Comparison

UPAD for iCloud vs pdf

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

Head to head
About

UPAD for iCloud

Transform your tablet into a powerful digital notebook. Write, draw, and edit documents with a natural handwriting feel. Seamlessly integrate text, images, and PDFs for efficient note-taking and document management.

Highlights
  • Natural handwriting feel
  • PDF editing and annotation
  • Image and text insertion
  • Keyboard typing with formatting
  • Shape and table creation
  • Document sharing and printing
  • iCloud synchronization
Features
Read full description

Finally, UPAD has re-arrived! When downloading UPAD, your iPad becomes more of a worthy instrument. UPAD is the best application for handwriting. Write on it, just like you would on a sheet of paper. You can use this for a diary, planner, lecture note, conference note, letters, Calligraphy, etc. Create documents with easier-than-ever-to-use interface and a variety of features [The best feel of writing] - Write fast and easy—like when you handwrite on a sheet of paper. - When you’re listening to a lecture or at a conference, you can draw, modify, and write fast. - You may rest your palm on the screen. It is made to recognize just the touch-pen. - No other application allows the feeling of writing like UPAD. - It allows the “real” feeling of handwriting. [PDF Editing] - Read and edit PDF files with UPAD. - Edit PDF files with add/copy/delete functions. - Add handwriting, texts, pictures, etc. to PDF files. - Manage theses, lecture notes, manuals, musical notes, etc. in PDF format effectively. [Easier-than-ever-to-use image insertion] - Save multiple pictures in a form of documents easily. - You can capture a part of a map or web page and save it to a file. - This provides you with special effects and frames that will enhance images. - You no longer need to move back and forth from one application to another. [Typing] - You can enter words by using a keyboard. - This includes various fonts, sizes, backgrounds, and alignments that are in Microsoft Word. [Shapes] - You can put in callouts, rectangles, arrows, circles, etc. easily. - You’ll be able to draw a table easily. [Sharing documents] - You’ll be able to share not only emails, but SMS such as Facebook and Tweeter through iMessage. - You can print out documents immediately through Air Printer. - You can send UPAD documents to all applications that can read images and PDF’s. [A variety of easy templates] - Set up schedules monthly/weekly/daily. - This provides various templates you need when you create a document. - You may use the image of your choice as the background. [Safe backing-up] - You can now back-up not only as a whole, but partially—one document at a time. - It’s possible to back-up and restore quickly and stably. [Support iCloud sync] - Thanks to iCloud sync, your all documents in UPAD will synchronize between your iPad and iPhone automatically. We’re sorry for the delay in our updates. We’ve worked hard since we appreciate your support.

About

pdf

Manage and annotate PDF files on your iPad with fast page turning and intuitive finger-writing. Easily import, organize, and share your notes with friends. Offers a seamless reading and editing experience.

Highlights
  • Fast page turning and content scanning
  • Intuitive finger-writing with zoom-in
  • Easy PDF import via Dropbox, Email, or iTunes
  • Organized bookshelves with search
  • Variety of pens, highlighters, and text notes
  • Export annotated PDFs via email
Features
Read full description

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.

Screenshots

UPAD for iCloud4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: pdf at 4.4 against UPAD for iCloud's 2.3. pdf also leads on review sentiment (72% vs 55%). UPAD for iCloud's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs every 2 weeks) and price ($6.99 vs $9.99). On ratings volume, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

UPAD for iCloud costs $6.99 and pdf $9.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

pdf holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 2.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 47 and 27 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 55% of UPAD for iCloud's written reviews are positive against 72% of pdf's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

UPAD for iCloud ships an update every 2 days, pdf every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
UPAD for iCloud versus pdf: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterUPAD for iCloudpdf
Price$6.99 — better$9.99
Rating2.3 (47 ratings)4.4 (27 ratings) — better
Positive reviews55.0% of reviews71.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings47 — better27
Update frequencyEvery 2 days — betterEvery 2 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPad
Requires iOS9.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size36 MB138 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTaeJin KimAMuseTec Co., Ltd.

Customer experience

UPAD for iCloud

All ratings47 ratings
Positive27.7%
Neutral4.3%
Negative68.1%
Written reviews662 reviews
Positive55.0%
Neutral7.6%
Negative37.5%

pdf

All ratings27 ratings
Positive85.2%
Neutral7.4%
Negative7.4%
Written reviews288 reviews
Positive71.5%
Neutral9.7%
Negative18.8%

Bugs and requests

UPAD for iCloud

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Documents randomly disappearing or becoming corrupted
  • Issues with importing and exporting files
  • Erratic behavior when switching between pages or folders
  • Compatibility problems with newer iOS versions

Requested features

5 requests
  • Copy, paste, and move written content
  • Improved PDF annotation tools
  • Seamless cloud integration (Dropbox, iCloud, etc.)
  • Handwriting-to-text conversion
  • Customizable templates and layouts

pdf

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

UPAD for iCloud

No in-app purchases

None

pdf

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is UPAD for iCloud free?
UPAD for iCloud costs $6.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is pdf free?
pdf costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, UPAD for iCloud or pdf?
pdf is rated higher. UPAD for iCloud averages 2.3 out of 5 from 47 ratings, while pdf averages 4.4 from 27 ratings.
Do UPAD for iCloud or pdf have ads?
Neither UPAD for iCloud nor pdf shows ads.
Which is updated more often, UPAD for iCloud or pdf?
UPAD for iCloud ships an update every 2 days, and pdf every 2 weeks. Most recently, UPAD for iCloud was updated on October 20, 2026 and pdf on October 16, 2026.

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