Comparison

pdf vs PDF Maker & Reader Pro

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, 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.

About

PDF Maker & Reader Pro

Create and edit PDF documents on your iPhone and iPad. Add text, photos, maps, and diagrams to new or existing PDFs. Easily share your creations via email or cloud storage.

Highlights
  • Create new PDF documents
  • Edit existing PDFs
  • Add text, photos, and maps
  • Input manually or with keyboard
  • Support for Apple Pencil
  • Share via email and cloud storage
Features
Read full description

PDF Maker & Reader is a simple and powerful tool for reading and creating PDF. It can be displayed PDF documents on iPhone and iPad and you can input either manually or from the keyboard and add photos, maps, lines and diagrams. And you can make a new PDF document. PDF documents that you made can be output to many applications. [Major Functions] - You can read PDF documents from iTunes, iCloud Drive and many applications.(compatible with App Extensions) - You can make a new PDF document. - You can make a PDF document in the following way.  1. You can input either manually or from the keyboard (compatible with Apple Pencil).  2. You can paste up to photos.  3. You can paste maps.  4. By pasting figures and lines, you can display PDF documents graphically. - You can upload PDF documents to iTunes, iCloud Drive, applications compatible with PDF, and you can attach PDF to emails. [Contact us] https://www.studioks.net/en/contact-us/ [Studio K's - Business Applications Maker] https://www.studioks.net/en/

Screenshots

PDF Maker & Reader Pro4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: PDF Maker & Reader Pro at $1.99 against pdf's $9.99. PDF Maker & Reader Pro also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (10.3 vs 16.0). pdf's advantage is review sentiment (72% vs 40%). On rating, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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

pdf costs $9.99 and PDF Maker & Reader Pro $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for pdf against 4.3 for PDF Maker & Reader Pro. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 27 and 12 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 72% of pdf's written reviews are positive against 40% of PDF Maker & Reader Pro's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

pdf ships an update every 2 weeks, PDF Maker & Reader Pro every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
pdf versus PDF Maker & Reader Pro: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterpdfPDF Maker & Reader Pro
Price$9.99$1.99 — better
Rating4.4 (27 ratings) — better4.3 (12 ratings)
Positive reviews71.5% of reviews — better40.0% of reviews
Number of ratings27 — better12
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.010.3 — better
Further details — not scored
Size138 MB14 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAMuseTec Co., Ltd.NAOAKI SEKIGUCHI

Customer experience

pdf

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

PDF Maker & Reader Pro

All ratings12 ratings
Positive83.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative16.7%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive40.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative60.0%

In-app purchases

None

pdf

No in-app purchases

None

PDF Maker & Reader Pro

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is pdf free?
pdf costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is PDF Maker & Reader Pro free?
PDF Maker & Reader Pro costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, pdf or PDF Maker & Reader Pro?
pdf is rated higher. pdf averages 4.4 out of 5 from 27 ratings, while PDF Maker & Reader Pro averages 4.3 from 12 ratings.
Do pdf or PDF Maker & Reader Pro have ads?
Neither pdf nor PDF Maker & Reader Pro shows ads.
Which is updated more often, pdf or PDF Maker & Reader Pro?
pdf ships an update every 2 weeks, and PDF Maker & Reader Pro every 3 weeks. Most recently, pdf was updated on October 9, 2026 and PDF Maker & Reader Pro on October 6, 2026.

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