Comparison

Shortcuts Library vs PDF Tools

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

Head to head
About

Shortcuts Library

Discover and install over 1,000 ready-made automations for your Apple devices. Streamline tasks across iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch with a vast, searchable library organized into numerous categories. Automate routines, manage apps, and enhance productivity with one-tap installation.

Highlights
  • 1,000+ ready-made shortcuts
  • Organized and searchable library
  • One-tap installation
  • Supports iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch
  • Categorized by use case and app
  • Curated collections
  • iOS 26 and Action Button support
Features
Read full description

Shortcuts Library makes Apple Shortcuts easier to discover, install, and use. Explore 2,500+ ready-made shortcut templates, find shortcuts with private on-device AI, use 100+ focused tools, and organize favorites and workflows in one place. SHORTCUTS FOR EVERYONE Whether you're new to Apple Shortcuts or an experienced builder, find automations for productivity, photos, health, smart home, travel, communication, music, documents, social media, AI, and everyday tasks. FIND A SHORTCUT WITH AI Describe what you want to accomplish. Shortcut Finder uses private, on-device AI to rank the three closest matches from the Shortcuts Library. Refine or retry your search for different results. Your request stays on your device. iOS 26 & ACTION BUTTON Shortcuts for Apple Intelligence, Control Center, Action Button, Journal, and Freeform. BROWSE 2,500+ SHORTCUT TEMPLATES Search by shortcut name, description, or tags. Browse categories, collections, and supported apps without empty or duplicate entries. 30+ CATEGORIES & 190+ SUBCATEGORIES • Productivity — Tasks, focus, routines, document automation • Health & Fitness — Workouts, water, sleep, health workflows • Photos & Camera — Compression, conversion, batch processing • Smart Home — HomeKit scenes, devices, lighting, climate • Social Media — Sharing, content workflows, cross-posting • Music & Audio — Playlists, Shazam, playback controls • Communication — Messages, email, replies, text tools • Calendar & Reminders — Events, meetings, scheduling • Travel — Maps, directions, trip planning • Files & Documents — Files, PDFs, document workflows • Web & Internet — Links, URLs, web tools • AI — AI-powered workflows • Plus Weather, Notes, Apple TV, Podcasts, Freeform, Journal, and more 250+ SUPPORTED APPS Find shortcuts for Safari, Messages, Mail, Notion, Instagram, YouTube, Spotify, WhatsApp, Discord, Telegram, Reminders, Calendar, Notes, Health, Home, Podcasts, Freeform, Journal, and 200+ more. Tap an app to explore its shortcuts. ONE-TAP INSTALL THROUGH APPLE SHORTCUTS Review a shortcut's purpose, requirements, and device compatibility, then open it in Apple's Shortcuts app through its direct iCloud link. No copying or rebuilding required. iPHONE, iPAD, MAC & APPLE WATCH See device compatibility before installing and find shortcuts for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch. 100+ FOCUSED TOOLS Handle common tasks without rebuilding the same steps: • Clean, compare, sort, split, and transform lists • Format, inspect, compare, and convert JSON and CSV • Calculate discounts, margins, loans, dates, durations, and work hours • Extract links, emails, hashtags, phone numbers, and PDF text • Compress photos for easier sharing • Validate structured text and prepare results to copy or share Tools explain inputs, outputs, and limits. Processing stays on-device unless stated otherwise. FAVORITES, WORKFLOWS & WIDGETS Save shortcuts, tool inputs, and setups for quick access. Organize saved items and sync supported workflow data with iCloud when enabled. Use Home Screen widgets and App Shortcuts to start Shortcut Finder, open tools, compress photos, or return to useful content. DESIGNED FOR iPHONE & iPAD Improved layouts, keyboard controls, navigation, accessibility, and stability. Supports VoiceOver, Voice Control, Larger Text, increased contrast, reduced motion, and light/dark mode. LANGUAGES Use the full interface in English, German, French, or Spanish. PRIVACY FIRST Shortcut Finder uses on-device AI. Tool processing stays on-device unless stated otherwise. iCloud sync is used only when enabled. Shortcuts Library is independent and not affiliated with Apple Inc. Apple, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Mac, and Shortcuts are trademarks of Apple Inc. Privacy Policy: https://shortcutlibrary.app/privacy Terms of Use: https://shortcutlibrary.app/terms Support: https://shortcutlibrary.app/support Apple Standard EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

