Best Highlight PDF Apps

241+ iOS apps curated and reviewed

4.6 avg rating
19 free apps
Updated July 2026

Whether you're new to highlight pdf or looking for an upgrade, our curated collection of 241+ iOS apps has something for everyone. Each app is reviewed and rated by real users, helping you make an informed decision.

Compare top Highlight PDF Apps (July 2026)

#AppPriceRatingAdsIn-App PurchasesUpdated
1PDF Expert: Editor & ConverterPDF Expert: Editor & ConverterFree4.7★ (216K)NoYesAug 2026
2Highlights: PDF Reader & NotesHighlights: PDF Reader & NotesFree4.5★ (1.6K)NoYesAug 2026
3Noteful: Notes & PDF MarkupNoteful: Notes & PDF MarkupFree4.8★ (23K)NoYesAug 2026
4PDF Hero - PDF Editor & ReaderPDF Hero - PDF Editor & ReaderFree4.6★ (10K)NoYesAug 2026
5GoodReader PDF Editor & ViewerGoodReader PDF Editor & Viewer$5.994.7★ (14K)NoYesAug 2026
6Acrobat Reader: PDF EditorAcrobat Reader: PDF EditorFree4.7★ (637K)NoYesAug 2026
7PDFelement: PDF Editor, ViewerPDFelement: PDF Editor, ViewerFree4.6★ (7.5K)YesYesAug 2026
8PDF Viewer by NutrientPDF Viewer by NutrientFree4.6★ (9.1K)NoYesAug 2026

Top Picks for Highlight PDF

PDF Expert: Editor & Converter#1

PDF Expert: Editor & Converter by Readdle Technologies Limited

Edit, Read, Scan・Sign Document
Editor's Choice
📊 Productivity
4.7😐(216K ratings)
FreeIn-App Purchases
#55in Productivity
PDF Expert: Editor & Converter screenshot 1
PDF Expert: Editor & Converter screenshot 2
PDF Expert: Editor & Converter screenshot 3
PDF Expert: Editor & Converter screenshot 4
PDF Expert: Editor & Converter screenshot 5
PDF Expert: Editor & Converter screenshot 6

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.

What We Love

  • 🚀 Fast and responsive
  • 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
  • 💡 Powerful annotation and editing tools
  • 🔒 Seamless cloud integration

Room to Improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability issues
  • 🔒 Subscription model for advanced features
  • 🔒 Inconsistent pricing and feature changes
Highlights: PDF Reader & Notes#2

Highlights: PDF Reader & Notes by Jonas Myren Ribe

Edit Research Documents/Books
Strong Contender
📊 Productivity
4.5😐(1.6K ratings)
FreeIn-App Purchases
Highlights: PDF Reader & Notes screenshot 1
Highlights: PDF Reader & Notes screenshot 2
Highlights: PDF Reader & Notes screenshot 3
Highlights: PDF Reader & Notes screenshot 4
Highlights: PDF Reader & Notes screenshot 5
Highlights: PDF Reader & Notes screenshot 6

This app is a fast and lightweight PDF reader designed for research. It allows users to read, highlight, and annotate documents, and then extract this information into organized notes. Advanced features include table data extraction, text recognition, and smart copying of annotations into various formats.

What We Love

  • 🚀 Great for highlighting and annotating PDFs
  • 🔍 Effective for research and note-taking
  • 📚 Useful for academic and professional work
  • 👍 Clean and intuitive user interface

Room to Improve

  • 💰 Subscription model is too expensive
  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
  • 🔍 Limited search functionality
Noteful: Notes & PDF Markup#3

Noteful: Notes & PDF Markup by Noteful Technologies Ltd

Highlight. Write. Learn.
Worth Considering
📊 Productivity
4.8😊(23K ratings)
FreeIn-App Purchases
Noteful: Notes & PDF Markup screenshot 1
Noteful: Notes & PDF Markup screenshot 2
Noteful: Notes & PDF Markup screenshot 3
Noteful: Notes & PDF Markup screenshot 4
Noteful: Notes & PDF Markup screenshot 5
Noteful: Notes & PDF Markup screenshot 6

This app revolutionizes paperless note-taking on iPad, allowing for handwritten notes, document annotation, and knowledge organization. It offers a fluid writing experience, PDF markup, powerful tagging, and audio recording synced with notes.

