Comparison

Sign PDF & PDF Editor vs PDF Tools

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

Head to head
About

Sign PDF & PDF Editor

Features
Read full description

Doc Hero is the fastest way to sign and fill documents on your iPhone and iPad. Import a PDF, scan a paper form, or open a Word file, place your signature, and share a clean signed PDF in seconds. You don’t need an account or a printer. SIGN IN SECONDS β€’ Draw your signature with your finger or Apple Pencil, type it in a handwriting style, or import it from a photo β€’ Save as many signatures and initials as you like and reuse them with one tap β€’ Guest signature: let someone else sign without saving their signature on your device β€’ Place a signature or initials on every page at once, in the same spot FILL OUT ANY FORM β€’ Add text, initials, and dates in the format you choose β€’ Checkmarks, crosses, checkboxes, stars, and other symbols β€’ Stamps: Approved, Rejected, Draft, Confidential, Received, and Paid β€’ Circles, rectangles, arrows, and freehand drawing β€’ Highlight, underline, strike through, and add notes β€’ Drag to move and resize anything, and tap any annotation to edit it again OPEN ALMOST ANYTHING β€’ PDFs, Word documents, images, RTF, HTML, and plain text are converted to PDF automatically β€’ Scan paper documents with your camera, with automatic edge detection β€’ Turn photos into a multi-page PDF β€’ Open files straight from Mail, Files, Safari, and other apps with β€œOpen in Doc Hero” β€’ Password-protected PDFs open once you enter the password SHARE WITH CONFIDENCE β€’ Export a crisp signed PDF where text stays sharp and selectable β€’ Protect the PDF you share with a password β€’ Save to Files or share by email, message, or any app β€’ Edit your annotations again later, even after signing β€’ Duplicate a document, with or without annotations, to reuse it as a template PRIVATE AND SECURE β€’ Your documents and signatures stay on your device β€’ Lock Doc Hero with Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode β€’ No account or sign-up needed ON-DEVICE AI (iOS 26 and later) β€’ Get a quick summary of any document before you sign it β€’ Pull out the key points: parties, dates, obligations, and terms β€’ Ask questions about the document β€’ Runs on device with Apple Intelligence, so your documents aren’t sent to an AI server BUILT FOR IPHONE AND IPAD β€’ Designed for iPad’s larger screen, with your recent documents and pages in a sidebar β€’ Works great with Apple Pencil Privacy Policy:https://digitalhole.github.io/DocHero.html Terms of Use:https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

PDF Tools

Features
Read full description

PDF Tools helps you organize sensitive documents faster with on-device PDF workflows built for privacy and efficiency. Merge, edit, split, compress, sign, and convert images to PDF on your iPhone without uploading files to a server. It is designed for real tasks such as combining contracts before sending, compressing reports for sharing, organizing study materials, or signing documents while away from a desk. The workflow stays focused, fast, and easy to understand. If you want a PDF tool that balances privacy, daily usefulness, and a clean native iOS experience, this app gives you practical document actions together with a built-in local library for follow-up access and export. Key features: - Merge multiple PDF files in your preferred order - Edit pages with reorder, delete, and split actions - Compress PDFs for easier sharing and storage - Add text watermarks for document ownership and archive control - Insert handwritten signatures for common approval and signing workflows - Convert multiple images into one PDF document - Manage processed files locally with preview, rename, delete, and export Best-fit use cases: - Office work: contracts, invoices, reports, and meeting materials - School work: lecture notes, handouts, assignments, and revision packs - Privacy-focused users: local processing for documents that should not leave the device Why it converts better: - Private by design with on-device processing - Covers a full document workflow instead of a single task - Reduces friction with focused actions and native iPhone interaction - Keeps processed files accessible in a local library for ongoing use Notes: - Premium benefits, pricing, and trial availability must match the actual StoreKit configuration - Future metadata updates should prioritize conversion and search term performance [Protocol Description] End User Software Usage Terms https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Terms of Use https://www.sharezer.com/app/agreement/TermsofUse.html Privacy Policy https://www.sharezer.com/app/agreement/PrivacyPolicy.html

Screenshots

Sign PDF & PDF Editor4 screens
PDF Tools4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: PDF Tools at every 4 days against Sign PDF & PDF Editor's every 5 weeks. 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. Sign PDF & PDF Editor sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and PDF Tools sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Sign PDF & PDF Editor ships an update every 5 weeks, PDF Tools every 4 days. Both last shipped on November 5, 2026.

Scorecard1 real difference Β· 5 level
Sign PDF & PDF Editor versus PDF Tools: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSign PDF & PDF EditorPDF Tools
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksEvery 4 days β€” better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac β€” betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.016.6 β€” better
Further details β€” not scored
Size14 MB46 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperArima Jainε°‘ζ³½ 撁

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Sign PDF & PDF Editor

One-time1
  • Unlock All Features$3.99
3 purchases

PDF Tools

Subscriptions2
  • One Month VIP7 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • One-year membership$4.991 Year
One-time1
  • Permanent VIP$12.99

Questions

Is Sign PDF & PDF Editor free?
Sign PDF & PDF Editor is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is PDF Tools free?
PDF Tools is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Sign PDF & PDF Editor or PDF Tools have ads?
Both Sign PDF & PDF Editor and PDF Tools show ads.
Which is updated more often, Sign PDF & PDF Editor or PDF Tools?
Sign PDF & PDF Editor ships an update every 5 weeks, and PDF Tools every 4 days. Most recently, Sign PDF & PDF Editor was updated on November 5, 2026 and PDF Tools on November 5, 2026.

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