Comparison

Falcon PDF vs Papyrus

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

Head to head
About

Falcon PDF

Features
Read full description

Falcon PDF – PDF Reader, Editor, Scanner & eBook Viewer (No Ads) Looking for a fast, powerful, all-in-one document app without ads? Falcon PDF is more than just a PDF app β€” it’s a complete PDF editor, document reader, advanced document scanner, eBook viewer, and file converter in one clean experience. No ads No interruptions No clutter Just pure productivity. WHY FALCON PDF STANDS OUT Truly Ad-Free Experience β€’ No popups β€’ No banners β€’ No distractions 30+ Tools in One App β€’ Everything from reading to editing to converting Supports 15+ File Formats β€’ PDF + eBooks + documents in one app Seamless Cross-Platform Sync β€’ Access your files anywhere, anytime Secure & Private β€’ Your documents stay yours ACCESS YOUR PDFs ANYWHERE β€’ Sync PDFs across phone, tablet & web β€’ Continue from where you left off β€’ Import from cloud storage β€’ Instant access to recent files SUPPORTS 15+ FILE FORMATS Documents β€’ PDF β€’ DOC β€’ TXT β€’ RTF β€’ HTML eBooks β€’ EPUB β€’ MOBI β€’ FB2 β€’ AZW β€’ AZW3 Other Formats β€’ DjVu β€’ CBZ (Comics) β€’ CBR (Comics) One app for documents, books, and comics ADVANCED READING EXPERIENCE β€’ Smooth scrolling (vertical & horizontal) β€’ Continuous & book reading modes β€’ Dark mode & eye protection β€’ Fast search & text selection β€’ Bookmark & navigation support LIQUID / REFLOW MODE β€’ Reformat PDFs for small screens β€’ Adjust font size & style β€’ Change text & background colors β€’ Read PDFs like eBooks β€’ Better readability without zooming HANDS-FREE READING β€’ Read PDFs aloud (text-to-speech) β€’ Listen while driving, walking, or working β€’ Great for accessibility ADVANCED DOCUMENT SCANNER Turn your phone into a powerful portable scanner β€’ Scan documents, receipts, notes & invoices β€’ Auto edge detection & smart cropping β€’ Perspective correction for perfect alignment β€’ Enhance scan quality (auto + manual filters) β€’ Remove shadows & improve clarity β€’ Convert scans to high-quality PDF SMART SCANNING FEATURES β€’ Batch scanning (scan multiple pages) β€’ Merge scans into a single PDF β€’ Reorder scanned pages β€’ Adjust brightness, contrast & sharpness β€’ Multiple color modes (Color, Grayscale, B&W) β€’ Export as PDF or image OCR (TEXT RECOGNITION) – SMART EXTRACTION β€’ Extract text from scanned documents β€’ Copy text from images β€’ Search within scanned PDFs β€’ Convert scans into editable content Perfect for digitizing paperwork and going paperless SIGN & EDIT PDFs β€’ Draw signature β€’ Type signature β€’ Upload signature image β€’ Fill forms instantly β€’ Highlight, annotate & comment β€’ Add text & images ALL PDF TOOLS (30+) ORGANIZE PDF β€’ Merge PDF β€’ Split PDF β€’ Extract pages β€’ Delete pages β€’ Reorder pages β€’ Rotate PDF CONVERT FILES β€’ PDF to Word β€’ PDF to Image β€’ Word to PDF β€’ Image to PDF OPTIMIZE β€’ Compress PDF β€’ Reduce file size SECURITY & PROFESSIONAL TOOLS β€’ Lock PDF (password protect) β€’ Unlock PDF β€’ Change password β€’ eSign documents (digital signature) β€’ Add watermark β€’ Remove watermark β€’ Redact sensitive content Built for secure, professional workflows SMART FEATURES β€’ AI PDF chat β€’ Ask questions from documents β€’ Summarize content PERFECT FOR β€’ Professionals β€’ Students β€’ Readers & book lovers β€’ Everyday users WHY USERS LOVE FALCON PDF β€’ No ads (clean experience) β€’ Advanced document scanner built-in β€’ Reflow mode for easy reading β€’ Supports eBooks + documents β€’ Hands-free reading β€’ Strong security tools β€’ All-in-one solution DOWNLOAD NOW β€’ Read β€’ Scan β€’ Sign β€’ Edit β€’ Convert β€’ Enjoy β€”all in one app We are committed to a bug-free experience and constant improvement. We value your input! Feedback & Support: Email: support@falconpdf.com Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Papyrus

