# PDF Expert vs Forma

The clearest difference is ads: PDF Expert at none against Forma's shown. PDF Expert also leads on ratings volume (216K vs 26K) and iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.0). Forma's advantage is review sentiment (69% vs 46%). On price, rating, update cadence 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 Forma sells 17 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 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 4.7 for Forma. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PDF Expert has 216K ratings behind it against 26K, 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 69% of Forma's.

PDF Expert ships an update fortnightly, Forma monthly. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF Expert | Forma |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (216K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-expert-editor-and-reader/id743974925/reviews) | [4.7 (26K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/forma-pdf-document-editor/id1658514439/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **216K** | 26K |
| Positive reviews | 46.0% of reviews | **69.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | **#67** | #102 |
| Size | 307 MB | 201 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) | [BPMobile](https://appshunter.io/developer/1085442365) |

## What reviewers say

### PDF Expert

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

**Currently charting:** #67 Top Grossing · Productivity, #193 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


### Forma

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/forma-pdf-document-editor/id1658514439)

**Currently charting:** #102 Top Grossing · Productivity (US App Store)

This AI-powered app allows users to edit, fill, sign, scan, and convert PDF documents. It offers features like text editing, form filling, e-signatures, OCR scanning, and file conversion. An AI assistant can summarize, rewrite, or generate content, and users can create invoices and resumes.

**Highlights:** AI-powered PDF editing, Fill and e-sign forms, Built-in OCR scanner, Convert PDFs to various formats, AI assistant for content generation, Create and send invoices, Resume builder

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (17)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Forma Pro | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| Forma Pro | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Forma Pro | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Forma Pro | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| Forma Pro | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| Forma Pro | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Forma Pro | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Forma Pro | $9.99 | per month |
| 1 month Pro 100Gb storage | $10.99 | per month |
| 1 year Pro 10Gb storage | $19.99 | per year |
| Forma Pro | $20.99 | per year |
| 1 year Pro 100Gb storage | $24.99 | per year |
| Forma Pro | $24.99 | per year |
| Forma Pro | $29.99 | per year |
| Forma Pro | $39.99 | per year |
| Forma Pro | $39.99 | per year |
| Forma Pro | $59.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and efficient
- 👍 Easy to use
- 💡 Useful features like autofill and cloud sync
- 🚀 Seamless document management

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and glitches
- 💰 Expensive subscription
- 🔒 Difficult to cancel subscription
- 🚫 Limited editing capabilities

**Reported bugs**

- Incorrect document formatting after editing
- Inability to load or edit pre-existing documents
- Unexpected charges and billing issues

**Requested features**

- Undo/redo functionality
- Ability to edit existing text in documents
- Support for more file formats
- Stylus support for precise editing


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PDF Expert free?

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

### Is Forma free?

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

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

PDF Expert and Forma are both rated 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store, from 216K and 26K ratings respectively.

### Do PDF Expert or Forma have ads?

Forma shows ads; PDF Expert does not.

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

PDF Expert ships an update fortnightly, and Forma monthly. Most recently, PDF Expert was updated on September 24, 2026 and Forma on September 24, 2026.

### Which is more popular, PDF Expert or Forma?

PDF Expert currently peaks at #67 in the App Store charts, and Forma at #102. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*