PDF Tools

Features
Read full description

PDF Tools is the all-in-one PDF utility for iPhone and iPad — convert,merge, compress, protect, and extract content from your documents in just a few taps. No sign-up. No file uploads. Everything happens on your device. Whether you're a student handling assignments, a professional sending contracts, or anyone who deals with paperwork on the go, PDF Tools gives you a clean, fast, and reliable way to work with PDFs — without the bloat of desktop software. — WHAT YOU CAN DO — CONVERT • Image to PDF — Combine multiple JPG or PNG photos into a single PDF, with custom page size (A4, Letter, Legal, A3, A5), orientation, and layout (1 / 2 / 4 per page or grid). • PDF to Image — Extract every page (or selected pages) as high-quality JPG, PNG, or WebP at 72 / 150 / 300 / 600 DPI. • PDF to Zip — Bundle multiple PDFs into a single ZIP archive for easy sharing. • Text to PDF — Turn plain text notes into a clean, formatted PDF. • PDF to Text — Extract readable text from PDFs as .txt files (UTF-8, ASCII, ISO-8859-1, UTF-16). • Save Long Image — Stitch every page of a PDF into one tall, scrollable image for chat-friendly sharing. SECURE • Add Password — Protect any PDF with AES-128, AES-256, or RC4-128 encryption. • Remove Password — Unlock any PDF you own with a single tap. OPTIMIZE • Merge PDF — Combine multiple PDFs in any order. Sequential, interleaved, or reverse merge. • Compress PDF — Shrink large PDFs while preserving readable quality. Fast, balanced, and maximum compression levels. • Page Adjustment — Rotate, reorder, crop, and delete pages with a smooth, tactile editor. — BUILT FOR iPHONE & iPAD — • 100% on-device processing — your files never leave your phone. • Designed for iOS with native SwiftUI: smooth gestures, haptics, and dark mode. • Works offline. Use it on a flight, on the subway, anywhere. • Files App, iCloud Drive, and Photos library support. • Share results directly to Mail, Messages, Drive, or any app. — PDF TOOLS PRO — Unlock the full suite with Pro: • Unlimited conversions, merges, and compressions • Remove all ads • Priority access to new tools as they launch — PRIVACY FIRST — We don't upload your files. We don't read your documents. All processing happens locally using Apple's PDFKit framework. No account is required. — SUPPORT — Questions, feature requests, or a tool you wish existed? Email us — we read every message. Terms of Use: https://sites.google.com/view/pdf-tools-all-in-one-editor/terms-conditions Privacy Policy: https://sites.google.com/view/pdf-tools-all-in-one-editor/privacy-policy https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Shortcuts Library4 screens
PDF Tools4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: PDF Tools at none against Shortcuts Library's shown. Shortcuts Library's advantage is iOS requirement (15 vs 18.0). 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. Shortcuts Library sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and PDF Tools sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Shortcuts Library versus PDF Tools: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterShortcuts LibraryPDF Tools
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.3 (3 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings3 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 5 days—
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size61 MB13 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGREENLOGIC INNOVATIONS LTDHarsh Kanani

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Shortcuts Library

Subscriptions2
  • Pro Monthly3 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Pro Yearly7 Days trial$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Pro Lifetime$49.99
4 purchases

PDF Tools

Subscriptions2
  • PDFTools Monthly$7.991 Month
  • PDFTools Yearly$14.991 Year
One-time2
  • PDFTools Gift$12.99
  • PDFTools Lifetime$17.99

Questions

Is Shortcuts Library free?
Shortcuts Library is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is PDF Tools free?
PDF Tools is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Shortcuts Library or PDF Tools have ads?
Shortcuts Library shows ads; PDF Tools does not.

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