# PDF Max Pro vs PDF Expert

The clearest difference is ratings volume: PDF Expert at 216K against PDF Max Pro's 1.5K. PDF Expert also leads on chart position (#78 vs unranked) and update cadence (fortnightly vs monthly). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PDF Max Pro sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days and PDF Expert sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

PDF Expert holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PDF Expert has 216K ratings behind it against 1.5K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 41% of PDF Max Pro's written reviews are positive against 45% of PDF Expert's.

PDF Max Pro ships an update monthly, PDF Expert fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF Max Pro | PDF Expert |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (1.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-max-pro-edit-sign-pdfs/id552664144/reviews) | **[4.7 (216K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-expert-editor-and-reader/id743974925/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 1.5K | **216K** |
| Positive reviews | 41.2% of reviews | **45.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#78** |
| Size | 266 MB | 301 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | +4 | 4+ |
| Developer | [Mobeera](https://appshunter.io/developer/540572076) | [Readdle Technologies Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/285035419) |

## What reviewers say

### PDF Max Pro

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-max-pro-edit-sign-pdfs/id552664144)

This app provides comprehensive tools for reading, annotating, and editing PDF documents on mobile devices. Users can highlight, add text and voice notes, fill out forms, manage pages, and organize files with cloud integration.

**Highlights:** Read and annotate PDFs, Highlight, underline, strike out text, Add text, voice, and custom stamps, Fill and sign PDF forms, Manage PDF pages and outlines, Cloud storage integration (Dropbox, Google Drive), Organize files with color tags and favorites

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Subscription (1 week) | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| One year Premium | $34.99 | per year |
| Onboarding Yearly Offer | $34.99 | per year |
| Premium Package | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 👍 Great features
- 🚀 Excellent PDF editing tools
- 👍 Useful for documentation

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes frequently
- 🐛 Loses data/annotations
- 💰 Expensive subscription
- 🐛 Compatibility issues with new iOS versions
- 🐛 Unreliable file management

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when opening certain PDF files
- Annotations and edits not saving properly
- Inability to restore previous in-app purchases
- Syncing issues with Dropbox and Google Drive

**Requested features**

- Add text-to-speech and speech-to-text functionality
- Improve integration with cloud storage services
- Enhance annotation tools and responsiveness
- Provide better documentation and support


### PDF Expert

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-expert-editor-and-reader/id743974925)

**Currently charting:** #78 Top Grossing · Productivity, #176 Top Free · Productivity (US App Store)

This app allows you to edit, annotate, fill out forms, and convert PDF documents. It offers AI-powered summarization and analysis, along with tools to merge, sign, and protect your files. Work seamlessly across Apple devices with a user-friendly interface.

**Highlights:** Edit PDF text and images, Annotate and highlight PDFs, Fill out PDF forms, Convert files to and from PDF, AI-powered summarization and analysis, Merge and combine PDF files, Sign documents with e-signatures

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PDF Expert Premium Trial | $9.99 | per month |
| PDF Expert Premium No Trial | $9.99 | per month |
| PDF Expert for Education | $39.99 | per year |
| PDF Expert Premium | $49.99 | per year |
| PDF Expert Premium New | $49.99 | per year |
| PDF Expert Premium Existing | $49.99 | per year |
| PDF Expert – Premium Editing | $49.99 | per year |
| PDF Expert Mac & iOS Pro | $79.99 | per year |
| PDF Expert Mac & iOS | $79.99 | per year |
| PDF Expert Basic | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and responsive
- 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
- 💡 Powerful annotation and editing tools
- 🔒 Seamless cloud integration
- 📚 Excellent for reading and organizing PDFs

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability issues
- 🔒 Subscription model for advanced features
- 🔒 Inconsistent pricing and feature changes
- 🔍 Cluttered and confusing UI in latest update
- 🔍 Reduced customization options for annotations

**Reported bugs**

- Corrupted PDFs after editing
- Sync issues with cloud storage providers
- Unexpected loss of annotations and edits
- Unreliable performance on older iPad models

**Requested features**

- Improved palm rejection for Apple Pencil
- Customizable toolbar and annotation presets
- Better integration with other productivity apps
- More flexible file management and organization
- Ability to create fillable PDF forms


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PDF Max Pro free?

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

### Is PDF Expert free?

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

### Which has better reviews, PDF Max Pro or PDF Expert?

PDF Expert is rated higher. PDF Max Pro averages 4.5 out of 5 from 1.5K ratings, while PDF Expert averages 4.7 from 216K ratings.

### Do PDF Max Pro or PDF Expert have ads?

Neither PDF Max Pro nor PDF Expert shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, PDF Max Pro or PDF Expert?

PDF Max Pro ships an update monthly, and PDF Expert fortnightly. Most recently, PDF Max Pro was updated on October 29, 2026 and PDF Expert on October 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.*