# Nitro PDF Pro vs SmartPDF

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.

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Nitro PDF Pro | SmartPDF |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.9 (161 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nitro-pdf-pro-read-and-edit/id1608616539/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **161** | — |
| Positive reviews | 12.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 59 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nitro Software, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1607870122) | [Sergino Elisha A.](https://appshunter.io/developer/916133842) |

## What reviewers say

### Nitro PDF Pro

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

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:** 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


### SmartPDF

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smartpdf-pdf-toolkit-pro/id6760773859)

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| SmartPDF Premium | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*