PDF Field Guide vs Sheet Metal Layout
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
PDF Field Guide
Quickly access, search, and share your essential PDF documents. Organize and import files for offline viewing, and convert images into searchable PDFs. Smart zoom and full-screen reading enhance your experience.
- Organize and group documents
- Import PDFs for offline viewing
- Create searchable PDFs from images
- Smart zoom and full-screen reading
- Keyword search and table of contents
- Share documents via multiple methods
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PDF Field Guide is the #1 quick reference companion helping you recall information quickly! Add, view, search and share your most important PDF documents quickly and easily from your iPhone, iPad and Mac. Helping you recall information quickly when you need it most! ADD - Organize and group your most needed documents for fast access. - Import PDFs from iCloud or Files App for offline viewing. - Create searchable PDFs using your camera and automatic document recognition. - Convert images to searchable PDFs from your photos or camera roll. VIEW - Double tap on the screen to Smart Zoom to the text you want to read. - Automatically switch to full screen reading mode when placed in landscape orientation. - Requires no internet connection. Documents are stored locally in iOS Files App. - Supports system dark mode. SEARCH - Perform keyword search to find information quickly. - Create customizable table of contents for fast access to important pages. - Tap to jump to sections in documents with embedded table of contents. - Tap to follow hyperlinks in documents with embedded links. - Highlight to select text in OCR-enabled documents allowing you to copy or share key information. SHARE - Share individual or multiple documents via email, text, AirDrop and more. - Family sharing enabled. - No subscriptions. Ever.
Sheet Metal Layout
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Mark out the flat pattern, cut once. Sheet Metal Layout develops the patterns fabricators lay out every day — cones, miter elbows, tees, reducers and square-to-round transitions — right on your phone, fully offline. PATTERNS THAT MATTER • Miter elbow — two-piece, any angle • Cone and frustum — full radial-line development with sector angle • Concentric and eccentric reducers — triangulated true lengths • Round offsets and lobster-back (segmented) elbows • Equal and unequal tees — branch saddle cut depths • Square to round — corner true lengths, laid out LAID OUT RIGHT • Every pattern gives you key dimensions, a schematic and a numbered ordinate / true-length table • A step-by-step "How to lay out" list walks the parallel-line, radial-line or triangulation construction • Copy any ordinate table as text to keep with your job notes ACCURATE TO THE METAL • Layout follows the neutral fibre — set the K-factor (mid-wall by default) so bend allowance is built in, not guessed • Pipe mode auto-fills outside diameter and wall from a built-in nominal pipe-size table (½"–12", schedule 40/80) • Sheet mode takes diameter and thickness directly BUILT FOR THE SHOP AND THE FIELD • Inch (fractions to 1/16") or millimetre — one tap to switch • 100% offline — works anywhere, no signal needed • Big controls, screen stays awake, no account • Your inputs never leave your phone ONE-TIME PURCHASE The free version includes the miter elbow, cone / frustum and reducer patterns — full functionality, never crippled. Sheet Metal Layout Pro is a single one-time purchase that unlocks the remaining five patterns. No subscription. No ads. No feature removals. Ever. Reference layout only. Add your own seams, laps and material allowance, and always verify before cutting.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Sheet Metal Layout at every 11 days against PDF Field Guide's monthly. Sheet Metal Layout also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). On price, 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
Both are free to download. PDF Field Guide sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Sheet Metal Layout sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
PDF Field Guide ships an update monthly, Sheet Metal Layout every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on September 12, 2026 and August 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | PDF Field Guide | Sheet Metal Layout |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | — |
| Number of ratings | 1 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Every 11 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 1 MB | 29 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Heidi Paul | Gun woo Kim |
In-app purchases
PDF Field Guide
- Premium Pass$1.99
- Pro Pass$4.99
Sheet Metal Layout
- Sheet Metal Pro$12.99





