Comparison

pdf vs ThinkWise

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

ThinkWise

Organize your thoughts and ideas with digital notes and mind maps. Facilitate group discussions and collaborative projects with easy sharing. Features AI-powered content generation and real-time translation.

Highlights
  • Digital notes
  • Mind maps
  • Group chat organization
  • Easy sharing
  • AI branch generation
  • Real-time translation
Features
Read full description

- Easy-to-use notes and digital mind maps in one... - No more meetings that can't be organized in group chats... - Now, share easily and organize them together.. - Supports AI branch generation and real-time translation in 134 countries. - Anyone can use it for free.

Screenshots

ThinkWise4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: ThinkWise at Free against pdf's $9.99. ThinkWise also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 79%) and device support (3 vs 1). pdf's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 7 months). On ads, in-app purchases 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

ThinkWise is free to download; pdf costs $9.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

pdf ships an update every 2 weeks, ThinkWise every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on June 10, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
pdf versus ThinkWise: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterpdfThinkWise
Price$9.99Free — better
Rating4.4 (27 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews79.2% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings27 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 7 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
DevicesiPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.015.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size138 MB22 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAMuseTec Co., Ltd.SimTech Systems Inc.

Customer experience

pdf

All ratings27 ratings
Positive85.2%
Neutral7.4%
Negative7.4%
Written reviews96 reviews
Positive79.2%
Neutral6.3%
Negative14.6%

ThinkWise

Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

pdf

No in-app purchases

None

ThinkWise

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is pdf free?
pdf costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is ThinkWise free?
ThinkWise is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do pdf or ThinkWise have ads?
Neither pdf nor ThinkWise shows ads.
Which is updated more often, pdf or ThinkWise?
pdf ships an update every 2 weeks, and ThinkWise every 7 months. Most recently, pdf was updated on June 10, 2026 and ThinkWise on September 25, 2026.

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