| Core Identity |
| Developer | Branchfire, Inc. | Adobe Inc. | LiquidText, Inc. | Ginger Labs | Goodnotes Limited | Savy Soda Pty Ltd | Readdle Technologies Limited | Adobe Inc. | Slack Technologies, Inc. |
| Category | Business | Business | Productivity | Productivity | Productivity | Business | Business | Business | Business |
| Platform | iOS | iOS | iOS | Android, iOS | iOS, Android | iOS, Android | iOS | iOS | iOS, Android |
| Store Metrics |
| Rating | 1.7 / 5 | 4.7 / 5 | 4.6 / 5 | 4.8 / 5 | 4.7 / 5 | 4.5 / 5 | 4.9 / 5 | 4.9 / 5 | 4.1 / 5 |
| Ratings Count | 18 | 614,769 | 6,324 | 446,840 | 420,631 | 4,470 | 328,383 | 1,540,221 | 45,544 |
| Price | Free | Free | Free | Free | Free | $4.99 | Free | Free | Free |
| Release Date | Jul 15, 2016 | Oct 17, 2011 | Sep 3, 2015 | Apr 1, 2010 | Jan 15, 2019 | Nov 20, 2008 | Oct 9, 2009 | May 31, 2017 | Mar 20, 2013 |
| Last Updated | Dec 26, 2024 | Apr 20, 2026 | Apr 16, 2026 | May 4, 2026 | May 4, 2026 | Jan 31, 2025 | Apr 24, 2026 | Mar 25, 2026 | Apr 29, 2026 |
| Sentiment & Reviews |
| Sentiment | negative | mixed | - | negative | negative | mixed | mixed | positive | mixed |
| Score | 25/100 | 44/100 | - | 25/100 | 25/100 | 55/100 | 75/100 | 76/100 | 45/100 |
| Praises | - | - Ease of Use
- Reliable PDF Utility
| - | - AI-powered quiz generation provides efficient study tools for complex academic material
| - Handwritten note taking functionality provides a productive study tool for students
| - Mobile document editing functionality provides essential support for academic and professional tasks on the go
| - Advanced document processing algorithms automatically straighten and crop images into perfect rectangular digital files
| - Ease of Use
- Image Enhancement
| - Centralized workspace organization allows teams to manage multiple projects and company channels effectively in one place
|
| Complaints | - Frequent application crashes and system lockups during search functions disrupt professional document review workflows
- Annotation data loss occurring within the enterprise environment leads to significant wasted work hours
| - Predatory Billing & Cancellation
- Aggressive Upselling
| - | - Persistent note retrieval and synchronization failures render critical academic data inaccessible
| - Frequent application crashes and white screen errors disrupt study sessions post-update
| - Persistent configuration loops and loading failures prevent users from accessing their documents post-update
| - Aggressive watermark placement on documents in the free tier obscures content and limits usability
| - Subscription Cost
- Technical Reliability
| - Unreliable push notifications prevent users from receiving critical messages and meeting alerts on mobile devices
|
| Requests | - Improved bulk document management capabilities to support efficient enterprise level file processing requirements
| - | - | - Hands-free Siri integration for verbal interaction with AI-generated study content
| - One-time purchase option requested to replace the current subscription model
| - Offline document access mode requested to allow editing without constant account authentication or internet
| - Expanded file naming support including special characters like the dollar sign for better organization
| - | - Simplified channel management tools are needed to filter relevant content and hide unnecessary workspace clutter
|
| Strategic Intel |
| Strengths | - BlackBerry Dynamics SDK integration secures enterprise distribution
- Flattening tool establishes document authority for legal workflows
| - Massive brand authority and 635M+ install base
- Proprietary Liquid Mode for superior mobile reading
- Deep integration with Adobe Creative Cloud ecosystem
| - | - Audio-to-ink sync creates high switching costs
- Multi-format annotation supports complex workflows
| - High switching costs via user-created document archives
- Cross-platform sync across iPad, iPhone, and Mac
| - Cloud integration reduces file-switching friction
- Template library provides immediate professional utility
| - Professional-grade image processing algorithms ensure high-quality output
- Long-term utility builds deep user habits
- Cloud-sync integration increases switching costs
| - Deep integration with Adobe Document Cloud and Acrobat
- Advanced AI-driven cleanup tools (Magic Eraser, Straighten)
- High brand trust and enterprise-grade security
| - Integration ecosystem embeds platform into existing enterprise tech stacks
- Slack Connect network effects force external partner adoption
- Intuitive interface reduces cognitive load compared to Microsoft Teams
|
| Weaknesses | - 1.72-star rating indicates critical stability failures
- Annotation data loss during enterprise use
- Interface scaling issues on modern tablet hardware
| - High user resentment regarding 'dark patterns' in billing
- Aggressive upselling UI that interferes with core utility
- Perceived app bloat from multi-modal 'Acrobat Studio' features
| - | - Persistent sync failures during study periods
- Intrusive subscription prompts alienate users
| - 0.7★ Android-iOS rating gap
- Frequent post-update stability failures
- Subscription-only gating for legacy features
| - Mandatory internet dependency for file access
- Persistent configuration loops post-update
| - Aggressive free-tier watermarking obscures document content
- Recent technical regressions cause library data loss
- File management UI is increasingly complex
| - High subscription cost ($10/mo) causing user friction
- Technical bugs including login loops and data loss in multi-page scans
- Lack of specialized ID/Passport scanning modes
| - Unreliable mobile notifications causing critical message loss
- Persistent read-state synchronization bugs across platforms
- Cluttered UI navigation for high-volume channel users
|
| Pricing | free | subscription | subscription | freemium | freemium | freemium | freemium | freemium | freemium |
| Momentum | Zombie | Maintenance | Intense | Intense | Active | Maintenance | Steady | Maintenance | Active |
| Update Cadence | 5 versions | 4 versions, ~13d avg | 5 versions | 5 versions, 4 majors/6mo, ~7d avg | 4 versions, 1 majors/6mo, ~12d avg | 5 versions, 1 majors/6mo, ~196d avg | 3 versions, ~14d avg | 1 versions | 5 versions, ~5d avg |
