# PDF Expert vs PDF Maker & Reader

The clearest difference is rating: PDF Expert at 4.7 against PDF Maker & Reader's 4.2. PDF Expert also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (46% vs 20%). PDF Maker & Reader's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.0). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PDF Expert sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and PDF Maker & Reader sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

PDF Expert holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PDF Expert has 216K ratings behind it against 25, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 46% of PDF Expert's written reviews are positive against 20% of PDF Maker & Reader's.

PDF Expert ships an update fortnightly, PDF Maker & Reader every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and August 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF Expert | PDF Maker & Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (216K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-expert-editor-and-reader/id743974925/reviews)** | [4.2 (25 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-maker-and-reader/id1293534601/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **216K** | 25 |
| Positive reviews | **46.0% of reviews** | 20.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#73** | — |
| Size | 307 MB | 27 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Readdle Technologies Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/285035419) | [NAOAKI SEKIGUCHI](https://appshunter.io/developer/1146328819) |

## What reviewers say

### PDF Expert

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

**Currently charting:** #73 Top Grossing · Productivity, #197 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 (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


### PDF Maker & Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-maker-and-reader/id1293534601)

Create and read PDF documents on your iPhone and iPad. Easily add text, photos, maps, and diagrams to new or existing PDFs. Share your creations via iCloud Drive, email, and other compatible applications.

**Highlights:** Create new PDF documents, Read PDF documents from various sources, Add text manually or via keyboard, Insert photos, maps, and diagrams, Export PDFs to other applications, Compatible with App Extensions and Apple Pencil

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PDF Maker & Reader Pro | $1.99 | one-time |
| License | $3.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PDF Expert free?

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

### Is PDF Maker & Reader free?

PDF Maker & Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, PDF Expert or PDF Maker & Reader?

PDF Expert is rated higher. PDF Expert averages 4.7 out of 5 from 216K ratings, while PDF Maker & Reader averages 4.2 from 25 ratings.

### Do PDF Expert or PDF Maker & Reader have ads?

PDF Maker & Reader shows ads; PDF Expert does not.

### Which is updated more often, PDF Expert or PDF Maker & Reader?

PDF Expert ships an update fortnightly, and PDF Maker & Reader every 2 months. Most recently, PDF Expert was updated on September 25, 2026 and PDF Maker & Reader on August 13, 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.*