Comparison

NetPDF vs Spider Notes

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

Head to head
About

NetPDF

This AI-powered PDF reader and editor allows users to read, annotate, edit, and summarize documents directly on their device. It offers on-device privacy for all AI features, ensuring no document data is sent externally. Enjoy smart search, text-to-speech, and seamless organization.

Highlights
  • On-device AI summarization and Q&A
  • Touch-first PDF reading and annotation
  • High-fidelity PDF rendering and editing
  • Integrated Text-to-Speech
  • Smart search and navigation
  • Offline operation for all features
Features
Read full description

Don't just ask a PDF for an answer. See the source, question the wording, and make the document useful. NetPDF combines reading, editing, study, and optional on-device assistance in one focused workspace. **READ AND FIND WHAT MATTERS** - Import PDFs and move quickly through pages and document outlines. - Search text, select passages, highlight, and bookmark important sections. - Use Read Aloud with playback speed controls. - Extract text from supported scanned pages with on-device recognition. **ASK QUESTIONS, CHECK THE SOURCE** - Summarize documents and ask questions about their contents. - Ask about a specific page or explain selected text. - Inspect available source passages and page references. - Keep reading and using document tools even when the optional language model is unavailable. **YOUR DOCUMENT DESK** - Rotate, reorder, merge, and extract PDF pages. - Undo supported page operations. - Export a separate working copy while retaining the original. - Switch to a reflowed text view for comfortable reading. **NOTES THAT REMEMBER WHERE THEY CAME FROM** - Attach your own notes to source passages and pages. - Keep your interpretation separate from the document's words. - Reopen saved notes and jump back to the original page. - Use Source Recall to review what you remember, reveal the passage, and mark it for another look. **TOOLS FOR LEARNING AND EXPLAINING** - Compare extracted text across two PDFs. - Turn reviewed content into structured timelines, mind maps, diagrams, and takeaway cards. - Save or share supported visual results. - On compatible hardware, optional locally imported image-model resources can enable illustration generation; this feature requires separate setup. **WORK WITH CONTROL** - Many reading, editing, search, and study features work locally. - Optional reference tools are controlled separately. - Use appearance, accessibility, haptic, and sound preferences that suit your workflow. NetPDF helps you read actively: explore a document, verify where an idea came from, then return to the evidence when it matters. AI answers, extracted text, OCR, and comparisons can contain mistakes. Confirm important details against the original PDF. Illustrations are creative outputs, not evidence from a document.

About

Spider Notes

Features
Read full description

Spider Notes turns your thinking into a spider web. Start with a central idea and watch related thoughts radiate outward on clean radial spokes, with sibling ideas linked by concentric rings of silk. It is a spatial, visual way to take notes, brainstorm, plan, and revise. FEATURES • Strict spider-web canvas with automatic layout • Pan and pinch-to-zoom for webs of any size • Per-branch colour coding • Recall mode for active-recall study • Light and dark appearance • Export any web as an image or PDF • Private by design, with notes stored locally • Native support for iPhone, iPad, and Mac Spider Notes is free. No account, purchase, or subscription is required. Privacy Policy: https://www.lukekevinmclaughlin.com/privacy Support: https://www.lukekevinmclaughlin.com/support SUBSCRIPTION AND TERMS Pro is an auto-renewable subscription. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. The subscription renews automatically unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period; your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. You can manage your subscription and turn off auto-renewal in your Apple Account settings after purchase. Any unused portion of a free trial is forfeited when you purchase a subscription. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.lukekevinmclaughlin.com/privacy

Screenshots

NetPDF2 screens
Spider Notes4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Spider Notes at none against NetPDF's shown. Spider Notes also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 6 weeks). NetPDF's advantage is iOS requirement (18.2 vs 26.0). On price, 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

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

NetPDF ships an update every 6 weeks, Spider Notes every 4 days. Both last shipped on November 5, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
NetPDF versus Spider Notes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNetPDFSpider Notes
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 4 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationAd-supported—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS18.2 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size1.1 GB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDeep Simplicity LLCLuke Mclaughlin

In-app purchases

None

NetPDF

No in-app purchases

None

Spider Notes

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is NetPDF free?
NetPDF is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Spider Notes free?
Spider Notes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do NetPDF or Spider Notes have ads?
NetPDF shows ads; Spider Notes does not.
Which is updated more often, NetPDF or Spider Notes?
NetPDF ships an update every 6 weeks, and Spider Notes every 4 days. Most recently, NetPDF was updated on November 5, 2026 and Spider Notes on November 5, 2026.

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