# PDF Expert vs Zoho Writer

The clearest difference is rating: PDF Expert at 4.7 against Zoho Writer's 2.9. PDF Expert also leads on ratings volume (216K vs 136) and review sentiment (46% vs 30%). Zoho Writer's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 12). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PDF Expert sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Zoho Writer asks for nothing beyond the download.

PDF Expert holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PDF Expert has 216K ratings behind it against 136, 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 30% of Zoho Writer's.

PDF Expert ships an update fortnightly, Zoho Writer every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF Expert | Zoho Writer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (216K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-expert-editor-and-reader/id743974925/reviews)** | [2.9 (136 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zoho-writer-document-editor/id808719064/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **216K** | 136 |
| Positive reviews | **46.0% of reviews** | 29.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#73** | — |
| Size | 307 MB | 132 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) | [Zoho Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/388384807) |

## 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


### Zoho Writer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zoho-writer-document-editor/id808719064)

Create and edit documents with a clean, distraction-free interface. Collaborate with others in real-time, import and export various file formats, and access your work across all devices. Your changes are automatically saved and synced.

**Highlights:** Create and edit documents, Real-time collaboration, Import/export MS Word, PDF, ODT, Sync across devices, Offline access, Automatic saving

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Clean and intuitive interface design
- 🔒 Privacy-focused alternative to Google Docs
- 📝 Good font variety and formatting options
- 💾 Automatic document saving
- 🌐 Cross-platform functionality (desktop, mobile, web)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and freezing
- ⚠️ Severe data loss issues
- 🐢 Significant lag and slow typing response
- ❌ Missing core formatting features on mobile
- 🔐 Permission and access errors

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on document open
- Cursor jumps randomly in document
- Keyboard disappears during typing
- Punctuation disappears after saving
- Text erased or goes missing

**Requested features**

- Dark mode for mobile app
- Text wrapping around images
- Adjustable image sizing
- Cover page and page formatting options
- Document list view (not just icon view)


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PDF Expert free?

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

### Is Zoho Writer free?

Zoho Writer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, PDF Expert or Zoho Writer?

PDF Expert is rated higher. PDF Expert averages 4.7 out of 5 from 216K ratings, while Zoho Writer averages 2.9 from 136 ratings.

### Do PDF Expert or Zoho Writer have ads?

Neither PDF Expert nor Zoho Writer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, PDF Expert or Zoho Writer?

PDF Expert ships an update fortnightly, and Zoho Writer every 3 weeks. Most recently, PDF Expert was updated on September 25, 2026 and Zoho Writer on September 7, 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.*