# PDF Expert vs Nitro PDF Pro

The clearest difference is rating: PDF Expert at 4.7 against Nitro PDF Pro's 3.9. PDF Expert also leads on review sentiment (46% vs 13%) and ratings volume (216K vs 158). 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 Nitro PDF Pro sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

PDF Expert holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PDF Expert has 216K ratings behind it against 158, 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 13% of Nitro PDF Pro's.

PDF Expert ships an update fortnightly, Nitro PDF Pro every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF Expert | Nitro PDF Pro |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (216K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-expert-editor-and-reader/id743974925/reviews)** | [3.9 (158 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nitro-pdf-pro-read-and-edit/id1608616539/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **216K** | 158 |
| Positive reviews | **46.0% of reviews** | 12.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#73** | — |
| Size | 307 MB | 59 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Readdle Technologies Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/285035419) | [Nitro Software, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1607870122) |

## 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


### Nitro PDF Pro

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nitro-pdf-pro-read-and-edit/id1608616539)

Edit, read, sign, and secure PDF documents on your iOS device. This powerful yet lightweight app allows for on-the-go productivity with features like text editing, annotation, form filling, and cloud syncing.

**Highlights:** Edit PDF text, Annotate and highlight PDFs, Fill and save PDF forms, Sign and share PDF documents, Password protect PDFs, Sync with cloud storage, Merge and organize PDFs

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Annual Subscription | $19.99 | per year |
| Nitro PDF Pro for iOS | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Helpful for managing project documents
- 👍 Convenient for PDF modifications
- 👍 Superior PDF handling on Mac
- 👍 Satisfactory in both Mac and Windows environments

**What reviewers complain about**

- 👎 Pro features not available on iOS/iPadOS
- 👎 Yearly charges for basic features
- 👎 Expensive and useless
- 👎 Fails to deliver promised features
- 👎 Impossible to reorder PDF files

**Reported bugs**

- Cannot reorder PDF files
- Crashes when opening PDFs from websites/email
- Does not save markups or documents
- Difficulty creating new folders
- Cannot rotate pages

**Requested features**

- Keyboard support (Cmd + F for search)
- Ability to cancel search with Esc
- OCR and conversion to text documents on tablets
- User manual for iPad app
- Support for Apple Pencil


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PDF Expert free?

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

### Is Nitro PDF Pro free?

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

### Which has better reviews, PDF Expert or Nitro PDF Pro?

PDF Expert is rated higher. PDF Expert averages 4.7 out of 5 from 216K ratings, while Nitro PDF Pro averages 3.9 from 158 ratings.

### Do PDF Expert or Nitro PDF Pro have ads?

Neither PDF Expert nor Nitro PDF Pro shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, PDF Expert or Nitro PDF Pro?

PDF Expert ships an update fortnightly, and Nitro PDF Pro every 2 months. Most recently, PDF Expert was updated on September 25, 2026 and Nitro PDF Pro 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.*