# PDF Expert vs Notebloc Scanner

The clearest difference is ads: PDF Expert at none against Notebloc Scanner's shown. PDF Expert also leads on ratings volume (216K vs 1.3K) and chart position (#88 vs unranked). Notebloc Scanner's advantage is review sentiment (75% vs 45%) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16.0). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PDF Expert sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Notebloc Scanner sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for PDF Expert against 4.7 for Notebloc Scanner. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PDF Expert has 216K ratings behind it against 1.3K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 45% of PDF Expert's written reviews are positive against 75% of Notebloc Scanner's.

PDF Expert ships an update fortnightly, Notebloc Scanner monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF Expert | Notebloc Scanner |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (216K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-expert-editor-and-reader/id743974925/reviews) | **[4.7 (1.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notebloc-scanner-scan-to-pdf/id1077023687/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **216K** | 1.3K |
| Positive reviews | 45.4% of reviews | **75.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#88** | — |
| Size | 301 MB | 106 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Readdle Technologies Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/285035419) | [Notebloc Scanner SCP](https://appshunter.io/developer/1558192067) |

## What reviewers say

### PDF Expert

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

**Currently charting:** #88 Top Grossing · 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 (10)**

| 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 Pro | $79.99 | 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


### Notebloc Scanner

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notebloc-scanner-scan-to-pdf/id1077023687)

Digitize your documents and notes with this free scanner app. Easily convert them to PDF or JPG, extract text using OCR, and organize your scans. Perfect for students, professionals, and artists.

**Highlights:** Scan documents to PDF or JPG, Unlimited document creation, Batch scanning (multiple pages), Text extraction (OCR), Scan without watermarks, Edit and merge documents

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PRO - Monthly subscription | $0.99 | per month |
| Pro - annual subscription | $8.49 | per year |
| Notebloc Pro: Lifetime | $24.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent scanning quality
- 👍 Easy and intuitive to use
- 💡 Helpful for digitizing notes and documents
- 🚀 Fast and efficient
- 👍 Useful for work and school

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes or freezes after updates
- 💡 Lack of ability to import photos from gallery
- 🐛 Issues with saving or sharing files
- 💡 Limited export options (e.g. no JPG format)
- 🐛 Incompatibility with newer iOS versions

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when trying to open certain documents
- Unable to save or share scanned files
- Camera not working or not accessible in the app
- Unexpected language changes in the user interface

**Requested features**

- Add ability to import photos from device gallery
- Improve file organization with folder support
- Provide more export options (e.g. JPG, PNG)
- Implement cloud sync and cross-device access
- Add password protection or encryption for sensitive documents


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PDF Expert free?

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

### Is Notebloc Scanner free?

Notebloc Scanner is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, PDF Expert or Notebloc Scanner?

Notebloc Scanner is rated higher. PDF Expert averages 4.7 out of 5 from 216K ratings, while Notebloc Scanner averages 4.7 from 1.3K ratings.

### Do PDF Expert or Notebloc Scanner have ads?

Notebloc Scanner shows ads; PDF Expert does not.

### Which is updated more often, PDF Expert or Notebloc Scanner?

PDF Expert ships an update fortnightly, and Notebloc Scanner monthly. Most recently, PDF Expert was updated on October 26, 2026 and Notebloc Scanner on October 24, 2026.

---

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