DocHub vs PDF Expert

DocHub is a browser-based PDF editor and e-signature app. Chris Devor, who earlier built the iPhone utility maker Macroplant, launched it in October 2014, and it grew mainly through its Google Workspace Marketplace add-on, which has passed 57 million installs. In July 2022 airSlate acquired DocHub. Its core job is to open a PDF from Drive, Gmail or your computer, edit or fill it, sign it and send it out without installing desktop software.

The editor handles text edits, highlights, drawings, comments, page reordering, merging and splitting. Documents can go to several signers in a set order, with templates and an audit trail. Files can be opened from Google Drive, Gmail and Google Classroom as well as Dropbox, Box and OneDrive. The free plan shares three uses per month across core features; Basic and Pro are low-cost per-user subscriptions, and a Site License covers whole schools or companies.

DocHub fits teachers, freelancers and small teams living in Google Workspace who sign and annotate documents occasionally. It is not a full replacement for Adobe Acrobat when you need advanced PDF production or desktop editing, and its signing workflows are lighter than dedicated e-sign suites. pdfFiller has a bigger form library and signNow focuses on high-volume e-sign workflows and APIs, both from the same parent company.

Buying tip: prices are localised, so European visitors see euros instead of dollars, and annual billing cuts about 25%. Because airSlate owns three overlapping products, compare limits across DocHub, pdfFiller and signNow before you commit.

PDF Expert is a PDF reader and editor made by Readdle, a software company founded in 2007 in Odesa, Ukraine, and also known for the Spark email client and the Documents app. PDF Expert launched on iPad in 2010 and came to the Mac in 2015, and Readdle says 194 million people have downloaded its apps. Its core job is fast, native PDF reading, annotation, editing and signing on Apple devices.

The free version reads, annotates, fills forms and signs. Premium unlocks editing of text and images, conversion to Word, Excel, PowerPoint and JPG, OCR for scans, merging, splitting, compression, redaction, password protection and PDF Copilot, an AI assistant that summarizes, lists main points, explains passages and answers questions with references. One Premium subscription covers Mac, iPhone and iPad.

It suits Apple users who want an editor that feels native and quick, from students marking up readings to lawyers redacting contracts. There is no Windows, Android or web app, collaboration and signature request workflows are basic, and it lacks Acrobat's enterprise admin controls. Adobe Acrobat is the safer pick for cross-platform teams and complex forms, Foxit offers cheaper Windows coverage, and Nitro PDF suits Windows-based businesses that also need e-signatures.

Prices vary by region and sales channel. In the US, Premium is listed at $79.99 a year for Mac, iPhone and iPad, while a one-time Mac-only license costs $139.99; resellers note that AI and translation features still need a subscription. Readdle offers a 30-day money-back guarantee and education discounts.