your PDF needs.

Highlights
  • Fast PDF viewing and search
  • Read aloud functionality (TTS)
  • OCR for text extraction
  • Edit PDF text and redact
  • Digital signatures
  • HD document scanning
  • Merge and split PDFs
  • PDF compression
Features
Read full description

The ultimate all-in-one PDF Reader, Editor & Scanner. View, edit text, sign, read aloud, extract text with OCR, merge, split, compress, and password-protect your documents with blazing speed and complete offline privacy. Whether you are signing contracts, listening to eBooks, extracting text from scanned receipts, or organizing business reports, this is the only PDF toolkit you will ever need on your iPhone and iPad. ◆ KEY FEATURES ◆ ◆ FAST VIEWER & IN-DOCUMENT SEARCH ◆ • Lightning-fast rendering for PDFs of any size. • Real-time in-document text search with highlighted matches. • Smooth scrolling, jump-to-page navigation, and cover thumbnail previews. • Organize your library with list/grid views and one-tap Favorites. ◆ NATURAL READ ALOUD (TTS) ◆ • Listen to any PDF narrated with high-quality system voices. • Story-like pacing: respects commas, periods, headings, and paragraph transitions. • Voice Selector: Choose and preview your favorite voice and language in Settings. • Background audio session configured to play even when the physical silent switch is engaged. ◆ AI TEXT RECOGNITION (OCR) ◆ • Turn scanned documents and photo-based PDFs into clear, editable text. • High-accuracy optical character recognition powered by on-device intelligence. • Copy extracted text to your clipboard or export it instantly. ◆ EDIT PDF TEXT & WHITEOUT ◆ • Insert custom text directly onto any PDF page. • Customize text color, font size, and alignment. • Built-in Whiteout tool to redact, cover, or clean up unwanted text and marks. ◆ DIGITAL SIGNATURES MADE SIMPLE ◆ • Create and store multiple handwritten signatures. • Place, scale, and align your signature on contracts and agreements. • Save and export signed documents without leaving the app. ◆ WATERMARKS & PAGE NUMBERS ◆ • Add confidential, draft, or custom text watermarks with adjustable angle and opacity. • Insert customizable page numbers with multiple format options (1/N, Page X of Y) and flexible positioning. ◆ HD DOCUMENT SCANNER ◆ • Turn your device camera into a high-definition portable scanner. • Automatic edge detection, perspective correction, and contrast enhancement. • Digitize physical receipts, invoices, whiteboards, and IDs into multi-page PDFs. ◆ MERGE & SPLIT PDFS ◆ • Combine multiple PDF files into one clean, consolidated report. • Split large PDFs into individual documents or separate page ranges. ◆ POWERFUL IMAGE CONVERSION ◆ • Photos to PDF: Convert camera shots and gallery photos into crisp PDF files. • PDF to Images: Extract and export any document page directly to your Photos gallery. ◆ SMART PDF COMPRESSION ◆ • Shrink file sizes by up to 85% while preserving crystal-clear text quality. • Free up device storage and easily send files over Email or messaging apps. ◆ REORDER, ROTATE & MANAGE PAGES ◆ • Effortlessly reorder pages using intuitive drag-and-drop. • Rotate individual pages (90°, 180°, 270°) to correct orientation. • Delete unwanted pages before sharing your final document. ◆ FOLDERS & NATIVE FILES SYNC ◆ • Create custom folders to categorize your files. • Automatic sync: PDFs saved in the iOS Files app under "On My iPhone / Simple Pdf-reader" appear automatically. • AI Smart Rename: Analyze document contents and generate smart names instantly. ◆ PASSWORD ENCRYPTION & PRIVACY FIRST ◆ • Lock confidential PDFs with password encryption. • Remove passwords with authorized access. • 100% Offline: Your sensitive files stay private on your device and are never uploaded to remote servers. ◆ EASY FILE SHARING & PRINTING ◆ • Print documents directly via AirPrint. • Instant sharing via AirDrop, Messages, Mail, WhatsApp, and Files. ◆ TERMS OF USE & PRIVACY POLICY ◆ Standard Apple Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://sites.google.com/view/simplepdfreader/privacy-policy

About

PDF Air

Edit, sign, convert, and manage PDF files with this powerful document tool. It allows for easy PDF creation from images or scans, form filling, and digital signatures. Seamlessly integrate with cloud storage and messaging apps for enhanced productivity.

