# PDF Expert vs PDF Document Scanner

PDF Expert and PDF Document Scanner both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 74% of PDF Document Scanner's written reviews are positive against 46% of PDF Expert's. PDF Document Scanner also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs fortnightly). PDF Expert's advantage is ratings volume (216K vs 118) and chart position (#67 vs unranked). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases 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 Document Scanner sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per 7 days. 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 PDF Document Scanner. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PDF Expert has 216K ratings behind it against 118, 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 74% of PDF Document Scanner's.

PDF Expert ships an update fortnightly, PDF Document Scanner every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF Expert | PDF Document Scanner |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (216K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-expert-editor-and-reader/id743974925/reviews) | [4.7 (118 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-document-scanner-captize/id1488667597/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **216K** | 118 |
| Positive reviews | 46.0% of reviews | **73.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#67** | — |
| Size | 307 MB | 31 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Readdle Technologies Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/285035419) | [MWare Technologies AS](https://appshunter.io/developer/1488667596) |

## What reviewers say

### PDF Expert

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

**Currently charting:** #67 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


### PDF Document Scanner

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-document-scanner-captize/id1488667597)

This app transforms your mobile device into a powerful scanner and document manager. It allows you to extract contact information, create searchable PDFs, and organize your files with folders and tags. Edit, sign, and share documents securely, optimizing your workflow from anywhere.

**Highlights:** Automatic document detection and correction, Extract contact info from business cards, Create searchable PDFs with OCR, Sign, edit, and share documents, Organize with folders and tags, Secure with Face ID/Touch ID, iCloud synchronization

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PRO Scanner weekly | $1.49 | per 7 days |
| PRO Scanner monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| PRO Scanner Yearly | $22.99 | per year |
| Pro Version Unlimited | Free | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PDF Expert free?

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

### Is PDF Document Scanner free?

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

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

PDF Expert and PDF Document Scanner are both rated 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store, from 216K and 118 ratings respectively.

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

Neither PDF Expert nor PDF Document Scanner shows ads.

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

PDF Expert ships an update fortnightly, and PDF Document Scanner every 5 days. Most recently, PDF Expert was updated on September 24, 2026 and PDF Document Scanner on September 20, 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.*