Comparison

DartPDF vs Docsmith

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

Head to head
About

DartPDF

Features
Read full description

DartPDF is a PDF editor that runs entirely on your device. Open any PDF to mark it up, fill in forms, sign it, redact content, rearrange pages, or edit the text and images on the page. Changes save back to the original file. Nothing is uploaded. There's no account, no sync, and no ads. Features: • Highlight, underline, strikethrough, and freehand ink • Shapes, arrows, text boxes, notes, and stamps • Edit existing text and add images • Redaction that removes the covered text and images from the file, not just from view • Fill form fields (text, checkboxes, radio buttons, dropdowns), or add your own • Drawn signatures placed anywhere, plus certificate-backed PAdES digital signatures • OCR scanned PDFs so text can be selected and searched • Reorder, delete, and export pages to a new file • Full-text search, text selection, and links • Compare two versions side by side • Open password-protected files Runs on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Opens PDFs from the Files app, share sheets, or drag-and-drop. Light and dark themes.

About

Docsmith

Features
Read full description

Edit the text inside a PDF — right on your iPhone, with nothing sent to a server. Docsmith is a complete PDF workbench that runs 100% on your device. No account. No cloud. No ads. Your files never leave your iPhone. Reading and marking up are always free; editing, scanning and the core tools are free every day, and Pro removes all limits. EDIT PDF TEXT — FOR REAL • Tap a line, or a whole paragraph, and simply retype it • Docsmith matches the original font, size and colour • The text stays real and searchable — it is not a sticker placed on top • Works in 40 languages, including right-to-left Arabic and Hebrew SCAN & MAKE SEARCHABLE • Scan paper with the camera into a clean, sharp PDF • On-device OCR turns any scan into searchable, selectable text • Nothing is uploaded — the recognition happens entirely on your iPhone SIGN & FILL • Draw, type or photograph your signature • Your signature is stored only in your Keychain, never on a server • Fill in forms and flatten them when you are done 20+ TOOLS IN ONE PLACE • Merge several PDFs, or split one apart • Compress to shrink file size • Convert PDF to images, or pull out the text and images • Add page numbers or Bates numbering • Redact sensitive areas, then flatten to bake them in • Add a watermark • Set or remove a password • Compare two PDFs side by side • Run the same tool across many files at once ANNOTATE & REVIEW • Highlight, underline and strike through • Draw with ink, add free text, sticky notes, shapes, images and stamps PRIVATE BY DESIGN • 100% on-device — no servers, no account, no tracking, no ads • Docsmith collects nothing; your documents stay yours • Lock the app behind Face ID • Seal a finished PDF, then let anyone verify it has not been changed FREE & PRO Free every day: • Read and annotate as much as you like • Edit PDF text, sign documents and scan pages within a generous daily allowance • One free run of each core tool (merge, split, compress, convert and more) per day Docsmith Pro unlocks: • Unlimited text editing — rewrite any line or paragraph, as often as you want • Unlimited runs of every tool, with all daily limits removed • OCR to make scans searchable • Batch the same tool across many files • Redaction, passwords, watermarks, Bates numbering and flattened copies • The full annotation kit: shapes and stamps • Unlimited signing and scanning WORKS WITH THE SYSTEM • Shortcuts and Siri: merge or compress from an automation • Home-screen widgets for one-tap scan and import • Open PDFs straight from Files, Mail or any share sheet No account. No cloud. No ads. Just a fast, private PDF workbench. — Docsmith Pro is offered as a weekly, monthly or yearly subscription; the yearly plan begins with a 7-day free trial. Payment is charged to your Apple Account. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the current period ends; manage or cancel any time in Settings. Terms of Use: https://sites.google.com/view/docsmith/terms Privacy Policy: https://sites.google.com/view/docsmith/privacy

Screenshots

DartPDF3 screens
Docsmith4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: DartPDF at none against Docsmith's 3. DartPDF also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs fortnightly) and device support (4 vs 2). On price and ads there is nothing between them.

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

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

Both are free to download. Docsmith sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. DartPDF asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

DartPDF ships an update every 3 days, Docsmith fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 10, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences Ā· 2 level
DartPDF versus Docsmith: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDartPDFDocsmith
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 3 days — betterFortnightly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size47 MB15 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRailway Engineering Solutions Pty LtdSerhii Tykhonenko

In-app purchases

None

DartPDF

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Docsmith

Subscriptions3
  • Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Yearly Offer$24.991 Year
  • Yearly3 Days trial$34.991 Year

Questions

Is DartPDF free?
DartPDF is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Docsmith free?
Docsmith is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do DartPDF or Docsmith have ads?
Neither DartPDF nor Docsmith shows ads.
Which is updated more often, DartPDF or Docsmith?
DartPDF ships an update every 3 days, and Docsmith fortnightly. Most recently, DartPDF was updated on September 10, 2026 and Docsmith on September 24, 2026.

Other comparisons