PDF Expert vs PDFelement
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
PDF Expert
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.
- 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
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PDF Expert is a fast and easy PDF app to read, annotate, fill and sign PDF forms, convert files to PDF, and merge, split or compress documents – all in one intuitive app for iPhone, iPad, Mac & Vision Pro. Read PDF files with comfort, highlight and mark up text, fill out forms, sign contracts, create and convert PDFs, and summarize long documents in seconds with AI-powered tools. Unlock unlimited possibilities with PDF Expert Premium and work across all your Apple devices. "PDF Expert is one of my must-have iPad apps and a desktop-class PDF reader." – MacStories "The best app for managing, editing, and reading PDFs on your iPad." – The Sweet Setup ▶ WITH PDF EXPERT, YOU CAN: READ PDFs - PDF reader with Day, Night, and Sepia modes for comfortable reading anytime - Scroll PDFs vertically or horizontally and search text in any document - Open and view PDF files from email, web, Files, or any app via the Share menu - Read PDFs out loud with Text to Speech ANNOTATE AND MARK UP PDFs - Highlight, underline, and strike through text in your PDFs - Mark up documents with pen, shapes, text, notes, and comments - Add stamps such as Approved or Confidential - Record your voice and add audio notes to PDFs FILL AND SIGN PDF FORMS - Fill out PDF forms with text fields, checkboxes, and radio buttons - Sign PDF documents in seconds – draw your signature or add it from an image - Save your signature to sign contracts, agreements, invoices, and applications faster - Fill, sign, and send forms right from your iPhone – no printing or scanning needed - Supports all major form formats, including AcroForms and static XFA forms ***PREMIUM FEATURES*** EDIT PDFs - Edit text directly in a PDF – just as you would in a Word document - Add, replace, and resize images in your PDFs - Add links to other pages or websites - Add outlines to navigate large PDFs CREATE AND CONVERT PDFs - Create PDFs from Word files, images, and other documents - Convert Word to PDF, JPG to PDF, and PNG to PDF in seconds - Convert PDF to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, JPG, PNG, and TXT MERGE, SPLIT AND ORGANIZE PDFs - Merge and combine multiple PDF files into one - Split PDFs and extract pages into a new file - Add, delete, rotate, and reorder pages with thumbnail preview COMPRESS PDFs - Compress PDFs to reduce file size for email and sharing - Shrink large PDF files to save space on your device SUMMARIZE PDFs WITH AI – PDF COPILOT - List Main Points – get key takeaways from any PDF - Summarize – get concise summaries of entire PDFs or annotations - Ask Anything – find details with AI answers and references - Explain – get instant explanations of words or phrases PROTECT YOUR FILES - Password-protect PDF Expert - Redact – permanently black out sensitive information WORK WITH SCANNED DOCUMENTS - Open scanned PDFs to fill out, sign, annotate, and share CONSTRUCTION TOOLS - Scale and measure drawings with the Measure tab - Polygon, polyline, and redline tools MORE FEATURES - Customizable toolbar - Presentation Mode - Print and share PDFs via email or cloud ONE ACCOUNT FOR ALL YOUR APPLE DEVICES One Premium subscription covers PDF Expert on iPhone, iPad, and Mac – no need to buy versions separately. Read more about our terms and conditions here: https://pdfexpert.com/privacy https://pdfexpert.com/terms Don’t hesitate to reach out to us at http://readdle.com/contact
PDFelement
This application offers comprehensive PDF management, including advanced editing, AI-powered summarization and translation, and efficient scanning with OCR. It helps organize, convert, and secure documents for work, study, and personal use.
- AI Chat with PDF
- Scan and OCR
- PDF to Office Conversion
- Edit PDF like Word
- Password Protection
- Compress PDF
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PDFelement is optimized for the latest Liquid Glass experience, with a more refined interface, clearer navigation, and smoother interactions for your PDF workflow. AI PDF Editor, PDF Reader, PDF Scanner, PDF Converter, PDF Signer. One app for work, study, and everyday life. Customize Your Toolbar Arrange your PDF tools the way you work. Reorder, show, or hide toolbar items to keep your favorite actions within easy reach and create a cleaner, faster, and more efficient workspace. AI PDF • Chat with PDF: Ask questions and get instant, accurate answers from your PDFs. • AI Summarize PDF: Turn lengthy contracts, reports, and documents into concise key points. • AI Translate: Translate selected text instantly across 60+ languages. • Generate Mind Map: Transform PDF content into clear visual mind maps. • AI Record: Record, transcribe, and convert voice notes into editable text for efficient note-taking. Edit PDF Like Word • Edit PDF: Edit PDF text, images, links, and watermarks with ease. • Font Editing: Keep the original font, erase content, and adjust font size, spacing, and formatting effortlessly. Professional PDF Reader • Liquid Mode: Optimize PDFs for comfortable reading on any screen. • Bookmarks: Save and jump to important pages instantly. • Read Aloud: Listen to PDFs with your preferred voice and playback speed. Scan & OCR • PDF Scanner: Scan receipts, invoices, contracts, IDs, and certificates into high-quality PDFs. • OCR: Extract editable text from scanned documents and images. • Multi-Page Scan: Combine multiple scans into a single PDF. PDF Converter • PDF to Word, Excel, PowerPoint & Images: Convert PDFs into editable Office files or JPG, PNG, and more. • Create PDF: Convert Microsoft Office documents and images into PDFs. Annotate PDF • Markup & Notes: Highlight, underline, draw, and add sticky