# PDF Expert vs PDF Maker

The clearest difference is update cadence: PDF Expert at fortnightly against PDF Maker's every 4 months. PDF Expert also leads on ratings volume (216K vs 1.1K) and review sentiment (46% vs 29%). 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 Maker sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 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 4.6 for PDF Maker. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PDF Expert has 216K ratings behind it against 1.1K, 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 29% of PDF Maker's.

PDF Expert ships an update fortnightly, PDF Maker every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF Expert | PDF Maker |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (216K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-expert-editor-and-reader/id743974925/reviews)** | [4.6 (1.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-maker-convert-to-pdf/id1567656728/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **216K** | 1.1K |
| Positive reviews | **46.0% of reviews** | 28.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#74** | — |
| Size | 307 MB | 140 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Readdle Technologies Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/285035419) | [Muhammet Yalcın Ozdemir Halil Ibrahim Karahan Mustafa Ayten Kupertino Bilisim Yazılım K.S](https://appshunter.io/developer/1788511975) |

## What reviewers say

### PDF Expert

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

**Currently charting:** #74 Top Grossing · 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 Maker

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-maker-convert-to-pdf/id1567656728)

Easily convert various file types, including documents and photos, into PDF format directly on your device. This app offers advanced tools for merging, splitting, and compressing PDFs, along with options to add content and share your creations.

**Highlights:** Convert DOC, XLS, JPG, TXT, PPT, SVG to PDF, Create new PDFs from photos or text, Merge and split PDF files, Compress PDF files, Preview, export, and share PDFs

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Premium | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly Premium | $9.99 | per month |
| Secret Discount Pro | $24.99 | per year |
| PDF Converter | $29.99 | per year |
| Yearly Premium | $49.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PDF Expert free?

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

### Is PDF Maker free?

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

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

PDF Expert is rated higher. PDF Expert averages 4.7 out of 5 from 216K ratings, while PDF Maker averages 4.6 from 1.1K ratings.

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

Neither PDF Expert nor PDF Maker shows ads.

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

PDF Expert ships an update fortnightly, and PDF Maker every 4 months. Most recently, PDF Expert was updated on September 26, 2026 and PDF Maker 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.*