Comparison

PDF Editor vs Flatbed

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

Head to head
About

PDF Editor

Effortlessly transform photos, documents, and various file types into professional PDFs. This app offers smart scanning, text extraction, annotation tools, and efficient file management for both students and professionals.

Highlights
  • Convert JPG, PNG, and photos to PDF
  • Batch convert multiple images
  • OCR text extraction
  • Document edge detection and enhancement
  • PDF annotation and markup tools
  • Multiple PDF reading modes
  • Efficient file management
Features
Read full description

Meet your all-in-one PDF editor — one app to sign, fill, annotate, scan, convert, and print, so you never have to juggle separate tools to finish your paperwork. Whether you’re a student marking up class notes or a professional signing contracts and archiving receipts, this PDF editor takes you from paper to finished PDF in just a few taps — fast, clean, and effortless. PDF Editor — Sign & Fill - Add handwritten or electronic signatures to any PDF - Fill in forms and insert text anywhere on the page - Place, resize, and reposition signatures freely - Save signatures for fast, one-tap reuse Smart Document Scanner - Auto-detect document edges for precise, clean scans - OCR technology extracts searchable text from images - Turn receipts, notes, and paper files into digital PDFs - Clarity enhancement for crisp, readable output Photo & Image to PDF - Convert JPG, PNG, and any photo to PDF instantly - Batch-convert multiple images into a single PDF - Word, Excel, PPT, TXT, and images to PDF - PDF to Word, PPT, TXT, JPG, and PNG PDF Annotation and Markup - Highlight, underline, and strikethrough text - Sticky notes, comments, and custom text insertion - Area highlight with fully customizable colors - Professional markup tools for study and work PDF Reading Experience - Vertical, continuous, and two-page view modes - Adjustable brightness and independent cover mode - Fast text search to jump to any position instantly - Tag important pages for quick reference Efficient PDF File Management - Thumbnail view for fast page navigation - Filter by All, Annotated, or Tagged Pages - One-tap import from iPhone Files, Photos, or other apps - Print PDFs directly via AirPrint to any compatible printer From class notes to contracts and receipts — the all-in-one PDF editor that makes every task fast, clean, and effortless. Sign, fill, annotate, scan, convert, and print, all in one place. * In order to use PDF Editor App you need to purchase the PDF Editor App which is an subscription. Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase and auto-renews at the same price unless disabled in iTunes Account Settings at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your subscription can be managed in your iTunes Account Settings. Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when you purchase a subscription. Links: Terms of Service: https://10d7baee.pdf-7mv.pages.dev/PDFTermsConditions_en.html Privacy: https://pdf-7mv.pages.dev/pdfPrivacyPolicy_en

About

Flatbed

Transform your device into a rapid, private document scanner. Capture, enhance, organize, and export documents with on-device processing and OCR for secure, searchable files.

Highlights
  • Private on-device scanning
  • Intelligent edge detection
  • Auto-capture functionality
  • Non-destructive image filters
  • On-device OCR for text search
  • Folder organization
  • Searchable PDF export
Read full description

Flatbed is a private PDF scanner for iPhone. Scan documents, receipts, and notes into crisp PDFs with on-device OCR. No account needed, and your scans never leave your device unless you turn on iCloud sync. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Scanning and text recognition happen on your iPhone. Documents stay local unless you enable iCloud Sync. Flatbed never sends your scans to our servers and never tracks you across apps or websites. SCAN ANYTHING Point your camera at any document, receipt, invoice, whiteboard, or note. Edge detection finds the page, corrects perspective, and produces a clean scan. Turn on Auto-Capture and Flatbed captures the moment the page is steady. FIND ANY WORD On-device OCR reads the text in every scan, with no internet connection required. Search your whole library by keyword and copy text straight from a page. SEARCHABLE PDFS Export PDFs with selectable, searchable text, or share pages as images. Share via AirDrop, Files, Mail, or any app. ORGANIZE YOUR WAY Sort receipts, bills, contracts, and paperwork into folders and tags. Long-press to select several documents and move, export, or delete them together. ENHANCE EVERY PAGE Apply non-destructive filters per page: Original, Color Enhanced, Grayscale, Black & White, or High Contrast. Exports always match what you see. OPTIONAL ICLOUD SYNC Keep complete documents, including pages, titles, folders, tags, and OCR text, in sync across your devices through your private iCloud database. Flatbed has no access to that data. FLATBED PRO Flatbed is free to download and saves up to 3 documents. Within that limit, you can share a standard PDF for free. Pro adds searchable PDFs, image export, unlimited documents, full-text search, filters, batch actions, and App Lock. Flatbed Pro is available as a weekly or yearly auto-renewing subscription. The yearly plan includes a free trial for eligible new subscribers. Payment is charged to your Apple ID at confirmation of purchase or when the trial ends. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period; manage or cancel anytime in your App Store account settings. Customers who previously bought Flatbed Pro keep full Pro access. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://commerce-infrastructure.github.io/flatbed/privacy-policy.html

Screenshots

PDF Editor4 screens
Flatbed4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: Flatbed at free with in-app purchases against PDF Editor's subscription. Flatbed also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 4 weeks). PDF Editor's advantage is ratings volume (3 vs 1). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases 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 $6.99 per 7 days and Flatbed sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for PDF Editor against 5.0 for Flatbed. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 1 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PDF Editor ships an update every 4 weeks, Flatbed every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
PDF Editor versus Flatbed: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPDF EditorFlatbed
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (3 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings3 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 4 weeksEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscriptionFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS16.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size41 MB12 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBeijing iDOTOOLS Technology Co., LtdCommerce Infrastructure LLC

Customer experience

PDF Editor

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Flatbed

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

PDF Editor

Subscriptions3
  • Weekly3 Days trial$6.997 Days
  • Monthly$19.991 Month
  • Yearly$49.991 Year
3 purchases

Flatbed

Subscriptions2
  • Flatbed Pro Weekly$4.997 Days
  • Flatbed Pro Yearly7 Days trial$29.991 Year
One-time1
  • Flatbed Pro$9.99

Questions

Is PDF Editor free?
PDF Editor is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Flatbed free?
Flatbed is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, PDF Editor or Flatbed?
PDF Editor and Flatbed are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 3 and 1 ratings respectively.
Do PDF Editor or Flatbed have ads?
Neither PDF Editor nor Flatbed shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PDF Editor or Flatbed?
PDF Editor ships an update every 4 weeks, and Flatbed every 4 days. Most recently, PDF Editor was updated on October 20, 2026 and Flatbed on October 24, 2026.

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