# PDF Annotate Expert vs PDF Hero

The clearest difference is rating: PDF Hero at 4.6 against PDF Annotate Expert's 2.3. PDF Hero also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 69 months) and ratings volume (10K vs 6). PDF Annotate Expert's advantage is iOS requirement (9.0 vs 14.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PDF Annotate Expert sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and PDF Hero sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

PDF Hero holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 2.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PDF Hero has 10K ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of PDF Annotate Expert's written reviews are positive against 18% of PDF Hero's.

PDF Annotate Expert ships an update every 69 months, PDF Hero every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 9, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF Annotate Expert | PDF Hero |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.3 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-annotate-expert-esign/id946682807/reviews) | **[4.6 (10K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-hero-pdf-editor-and-reader/id1512973255/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 6 | **10K** |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | **17.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 69 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 32 MB | 536 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 14.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [SUPERNOVA TECH](https://appshunter.io/developer/665703951) | [Mosaic S.r.l.](https://appshunter.io/developer/570748343) |

## What reviewers say

### PDF Annotate Expert

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-annotate-expert-esign/id946682807)

Easily annotate, sign, and fill PDF documents. Add text, drawings, images, and signatures with extensive customization options. Save work as drafts and print wirelessly.

**Highlights:** Annotate with highlight, underline, strikethrough, Drawing tools with multiple colors, Unlimited signatures and multiple signers, Fill text and save as templates, Insert images and logos, Cloud storage integration

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Google Drive | $4.99 | one-time |
| Sky Drive | $4.99 | one-time |
| Unlock AnnotateExpert | $9.99 | one-time |


### PDF Hero

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-hero-pdf-editor-and-reader/id1512973255)

Edit, create, and manage PDF documents on your mobile device. Annotate, fill forms, sign, and share files with ease. Offers advanced features like OCR and compression for enhanced document control.

**Highlights:** Create PDFs from scratch, Edit text and annotate documents, Fill and sign PDF forms, Convert images/documents to PDF, OCR for editable text, Compress and merge PDFs, Password-protect sensitive data

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly with free trial | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly Subscription | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly Premium | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly Premium with Free Trial | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| PDF Hero Premium 1 Month | $9.99 | per month |
| PDF Hero Premium 1 Month | $10.99 | per month |
| PDF Hero Premium 1 Month | $11.99 | per month |
| Convert & Merge PDF Documents | $14.99 | per month |
| PDF Hero Premium 3 Months | $19.99 | per 3 months |
| PDF Hero Premium 1 Year | $34.99 | per year |
| PDF Hero Premium 1 Year | $89.99 | per year |
| PDF Hero Premium 1 Year | $99.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 💡 Useful PDF editing features
- 🚀 Easy to use
- 👍 Signature functionality

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and malfunctions
- 🐛 Inconsistent behavior and glitches
- 🔋 High subscription cost
- 🔒 Difficult to cancel subscription
- 👎 Poor text editing capabilities

**Reported bugs**

- Text disappearing or jumping around during editing
- Inability to save or transfer edited documents
- App crashing or freezing during use
- Incorrect rendering of PDF content

**Requested features**

- Improved text editing and manipulation
- Better file management and organization
- Seamless integration with other apps
- Clearer subscription and cancellation policies


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PDF Annotate Expert free?

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

### Is PDF Hero free?

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

### Which has better reviews, PDF Annotate Expert or PDF Hero?

PDF Hero is rated higher. PDF Annotate Expert averages 2.3 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while PDF Hero averages 4.6 from 10K ratings.

### Do PDF Annotate Expert or PDF Hero have ads?

Neither PDF Annotate Expert nor PDF Hero shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, PDF Annotate Expert or PDF Hero?

PDF Annotate Expert ships an update every 69 months, and PDF Hero every 3 weeks. Most recently, PDF Annotate Expert was updated on September 9, 2026 and PDF Hero on September 28, 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.*