Comparison

PDF Pro vs PDF Pocket

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

Head to head
About

PDF Pro

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
Read full description

PDF Pro lets you read, edit and annotate your PDF documents directly on your iPhone and iPad. Highlight text, take notes, embed shapes or draw with your finger. You can even embed voice recordings or photo annotations. Full-text-search your entire PDF library with just a single tap. Above all PDF Pro comes with full-featured PDF form and signature support. Key-Features At A Glance: • POWERFUL SEARCH: ∙ Full-text-search your entire PDF library. ∙ Search inside specific documents with easy navigation through the search results. ∙ Look-up selected text directly on Wikipedia or in the included dictionaries. • FILE-MANAGEMENT: ∙ Group your PDFs in folders and tag them with colorful labels. ∙ Import PDFs from your Dropbox®, Microsoft OneDrive® or Google Drive®. ∙ Add PDFs via USB or WiFi. ∙ Open E-Mail attachments. • CLEAR VIEW: ∙ Easily browse through all your annotations. ∙ Full PDF outline support. You can even search the outline. ∙ Get an overview of all your bookmarked or annotated pages just with a single tap. • SHARE and PRINT: ∙ Easily share your annotated documents with your friends or co-workers. ∙ Print your annotated and edited PDFs. ∙ You can even share or print single pages of a document. • HIGH SPEED and STABILITY: ∙ Rapid viewing of PDF documents. ∙ Smooth display of very large PDF files. • NIGHT MODE: ∙ Makes reading in the dark much easier on the eyes. • SECURITY: ∙ Support for password-protected PDFs • AND MUCH MORE... Premium Features and Premium Offer include: • ANNOTATIONS and NOTES: ∙ Highlight text, take notes or draw with your finger. ∙ Powerful shape editor for arrows, rectangles, circles, lines and much more. ∙ Embed audio and photo annotations into your PDFs. ∙ Use predefined stamps or create your own. • DOCUMENT EDITOR: ∙ Create new pages. ∙ Export pages or merge them into existing documents. ∙ Reorder, rotate and delete pages. • CONTENT EDITOR: • Modify the existing content of PDF documents. • MULTITASKING: ∙ Work with multiple PDFs at a time. ∙ Copy and paste annotations, shapes, images or text from one PDF document into another. • FORM SUPPORT: ∙ Just fill out your PDF form, sign it with your handwritten signature and you are ready to send it via E-Mail or print it via AirPrint®. A monthly or annual subscription is required to get access to all premium features and premium offer. --- Subscriptions automatically renew monthly or yearly depending on your plan unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. Plans are priced at $3.99USD monthly and $24.99USD yearly (pricing may vary in countries other than the U.S.). Payment will be charged to your App Store Account at confirmation of purchase. To avoid automatic renewal, you must turn off auto-renew at least 24 hours before your subscription ends. You can turn off auto-renew at any time from your App Store Account Settings. Terms of Use: https://pdf-pro.net/terms-of-service/ Privacy Policy: https://pdf-pro.net/privacy-policy/

About

PDF Pocket

Transform your mobile device into a powerful PDF scanner and editor. Easily scan documents, extract text with OCR, annotate, sign, and manage your files offline. AI features can summarize and translate content, making document management efficient.

Highlights
  • Scan documents with auto edge detection
  • On-device OCR for searchable text
  • Annotate, highlight, and draw with Apple Pencil support
  • Create and place handwritten signatures
  • Merge, split, rotate, and compress PDFs
  • AI-powered summarization and translation
  • Organize files with folders and tags
Features
Read full description

