Comparison

PlainPDF vs Leaf

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

Head to head
About

PlainPDF

Features
Read full description

Scan, merge, compress and sign PDFs — every tool is free, with no watermarks, no account and no subscription. Your files are processed on your device and never uploaded. SCAN • Scan documents with automatic edge detection • Crisp black & white mode for text, plus colour and greyscale • Re-crop, rotate and reorder pages before saving • Make scans searchable with on-device text recognition EDIT • Sign PDFs: draw or type your signature, add the date, text and ticks • Organize pages: reorder, rotate, delete, duplicate, insert and extract • Add watermarks like CONFIDENTIAL or COPY • Add page numbers in six positions and four formats CONVERT • Merge PDFs and photos into one file • Split PDFs by page, by range or every few pages • Compress PDFs for email and upload limits — or set a target size, like "under 2 MB" • Turn photos into PDFs with A4, Letter or fit-to-photo pages • Copy text from any scan or photo PDF • Extract images from PDFs, or save pages as images SECURITY • Add a password to a PDF • Remove a password you know QR CODES THAT NEVER EXPIRE • Create QR codes for links, Wi-Fi, contacts, email, phone, SMS, UPI payments and locations • The information is stored in the code itself, so it keeps working without any server • Every code is tested before you save it • Printable sheets with 1, 4, 12 or 24 codes per page, with cut lines • Scan QR codes and see where a link really goes before opening it WORKS THE WAY YOU DO • Files app and "Open in PlainPDF" from Mail, Messages and other apps • Designed for iPhone and iPad, in light and dark mode FREE, HONESTLY Every tool is free with ads. PlainPDF Pro is a one-time purchase that removes ads, adds batch processing for many files at once, and unlimited text recognition on large documents. No subscription, ever. No account. Your files never leave your iPhone. Questions or ideas: hello@smileappsstudio.com

About

Leaf

Features
Read full description

Leaf is a document scanner and a PDF editor in one app. Scan, edit and send documents right on your phone — no subscription and no ads. EDIT A DOCUMENT LIKE PAPER • Fix a date, an amount or a name on a scan — the new letters are taken from the document itself, so the edit looks native • Move a line somewhere else or erase it • Add a stamp and a signature at their real size. Take a photo of a stamp or sign with your finger — the background is removed automatically • Add text, a date, a check mark, a cross, a highlighter, an arrow or a box • Pinch to zoom the page — small text is edited precisely PDF WITHOUT QUALITY LOSS • Open PDFs you receive: text stays text and remains searchable, the file does not turn into a picture • Fill in forms — fields, check boxes and lists • Send with the values filled in, or keep the fields fillable for the recipient • Password-protect the file, forbid printing and copying A FILE OF THE RIGHT SIZE Choose where you are sending it — a government portal, email, a bank, a visa application — or set your own limit. The app picks the quality by itself and shows the final size before saving. If the file does not fit, it tells you how to make it lighter. LIKE A REAL SCANNER • Automatic page edge detection and batch scanning • Two-sided documents: scan the fronts, flip the stack, scan the backs — the pages are put in order automatically • Hand shadows, yellowed paper and uneven light are removed • Colour, grey and black-and-white looks — you see the difference on your own document REAL REDACTION What you cover is destroyed, not hidden under a black box: in the file you send there is neither image nor text left under the redaction. The app finds card, passport and phone numbers by itself and offers to cover them with a single tap. ORDER IN YOUR DOCUMENTS • Search the text of all documents, PDFs included • Sort by date, name or page count; list, grid or compact view • Folders, merging and splitting documents, page order • The title is picked up from the page heading • Import from Photos and Files, share and print YOUR DOCUMENTS STAY WITH YOU Documents are stored only on your phone: no sign-up and no cloud. Text recognition runs right on the device. Face ID lock. Free, with no ads and no limit on the number of documents. 11 languages, light and dark themes.

Screenshots

PlainPDF4 screens
Leaf4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Leaf at none against PlainPDF's shown. Leaf also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 4 months). PlainPDF's advantage is iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On price, in-app purchases and device support 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PlainPDF ships an update every 4 months, Leaf every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences Ā· 3 level
PlainPDF versus Leaf: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPlainPDFLeaf
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 3 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size8 MB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSwaminathan LIvan Kotlyar

In-app purchases

None

PlainPDF

No in-app purchases

None

Leaf

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is PlainPDF free?
PlainPDF is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Leaf free?
Leaf is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do PlainPDF or Leaf have ads?
PlainPDF shows ads; Leaf does not.
Which is updated more often, PlainPDF or Leaf?
PlainPDF ships an update every 4 months, and Leaf every 3 days. Most recently, PlainPDF was updated on October 6, 2026 and Leaf on October 15, 2026.

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