# PDF Expert vs Ink PDF Editor

The clearest difference is rating: PDF Expert at 4.7 against Ink PDF Editor's 4.1. PDF Expert also leads on ratings volume (216K vs 35) and chart position (#73 vs unranked). Ink PDF Editor's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 12) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.0). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PDF Expert sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Ink PDF Editor asks for nothing beyond the download.

PDF Expert holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PDF Expert has 216K ratings behind it against 35, 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 44% of Ink PDF Editor's.

PDF Expert ships an update fortnightly, Ink PDF Editor every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF Expert | Ink PDF Editor |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (216K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-expert-editor-and-reader/id743974925/reviews)** | [4.1 (35 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ink-pdf-editor/id1517573208/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **216K** | 35 |
| Positive reviews | **46.0% of reviews** | 44.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#73** | — |
| Size | 307 MB | 27 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Readdle Technologies Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/285035419) | [Hefei T-Stack Information Technology Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1514322478) |

## What reviewers say

### PDF Expert

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

**Currently charting:** #73 Top Grossing · Productivity, #205 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


### Ink PDF Editor

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ink-pdf-editor/id1517573208)

This application allows users to quickly read, annotate, and edit PDF documents. It offers tools for marking up important information, navigating through documents with bookmarks, and even playing embedded audio. The app provides a straightforward way to manage PDF files on mobile devices.

**Highlights:** Quick PDF reading and viewing, Full-text scroll and zoom, PDF annotation tools, Embedded PDF audio playback, Bookmark creation and management

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PDF Expert free?

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

### Is Ink PDF Editor free?

Ink PDF Editor is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, PDF Expert or Ink PDF Editor?

PDF Expert is rated higher. PDF Expert averages 4.7 out of 5 from 216K ratings, while Ink PDF Editor averages 4.1 from 35 ratings.

### Do PDF Expert or Ink PDF Editor have ads?

Neither PDF Expert nor Ink PDF Editor shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, PDF Expert or Ink PDF Editor?

PDF Expert ships an update fortnightly, and Ink PDF Editor every 3 weeks. Most recently, PDF Expert was updated on September 25, 2026 and Ink PDF Editor on September 17, 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.*