# PDF Expert vs Notes Writer Pro

The clearest difference is price: PDF Expert at Free against Notes Writer Pro's $9.99. PDF Expert also leads on ratings volume (216K vs 3.2K) and chart position (#69 vs unranked). On rating, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

PDF Expert is free to download; Notes Writer Pro costs $9.99 up front. PDF Expert sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Notes Writer Pro sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $2.99 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 4.6 for Notes Writer Pro. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PDF Expert has 216K ratings behind it against 3.2K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 46% of PDF Expert's written reviews are positive against 48% of Notes Writer Pro's.

PDF Expert ships an update fortnightly, Notes Writer Pro every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF Expert | Notes Writer Pro |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $9.99 |
| Rating | **[4.7 (216K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-expert-editor-and-reader/id743974925/reviews)** | [4.6 (3.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notes-writer-pro-beyond-pdfs/id1422480068/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **216K** | 3.2K |
| Positive reviews | 46.0% of reviews | **48.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#69** | — |
| Size | 307 MB | 375 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 16.4 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Readdle Technologies Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/285035419) | [Kairoos Solutions SL](https://appshunter.io/developer/978066434) |

## What reviewers say

### PDF Expert

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

**Currently charting:** #69 Top Grossing · Productivity, #193 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


### Notes Writer Pro

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notes-writer-pro-beyond-pdfs/id1422480068)

This app is a versatile writing and note-taking tool that supports rich text and Markdown. It allows users to annotate PDFs, fill out forms, and organize their work into unlimited notebooks. The app also includes scanning capabilities and various export options for seamless sharing and backup.

**Highlights:** Rich text and Markdown writing, PDF annotation and form filling, Unlimited notebook organization, Document scanning, Cloud sync and multiple export formats, Distraction-free writing mode

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Notes Writer Pro AI Assistant | $2.99 | per month |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent note-taking app
- 📁 Great folder organization
- 🎨 Customizable notebook covers
- 🔍 Useful PDF annotation tools
- 🤖 Impressive AI capabilities

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🔄 Sync and file transfer issues
- 🕰️ Slow performance and lag
- 🔒 Poor customer support
- 💰 Misleading upgrade pricing

**Reported bugs**

- Notes randomly disappearing
- Formatting issues with text and images
- Unreliable audio recording and playback
- Compatibility problems with newer iOS versions
- Inability to transfer files between free and pro versions

**Requested features**

- Handwriting recognition
- Improved eraser and shape tools
- Customizable keyboard and toolbar
- Better integration with cloud storage
- Ability to rotate and resize images


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PDF Expert free?

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

### Is Notes Writer Pro free?

Notes Writer Pro costs $9.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, PDF Expert or Notes Writer Pro?

PDF Expert is rated higher. PDF Expert averages 4.7 out of 5 from 216K ratings, while Notes Writer Pro averages 4.6 from 3.2K ratings.

### Do PDF Expert or Notes Writer Pro have ads?

Neither PDF Expert nor Notes Writer Pro shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, PDF Expert or Notes Writer Pro?

PDF Expert ships an update fortnightly, and Notes Writer Pro every 2 weeks. Most recently, PDF Expert was updated on September 24, 2026 and Notes Writer Pro on September 22, 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.*