Features
Read full description

Is your current note app slow? Meet a truly lightweight note app. - It's free β€” with no stingy limit on the number of notes. - Trimmed of every bit of bloat, yet complete with the features you actually need. - Open as many notes as you like with no slowdown, and PDFs load blazingly fast. - Import and edit notes from another popular note app. - Import by the folder β€” the hierarchy is preserved. [GoodNotes Import] Import .goodnotes files. Strokes, images, shapes, and masks are reproduced almost perfectly. [Handwriting] A custom vector drawing engine delivers extremely lightweight, high-precision ink. Five tools are built in: Pen, Highlighter, Eraser, Lasso, and Mask. Anything selected with the Lasso can be copied, moved, deleted, or duplicated. Mask is a study aid β€” cover what you want to memorize with the pen, then tap to peek underneath. Straight-line snapping and shape recognition (rectangles, circles, lines, and more) are also supported. [PDF Import & Annotation] Import a PDF and write directly on its pages. Switch between four page layouts: continuous scroll, single page, horizontal, and two-page spread. [File Organization] Organize your notes with a Finder-like file browser, creating folders freely. Switch between list and grid views, and move files and folders by drag and drop. A Trash lets you restore notes you deleted by mistake. [Tabs & Split View (iPad)] Open multiple notes at once in tabs. On iPad, split the screen to view and edit two notes side by side (Split View). [Page Sidebar] Swipe in from the left edge to reveal page thumbnails. Press and hold a thumbnail to reorder pages, and select multiple pages to delete, copy, and paste. [Images] Paste images from Photos, Files, or the clipboard. [Export] Export notes and PDFs as a "PDF for submission/printing," a "fast annotation PDF" (PDF annotations only), or a "Papyrus Archive" (.papyrus). [Apple Pencil] - iPad: draw with Apple Pencil only; pan and zoom with your finger. - iPhone: draw with your finger while the compact ink palette is open; otherwise pan and zoom. - With Apple Pencil Pro, use the squeeze gesture to bring up the hover palette. About Papyrus Sync (Subscription) iCloud sync and sharing are available through the "Papyrus Sync" subscription (monthly or yearly, auto-renewing). All core features β€” note-taking, PDF annotation, and more β€” are completely free. - Payment will be charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. - The subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. - Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. - You can manage your subscription or turn off auto-renewal in your Apple Account settings after purchase. - Prices are shown in the app and may vary by region. Terms of Use (EULA): https://coremedica.jp/pages/legal/terms-of-use Privacy Policy: https://coremedica.jp/pages/legal/privacy-policy

Screenshots

Falcon PDF4 screens
Papyrus4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Papyrus at every 4 days against Falcon PDF's every 3 weeks. Falcon PDF's advantage is iOS requirement (18.2 vs 26.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. Falcon PDF sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Papyrus sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Falcon PDF ships an update every 3 weeks, Papyrus every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on September 15, 2026 and August 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences Β· 4 level
Falcon PDF versus Papyrus: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFalcon PDFPapyrus
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 4 days β€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac β€” betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.2 β€” better26.0
Further details β€” not scored
Size121 MB11 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperANRMS Private Limitedwaraku kobayashi

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Falcon PDF

Subscriptions2
  • Falcon PDF Premium - Monthly Subs$4.991 Month
  • Falcon PDF Premium - Yearly Subs7 Days trial$49.991 Year
One-time1
  • Falcon PDF - Pro Features$6.99
2 purchases

Papyrus

Subscriptions2
  • Papyrus Sync Monthly$0.991 Month
  • Papyrus Sync Yearly$9.991 Year

Questions

Is Falcon PDF free?
Falcon PDF is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Papyrus free?
Papyrus is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Falcon PDF or Papyrus have ads?
Neither Falcon PDF nor Papyrus shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Falcon PDF or Papyrus?
Falcon PDF ships an update every 3 weeks, and Papyrus every 4 days. Most recently, Falcon PDF was updated on September 15, 2026 and Papyrus on August 28, 2026.

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