What We Love

  • 🚀 Smooth writing experience
  • 👍 Intuitive and easy to use
  • 💡 Layers feature
  • 👍 Affordable one-time purchase

Room to Improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes or freezes
  • 🔍 No handwriting recognition or search
  • 🔍 Limited text editing options

More Highlight PDF apps to explore

4
PDF Hero - PDF Editor & Reader
PDF Hero - PDF Editor & Reader
PDF Hero - PDF Editor & Reader
Create & Edit PDF Documents
Free

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.

Create PDFs from scratchEdit text and annotate documentsFill and sign PDF forms
💼 Business
(10K)
free with in-app purchases
5
GoodReader PDF Editor & Viewer
GoodReader PDF Editor & Viewer
GoodReader PDF Editor & Viewer
PDF Annotator, File Manager
$5.99

This app offers robust PDF editing and viewing capabilities, alongside comprehensive file management tools. It allows users to annotate PDFs, manage files from various cloud services, and secure sensitive data with advanced encryption. Enjoy a superior reading experience with features like PDF Reflow and split-screen viewing.

PDF annotation and editingExtensive file format supportCloud service integration (Dropbox, Google Drive, etc.)
📊 Productivity
(14K)
free with in-app purchases
6
Acrobat Reader: PDF Editor
Acrobat Reader: PDF Editor
Acrobat Reader: PDF Editor
Documents Editor & Converter
Free

This app is a powerful PDF tool for viewing, editing, annotating, and signing documents. It offers AI-powered features for summarizing and interacting with PDFs, along with robust conversion and security options. Collaborate on files and access your documents from anywhere.

View, edit, and annotate PDFsSign and fill PDF formsConvert files to and from PDF
💼 Business
(637K)
freemium
7
PDFelement: PDF Editor, Viewer
PDFelement: PDF Editor, Viewer
PDFelement: PDF Editor, Viewer
Convert & Sign PDF, AI-powered
Free

This application offers comprehensive PDF management, including advanced editing, AI-powered summarization and translation, and efficient scanning with OCR. It helps organize, convert, and secure documents for work, study, and personal use.

AI Chat with PDFScan and OCRPDF to Office Conversion
📊 Productivity
(7.5K)
free with in-app purchases
8
PDF Viewer by Nutrient
PDF Viewer by Nutrient
PDF Viewer by Nutrient
Fill Forms, Sign, Edit, Redact
Free

Easily view, search, and annotate PDF documents on your iPhone and iPad. Import files from cloud services, fill out forms, add signatures, and organize your documents. Advanced features like redaction and combining documents are available with a Pro subscription.

View and search PDFsAnnotate with highlights and notesSign documents digitally
📊 Productivity
(9.1K)
freemium
9
PDF Pro - Reader Editor Forms
PDF Pro - Reader Editor Forms
PDF Pro - Reader Editor Forms
Edit, annotate, view documents
Free

Edit, annotate, and read PDF documents on your iPhone and iPad. Highlight text, add notes, shapes, voice recordings, and photos. Search your entire PDF library, fill out forms, and sign documents.

Edit and annotate PDFsHighlight text and add notesEmbed audio and photo annotations
📊 Productivity
(6.9K)
subscription
10
Foxit PDF Editor
Foxit PDF Editor
Foxit PDF Editor
View, Edit, Convert, and Sign
Free

This mobile app offers comprehensive PDF management, allowing users to view, edit, annotate, and convert PDF files on the go. It includes AI-powered features for summarization, translation, and text enhancement, alongside robust tools for creating, signing, and protecting documents.

AI-powered PDF summarization and translationEdit text and images within PDFsConvert PDFs to and from various formats
📊 Productivity
(4.8K)
freemium
11
PDF Reader & PDF Editor
PDF Reader & PDF Editor
PDF Reader & PDF Editor
Read, Edit, Sign PDF Files
Free

This app is a comprehensive tool for managing PDF documents. It allows users to quickly view, annotate, edit, and organize PDFs, as well as convert images to PDF. Advanced features like merging, splitting, and password protection are also available.

Fast PDF viewingPDF annotation and markupAdd e-signatures
💼 Business
(727)
free with in-app purchases
12
iLovePDF - PDF Editor & Scan
iLovePDF - PDF Editor & Scan
iLovePDF - PDF Editor & Scan
For Work, Study & E-Signing
Free

Edit, convert, annotate, and sign PDF documents on the go. This app offers tools to scan, merge, split, compress, and protect your files, enhancing productivity for work and study.

Scan documents to PDFConvert JPG/Office to PDFEdit and annotate PDFs
📊 Productivity
(51K)
freemium
13
PDF Photos
PDF Photos
PDF Photos
Picture to PDF Converter
Free

Easily convert your photos into professional-looking PDFs. Customize layouts, add branding elements like headers and footers, and control file size for efficient sharing. Save and share your documents across various cloud services or directly via email and printing.

