ASAPDF vs PDF Expert — honest comparison
Looking for a PDF Expert alternative? Here's an honest ASAPDF vs PDF Expert comparison. PDF Expert is a mature, polished Apple-only PDF editor with editing depth ASAPDF — still in development — does not match. ASAPDF's wedge is send-for-signature plus a web signer, so the people you send to can sign without an app. We're upfront about where PDF Expert is simply better today.
| At a glance | ASAPDF | PDF Expert |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | $0 (sign your own documents free) | $79.99 / yr (Premium) |
| Most popular plan | $95.99 / yr ($7.99/mo, billed annually) | $79.99 / yr (Premium) |
| Lifetime license | $399 one-time | $139.99 one-time (Premium, occasional) |
| Platforms | Mac (planned) · iPhone (planned) · iPad (planned) · Web (planned) | macOS · iOS · iPadOS |
Pick PDF Expert if
- ·Editing maturity: PDF Expert has shipped for years with deep text editing, page management, annotation, and a refined Apple-native UI. ASAPDF is early and far less complete today.
- ·A complete, available product right now on macOS, iPhone, and iPad. ASAPDF's clients are in development.
- ·Real PDF text editing — change words and paragraphs in place, which ASAPDF does not do.
- ·Polished reading, form-filling, and annotation refined over many releases.
- ·An occasional perpetual-license option at a lower price than ASAPDF's lifetime.
Pick ASAPDF if
- +Send for signature to other people — PDF Expert is an editor for you, not a way to collect signatures from others (planned for ASAPDF's first release).
- +A web signer so recipients with no app and no account can sign from a scanned code or a link (planned).
- +A free tier for signing your own documents with no watermark, instead of a paid plan to unlock editing.
- +Apple Pencil treated as a first-class signing surface on iPad, not just annotation (planned).
- +One Bravely account, and the annual and lifetime plans include the other premium utilities from Bravely.
Full feature comparison
Verified 2026-05-30. Source linked at the bottom.
| Feature | ASAPDF | PDF Expert |
|---|---|---|
| Sign your own document free | Yes (planned) | Limited without Premium |
| Edit existing PDF text | No | Yes |
| Annotate / fill forms | Yes (planned) | Yes |
| Apple Pencil signing flow | Planned (iPad) | Pencil annotation |
| Send for signature to others | Planned (Pro) | No |
| Web signer for recipients (no app) | Planned (Pro) | No |
| OCR scanned PDFs | Planned (Pro) | Yes |
| Windows / Android | Planned (later) | No (Apple-only) |
| Lifetime purchase | $399 one-time (planned) | $139.99 (occasional) |
| Pricing model | Free + subscription + lifetime | Subscription + occasional perpetual |
Bottom line
PDF Expert is a mature, beautifully made Apple PDF editor, and on editing depth and polish it is well ahead of ASAPDF, which is still in development. If you mainly read, annotate, and edit your own PDFs on Apple devices, PDF Expert is an easy pick — and its perpetual license is cheaper than ours. ASAPDF is for a different job: collecting signatures from other people without making them install anything, plus signing your own documents free. If send-for-signature is what you actually need, that's the wedge. If it's editing, PDF Expert wins, and we'll say so.
FAQ
Can ASAPDF edit PDF text like PDF Expert?+
No. PDF Expert edits existing text in place; ASAPDF fills, annotates, and signs. Editing depth is a clear PDF Expert win.
What does ASAPDF do that PDF Expert doesn't?+
Send for signature to other people, including a web signer so recipients with no app can sign. PDF Expert is an editor for you, not a signature-collection tool. These are planned launch features.
Is ASAPDF cheaper?+
Not on lifetime — PDF Expert's occasional perpetual license is lower than ASAPDF's planned $399 lifetime. ASAPDF has a free tier for signing your own documents.
Is ASAPDF available yet?+
It is in active development. Join the early-access list on the ASAPDF page.
More ASAPDF comparisons
Pricing verified 2026-05-30. PDF Expert pricing source. Subject to change.