Comparison

Swift Paperless vs Redact PDF

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

Head to head
About

Swift Paperless

This app allows users to manage documents directly from their iOS device. It seamlessly integrates with a self-hosted document management system, ensuring data privacy and control. Easily find, categorize, and add new documents on the go.

Highlights
  • Native iOS integration
  • Paperless-ngx compatibility
  • Document finding
  • Document categorization
  • Add documents from phone
Features
Read full description

Swift Paperless is a native iOS app that interacts with the popular Paperless-ngx document management software. Paperless-ngx is self-hosted, and therefore fully privacy preserving: you control your data! With Swift Paperless, it's easy to find, categorize and also add documents from your phone!

About

Redact PDF

Features
Read full description

A black box that can be moved, or text you can copy from underneath, is not real redaction. Redact PDF helps you create a new PDF where sensitive content is removed from the exported copy, not merely covered. Hide a balance on a bank statement, an SSN on a form, a client’s name in a contract, or account numbers before you forward a file. Mark what should disappear, and Document Redactor rebuilds a clean copy with black redaction bars burned into the page image. HOW IT WORKS • Choose a PDF from Files or the iOS file picker • Select text to redact when the PDF has selectable text • Draw boxes over anything text selection cannot catch • Add straight redaction bars where you need them • Preview the generated redacted copy before you share • Export a new image-only PDF — your original is never changed THE TEXT IS GONE, NOT HIDDEN Some tools place black boxes on top of the original page while leaving the original text underneath. Redact PDF uses a safer approach for the first version: it renders each page as an image, burns the black redaction bars into that image, and rebuilds a new image-only PDF. The exported copy does not preserve the original text layer, annotations, links, forms, attachments, or original PDF object structure. LOCAL REDACTION CHECK After export, Redact PDF re-opens the generated PDF locally and checks for selectable text, captured redacted text strings, remaining annotations, and document metadata reported by Apple’s PDF framework. If the check fails, the app warns you not to share the file. You should still review the visible exported PDF before sending it. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Your documents never leave your device for redaction. No account. No cloud upload. No analytics. No ads. No tracking. Redaction happens locally on your iPhone or iPad. MADE FOR ONE JOB Redact PDF is intentionally focused. It is not a cloud workspace, a document manager, an AI assistant, or a full PDF editor. It does one thing: helps turn a sensitive PDF into a safer, shareable redacted copy. ONE-TIME PURCHASE Redact PDF is a one-time paid App Store download. No subscription, no in-app purchase gate, and no account. A NOTE ON TRUST Redact PDF is a practical privacy tool, not legal advice, compliance software, or a forensic guarantee. Always review your exported PDF before you share it. Terms: https://www.myworkingmemory.ai/redactor-terms.html Privacy: https://www.myworkingmemory.ai/redactor-privacy.html

Screenshots

Swift Paperless4 screens
Redact PDF3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Swift Paperless at Free against Redact PDF's $1.99. On update cadence, 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

Swift Paperless is free to download; Redact PDF costs $1.99 up front. Swift Paperless sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and Redact PDF sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $8.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Swift Paperless ships an update monthly, Redact PDF every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Swift Paperless versus Redact PDF: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSwift PaperlessRedact PDF
PriceFree — better$1.99
Rating4.9 (75 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews97.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings75 — better—
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size30 MB2 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPaul GessingerMyworkingmemory LLC

Bugs and requests

Swift Paperless

Reported bugs

7 issues
  • Metadata box not resizable on iPhone 13 Mini
  • Document upload screen sometimes exits unexpectedly
  • Extra step to access iOS share sheet
  • Cannot scroll multi-page PDFs on iPad
  • Server removal from list upon logout
Show 2 more
  • Editing area only half screen after update
  • App crying about certificate issue with HTTPS

Requested features

12 requests
  • Ability to quickly open next document in current view (like 'save & next')
  • Option to hide preview side bar for full-screen document view
  • Smarter server management in multi-instance setup
  • Ability to search within a document
  • Support for Title view only without thumbnails
Show 7 more
  • Siri Shortcuts support for adding documents
  • Option to add from a network scanner
  • Support for SSO
  • Ability to copy file content from the app
  • Option to send documents from archive via share menu (e.g., email)
  • Grid view with thumbnails on iPad
  • Direct donation link in the app

Redact PDF

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Swift Paperless

One-time4
  • Coffee money$3.99
  • Proper thank-you$8.99
  • Above and beyond$17.99
Show 1 more
  • Legendary generosity$44.99
1 purchases

Redact PDF

Subscriptions1
  • Annual Access$8.991 Year

Questions

Is Swift Paperless free?
Swift Paperless is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Redact PDF free?
Redact PDF costs $1.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Do Swift Paperless or Redact PDF have ads?
Neither Swift Paperless nor Redact PDF shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Swift Paperless or Redact PDF?
Swift Paperless ships an update monthly, and Redact PDF every 2 months. Most recently, Swift Paperless was updated on October 27, 2026 and Redact PDF on October 25, 2026.

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