Comparison

PDF Editor vs Docbase

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

Head to head
About

PDF Editor

Edit, sign, and scan PDFs entirely offline on your iPhone or iPad. This privacy-focused tool allows you to manage documents without cloud uploads or internet access. Secure your files with password protection and remove hidden metadata.

Highlights
  • Offline PDF editing
  • Add digital signatures
  • Merge and split PDFs
  • Organize pages
  • Scan documents
  • Password protection
  • Strip metadata
Features
Read full description

Sign and edit PDFs on your iPhone without uploading them. Works offline. These tools require an In-App Purchase. Online PDF editors send your file to a server. This one never does. You merge, split, sign, scan, and lock documents on your iPhone or iPad. No account. No internet required. Built for contracts, invoices, and files you would rather keep private. Pro unlocks: • Sign with your finger or Apple Pencil, then reuse the signature later • Merge PDFs and drag pages into order • Split a file at any page • Reorder, rotate, or delete pages • Scan paper into a PDF with the camera • Build a PDF from photos, or export pages as JPG or PNG • Password-protect a file and limit printing or copying • Remove a password you already know • Strip hidden metadata before you share a file What stays on your phone • Works in airplane mode • No cloud uploads • No ads • No analytics • Nothing leaves your device Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Docbase

Features
Read full description

Your paperwork, finally under control. Docbase turns your phone into a portable document scanner with built-in organization, intelligent search, and encrypted cloud backup. Whether it's tax returns, insurance policies, medical records, or invoices — scan it once and find it instantly. SCAN & DIGITIZE Point your camera at any document. Docbase automatically detects edges, crops the page, and extracts text using on-device OCR — no internet connection required. Import existing PDFs directly from your files or iCloud. ORGANIZE WITH SMART CATEGORIES Sort documents into predefined categories like Tax, Insurance, Housing, Health, Banking, Employment, Contracts, and Invoices — each with detailed subcategories. Create your own custom categories with emoji icons to match your personal filing system. FIND ANYTHING INSTANTLY Search across all your documents by title, tags, category, or full-text content. Premium users can ask questions in natural language: "How much was my electricity bill in March?" and get answers drawn directly from their documents. AI-POWERED DOCUMENT ASSISTANT Chat with your documents. Ask questions, get summaries, and extract specific information from any scanned page or imported PDF. Powered by AI, available with up to 20 queries per day on Premium. SECURE CLOUD BACKUP Back up every document to your personal Google Drive using the restricted drive.file scope — Docbase can only access files it created. Your documents never touch our servers. You stay in full control. BUILT FOR PRIVACY - On-device OCR: Text recognition runs entirely on your phone (Apple Vision on iOS) - GDPR compliant: No server-side access to your files - Data export: Download all your data anytime in JSON format - Account deletion: Remove everything with one tap - AI is optional: Document analysis requires your explicit consent MULTI-LANGUAGE SUPPORT Available in 9 languages: English, German, Turkish, French, Spanish, Polish, Russian, Italian, and Portuguese. The app automatically detects your device language. WHAT'S INCLUDED FOR FREE - Unlimited document scanning and PDF import - On-device OCR text extraction - Category organization with subcategories - Tags and custom metadata - Google Drive cloud backup - Search by title, tags, and category - Dark mode support PREMIUM FEATURES (7-day free trial) - Full-text OCR search across all documents - AI Document Q&A (20 questions/day) - AI semantic search in natural language - AI smart suggestions and auto-tagging PERFECT FOR - Tax season preparation - Managing insurance documents - Keeping medical records accessible - Organizing rental and housing paperwork - Archiving invoices and receipts - Storing employment contracts and payslips Stop losing important papers. Start scanning with Docbase. ---Subscription auto-renews unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel anytime in Settings > Subscriptions. Privacy Policy: https://docbaseapp.com/en/privacy Terms of Service: https://docbaseapp.com/en/terms

Screenshots

PDF Editor4 screens
Docbase4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: PDF Editor at weekly against Docbase's monthly. Docbase's advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. PDF Editor sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days and Docbase sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PDF Editor ships an update weekly, Docbase monthly. Both last shipped on October 9, 2026.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
PDF Editor versus Docbase: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPDF EditorDocbase
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyWeekly — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size31 MB67 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperRobert PinlGazihan Ilhami Isildak

In-app purchases

3 purchases

PDF Editor

Subscriptions2
  • Weekly$2.997 Days
  • Yearly$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime$19.99
2 purchases

Docbase

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Premium Subscription$4.991 Month
  • Yearly Premium Subscription7 Days trial$49.991 Year

Questions

Is PDF Editor free?
PDF Editor is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Docbase free?
Docbase is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do PDF Editor or Docbase have ads?
Neither PDF Editor nor Docbase shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PDF Editor or Docbase?
PDF Editor ships an update weekly, and Docbase monthly. Most recently, PDF Editor was updated on October 9, 2026 and Docbase on October 9, 2026.

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