Comparison

PDF Tools Merge & Compress vs Compress PDF

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

Head to head
About

PDF Tools Merge & Compress

Features
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Private PDF tools for iPhone. Merge, split, compress, rotate, watermark, unlock, and extract text without uploading your files to a server. One-time purchase, no subscription, no cloud, no tracking. PDF Tools is a privacy-first PDF utility for iPhone and iPad. Built by an indie developer who got tired of subscription apps and cloud upload requirements. EVERYTHING ON-DEVICE Your documents never leave your phone. No cloud storage. No tracking. No analytics. We cannot see what you process. Try airplane mode and verify it yourself. 7 TOOLS, ONE APP โ€ข Merge: Combine multiple PDFs into one and drag to reorder โ€ข Split: Export selected page ranges into new PDFs โ€ข Compress: Reduce file size with quality presets โ€ข Rotate: Fix page orientation, single page or all pages โ€ข Watermark: Add a text watermark with custom position and opacity โ€ข Password Remove: Unlock password-protected PDFs you own โ€ข Extract Text: Save PDF text as a .txt file WHY $9.99 LIFETIME Simple utilities should not be subscriptions. Buy it once, keep it. PDF Tools Plus is a one-time purchase that unlocks unlimited operations, batch processing, recent files history, Files app integration, and Shortcuts automation. DESIGNED FOR IPHONE AND IPAD Modern interface, adaptive layout, Files app support, and Shortcuts integration for faster workflows. PRIVACY PROMISE We do not log, store, or transmit your files. Period. Purchase Information: PDF Tools Plus is a one-time non-consumable in-app purchase of $9.99 (USD). No auto-renewal. No subscription. Restore Purchases is available in Profile. Support: alpdigitalio@gmail.com Privacy: https://alpdigital.io/Pdftools/privacy.html Terms: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula

About

Compress PDF

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Compress PDF โ€” Shrink File Size, 100% On Your Device Is a PDF too large to email, upload, or submit? Compress PDF reduces file size in seconds, right on your iPhone or iPad โ€” without ever sending your document to a server. COMMON PROBLEMS THIS SOLVES - An application portal rejects your file for exceeding its size limit - A form, registration, or submission system caps uploads at a few MB - Your email provider blocks large attachments - A scanned document or photo-heavy PDF is taking up way too much storage - You just want a faster, lighter file to share If any of that sounds familiar, Compress PDF fixes it in a few taps. 100% OFFLINE โ€” NOTHING IS EVER UPLOADED Unlike most PDF compressor apps, which quietly send your files to a server to process them, Compress PDF works entirely on-device. Your contracts, IDs, scans, and personal documents never leave your phone. No account, no sign-up, no cloud dependency โ€” just fast, private compression, even with no internet connection. 5 COMPRESSION LEVELS โ€” PICK ONE, OR TAKE FULL CONTROL - High Quality โ€” light compression, virtually no visible quality loss - Medium โ€” balanced size reduction - Standard (Recommended) โ€” a smart default so you don't have to think about it - Low Quality โ€” maximum size reduction when you need the smallest file possible - Custom โ€” full manual control over JPEG quality, image resolution/DPI, color mode (grayscale or black & white), metadata removal, thumbnail removal, and font optimization โ€” with a live estimated size preview as you adjust Most competing apps give you a single "compress" button and hope for the best. Compress PDF gives you a real dial when you need one, so you can hit an exact size target for a strict upload portal instead of guessing. BATCH COMPRESS MULTIPLE PDFs AT ONCE Select several files and compress them together in a single batch job. A dedicated progress screen shows the true status of every file โ€” waiting, compressing, done, failed, or skipped โ€” instead of one vague spinner. When it's finished, Share All or Export All bundles every result into a single zip so you're not tapping through separate share sheets one file at a time. HANDLES PASSWORD-PROTECTED PDFs Locked PDF? The app detects it and asks for the password instead of silently failing partway through. A COMPLETE PDF WORKFLOW, NOT JUST A COMPRESSOR - Built-in viewer to preview any PDF before or after compressing โ€” vertical or book-style scrolling, pinch-to-zoom, rotate, jump-to-page, print, and share - Export or Save to any location you choose โ€” not locked into app-only storage - History tracks every compression with before/after size and % saved, searchable by name, with quick re-share, re-export, or delete BUILT FOR EVERYONE Available in 20 languages with full right-to-left support for Arabic and Urdu. Light, dark, and system themes, each fully designed. Set your default compression level once so returning visits don't require re-picking settings. WHO IT'S FOR - Students and professionals submitting documents with a strict size cap - Anyone emailing large scans, reports, or contracts - People freeing up storage without sacrificing document quality - Power users who want manual control over DPI, quality, and color โ€” not just a black-box "compress" button Compress PDF is free to use, with ads. Pro is an auto-renewable subscription (in-app purchase) that removes all ads and lifts the batch-size limit for unlimited files per batch โ€” support ongoing development and get early access to new features. Download Compress PDF and shrink your files in seconds โ€” privately, offline, and exactly the way you want. Terms of use: https://codifyappsprivacy.blogspot.com/p/terms-of-use.html

Screenshots

PDF Tools Merge & Compress4 screens
Compress PDF4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: PDF Tools Merge & Compress at none against Compress PDF's shown. Compress PDF's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. PDF Tools Merge & Compress sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days and Compress PDF sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Scorecard2 real differences ยท 4 level
PDF Tools Merge & Compress versus Compress PDF: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPDF Tools Merge & CompressCompress PDF
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyโ€”Every 3 weeks
AdsNo โ€” betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod โ€” better
Requires iOS17.015.0 โ€” better
Further details โ€” not scored
Size3 MB33 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAlptekin GokMuhammad Awais Younas

In-app purchases

4 purchases

PDF Tools Merge & Compress

Subscriptions3
  • PDF Tools Plus$0.997 Days
  • PDF Tools Plus$2.991 Month
  • PDF Tools Plus$6.991 Year
One-time1
  • PDF Tools Plus$9.99
3 purchases

Compress PDF

Subscriptions3
  • Premium Week$2.997 Days
  • Premium Month$7.991 Month
  • Premium Year$49.991 Year

Questions

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

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