# Foxit PDF Editor vs Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup

The clearest difference is rating: Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup at 4.8 against Foxit PDF Editor's 4.5. Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup also leads on update cadence (every 11 days vs monthly). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Foxit PDF Editor sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month and Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4.8K and 2K respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 68% of Foxit PDF Editor's written reviews are positive against 64% of Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Foxit PDF Editor ships an update monthly, Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup every 11 days. Both last shipped on November 13, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Foxit PDF Editor | Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (4.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/foxit-pdf-editor/id507040546/reviews) | **[4.8 (2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drawboard-pdf-annotate-markup/id1086503728/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **4.8K** | 2K |
| Positive reviews | **68.3% of reviews** | 64.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 11 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 324 MB | 98 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [FOXIT SOFTWARE INCORPORATED](https://appshunter.io/developer/386527261) | [Drawboard Pty Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1081203672) |

## What reviewers say

### Foxit PDF Editor

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/foxit-pdf-editor/id507040546)

Edit, view, and annotate PDF files on the go with this comprehensive mobile editor. It offers advanced features like AI assistance, OCR, and conversion tools, all while maintaining robust security and collaboration capabilities.

**Highlights:** AI Assistant for workflow automation and translation, View, edit, and annotate PDF files, Convert PDFs to various formats, Create PDFs from scratch or other files, Sign and protect PDF documents, Collaborate and share files, Optical Character Recognition (OCR)

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PDF Editor - Monthly | $6.99 | per month |
| PDF Editor - Yearly | $39.99 | per year |
| Foxit AI Assistant - Yearly | $49.99 | per year |
| PDF Editor+ Yearly | $139.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent PDF reader
- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 🔓 Robust annotation tools
- 💡 Convenient cloud integration
- 🔊 Helpful text-to-speech feature

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and stability issues
- 🔒 Subscription required for full functionality
- 💰 Expensive subscription cost
- 🖌️ Poor Apple Pencil support
- 📂 Unreliable cloud sync

**Reported bugs**

- Subscription not recognized after OS update
- Pages go blank when switching apps
- Handwriting and text input issues
- Inconsistent behavior when rotating device
- Corrupted files and data loss

**Requested features**

- Allow custom highlight/text color
- Improve page navigation and bookmarking
- Integrate with more cloud storage providers
- Add OCR and text extraction capabilities
- Enhance annotation tools for better precision


### Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/drawboard-pdf-annotate-markup/id1086503728)

Enhance your PDF workflow with powerful annotation and markup tools. This app offers a dynamic and intuitive experience for editing, drawing, and adding text to your documents. Access your work across multiple devices and collaborate in real-time.

**Highlights:** Dynamic PDF annotation tools, Cross-platform access and cloud sync, Real-time collaboration, Insert text, images, lines, and shapes, Convert images to PDF, Redact sensitive information (Pro), Measurement tools (Pro)

**Features:** Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Lite | $5.99 | per month |
| Pro Plus | $9.99 | per month |
| Pro Unlimited | $18.99 | per month |
| Pro Lite | $49.99 | per year |
| Pro Plus | $83.90 | per year |
| Pro Unlimited | $159.99 | per year |
| Pro Plus | $10.00 | one-time |
| Pro Unlimited | $20.00 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent PDF annotation tools
- 👍 Convenient cross-platform sync
- 🚀 Fast and responsive
- 👍 Great for students and professionals
- 🚀 Smooth writing experience with Apple Pencil

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- 🔒 Cloud storage limitations
- 💰 Expensive subscription model
- 🔍 Missing search and bookmark features
- 🔧 Inconsistent functionality between platforms

**Reported bugs**

- Annotations not syncing properly between devices
- Unexpected loss of work and unsaved changes
- Scrolling and page navigation issues
- Compatibility problems with certain PDF files
- Text input box disappearing after scrolling

**Requested features**

- Add page flattening and form filling options
- Improve eraser tool and precision
- Implement a dark mode
- Provide better organization and folder support
- Add more customization options for tools and UI


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Foxit PDF Editor free?

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

### Is Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup free?

Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Foxit PDF Editor or Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup?

Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup is rated higher. Foxit PDF Editor averages 4.5 out of 5 from 4.8K ratings, while Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup averages 4.8 from 2K ratings.

### Do Foxit PDF Editor or Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup have ads?

Neither Foxit PDF Editor nor Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Foxit PDF Editor or Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup?

Foxit PDF Editor ships an update monthly, and Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup every 11 days. Most recently, Foxit PDF Editor was updated on November 13, 2026 and Drawboard PDF Annotate, Markup on November 13, 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.*