Comparison

pdf vs XNote

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

Head to head
About

pdf

Manage and annotate PDF files on your iPad with fast page turning and intuitive finger-writing. Easily import PDFs, organize them into bookshelves, and export annotated versions via email. Features include zoom, cropping, and multiple pen options.

Highlights
  • Fast page turning and scanning
  • Intuitive finger-writing and annotation
  • Easy PDF import via Dropbox, Email, iTunes
  • Categorized bookshelves with search
  • Export annotated PDFs via email
  • Pinch zoom and crop page margins
Read full description

[notice] pdf-notes for iPad (ads) involves advertisements. Paid version is available at http://itunes.apple.com/app/id4172008446 Utilize pdf-notes to manage all the pdf files on your iPad. Fast display, quick page-turning even a thousand pages, useful finger-writing and email your notes to your friends. Differentiation-1. While turning pages of paperbooks fast, you can glance over the pages. While turning pages of pdf-notes fast, you can still run over the contents. Speedy page turning and scanning the contents with pdf-notes or paperbooks. Differentiation-2. There are many pdf readers allow you to annotate; but do you know which app allows you can write any notes in a second? If you are using pdf-notes, you may experience very fast and intuitive finger-writing like: zoom-in and note by double-tap or; writing with one finger, page-turning with two fingers, pen-changing with three fingers. - Easy importing PDF files through (DropBox, Email or Safari's) "Open In..." or iTunes - Categorized multiple bookshelves(booklists) with powerful search - Displaying pages as optimized size 1024x768 of iPad - Portrait and landscape view - Pinch zoom and crop page-margins - Fast loading and Speedy page-turning - Finger-writing with a variety of pens, highlighters and text notes - Easy "zoom-in and note" on a magnified screen by a double tap - One-step page-turning using 2 fingers on editing mode - One-step pen-changing or undo/redo using 3 fingers on editing mode - Exporting annotated PDF files to Email - External display and screen brightness controls - AirPrint and multi-tasking Misunderstandings about pdf-notes: - Not only pdf-notes but every app recently updated is removed from the open-in menu because iOS5 or formers currently show only 10 apps in open-in menu. - iPad/iphone Mail/iBooks can't display PDF annotations so that please open it in the other pdf apps. - please visit the support site for more information http://bit.ly/f6D31P Blog http://pdf-notes.com Email musebook@musebook.com Twitter http://twitter.com/musebook4u YouTube http://youtu.be/4AyRyFq9yxg NOTE: All content contained herein is subject to change without notice.

About

XNote

This app offers unlimited whiteboards, PDF annotation, and notebook creation in a simple, intuitive interface. It allows for jotting down ideas, studying materials, and taking daily notes with smooth performance and flexible organization.

Highlights
  • Unlimited whiteboards
  • PDF annotation
  • Notebook creation
  • File organization with folders
  • Web, photo, and file browsing within the app
  • Quick search functionality
  • One-click export and sharing
Features
Read full description

XNote is a passionate app that hopes to slow you down~ XNote combines the ability of using unlimited whiteboards, annotating PDFs and creating notebooks in one, and is easy-to-use You can use it to jot down inspiration, read professional materials and take daliy notes In every possible scenario, Xnote wants to give you smooth experience 【simple and understated, relaxing and flexible】 We made XNote simple and understated, with no complicated buttons and no confusing controls All the important features are at a glance and easy to operate ~ Keep the homepage as default and you'll find most of the files you want to edit ~ On the homepage, you can drag files directly into folders ~ You can quickly create a temporary draft with very simple gestures ~ By clicking the "+" button in the upper right corner, you can easily browse different files and web pages ~ You can take excerpts at any time while browsing files Xnote will become more and more flexible in continuous improvement and iteration 【Pursue the details and control the whole】 We worked on the XNote like horticulturists, pruning the gaudy leaves and carving the key branches You can create folders on the homepage to categorize files Highly compatible with the original pen case gives you a silky writing experience Text, picture, shape, search, every button is irreplaceable You can use the "Search" button to search quickly, and locate the target locator pin with one click You can edit and switch shapes at any time 【Sincere enthusiasm, aspirant and hardworking] We want XNote to be as sincere and passionate as the people it serves We hope that in the classroom, XNote accompanies the students to absorb the essence of knowledge with enthusiasm We hope that in life, XNote accompanies people to record the happy moments of their daily life We hope that at work, XNote accompanies everyone who strives to record the traces of their struggle 【XNote can】 Provide unlimited drawing boards allowing your thoughts and inspiration to extend infinitely Support finger doodling and the original brush of system, making it more convenient for you to draw Support viewing multiple documents simultaneously and inserting pictures, videos, files to enrich your notes Create different shapes to help you highlight key messages quickly Create locator pins to help you locate your target content Support browsing the web, photos and files within the app, helping you integrate internal and external information and study efficiently Search for notes quickly ...... 【Easy to share】 One click export, support for sharing (supports images, PDFs, drafts, and can be shared to guga, goodnotes, notability, collanote, and noteshelf for use) 【Friendly reminder】 XNote is currently in a high-frequency iteration stage, and we are continuously working on new features, welcome to follow and explore! 【Report the issue】 Report bugs and crashes to us, and we'll be happy to fix any problem you encounter while using it Email address:xnoteapp@163.com 【Contact us】 What do you expect from XNote, come and chat with us! ~ Your problems ~ Your advice ~ Your expectations All of the above can be heared in XNote community There are not only users like you, but also our R&D team We believe that everyone here will be excited by the spark of inspiration Contact our WeChat:li1299033501

Screenshots

XNote3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: XNote at 4.6 against pdf's 3.3. XNote also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 3) and ads (none vs shown). pdf's advantage is review sentiment (68% vs 60%). On price 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. pdf sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. XNote asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

XNote holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 22 and 76 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 68% of pdf's written reviews are positive against 60% of XNote's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

pdf ships an update every 3 weeks, XNote weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 3, 2026 and August 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard9 real differences · 1 level
pdf versus XNote: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterpdfXNote
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.3 (22 ratings)4.6 (76 ratings) — better
Positive reviews68.3% of reviews — better60.0% of reviews
Number of ratings2276 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksWeekly — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.014.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size141 MB40 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAMuseTec Co., Ltd.华清 杨

Customer experience

pdf

All ratings21 ratings
Positive57.1%
Neutral4.8%
Negative38.1%
Written reviews293 reviews
Positive68.3%
Neutral9.9%
Negative21.8%

XNote

All ratings76 ratings
Positive86.8%
Neutral9.2%
Negative3.9%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive60.0%
Neutral40.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

pdf

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Annotated PDFs losing data during export
  • Crashes after recent app updates
  • Inconsistent behavior when switching between apps
  • Incorrect page numbering and navigation

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add text typing and editing capabilities
  • Implement a table of contents feature
  • Improve integration with cloud storage services
  • Allow custom organization of PDF files
  • Enhance the note-taking experience

XNote

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

3 purchases

pdf

One-time3
  • 2-Month Pass$0.99
  • 1-Year Pass$4.99
  • Lifetime License$9.99
None

XNote

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is pdf free?
pdf is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is XNote free?
XNote is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, pdf or XNote?
XNote is rated higher. pdf averages 3.3 out of 5 from 22 ratings, while XNote averages 4.6 from 76 ratings.
Do pdf or XNote have ads?
pdf shows ads; XNote does not.
Which is updated more often, pdf or XNote?
pdf ships an update every 3 weeks, and XNote weekly. Most recently, pdf was updated on September 3, 2026 and XNote on August 11, 2026.

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