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Lumin vs PDF Expert

Lumin and PDF Expert are both PDF & document tools tools. Lumin is aimed at small businesses and freelancers, while PDF Expert is aimed at freelancers and small businesses. Both have a free plan.

Lumin

Cloud PDF editor and e-signature built around Google Drive

PDF Expert

Readdle's PDF editor for Mac, iPhone and iPad with AI tools

PricingFreemium · $9Freemium
Starting price$9/moNot published
Free planYesYes
Free trial7 days—
Built forSmall businesses, Freelancers, EnterpriseFreelancers, Small businesses
Platformsweb, macos, windows, ios, androidmacos, ios
CountryNZ · 2014UA · 2010
Rating——

Choose Lumin if

Google Workspace teams and small businesses that need everyday PDF editing and signing at a flat team price.

  • Team plans priced per workspace, not per seat
  • Deep Google Drive integration keeps files where they are
  • Runs on every major desktop and mobile platform

Look elsewhere if: Print production, accessibility and complex form work (Adobe Acrobat) or high-volume signature workflows (DocuSign, Dropbox Sign).

Choose PDF Expert if

Mac, iPhone and iPad users who want a fast, affordable PDF editor with AI summaries.

  • Fast, native Apple app that feels lighter than Acrobat
  • One subscription covers Mac, iPhone and iPad
  • Free version already handles reading, annotation, forms and signing

Look elsewhere if: Mixed Windows teams or organizations that need admin controls and signature workflows (Adobe Acrobat, Foxit, Nitro PDF).

Lumin vs PDF Expert pricing

Lumin

  • Free$03 docs per month, basic editing and eSignatures
  • Starter$9/moBilled annually; 10 docs per month, digital signing
  • Pro$19/team/moBilled annually; 200 docs, 5 agreements per month
  • Business$99/team/moBilled annually; access and domain controls, connectors
  • EnterpriseCustomEnterprise SSO, storage controls, success manager

PDF Expert

  • Free$0Read, annotate, fill forms and sign
  • Premium$79.99/yrUS price; Mac, iPhone and iPad; editing, OCR, convert, AI
  • Lifetime (Mac)$139.99One-time; Mac only; AI and translation need a subscription

Lumin · Key features

  • Edit PDF text, annotate, redact and create fillable forms
  • Merge, split, compress, rotate and reorder pages
  • Convert PDFs to and from Word, Excel, PowerPoint and images
  • OCR text recognition for scanned documents and images
  • Lumin Sign e-signatures with ID-verified signing and an eSign API
  • Lumin AI summaries, chat with PDF and agreement generation

Cons

  • Free plan limited to three documents a month
  • Team plans share a pooled monthly document quota
  • Only 5 agreements per month on Pro

PDF Expert · Key features

  • Edit text, images and links directly inside existing PDFs
  • OCR that makes scanned documents searchable and copyable
  • Convert PDFs to Word, Excel, PowerPoint and JPG
  • PDF Copilot AI to summarize, explain and answer questions with references
  • Redaction, password protection, merging, splitting and compression
  • Form filling, including checklists with calculated fields, plus signatures

Cons

  • No Windows, Android or web version
  • Lifetime Mac license excludes AI and translation features
  • No team admin console or signature request workflows

Lumin vs PDF Expert: FAQ

Do Lumin and PDF Expert have a free plan?

Yes, both Lumin and PDF Expert have a free plan; paid plans add more usage and features.

Not sure yet?