# PDF Expert vs PDF Editor

The clearest difference is rating: PDF Expert at 4.7 against PDF Editor's 4.3. PDF Expert also leads on ratings volume (216K vs 57) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 6 weeks). PDF Editor's advantage is device support (4 vs 2) and iOS requirement (14.0 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 Editor sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

PDF Expert holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PDF Expert has 216K ratings behind it against 57, 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 33% of PDF Editor's.

PDF Expert ships an update fortnightly, PDF Editor every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF Expert | PDF Editor |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (216K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-expert-editor-and-reader/id743974925/reviews)** | [4.3 (57 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-editor-pdf-readersigner/id6469578160/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **216K** | 57 |
| Positive reviews | **46.0% of reviews** | 33.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#73** | — |
| Size | 307 MB | 22 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Readdle Technologies Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/285035419) | [AppDash LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1795398749) |

## 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


### PDF Editor

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-editor-pdf-readersigner/id6469578160)

Edit, sign, and annotate PDF documents with ease. This app allows you to fill forms, add stamps, manage pages, and even chat with your PDFs for content understanding and translation.

**Highlights:** Marking and annotation tools, Signature creation and saving, Stamp insertion and customization, Page editing (merge, split, rotate), Form filling (standard and interactive), PDF chat for content analysis, Bookmark management

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PDF Month Subscription | $4.99 | per month |
| PDF Year Subscription | $39.99 | per year |
| Lifetime | $49.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Efficient PDF management
- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 💡 Versatile digital companion
- 🚀 Time-saving features
- 👍 Personalized digital workspace

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and stability issues
- 🔒 Subscription-based model
- 👎 Difficult to edit PDFs
- 👎 Limited free features
- 👎 Confusing user experience

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when searching PDFs
- Inability to restore purchases
- Repeated prompts to purchase despite being a paid user
- Locked PDFs after making edits
- Incompatibility with certain devices

**Requested features**

- Improved PDF text editing capabilities
- Seamless integration with cloud storage
- Customizable view settings and defaults
- Ability to disable link highlighting
- Clear save button and auto-save functionality


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PDF Expert free?

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

### Is PDF Editor free?

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

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

PDF Expert is rated higher. PDF Expert averages 4.7 out of 5 from 216K ratings, while PDF Editor averages 4.3 from 57 ratings.

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

Neither PDF Expert nor PDF Editor shows ads.

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

PDF Expert ships an update fortnightly, and PDF Editor every 6 weeks. Most recently, PDF Expert was updated on September 25, 2026 and PDF Editor on September 23, 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.*