# Nitro PDF Pro vs TheSmartNotebook App

The clearest difference is rating: Nitro PDF Pro at 3.9 against TheSmartNotebook App's 1.0. Nitro PDF Pro also leads on ratings volume (161 vs 2). TheSmartNotebook App's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Nitro PDF Pro sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per year. TheSmartNotebook App asks for nothing beyond the download.

Nitro PDF Pro holds the better App Store score, 3.9 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Nitro PDF Pro has 161 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Nitro PDF Pro ships an update every 2 months, TheSmartNotebook App every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Nitro PDF Pro | TheSmartNotebook App |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.9 (161 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nitro-pdf-pro-read-and-edit/id1608616539/reviews)** | [1.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thesmartnotebook-app/id6744987479/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **161** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 12.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 63 MB | 46 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **14.0.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nitro Software, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1607870122) | [Virtual-Tec](https://appshunter.io/developer/498369221) |

## What reviewers say

### Nitro PDF Pro

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nitro-pdf-pro-read-and-edit/id1608616539)

Edit, annotate, and secure PDF documents on the go. This app offers powerful tools for professionals to manage PDFs, including mobile scanning and AI-powered data extraction. Seamlessly integrate with cloud services and use styluses for precise markups.

**Highlights:** Edit and annotate PDFs with precision tools, Organize pages, merge, and extract PDFs, Mobile scanning with OCR for searchable PDFs, Secure documents with password protection, AI-powered data extraction from tables, Seamless integration with cloud storage

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Annual Subscription | $19.99 | per year |
| Nitro PDF Pro for iOS | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Helpful for managing project documents
- 👍 Convenient for PDF modifications
- 👍 Superior PDF handling on Mac
- 👍 Satisfactory in both Mac and Windows environments

**What reviewers complain about**

- 👎 Pro features not available on iOS/iPadOS
- 👎 Yearly charges for basic features
- 👎 Expensive and useless
- 👎 Fails to deliver promised features
- 👎 Impossible to reorder PDF files

**Reported bugs**

- Cannot reorder PDF files
- Crashes when opening PDFs from websites/email
- Does not save markups or documents
- Difficulty creating new folders
- Cannot rotate pages

**Requested features**

- Keyboard support (Cmd + F for search)
- Ability to cancel search with Esc
- OCR and conversion to text documents on tablets
- User manual for iPad app
- Support for Apple Pencil


### TheSmartNotebook App

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thesmartnotebook-app/id6744987479)

Scan handwritten notes to create digital, searchable documents. Organize and share your notes instantly to cloud storage with smart shortcuts. Enjoy the freedom of handwriting with digital efficiency.

**Highlights:** Scan handwritten notes, Digital note storage, OCR text search, Organize and share notes, Cloud storage integration, Quick sharing shortcuts

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Nitro PDF Pro free?

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

### Is TheSmartNotebook App free?

TheSmartNotebook App is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Nitro PDF Pro or TheSmartNotebook App?

Nitro PDF Pro is rated higher. Nitro PDF Pro averages 3.9 out of 5 from 161 ratings, while TheSmartNotebook App averages 1.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Nitro PDF Pro or TheSmartNotebook App have ads?

Neither Nitro PDF Pro nor TheSmartNotebook App shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Nitro PDF Pro or TheSmartNotebook App?

Nitro PDF Pro ships an update every 2 months, and TheSmartNotebook App every 2 weeks. Most recently, Nitro PDF Pro was updated on October 30, 2026 and TheSmartNotebook App on October 24, 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.*