Highlights
  • Edit PDF documents
  • Fill and sign forms
  • Convert images to PDF
  • Scan to PDF
  • Manage files
  • Digital signature tool
Features
Read full description

Edit, sign, convert, and manage PDF files instantly with PDF Air – a powerful PDF editor and document manager. PDF Air is a PDF creator and file converter that gives you full control over your documents. Whether you need to open, edit PDF files, eSign, convert to PDF, or scan to PDF, PDF Air simplifies every step. Use it as your PDF reader, PDF editor, PDF converter, or PDF maker – all in one app. ▶ How does PDF Air work? PDF Air allows you to open and edit PDF documents, apply your digital signature, convert images or scans into PDFs, and manage files effortlessly. You can highlight, annotate, and fill forms without leaving the app. ▶ How do I edit a PDF on my device? To edit PDF files, simply import them. You can add text, erase content, fill out PDF forms, highlight text, and eSign in seconds. No printing required – just quick, paperless editing with your PDF editor. ▶ Can I convert files to PDF? PDF Air functions as a complete file converter. You can convert a photo to PDF, JPG to PDF, picture to PDF, or multiple photos to PDF instantly. It's perfect for anyone needing a reliable way to create PDF documents on the go. ▶ How do I sign documents? Use the eSign feature to add your signature directly onto any document. Whether signing contracts, agreements, or forms, the digital signature tool makes it fast and secure. Your eSign is reusable, customizable, and easy to place anywhere on the page. ▶ Where can I use PDF Air? Use PDF Air across email, messaging apps, and cloud platforms. Edit PDF files, create PDF from scans, or convert image to PDF from anywhere. Export documents to Google Drive, Dropbox, or share directly via email, Slack, or WhatsApp. Enhance your productivity with Air Apps One – a subscription to 30+ essential apps. A subscription to PDF Air unlocks tools for productivity, learning, wellness, and more. Access apps like Translate Now, Water Tracker, and Scanner Air under one affordable plan. Simplify your daily routine with unlimited access and exclusive features in one seamless experience. Subscription options include: 1-week 1-month 1-year Manage your subscription easily: Payments are charged to your iTunes account at purchase confirmation and renewed automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Free trials convert to paid subscriptions unless canceled in time. Unused portions of any free trial are forfeited once a subscription begins. All subscriptions are managed via your Apple ID. For changes, cancellations, or refunds, please use your iTunes account settings or contact Apple Support. EU Residents: You may cancel within 14 days via Apple’s process. Refunds are not available if you have downloaded and started using the app. Connect with us: Web: https://airapps.co LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/airapps Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/airappsco Privacy Policy: https://airapps.co/privacy Terms of Use: https://airapps.co/terms Support: support@airapps.co

Screenshots

Simple Pdf4 screens
PDF Air4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: PDF Air at 5.0 against Simple Pdf's 3.2. PDF Air also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 3 months). Simple Pdf's advantage is ratings volume (6 vs 2). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model 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. Simple Pdf sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and PDF Air sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

PDF Air holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 6 and 2 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Simple Pdf ships an update every 3 months, PDF Air every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Simple Pdf versus PDF Air: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSimple PdfPDF Air
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.2 (6 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews28.6% of reviews—
Number of ratings6 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 6 weeks — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.5 — better16.6
Further details — not scored
Size77 MB103 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAMARDEEP DHILLONAir Apps Systems

Customer experience

Simple Pdf

All ratings6 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral16.7%
Negative33.3%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive28.6%
Neutral14.3%
Negative57.1%

PDF Air

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Simple Pdf

Subscriptions2
  • Unlock all features$3.991 Month
  • Unlock feature yearly$29.991 Year
One-time1
  • Remove ads$2.99
10 purchases

PDF Air

Subscriptions10
  • Air Apps One - 1 Week3 Days trial$6.997 Days
  • Air Apps One - 1 Week3 Days trial$9.997 Days
  • Air Apps One Welcome - 1 Week3 Days trial$9.997 Days
Show 7 more
  • Air Apps One3 Days trial$9.997 Days
  • Air Apps One - 1 Week$9.997 Days
  • Air Apps One Starter - 1 Week7 Days trial$9.997 Days
  • Air Apps One3 Days trial$19.991 Month
  • Air Apps One3 Days trial$69.991 Year
  • Air Apps One - 1 Year$69.991 Year
  • Air Apps One - 1 Month7 Days trial$199.991 Month

Questions

Is Simple Pdf free?
Simple Pdf is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is PDF Air free?
PDF Air is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Simple Pdf or PDF Air?
PDF Air is rated higher. Simple Pdf averages 3.2 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while PDF Air averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do Simple Pdf or PDF Air have ads?
Simple Pdf shows ads; PDF Air does not.
Which is updated more often, Simple Pdf or PDF Air?
Simple Pdf ships an update every 3 months, and PDF Air every 6 weeks. Most recently, Simple Pdf was updated on November 7, 2026 and PDF Air on November 6, 2026.

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