Turn your iPhone and iPad into a powerful PDF scanner and editor. PDF Pocket handles everything from scanning paper documents to signing contracts — fast, private, and completely offline. SCAN ANYTHING IN SECONDS Point your camera at any document and get a crisp, clean PDF instantly. Auto edge detection, perspective correction, and shadow removal work together so every scan looks professional. Capture multiple pages in one go, or import files from your photo library and cloud storage. BUILT-IN OCR Make any scanned document searchable with on-device text recognition. Copy, search, and share text from scans — no internet connection required. Your documents stay on your device. ANNOTATE & MARK UP Highlight, underline, and strikethrough with 7 colors. Add text notes, draw freehand with Apple Pencil support, and stamp documents. Every tool you need for reviewing and commenting is right at your fingertips. SIGN DOCUMENTS ANYWHERE Create and save your handwritten signatures. Place them on any page with precise positioning, scaling, and rotation. Sign contracts, forms, and agreements without printing a single sheet of paper. POWERFUL PAGE TOOLS • Merge multiple PDFs into one • Split documents by page range • Rotate, reorder, insert, or delete pages • Compress files to reduce size • Add watermarks and page numbers • Password-protect sensitive documents AI-POWERED PRODUCTIVITY Let AI summarize long documents in seconds. Translate content across languages. Generate deliverables like reports, emails, and study notes — all from your PDF. SMART FILE MANAGEMENT Organize with folders, tags, and favorites. Full-text search finds any document instantly. Grid or list view, recent files, and a built-in trash bin keep everything tidy. COMPARE DOCUMENTS Place two versions side by side and spot every difference. Text diff and visual comparison make reviewing revisions effortless. SHARE YOUR WAY Export as PDF or image. Share directly to WhatsApp, email, AirDrop, or any app. Use the Share Extension to import PDFs from other apps into PDF Pocket with one tap. PERFECT FOR • Students scanning lecture notes and textbooks • Freelancers signing invoices and contracts • Office workers annotating reports and presentations • Researchers organizing and summarizing papers • Anyone who needs a fast, reliable PDF tool on the go SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION PDF Pocket Pro offers weekly, monthly, and yearly subscription options, as well as a one-time lifetime purchase. Payment will be charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase. Subscription automatically renews unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. You can manage and cancel your subscriptions by going to your App Store account settings after purchase. Privacy Policy: https://slowbuild.dev/pdf-pocket/privacy.html Terms of Use: https://slowbuild.dev/pdf-pocket/terms.html

Screenshots

PDF Pro4 screens
PDF Pocket4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: PDF Pro at 4.7 against PDF Pocket's 4.0. PDF Pro also leads on ratings volume (7K vs 1). PDF Pocket's advantage is monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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 Pro sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and PDF Pocket sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

PDF Pro holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PDF Pro has 7K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PDF Pro ships an update every 2 months, PDF Pocket weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
PDF Pro versus PDF Pocket: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPDF ProPDF Pocket
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (7K ratings) — better4.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews60.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings7K — better1
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscriptionFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.0 — better18
Further details — not scored
Size97 MB10 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDominic Rodemer勇 王

Bugs and requests

PDF Pro

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • 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

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

PDF Pocket

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

12 purchases

PDF Pro

Subscriptions12
  • Offer - Monthly - macOS3 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • Offer - Monthly - iOS3 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Premium - Monthly - iOS3 Days trial$3.991 Month
Show 9 more
  • Premium - Monthly - macOS3 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Offer - Annual - iOS3 Days trial$12.991 Year
  • Offer - Annual - macOS3 Days trial$22.991 Year
  • Premium - Annual - iOS3 Days trial$24.991 Year
  • Offer - macOS + iOS3 Days trial$24.991 Year
  • Offer - iOS + macOS3 Days trial$29.991 Year
  • Premium - Annual - macOS3 Days trial$44.991 Year
  • Premium - iOS + macOS3 Days trial$49.991 Year
  • Premium - macOS + iOS3 Days trial$49.991 Year
7 purchases

PDF Pocket

Subscriptions6
  • Premium Weekly - All Access3 Days trial$9.997 Days
  • Premium Weekly - All Access$9.997 Days
  • Premium Monthly - All Access$14.991 Month
Show 3 more
  • Premium Monthly - All Access3 Days trial$19.991 Month
  • Premium Yearly - All Access$39.991 Year
  • Premium Yearly - All Access3 Days trial$49.991 Year
One-time1
  • Premium Lifetime - All Access$69.99

Questions

Is PDF Pro free?
PDF Pro is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is PDF Pocket free?
PDF Pocket is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, PDF Pro or PDF Pocket?
PDF Pro is rated higher. PDF Pro averages 4.7 out of 5 from 7K ratings, while PDF Pocket averages 4.0 from 1 ratings.
Do PDF Pro or PDF Pocket have ads?
Neither PDF Pro nor PDF Pocket shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PDF Pro or PDF Pocket?
PDF Pro ships an update every 2 months, and PDF Pocket weekly. Most recently, PDF Pro was updated on October 29, 2026 and PDF Pocket on October 28, 2026.

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