A PDF Expert alternative
for PDF tasks, with a one-time lifetime option.

It depends on what you need. PDF Expert is a deep, dedicated PDF editor, and for serious annotation, text and page editing, form filling, and cross-device sync it is the stronger tool and the better pick. MediaKit handles PDF utility jobs on your device (compress, merge, split, reorder, sign, redact, encrypt, and OCR) among more than 150 tools for other kinds of file. If your PDF work is occasional utility tasks and you also convert video, audio, and images, MediaKit is a practical alternative with a one-time lifetime option.

Not to the same depth. PDF Expert is built for rich PDF editing and annotation, and MediaKit doesn't edit the text of a PDF. MediaKit's PDF tools merge, split, extract and reorder pages, compress with Screen, Ebook, Printer, or Prepress presets, encrypt and unlock, redact, sign, add watermarks, page numbers, and headers, compare two PDFs, and OCR scans into searchable text in the language you choose. Watermarks and page numbers go on as overlays, so text stays searchable and bookmarks and links survive; Flatten and Redact rasterize on purpose.

MediaKit offers a subscription and a one-time option: Pro is $3.99/month or $22.99/year, each starting with a 3-day free trial, or $39.99 once with no renewal. PDF Compress is one of five tools that stay free for good. PDF Expert moved to a subscription model (around $79.99/year, with a one-time lifetime option around $139.99) and a limited free tier.

No. Every MediaKit tool runs on your iPhone or Mac, and the app makes no network requests of its own, so a contract or a scan never leaves the device. There is no account, and the app has no analytics SDK. PDF Expert also edits locally, with optional cloud sync and AI features that may use the network.

Yes. MediaKit runs on iPhone and Mac, and one purchase covers both. There is no iPad version. PDF Expert covers iPhone, iPad, and Mac through its subscription, so if you work on PDFs on an iPad, PDF Expert is the one to pick.

Pick PDF Expert if PDFs are central to your work and you need deep annotation, text and page editing, form filling at scale, and sync across iPhone, iPad, and Mac. It is a more powerful dedicated editor. Pick MediaKit if your PDF needs are occasional utility tasks and you also want video, audio, image, and archive tools in one app, with a one-time lifetime option. Competitor details checked against the App Store on 2026-05-31; pricing changes, so check again before buying.