Comparison

Reader's Bench vs PDF Noted

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

Head to head
About

Reader's Bench

This app is a PDF reader and markup tool designed for serious study and research. It allows users to read, annotate, take notes, and review highlighted content from PDF documents with efficient performance and a distraction-free interface.

Highlights
  • PDF reading and markup
  • Handwriting and typed notes
  • Annotation extraction for review
  • Highlight, underline, strikethrough
  • Image capture and insertion
  • Export notes and annotated PDFs
  • Word definition and sentence translation
Features
Read full description

Reader's Bench — Read, Annotate & Take Notes Reader's Bench is a powerful PDF and ePub reader built for students, researchers, and professionals who need to study documents deeply. Import PDFs and ePub files, annotate them with a rich set of tools, take handwritten notes side by side, and organize everything in one place. KEY FEATURES • PDF & ePub Reader Import PDFs from the Files app, share sheet, or Safari. Supports vertical and horizontal scrolling, single-page and continuous page views, and a comfortable dark mode for reading in any lighting. • Rich PDF Annotations Highlight, underline, and strikethrough text. Add text boxes, image boxes, freehand drawings, and capture areas with Apple Pencil or your finger. Every annotation can be edited, moved, or deleted at any time. • Annotation Review View all your annotations in a summary list, filter by type, and export the review as a separate PDF report. Revisit key points without re-reading the entire document. • Handwritten Notes Take notes on a digital canvas with Apple Pencil. Switch between Canvas (infinite scroll) and Page (discrete pages) modes. Choose from dotted, squared, lined, or blank backgrounds and customize colors. Shape detection automatically perfects hand-drawn shapes. • Split View Work with your PDF and notes side by side. Switch between horizontal and vertical layouts and resize panels with a draggable divider. • Bookmarks & Search Bookmark pages for quick access and browse them in one place. Search inside documents and jump to results by page instantly. • Export & Share Export annotated PDFs, handwritten notes as PDFs, or annotation reviews as reports. Share via the iOS share sheet or print directly from the app. • iCloud Sync Documents and annotations sync across your devices via iCloud, so your work is always with you. • ePub Support Import ePub books and convert them to PDF for reading and annotation. • Share Extension Import PDFs directly from any app using the system share sheet. Reader's Bench turns your iPad and iPhone into a complete study and research workstation.

About

PDF Noted

Features
Read full description

Effortlessly extract, view, and export highlights and notes from your PDFs. PDF Noted is a simple, focused utility that turns your annotations — highlights, underlines, and notes — into clean, readable text. Whether you're studying, reviewing research, or preparing summaries, PDF Noted helps you quickly capture what's important. Features: • Extract highlights, underlines, and notes from PDFs. • Export your annotations as plain text or RTF (styled text). • Extract annotations from PDFs in any app by using the Share menu. Full Version — one-time purchase ($7.99): • Unlock all features with no limitations.

Screenshots

Reader's Bench4 screens
PDF Noted3 screens

Verdict

The call

Reader's Bench and PDF Noted are too close to call on the numbers: across 5 compared parameters — price, ads, in-app purchases and device support among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

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. Reader's Bench sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and PDF Noted sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
Reader's Bench versus PDF Noted: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterReader's BenchPDF Noted
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.5 (2 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequencyWeekly—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.0 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB2 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRohmiapps Inc.ReferencesOnTap

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Reader's Bench

Subscriptions3
  • Reader's Bench Subscription14 Days trial$0.991 Month
  • Pro Monthly$5.991 Month
  • Pro Yearly$39.991 Year
One-time1
  • Pro Lifetime$69.99
1 purchases

PDF Noted

One-time1
  • Full Version$7.99

Questions

Is Reader's Bench free?
Reader's Bench is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is PDF Noted free?
PDF Noted is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Reader's Bench or PDF Noted have ads?
Neither Reader's Bench nor PDF Noted shows ads.

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