Convert photos to PDFCustomizable photo layoutsAdd cover pages, headers, and footers
💼 Business
(14K)
free with in-app purchases
14
PDF Editor: Read, Scan & Sign
PDF Editor: Read, Scan & Sign
PDF Editor: Read, Scan & Sign
Annotate, Scan, Convert to PDF
Free

Edit, read, scan, and convert PDF documents with a comprehensive suite of tools. Annotate, draw, and sign your files with ease. This app offers offline functionality and supports collaboration.

Edit and annotate PDF documentsScan physical documents to PDFConvert various file types to PDF
💼 Business
(7.4K)
free with in-app purchases
15
PDF Reader – PDFelement
PDF Reader – PDFelement
PDF Reader – PDFelement
PDF Editor & Viewer, PDF Maker
Free

This app offers a superior PDF reading experience with its innovative Liquid Mode, which optimizes documents for mobile screens. It also provides robust tools for annotating, signing, managing, and sharing your PDF files, catering to both work and study needs.

Liquid Mode for optimized mobile readingAnnotation tools (pencil, text, highlighting)Handwritten signature insertion
📊 Productivity
(3.9K)
free
16
PDF Gear - PDF Editor & Reader
PDF Gear - PDF Editor & Reader
PDF Gear - PDF Editor & Reader
PDF Converter, Sign Documents
Free

This app offers a comprehensive suite of tools for managing PDF documents on mobile devices. Users can easily view, annotate, edit pages, fill out forms, and digitally sign documents. It provides a free and unlimited experience for all its powerful PDF manipulation features.

View and print PDFsAnnotate with highlights, text, and drawingsOrganize pages (add, delete, rotate, extract)
💼 Business
(8.3K)
free
17
PDF Converter - Word to PDF
PDF Converter - Word to PDF
PDF Converter - Word to PDF
Photo to PDF maker & Scan doc
Free

Easily convert documents to and from PDF format in just three steps. Create PDFs from images, share converted files, and manage your conversion history. Supports a wide range of input and output file types.

Convert documents to PDFCreate PDF from imagesSupports numerous file formats
📊 Productivity
(33K)
free with in-app purchases
18
ReadEra – book reader pdf epub
ReadEra – book reader pdf epub
ReadEra – book reader pdf epub
Read books & PDF files easily!
Free

This app allows you to read and listen to books and documents in various formats, including PDF and EPUB. It offers text-to-speech functionality, customizable reading settings, and a built-in book manager for your library. Enjoy an ad-free and registration-free reading experience.

Multi-format ebook support (EPUB, PDF, MOBI, DOCX, etc.)Text-to-Speech (TTS) for listening to booksAd-free and registration-free experience
📚 Books
(231)
free
19
PDF Editor - Read, Fill & Edit
PDF Editor - Read, Fill & Edit
PDF Editor - Read, Fill & Edit
Edit PDF Files & Documents
Free
📊 Productivity
(0)
20
PDF Converter . Convert to PDF
PDF Converter . Convert to PDF
PDF Converter . Convert to PDF
Convert PNG Image Photo to PDF
Free

Easily convert various file formats, including images, Word documents, and text files, to PDF and vice versa. This app offers a simple, intuitive interface for quick document transformations, with features like offline conversion and secure processing.

Convert JPG, PNG, Word, TXT to PDFConvert PDF to WordImage to PDF conversion
💼 Business
(2.2K)
subscription

FAQ about Highlight PDF

What are the best highlight pdf apps for iPhone?
PDF Expert: Editor & Converter tops our highlight pdf apps ranking as of July 2026, with a 4.7-star average from 216K App Store ratings, and it's free to download.
Yes — 19 of the top highlight pdf apps we rank are free to download, including PDF Expert: Editor & Converter and Highlights: PDF Reader & Notes.
PDF Expert: Editor & Converter has no ads and offers in-app purchases, according to its App Store listing as of July 2026.
We track 241+ highlight pdf apps on the iOS App Store as of July 2026, ranked by rating, recency, and analysis of real user reviews.
PDF Expert allows you to read, highlight, and annotate PDFs, fill out forms, convert files to and from PDF format, merge multiple documents, add notes, and sign contracts. It also features AI tools for summarizing and analyzing large PDFs, and editing scanned documents.
Premium features include the ability to edit existing text and images directly within a PDF, add links, create outlines, and utilize the AI-powered PDF Copilot for summarization, main point extraction, and contextual explanations. You can also convert PDFs to various formats like Word, Excel, and JPG.