Comparison

Reader's Bench vs rawPDF

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

rawPDF

Features
Read full description

rawPDF - PDF tools, done right. rawPDF is a complete PDF toolkit that runs entirely on your device. Your documents are never uploaded, never sent to a server, and never analysed by anyone. What you open stays with you. Read and find • Open large PDFs instantly, even hundreds of pages • Search the full text inside any document • Extract text from scanned pages and photos Organise • Merge multiple PDFs into one, in the order you choose • Split a document into pages or custom ranges • Reorder, rotate, and delete pages with drag-and-drop • Extract pages or ranges into a new file Create and capture • Scan paper documents with your camera • Convert images (JPG, PNG) to PDF and back • Compress large files to share them easily, without losing readability Mark up • Highlight and annotate directly on the page • Add text, shapes, and images anywhere • Leave comments and measure distances • Attach voice notes to a page Sign and secure • Sign documents with your finger - no printing, no scanning back • Protect files with a password Why rawPDF? • Truly private - all processing happens offline, on your device. Nothing is uploaded, ever. • No account needed - open the app and start working immediately. • Clean and fast - a distraction-free interface built for getting things done. • Lightweight - small download, easy on storage and battery. Whether you're a student combining lecture notes, a professional preparing documents, or just someone who needs to fix a PDF quickly, rawPDF gives you the essentials without the bloat. Download rawPDF and take control of your documents - privately. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Reader's Bench4 screens
rawPDF4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: rawPDF at none against Reader's Bench's shown. On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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. Reader's Bench sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and rawPDF sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Reader's Bench versus rawPDF: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterReader's BenchrawPDF
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.0 (3 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings3 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 6 days—
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size10 MB7 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperRohmiapps Inc.Ion Popa

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Reader's Bench

Subscriptions2
  • Pro Monthly3 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • Pro Yearly1 Month trial$17.991 Year
One-time1
  • Pro Lifetime$69.99
2 purchases

rawPDF

Subscriptions1
  • Yearly plan$9.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime$34.99

Questions

Is Reader's Bench free?
Reader's Bench is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is rawPDF free?
rawPDF is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Reader's Bench or rawPDF have ads?
Reader's Bench shows ads; rawPDF does not.

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