# PDF Max vs DeftPDF PDF Edit, Annotate

The clearest difference is rating: DeftPDF PDF Edit, Annotate at 5.0 against PDF Max's 4.5. DeftPDF PDF Edit, Annotate also leads on update cadence (weekly vs monthly) and review sentiment (50% vs 35%). PDF Max's advantage is ratings volume (1.2K vs 7). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PDF Max sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days and DeftPDF PDF Edit, Annotate sells 23 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

DeftPDF PDF Edit, Annotate holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PDF Max has 1.2K ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 35% of PDF Max's written reviews are positive against 50% of DeftPDF PDF Edit, Annotate's.

PDF Max ships an update monthly, DeftPDF PDF Edit, Annotate weekly. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF Max | DeftPDF PDF Edit, Annotate |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (1.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-max-edit-sign-pdfs/id540572073/reviews) | **[5.0 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/deftpdf-pdf-edit-annotate/id1611128959/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1.2K** | 7 |
| Positive reviews | 35.4% of reviews | **50.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 266 MB | 102 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Mobeera](https://appshunter.io/developer/540572076) | [Sictec Infotech](https://appshunter.io/developer/1365388381) |

## What reviewers say

### PDF Max

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-max-edit-sign-pdfs/id540572073)

This app allows you to read, annotate, and sign PDF documents on your mobile device. You can mark up text, add handwritten notes, insert stamps, fill out forms, and manage PDF pages. It also offers robust file management and cloud integration for seamless access to your documents.

**Highlights:** Read and annotate PDFs, Fill and sign PDF forms, Handwriting and text markup, Manage PDF pages, Cloud storage integration, Voice annotations

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Subscription (1 week) | $1.99 | per 7 days |
| One year premium | $34.99 | per year |
| Yearly Onboarding Offer | $34.99 | per year |
| Standard Annotating Package | $0.99 | one-time |
| Cloud Access Package | $1.99 | one-time |
| Advanced Annotating Package | $3.99 | one-time |
| Form Filling Package | $3.99 | one-time |
| Pro Package | $4.99 | one-time |
| Premium Package (Update) | $4.99 | one-time |
| Premium Package (New User) | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 👍 Helpful for studies and work
- 🚀 Fast and efficient
- 👍 Great for annotating PDFs

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes frequently
- 🔒 Unreliable cloud sync
- 💰 Paywall for basic features
- 🐛 Buggy updates
- 👎 Poor customer support

**Reported bugs**

- Disappearing documents and annotations
- Incompatibility with newer devices
- Crashes on launch
- Unreliable file saving

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Ability to edit/delete annotations
- Better integration with cloud storage
- Split-screen viewing for PDFs
- Improved handwriting recognition


### DeftPDF PDF Edit, Annotate

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/deftpdf-pdf-edit-annotate/id1611128959)

This comprehensive PDF editor offers over 40 tools to modify, merge, compress, and secure your documents. Convert between various formats, perform OCR, and even translate PDFs while preserving layout. It's an all-in-one solution for managing your PDF files efficiently.

**Highlights:** Edit PDF text, images, and shapes, Merge and reorder PDF files, Compress PDF file size, Sign documents digitally, Convert PDF to/from multiple formats, Perform OCR on scanned PDFs, Add watermarks and passwords

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (23)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Pro Plan | $4.99 | per month |
| Yearly Pro Plan | $49.99 | per year |
| Translate file | $0.99 | one-time |
| Translate file | $91.00 | one-time |
| Translate file | $92.00 | one-time |
| Translate file | $93.00 | one-time |
| Translate file | $96.00 | one-time |
| Translate file | $97.00 | one-time |
| Translate file | $98.00 | one-time |
| Translate file | $99.00 | one-time |
| Translate file | $374.99 | one-time |
| Translate file | $379.99 | one-time |
| Translate file | $384.99 | one-time |
| Translate file | $390.00 | one-time |
| Translate file | $399.00 | one-time |
| Translate file | $399.99 | one-time |
| Translate file | $449.99 | one-time |
| Translate file | $499.99 | one-time |
| Translate file | $599.99 | one-time |
| Translate file | $699.99 | one-time |
| Translate file | $799.99 | one-time |
| Translate file | $899.99 | one-time |
| Translate file | $999.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PDF Max free?

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

### Is DeftPDF PDF Edit, Annotate free?

DeftPDF PDF Edit, Annotate is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, PDF Max or DeftPDF PDF Edit, Annotate?

DeftPDF PDF Edit, Annotate is rated higher. PDF Max averages 4.5 out of 5 from 1.2K ratings, while DeftPDF PDF Edit, Annotate averages 5.0 from 7 ratings.

### Do PDF Max or DeftPDF PDF Edit, Annotate have ads?

Neither PDF Max nor DeftPDF PDF Edit, Annotate shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, PDF Max or DeftPDF PDF Edit, Annotate?

PDF Max ships an update monthly, and DeftPDF PDF Edit, Annotate weekly. Most recently, PDF Max was updated on September 24, 2026 and DeftPDF PDF Edit, Annotate on September 24, 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.*