Comparison

P&P PDF Reader vs Papyrus

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

Head to head
About

P&P PDF Reader

Features
Read full description

P&P PDF Reader is an iPad PDF reader and annotator designed around one simple idea: reading and marking up PDFs should feel as natural as working with paper and pencil. The app requires an auto-renewable subscription; all features are unlocked with a single subscription, and a 7-day free trial lets you try everything before being charged. The app keeps the PDF and focus at the center of the experience. When you open a document, the page becomes the workspace, with fewer distractions and less time spent reaching for toolbars, panels, and menus. Read, highlight, write, navigate, and switch between documents while staying focused on the content itself. Built for Apple Pencil, P&P PDF Reader makes annotation feel immediate. The pen is always ready, so you can start writing directly on the page. Use Pencil gestures to highlight, select text, activate lasso tools, or erase, keeping your attention on the document rather than the app interface. P&P PDF Reader is guided by four core principles: Distraction-free reading Keep the PDF content on screen and reduce interface friction, so long reading sessions feel calmer and more focused. Natural paper-and-pencil annotation Write, highlight, sketch, and mark up documents with a workflow that feels close to annotating a printed page or notebook. Ergonomic iPad handling Hold the iPad naturally, like a book or sheet of paper. The app is designed to support real reading postures, including resting your thumb or fingers near the page while reading and annotating. Privacy and control Your PDFs, notes, highlights, and annotations remain yours. The app is designed so your documents and annotations are NOT collected, analyzed, or stored on app servers. Key features (subscription required): - Read and annotate PDFs in a focused full-screen workflow - Write naturally with Apple Pencil - Highlight or select text with Pencil gestures - Use lasso and eraser tools through configurable Pencil actions - Navigate with finger gestures and customizable edge regions - Quickly switch between recent and important PDFs without leaving the reading flow - Quickly jump back and forth between links (URLs, cross-references, tables, figures, and citations in the PDF) - Pin frequently used documents to Quick Access - Browse folders and manage PDFs with context menus - Crop away blank margins for more comfortable reading - Use view modes designed for two-column and three-column PDFs - Import PDFs from local storage or cloud services - Sync PDFs and annotations through your own cloud storage workflow - Keep control of where your files live and how they are managed P&P PDF Reader is especially useful for students, researchers, professionals, and anyone who spends serious time reading PDFs on iPad. Whether you are working through academic articles, technical documents, books, reports, lecture notes, or reference material, the app is designed to keep you immersed in the page. It combines the tactile feel of paper-and-pencil reading with the speed and flexibility of digital documents. Read comfortably, annotate directly, move between PDFs quickly, and keep your work private and under your control. SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION P&P PDF Reader requires a Monthly Subscription to use. The subscription is auto-renewable and includes a 7-day free trial for new subscribers. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at the end of the trial unless canceled at least 24 hours before the trial ends. The subscription renews automatically unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel your subscription in your App Store account settings at any time. Privacy Policy: https://pp-pdf-reader.com/privacy-policy/ 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 โ€” 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 โ€” 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 โ€” 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 โ€” note-taking, PDF annotation, and more โ€” 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

P&P PDF Reader4 screens
Papyrus4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: P&P PDF Reader at 18.6 against Papyrus's 26.0. On price, ads, 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. P&P PDF Reader sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $0.99 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.

Scorecard1 real difference ยท 5 level
P&P PDF Reader versus Papyrus: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterP&P PDF ReaderPapyrus
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyโ€”Every 4 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.6 โ€” better26.0
Further details โ€” not scored
Size53 MB11 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDIOGO AUGUSTO FERRARIwaraku kobayashi

In-app purchases

1 purchases

P&P PDF Reader

Subscriptions1
  • Monthly Full Access7 Days trial$0.991 Month
2 purchases

Papyrus

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

Questions

Is P&P PDF Reader free?
P&P PDF Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Papyrus free?
Papyrus is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do P&P PDF Reader or Papyrus have ads?
Neither P&P PDF Reader nor Papyrus shows ads.

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