notes. • Comments: Review documents with professional commenting tools. • Measure: Measure distance, perimeter, and area directly inside PDFs. Create PDF • Blank PDF: Start with customizable paper templates. • Image to PDF: Create PDFs from photos or camera scans. Manage PDF • Compress PDF: Reduce file size while maintaining quality. • Merge PDF: Combine multiple PDFs into one document. • Organize Pages: Add, delete, rotate, extract, split, and rearrange PDF pages. Fill & Sign • Fill PDF Forms: Complete interactive PDF forms quickly and accurately. • E-Sign PDF: Add typed or handwritten signatures. • Custom Stamps: Create reusable stamps with text, drawings, or images. Store & Share PDF • PDFelement Cloud: Access your PDFs anytime, anywhere across your devices. • Protect PDF: Secure sensitive files with passwords and encryption. • Share PDF: Share documents via links, email, AirDrop, or social apps. PDF Templates • Professional Templates: Browse resumes, invoices, planners, contracts, invitations, and more. • Easy Customization: Personalize colors, fonts, and layouts in seconds. • Business & Education Ready: Create polished documents for work, school, and everyday use. MEMBERSHIP SUBSCRIPTION DETAILS Payment will be charged to your iTunes Account upon confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current subscription period. You can manage or cancel your subscription anytime in your App Store account settings. Terms of Use: https://www.wondershare.com/company/terms_conditions.html Privacy Policy: https://www.wondershare.com/privacy.html
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: PDF Expert at none against PDFelement's shown. PDF Expert also leads on ratings volume (216K vs 7.6K) and chart position (#81 vs unranked). PDFelement's advantage is review sentiment (76% vs 45%). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. PDF Expert sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and PDFelement sells 18 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 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 PDFelement. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PDF Expert has 216K ratings behind it against 7.6K, 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 76% of PDFelement's.
PDF Expert ships an update fortnightly, PDFelement every 10 days. Both last shipped on October 17, 2026.
| Parameter | PDF Expert | PDFelement |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (216K ratings) — better | 4.6 (7.6K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 45.5% of reviews | 76.1% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 216K — better | 7.6K |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Every 10 days — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #81 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 295 MB | 196 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | Readdle Technologies Limited | Wondershare Technology Group Co.,LTD |
Customer experience
PDF Expert
PDFelement
User reviews
PDF Expert
From 216K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Fast and responsive
- 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
- 💡 Powerful annotation and editing tools
- 🔒 Seamless cloud integration
- 📚 Excellent for reading and organizing PDFs
Room to improve
- 🐛 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
PDFelement
From 7.6K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Efficient PDF editing
- 💡 Comprehensive feature set
- 🔒 Secure document handling
- 👍 Intuitive interface
Room to improve
- 🐛 Occasional crashes or glitches
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🔒 Mandatory account required
- 🔒 Unclear licensing and subscription model
- 🐛 Syncing issues between devices
Bugs and requests
PDF Expert
Reported bugs
4 issues- Corrupted PDFs after editing
- Sync issues with cloud storage providers
- Unexpected loss of annotations and edits
- Unreliable performance on older iPad models
Requested features
5 requests- 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
PDFelement
Reported bugs
4 issues- Login issues and inability to restore purchases
- Corrupted scanned files or loss of progress
- Inconsistent behavior when editing PDF text
- Compatibility problems with older devices or OS versions
Requested features
5 requests- Add dark mode option
- Improve cloud integration and file management
- Enhance OCR accuracy and capabilities
- Introduce multi-tab support for better workflow
- Add more customization options for toolbars and UI
In-app purchases
PDF Expert
- PDF Expert Premium Trial7 Days trial$9.991 Month
- PDF Expert Premium No Trial$9.991 Month
- PDF Expert for Education7 Days trial$39.991 Year
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- PDF Expert Premium7 Days trial3 variants$49.991 Year
- PDF Expert Premium New7 Days trial$49.991 Year
- PDF Expert Premium Existing7 Days trial$49.991 Year
- PDF Expert – Premium Editing1 Year trial$49.991 Year
- PDF Expert Mac & iOS Pro7 Days trial$79.991 Year
- PDF Expert Mac & iOS7 Days trial$79.991 Year
- PDF Expert Basic$9.99
PDFelement
- Monthly Subscription (AI)$3.991 Month
- PDF Editor& Converter& Scanner$6.991 Month
- PDF Editor & Scanner Pro(iOS)$6.991 Month
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- Weekly Subscription (iOS)$6.997 Days
- Quarterly Subscription (iOS)$9.993 Months
- Weekly Subscription (iOS)7 Days trial$9.997 Days
- Weekly Subscription (iOS)$9.997 Days
- Monthly Subscription (All)$19.991 Month
- Annual Subscription (iOS)$24.991 Year
- PDF Editor & Scanner Pro7 Days trial$29.991 Year
- Annual Subscription (iOS)2 variants$29.991 Year
- Annual Subscription (iOS)3 Days trial$29.991 Year
- Quarterly Subscription (All)$39.993 Months
- Annual Subscription (iOS+Win)$99.991 Year
- Annual Subscription (iOS+Mac)$99.991 Year
- Annual Subscription (All)$109.991 Year
- PDF Editor & Scanner Pro$39.99
- iOS$39.99







