# PDF Expert vs PDF Scanner

The clearest difference is update cadence: PDF Expert at fortnightly against PDF Scanner's every 7 months. PDF Expert also leads on ratings volume (216K vs 13) and review sentiment (46% vs 25%). PDF Scanner's advantage is iOS requirement (14.1 vs 16.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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 Scanner sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.49 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

PDF Expert holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PDF Expert has 216K ratings behind it against 13, 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 25% of PDF Scanner's.

PDF Expert ships an update fortnightly, PDF Scanner every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF Expert | PDF Scanner |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (216K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-expert-editor-and-reader/id743974925/reviews)** | [4.5 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-scanner-document-cam-scan/id1564598064/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **216K** | 13 |
| Positive reviews | **46.0% of reviews** | 25.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 7 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | **#73** | — |
| Size | 307 MB | 17 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **14.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Readdle Technologies Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/285035419) | [OLEG CHEBULAEV](https://appshunter.io/developer/698309077) |

## What reviewers say

### PDF Expert

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

**Currently charting:** #73 Top Grossing · Productivity, #196 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 Scanner

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-scanner-document-cam-scan/id1564598064)

Transform your device into a powerful portable scanner. Instantly digitize documents, receipts, and notes into PDF, JPG, or TXT formats. Add electronic signatures and share your scans effortlessly.

**Highlights:** Scan documents and photos to PDF, JPG, or TXT, Scan multiple pages into one document, OCR text recognition, Add electronic signatures, Share scanned documents easily, Upload to cloud services

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro (7 days) | $4.49 | per 7 days |
| Pro (1 month) | $9.99 | per month |
| Pro (3 month) | $19.49 | per 3 months |
| Pro (1 year) | $28.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PDF Expert free?

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

### Is PDF Scanner free?

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

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

PDF Expert is rated higher. PDF Expert averages 4.7 out of 5 from 216K ratings, while PDF Scanner averages 4.5 from 13 ratings.

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

Neither PDF Expert nor PDF Scanner shows ads.

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

PDF Expert ships an update fortnightly, and PDF Scanner every 7 months. Most recently, PDF Expert was updated on September 25, 2026 and PDF Scanner on September 19, 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.*