# PDFelement vs Forma

The clearest difference is chart position: Forma at #105 against PDFelement's unranked. Forma also leads on ratings volume (26K vs 7.6K). PDFelement's advantage is update cadence (every 11 days vs every 3 weeks) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PDFelement sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Forma sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for PDFelement against 4.7 for Forma. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 7.6K and 26K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 76% of PDFelement's written reviews are positive against 70% of Forma's.

PDFelement ships an update every 11 days, Forma every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on November 6, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDFelement | Forma |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (7.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdfelement-pdf-editor-and-scan/id1516765045/reviews) | **[4.7 (26K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/forma-pdf-document-editor/id1658514439/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 7.6K | **26K** |
| Positive reviews | **76.2% of reviews** | 70.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 11 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#105** |
| Size | 199 MB | 204 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Wondershare Technology Group Co.,LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/298647757) | [BPMobile](https://appshunter.io/developer/1085442365) |

## What reviewers say

### PDFelement

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdfelement-pdf-editor-and-scan/id1516765045)

This application offers comprehensive PDF management, including advanced editing, AI-powered summarization and translation, and efficient scanning with OCR. It helps organize, convert, and secure documents for work, study, and personal use.

**Highlights:** AI Chat with PDF, Scan and OCR, PDF to Office Conversion, Edit PDF like Word, Password Protection, Compress PDF

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

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription (AI) | $3.99 | per month |
| PDF Editor& Converter& Scanner | $6.99 | per month |
| PDF Editor & Scanner Pro（iOS） | $6.99 | per month |
| Weekly Subscription (iOS) | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Quarterly Subscription (iOS) | $9.99 | per 3 months |
| Weekly Subscription (iOS) | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly Subscription (iOS) | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Annual Subscription (iOS) | $29.99 | per year |
| iOS | $39.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Efficient PDF editing
- 💡 Comprehensive feature set
- 🔒 Secure document handling
- 👍 Intuitive interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or glitches
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🔒 Mandatory account required
- 🔒 Unclear licensing and subscription model
- 🐛 Syncing issues between devices

**Reported bugs**

- Login issues and inability to restore purchases
- Corrupted scanned files or loss of progress
- Inconsistent behavior when editing PDF text
- Compatibility problems with older devices or OS versions

**Requested features**

- Add dark mode option
- Improve cloud integration and file management
- Enhance OCR accuracy and capabilities
- Introduce multi-tab support for better workflow
- Add more customization options for toolbars and UI


### Forma

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/forma-pdf-document-editor/id1658514439)

**Currently charting:** #105 Top Grossing · Productivity (US App Store)

Edit, fill, and sign PDF documents directly from your phone. This AI-powered tool offers scanning, text editing, format conversion, and content generation. Create invoices and resumes on the go, with secure cloud storage across devices.

**Highlights:** AI-powered text editing and content generation, Built-in scanner with OCR, Fill and sign forms with autofill, Convert between PDF, Word, Excel, and more, Create invoices and resumes, Secure cloud storage and syncing

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Forma Pro | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Forma Pro | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Forma Pro | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| Forma Pro | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Forma Pro | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Forma Pro | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| Forma Pro | $9.99 | per month |
| Forma Pro | $24.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and efficient
- 👍 Easy to use
- 💡 Useful features like autofill and cloud sync
- 🚀 Seamless document management

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and glitches
- 💰 Expensive subscription
- 🔒 Difficult to cancel subscription
- 🚫 Limited editing capabilities

**Reported bugs**

- Incorrect document formatting after editing
- Inability to load or edit pre-existing documents
- Unexpected charges and billing issues

**Requested features**

- Undo/redo functionality
- Ability to edit existing text in documents
- Support for more file formats
- Stylus support for precise editing


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PDFelement free?

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

### Is Forma free?

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

### Which has better reviews, PDFelement or Forma?

Forma is rated higher. PDFelement averages 4.6 out of 5 from 7.6K ratings, while Forma averages 4.7 from 26K ratings.

### Do PDFelement or Forma have ads?

Both PDFelement and Forma show ads.

### Which is updated more often, PDFelement or Forma?

PDFelement ships an update every 11 days, and Forma every 3 weeks. Most recently, PDFelement was updated on November 6, 2026 and Forma on November 6, 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.*