# Aeon Timeline 3 vs PDF Indexer

The clearest difference is rating: PDF Indexer at 5.0 against Aeon Timeline 3's 3.9. PDF Indexer also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 4) and update cadence (every 2 days vs monthly). Aeon Timeline 3's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (50 vs 2). On price there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Aeon Timeline 3 sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $34.99 per year. PDF Indexer asks for nothing beyond the download.

PDF Indexer holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Aeon Timeline 3 has 50 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Aeon Timeline 3 ships an update monthly, PDF Indexer every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Aeon Timeline 3 | PDF Indexer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.9 (50 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aeon-timeline-3/id1563351378/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-indexer/id6799589624/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **50** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 60.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 78 MB | 53 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 16.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Timeline.App Pty. Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1563351380) | [MATTHEW BYONG BAE](https://appshunter.io/developer/6776132813) |

## What reviewers say

### Aeon Timeline 3

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aeon-timeline-3/id1563351378)

Create visually rich timelines for creative writing, project management, legal cases, and research. Offers multiple views like timeline, relationship, and mindmap. A free read-only mode is available, with editing unlocked via a one-time in-app purchase.

**Highlights:** Multiple data visualization views, Timeline, relationship, and mindmap views, Story arc and character tracking, Project breakdown and task management, Legal case event mapping, Customizable calendars, Scrivener/Ulysses integration

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Aeon Timeline 3 + Subscription | $34.99 | per year |
| Updates: Subscription | $34.99 | per year |
| Updates: One Year | $34.99 | one-time |
| Aeon Timeline 3 | $64.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Excellent for fiction writing
- 💡 Highly customizable data structures
- 🚀 Efficient for project management
- 🔄 Multiple flexible data views
- ✨ Aesthetically pleasing design

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💸 Expensive pricing/licensing
- 🐛 Glitchy mobile app
- 📉 Steep learning curve
- 🐌 Slow performance with large datasets
- 🚫 No export options (iOS)

**Reported bugs**

- Mobile app is glitchy
- Cannot tap bottom option when scrolling
- Tilting phone sends back to another menu
- File icon drops into Files app with no way back
- Date inputs defaulting to year 2000

**Requested features**

- Timeline-map feature
- Manual distance labeling on maps
- Sliding through time with character labels on maps
- Manual export options from iOS app
- A reference manual instead of just online knowledge base


### PDF Indexer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-indexer/id6799589624)

This app creates fast navigation for PDFs by turning title-to-page mappings into searchable indexes. It allows you to import mappings from various file formats and opens directly to the mapped page within the PDF. All data is stored locally on your device for privacy.

**Highlights:** Search across multiple indexed PDFs, Exact, prefix, substring, and alias matching, Jump directly to mapped pages, Import mappings from CSV, JSON, XLSX, and text, Page-offset calibration, Mapping correction and export, Local-first data storage

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Aeon Timeline 3 free?

Aeon Timeline 3 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is PDF Indexer free?

PDF Indexer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Aeon Timeline 3 or PDF Indexer?

PDF Indexer is rated higher. Aeon Timeline 3 averages 3.9 out of 5 from 50 ratings, while PDF Indexer averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Aeon Timeline 3 or PDF Indexer have ads?

PDF Indexer shows ads; Aeon Timeline 3 does not.

### Which is updated more often, Aeon Timeline 3 or PDF Indexer?

Aeon Timeline 3 ships an update monthly, and PDF Indexer every 2 days. Most recently, Aeon Timeline 3 was updated on November 3, 2026 and PDF Indexer on October 31, 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.*