# PDFora vs ThoughtTrace

The clearest difference is ads: PDFora at none against ThoughtTrace's shown. ThoughtTrace's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PDFora sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and ThoughtTrace sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

PDFora ships an update every 2 months, ThoughtTrace every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDFora | ThoughtTrace |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Size | 19 MB | 19 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Hien Nguyen](https://appshunter.io/developer/870367656) | [JUNICHI WATANABE](https://appshunter.io/developer/1837543582) |

## What reviewers say

### PDFora

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdfora-pdf-scanner-and-editor/id6759848717)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Pro Monthly | $5.99 | per month |
| Premium Pro Yearly | $39.99 | per year |


### ThoughtTrace

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thoughttrace-brain-dump-notes/id6777566567)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Plan (Lifetime) | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PDFora free?

PDFora is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is ThoughtTrace free?

ThoughtTrace is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do PDFora or ThoughtTrace have ads?

ThoughtTrace shows ads; PDFora does not.

### Which is updated more often, PDFora or ThoughtTrace?

PDFora ships an update every 2 months, and ThoughtTrace every 3 weeks. Most recently, PDFora was updated on November 7, 2026 and ThoughtTrace on October 31, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*