Comparison

Nitro PDF Pro vs SmartPDF

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

Head to head
About

Nitro PDF Pro

Edit, read, sign, and secure PDF documents on your iOS device. This powerful yet lightweight app allows for on-the-go productivity with features like text editing, annotation, form filling, and cloud syncing.

Highlights
  • Edit PDF text
  • Annotate and highlight PDFs
  • Fill and save PDF forms
  • Sign and share PDF documents
  • Password protect PDFs
  • Sync with cloud storage
  • Merge and organize PDFs
Features
Read full description

Ready to do more with PDFs on iPad & iPhone? Edit, read, sign and sync PDFs in the cloud with the powerful, lightweight Nitro PDF Pro app designed for iPad & iPhone users. Packed with features to help you stay productive on the go, Nitro PDF Pro for iPad & iPhone lets you edit, sign, share and manage your documents wherever you are - all in a secure and user-friendly interface. Get started for free with a 14-day trial today. “Superior PDF handling, & economical” “Nitro PDF Pro has become an essential tool in my daily business operations! It makes everything from document preparation to communication much easier for me.” “If you are looking for a workhorse app to handle your PDFs made by responsive developers, look no further...” -> With Nitro PDF Pro you can: EDIT PDFs ON THE GO * Easily edit PDF text wherever you are, on any iOS device * Make notes and add comments to PDFs for quick, on-the-go reference * Add images or mark-up PDFs with drawings, with stylus support for iPad ANNOTATE & HIGHLIGHT PDFs * Add annotations to PDF text and documents * Highlight text to stay organized and keep track of important information FILL & SAVE PDF FORMS * Fill and save PDF forms for fast & easy productivity * Keep your PDF forms secure with password protection SIGN & SHARE PDF DOCUMENTS * Sign & share PDF documents in a snap * Save text, signatures and images in your Library for easy re-use * Keep documents synced with the cloud for on-the-go signatures PROTECT, SECURE & SYNC PDFs * Password protect PDFs to keep your data and confidential information secure * Set the level of document encryption as required * Sync with the cloud to back up PDFs on iCloud, Dropbox, Google Drive, or Microsoft OneNote MERGE, EXPORT & ORGANIZE PDFs * Merge multiple documents into one PDF in just a few clicks for easy organization * Import, export & organize PDFs in folders for fast access and easy on-the-go editing * Duplicate, add, delete or rearrange pages for simple, custom document creation ADDITIONAL AMAZING PDF EDITOR FEATURES * Duplicate, add, delete, rotate and rearrange pages * Enable easier PDF reading with dark mode, search and zoom * Email & Airdrop your documents, with PDF flattening for maximum compatibility * View two documents simultaneously with multiple windows (iPadOS) * Bluetooth pressure-sensitive stylus support - automatically works with Apple Pencil * Support for Adonit Jot Touch and Jot Script styluses Still exploring PDF editors for iOS? No pressure! Give Nitro PDF Pro iOS a try for free with a 14-day trial and see how you like its features and functions. We think you’ll love the value we pack into our easy-to-use PDF iOS app. Questions and issues regarding our PDF app? We're here to help! Connect with Nitro through our Community Forum: https://community.gonitro.com/ NITRO POLICY https://www.gonitro.com/legal/privacy-policy https://www.gonitro.com/legal/terms-of-service

About

SmartPDF

Features
Read full description

SmartPDF — PDF Toolkit Pro is your complete PDF toolkit for iPhone. Scan, read, organize, edit, sign, and protect documents in one fast and clean workflow. 12 powerful PDF tools • Image to PDF • Word to PDF • Merge PDF • Split PDF • Compress PDF • Page Manager • OCR Extract • Annotate • Sign PDF • Watermark • Redact Text • Password Protect Scan, Read & Create • Scan documents with your camera • Import images and turn them into PDFs • Open PDFs in a built-in reader • Search text inside documents • Browse pages with thumbnails • Save bookmarks and continue where you left off Premium • 7-day free trial for premium features • One-time purchase after trial, no subscription • Restore purchases on devices using the same Apple ID SmartPDF helps you stay productive wherever you are — whether you need to scan paperwork, sign a contract, extract text with OCR, or protect sensitive files.

Screenshots

Nitro PDF Pro4 screens
SmartPDF4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: SmartPDF at every 5 days against Nitro PDF Pro's every 2 months. SmartPDF also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. Nitro PDF Pro sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per year and SmartPDF sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Nitro PDF Pro ships an update every 2 months, SmartPDF every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Nitro PDF Pro versus SmartPDF: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNitro PDF ProSmartPDF
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.9 (161 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews12.5% of reviews—
Number of ratings161 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS18.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size59 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNitro Software, Inc.Sergino Elisha A.

Bugs and requests

Nitro PDF Pro

Reported bugs

19 issues
  • Cannot reorder PDF files
  • Crashes when opening PDFs from websites/email
  • Does not save markups or documents
  • Difficulty creating new folders
  • Cannot rotate pages
Show 14 more
  • Cannot markup/draw on PDFs with editing disabled
  • Does not save documents after editing
  • Cannot rotate PDFs
  • Program freezes up
  • Fails to save after deleting pages
  • App crashes after update
  • Editing is lost prior to crash
  • Crashes every time to edit a PDF
  • Cannot handle deleting pages
  • Crashes when opening fillable PDFs
  • Crashes when typing in fields
  • No Apple Pencil support
  • Stylus link gives 404 error
  • Bugs like suddenly not being able to draw

Requested features

10 requests
  • 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
Show 5 more
  • Ability to create table of contents
  • Ability to create fillable forms
  • Ability to rearrange pages
  • Ability to add to library
  • More intuitive interface

SmartPDF

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Nitro PDF Pro

Subscriptions1
  • Annual Subscription14 Days trial$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Nitro PDF Pro for iOS$9.99
1 purchases

SmartPDF

One-time1
  • SmartPDF Premium$4.99

Questions

Is Nitro PDF Pro free?
Nitro PDF Pro is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is SmartPDF free?
SmartPDF is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Nitro PDF Pro or SmartPDF have ads?
Neither Nitro PDF Pro nor SmartPDF shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Nitro PDF Pro or SmartPDF?
Nitro PDF Pro ships an update every 2 months, and SmartPDF every 5 days. Most recently, Nitro PDF Pro was updated on September 26, 2026 and SmartPDF on September 21, 2026.

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