# PDF Expert vs Sign PDF documents

The clearest difference is rating: PDF Expert at 4.7 against Sign PDF documents's 1.0. PDF Expert also leads on ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (216K vs 1). Sign PDF documents's advantage is monetization model (ad-supported vs free with in-app purchases) and device support (4 vs 2). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PDF Expert sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Sign PDF documents sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

PDF Expert holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PDF Expert has 216K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 45% of PDF Expert's written reviews are positive against 22% of Sign PDF documents's.

PDF Expert ships an update fortnightly, Sign PDF documents every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF Expert | Sign PDF documents |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (216K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-expert-editor-and-reader/id743974925/reviews)** | [1.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sign-pdf-documents/id1011784538/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **216K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | **45.2% of reviews** | 22.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Best chart rank | **#74** | — |
| Size | 301 MB | 19 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Readdle Technologies Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/285035419) | [Emanuele Floris](https://appshunter.io/developer/597490842) |

## What reviewers say

### PDF Expert

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-expert-editor-and-reader/id743974925)

**Currently charting:** #74 Top Grossing · Productivity, #190 Top Free · Productivity (US App Store)

This app allows you to edit, annotate, fill out forms, and convert PDF documents. It offers AI-powered summarization and analysis, along with tools to merge, sign, and protect your files. Work seamlessly across Apple devices with a user-friendly interface.

**Highlights:** Edit PDF text and images, Annotate and highlight PDFs, Fill out PDF forms, Convert files to and from PDF, AI-powered summarization and analysis, Merge and combine PDF files, Sign documents with e-signatures

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PDF Expert Premium Trial | $9.99 | per month |
| PDF Expert Premium No Trial | $9.99 | per month |
| PDF Expert for Education | $39.99 | per year |
| PDF Expert Premium | $49.99 | per year |
| PDF Expert Premium New | $49.99 | per year |
| PDF Expert Premium Existing | $49.99 | per year |
| PDF Expert – Premium Editing | $49.99 | per year |
| PDF Expert Mac & iOS | $79.99 | per year |
| PDF Expert Basic | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and responsive
- 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
- 💡 Powerful annotation and editing tools
- 🔒 Seamless cloud integration
- 📚 Excellent for reading and organizing PDFs

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability issues
- 🔒 Subscription model for advanced features
- 🔒 Inconsistent pricing and feature changes
- 🔍 Cluttered and confusing UI in latest update
- 🔍 Reduced customization options for annotations

**Reported bugs**

- Corrupted PDFs after editing
- Sync issues with cloud storage providers
- Unexpected loss of annotations and edits
- Unreliable performance on older iPad models

**Requested features**

- Improved palm rejection for Apple Pencil
- Customizable toolbar and annotation presets
- Better integration with other productivity apps
- More flexible file management and organization
- Ability to create fillable PDF forms


### Sign PDF documents

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sign-pdf-documents/id1011784538)

Easily sign documents digitally without printing. This app allows for unlimited signatures without requiring a subscription or registration, making document signing quick and convenient.

**Highlights:** Unlimited digital signatures, No subscription required, No registration needed, Sign without printing, Document archiving

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlimited Access | $2.99 | per month |
| Unlimited Access | $8.99 | per year |
| PRO Lifetime Access | $22.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PDF Expert free?

PDF Expert is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Sign PDF documents free?

Sign PDF documents is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, PDF Expert or Sign PDF documents?

PDF Expert is rated higher. PDF Expert averages 4.7 out of 5 from 216K ratings, while Sign PDF documents averages 1.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do PDF Expert or Sign PDF documents have ads?

Sign PDF documents shows ads; PDF Expert does not.

### Which is updated more often, PDF Expert or Sign PDF documents?

PDF Expert ships an update fortnightly, and Sign PDF documents every 3 weeks. Most recently, PDF Expert was updated on November 3, 2026 and Sign PDF documents on November 1, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*