# PDF Max vs pdf

The clearest difference is rating: PDF Max at 4.5 against pdf's 4.0. PDF Max also leads on ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (1.2K vs 17). pdf's advantage is review sentiment (49% vs 35%) and iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.0). On price, update cadence, 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 pdf sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

PDF Max holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PDF Max has 1.2K ratings behind it against 17, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 35% of PDF Max's written reviews are positive against 49% of pdf's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

PDF Max ships an update monthly, pdf every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF Max | pdf |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (1.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-max-edit-sign-pdfs/id540572073/reviews)** | [4.0 (17 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-notes-for-iphone/id694946243/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.2K** | 17 |
| Positive reviews | 35.4% of reviews | **48.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 266 MB | 109 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Mobeera](https://appshunter.io/developer/540572076) | [AMuseTec Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/342152781) |

## 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


### pdf

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-notes-for-iphone/id694946243)

This app allows you to read and annotate PDF files on your iPhone with fast page turning and convenient finger-writing tools. Easily import PDFs and share your notes via email or cloud services.

**Highlights:** Fast PDF display and page turning, Finger-writing and annotation tools, Import PDFs via Dropbox, Email, iTunes, Categorized bookshelves with search, Export annotated PDFs, Password-protected bookshelves

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 2-Month Pass | $0.99 | one-time |
| 1-Year Path | $2.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime License | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PDF Max free?

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

### Is pdf free?

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

### Which has better reviews, PDF Max or pdf?

PDF Max is rated higher. PDF Max averages 4.5 out of 5 from 1.2K ratings, while pdf averages 4.0 from 17 ratings.

### Do PDF Max or pdf have ads?

pdf shows ads; PDF Max does not.

### Which is updated more often, PDF Max or pdf?

PDF Max ships an update monthly, and pdf every 5 weeks. Most recently, PDF Max was updated on October 17, 2026 and pdf on October 12, 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.*