# PDF Pro vs Forma

The clearest difference is monetization model: Forma at freemium against PDF Pro's subscription. Forma also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 2 months) and chart position (#120 vs unranked). PDF Pro's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, rating, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PDF Pro sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Forma sells 17 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for PDF Pro against 4.7 for Forma. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 6.9K and 26K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 60% of PDF Pro's written reviews are positive against 69% of Forma's.

PDF Pro ships an update every 2 months, Forma monthly. Both last shipped on September 30, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF Pro | Forma |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (6.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-pro-reader-editor-forms/id454936656/reviews) | [4.7 (26K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/forma-pdf-document-editor/id1658514439/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 6.9K | **26K** |
| Positive reviews | 60.3% of reviews | **69.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Freemium** |
| Best chart rank | — | **#120** |
| Size | 91 MB | 201 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Dominic Rodemer](https://appshunter.io/developer/309872333) | [BPMobile](https://appshunter.io/developer/1085442365) |

## What reviewers say

### PDF Pro

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-pro-reader-editor-forms/id454936656)

Edit, annotate, and read PDF documents on your iPhone and iPad. Highlight text, add notes, shapes, voice recordings, and photos. Search your entire PDF library, fill out forms, and sign documents.

**Highlights:** Edit and annotate PDFs, Highlight text and add notes, Embed audio and photo annotations, Full-text search of PDF library, Fill out and sign PDF forms, Organize PDFs with folders and tags, Import from cloud storage

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Offer - Monthly - macOS | $1.99 | per month |
| Offer - Monthly - iOS | $2.99 | per month |
| Premium - Monthly - iOS | $3.99 | per month |
| Premium - Monthly - macOS | $4.99 | per month |
| Offer - Annual - iOS | $12.99 | per year |
| Offer - Annual - macOS | $22.99 | per year |
| Premium  - Annual - iOS | $24.99 | per year |
| Offer - macOS + iOS | $24.99 | per year |
| Offer - iOS + macOS | $29.99 | per year |
| Premium - Annual - macOS | $44.99 | per year |
| Premium - iOS + macOS | $49.99 | per year |
| Premium - macOS + iOS | $49.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 🚀 Fast and efficient
- 💡 Excellent PDF management features
- 🔒 Secure and reliable
- 🎨 Great annotation tools

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and stability issues
- 💰 Expensive subscription model
- 🔍 Inconsistent search functionality
- 📖 Loses last read position
- 🖋️ Unreliable handwriting support

**Reported bugs**

- Annotations and highlights randomly disappearing
- Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions
- Corrupted PDF files after editing
- Slow performance on older devices
- Inconsistent behavior when switching between PDFs

**Requested features**

- Improved bookmarking and note-taking
- Seamless iCloud/cloud storage integration
- Customizable keyboard shortcuts
- Advanced text editing and OCR capabilities
- Better organization and folder management


### Forma

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/forma-pdf-document-editor/id1658514439)

**Currently charting:** #120 Top Grossing · Productivity (US App Store)

This AI-powered app allows users to edit, fill, sign, scan, and convert PDF documents. It offers features like text editing, form filling, e-signatures, OCR scanning, and file conversion. An AI assistant can summarize, rewrite, or generate content, and users can create invoices and resumes.

**Highlights:** AI-powered PDF editing, Fill and e-sign forms, Built-in OCR scanner, Convert PDFs to various formats, AI assistant for content generation, Create and send invoices, Resume builder

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (17)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Forma Pro | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| Forma Pro | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Forma Pro | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Forma Pro | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| Forma Pro | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| Forma Pro | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Forma Pro | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Forma Pro | $9.99 | per month |
| 1 month Pro 100Gb storage | $10.99 | per month |
| 1 year Pro 10Gb storage | $19.99 | per year |
| Forma Pro | $20.99 | per year |
| 1 year Pro 100Gb storage | $24.99 | per year |
| Forma Pro | $24.99 | per year |
| Forma Pro | $29.99 | per year |
| Forma Pro | $39.99 | per year |
| Forma Pro | $39.99 | per year |
| Forma Pro | $59.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and efficient
- 👍 Easy to use
- 💡 Useful features like autofill and cloud sync
- 🚀 Seamless document management

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and glitches
- 💰 Expensive subscription
- 🔒 Difficult to cancel subscription
- 🚫 Limited editing capabilities

**Reported bugs**

- Incorrect document formatting after editing
- Inability to load or edit pre-existing documents
- Unexpected charges and billing issues

**Requested features**

- Undo/redo functionality
- Ability to edit existing text in documents
- Support for more file formats
- Stylus support for precise editing


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PDF Pro free?

PDF Pro is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Forma free?

Forma is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, PDF Pro or Forma?

PDF Pro and Forma are both rated 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store, from 6.9K and 26K ratings respectively.

### Do PDF Pro or Forma have ads?

Forma shows ads; PDF Pro does not.

### Which is updated more often, PDF Pro or Forma?

PDF Pro ships an update every 2 months, and Forma monthly. Most recently, PDF Pro was updated on September 30, 2026 and Forma on September 30, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*