PDF Reader – PDFelement Reviews

by Zenman!

There was a time a few weeks ago that PDFReader did everything it advertised it would do when I bought it. Now, it crashes every time I try to convert a photo to a PDF and several basic editing tools (highlighter, underlining, and strike through) are no longer working. Perhaps worst of all is that when editing a PDF it randomly puts in text bubbles that will not go away. These same random text bubbles are then superimposed over every single PDF you have stored in PDFReader making them useless. Taken together, these shortcomings result in me having an app that is absolutely no use. And to make it even more frustrating, I can’t access the support section until I “set your email account” , but there’s no place to set an email address 😩. Thanks a lot Wondershare. Not.

by Koley0129

When I first downloaded PDFReader I was excited to use it for readings for my school work, however I have since been greatly disappointed and frustrated by it. It would be convenient to have a search feature within the PDF I am looking at as I am reviewing large PDFs with many pages. This would come in handy right now as I just opened my app to find that all my notes and work from a late night of studying were not saved. I have everything up to the 28th page of a document, but nothing more in my 118 pages. Also, because the PDF has so many pages, I have to scroll rather slowly to give the PDF time to load. Multiple times have I had to go back to the beginning of a document and slowly scroll back to where I was.

by Yelaheener

I was so excited to find this PDF editor for my iPad because I do a lot of writing and editing PDFs and documents. While at first I was impressed with the features, once I saved my edited document and opened it using Preview on my Mac, it was clear it was not compatible and none of the features I had added or edited in PDF element showed up properly. What a waste of time! I thought it might be better to check in the desktop version of PDF element, so I downloaded the free trial version. Yet, the document and edits still didn’t display properly. When I re-opened the document in PDF element on my iPad and re-saved it, it corrupted the file. Now I can’t open the document in Preview on my Mac, or in PDF element on my iPad, or in any other app. Downloading PDFReader and using it to edit my PDFs was a waste of time and I’m going to delete it as soon as I write this review. Do yourself a favor and look somewhere else for a decent PDF and document editor.

by Annagm85

It fools your eye on the phone but not the one of the recipient so be carful not to look unprofessional. I tried PDFReader with different formats of a PDF file to test how it behaves when other people receives the edited documents. I’m sorry to disappoint all of you who have not checked it before but it simply does not work when the document is open on a computer or other device. I used a PDF form (the type that has boxes to fill with info) on PDFReader it works, once I emailed it to myself and opened it on the computer, the boxes appeared empty or had a line across. I clicked on the boxes and the info will appear but will disappear as soon as clicked other areas. Also, the font used in the text box that you create on PDFReader does not match Acrobat’s font so when I click on the added text box it turns the whole box the color of the font and the text disappears. A total fail if you sent your document away. If you are trying to use Dropbox it glitches and only opens some folders so I have to open Dropbox app separately and save a copy of the file on the visible folder in PDFReader. Lastly make sure to save by renaming the document, the auto save feature does not work when you upload to Dropbox or Drive, basically you’re saving the original again without the changes.

by Seventh Fret

I am upgrading my review. PDFReader does what it says and it is useful once you accept its shortcomings. It is very good for merging pdf files, deleting pages, and rearranging pages. The pdf editor is very limited. Maybe the full pro version fixes these issues.

I still have the following complaints that prevent me from giving more than three stars. The GUI for iPads is inscrutable. It needs a lot of improvement to make the GUI more intuitive. Even their online instructions for iPads are not really for iPads; they are for computers. I had to search the Internet just to see how to import a pdf from my iPad into PDF ELEMENT. In the editing mode, the iPad keyboard in PDFReader is rudimentary. You cannot add bold text, italics, or underlined text. Holding down the delete key does nothing. You have to click the delete key for every character. The AI word suggestions are a mess. They don’t replace what you started typing; they add to what you typed creating nonsense. Maybe it works better on a computer since the instructions seem to be oriented toward computers. If the developers ever fix these iPad issues, I will update this review.

by FujaraBob

I downloaded PDFReader , because I needed to create PDF from 21 pages of pictures of text, on my iPhone. There was no way to do it directly from my stored pictures and the guidelines in PDFReader were not helpful at all, They already stated all what PDFReader can do, but never described, how?
I have finally figured that out yesterday after much time and frustration, these apps are made by arrogant young people, who assume that what is obvious to them, must be obvious to everybody.
I finally tried the + sign, then camera, then multiple pages, there was no direct link to stored photos. I needed to make PDF from 21 pages of text pictures, there was no way to select them all together and transfer to PDF. I had to make 21 individual PDFs and then to merge them in one file, very tedious work in individual page transferring, needed counting number of already transferred pictures, because the text was to small to recognize in picture storage on iPhone.
PDFReader could be definitely much more user-friendly!

by C.J. Lidmjb

PDFReader store indicated that the OneDrive cloud service would work with this program, it is not an option on either my iPad or my iPhone app. In addition when I try to get "support" it tells me to enter an email address (which I logged in with) but gives me no place to enter said email address. I also have the Mac version that cost quite a bit, so I'm a bit frustrated at this significant deficiency in this program.

PDF Expert, which also has a Mac version, works as advertised in iOS. It costs a bit ($10) but it WORKS, which saves me at least that in time alone.

Update: upgraded PDFReader to three stars because you can get to OneDrive through the iCloud Files interface, I can't find a way to save it as a common access tab, like Dropbox, but you can get there. Additionally, you can only have one file open at a time which is a limitation for what I want to use this program for.

by Kb6203

My biggest challenge with PDF files is merging, splitting, and rearranging pages in the file. I have other software that lets me markup a pdf, but I had nothing that will let me manipulate the sequence. PDF Element fills the bill and has features that handle most all the other things I do as well. Thank you for this software.

My only complaint is that the user interface is immediately intuitive. I struggled to find how to open files already on my iPad. Since the files feature in iOS makes finding documents so easy, I was disappointed that finding existing files was not easier. I have also found that importing files was a little clunky and the documentation was of little help in determining how to import existing files on the iPad.

A few minutes of web searching provided me with the answers so all was good.

by Naser.nghv

When i installed PDFReader I was just like woooow! it’s exactly what I was looking for. But then two issues disappointed me a bit:
First_ when I wanted to mark or underline the words in a pdf format article, PDFReader recognized the watermark in the background of article pages too, so it was going to mark whole the paragraph which was overlapping with the watermark.
Second_ the performance of pencil tool in app wasn’t satisfying at all. I’ve got an apple pencil and when I wanted two write something down I must put pencil so vertical on my ipad screen otherwise it wouldn’t work. And it also couldn't write dots just by touching pencil to screen, I had to draw the dots like a circle.
Please fix these issues because this is the best annotating app I’ve ever seen and it really deserves to be the best one. Thank you so much

by Yintopher

I like the idea but I would like to make a suggestion. Some of my pdf documents are over 100 pages. I like to use these documents separately for each of my customers and be able to take notes. Currently, it takes a while to load as I scroll through the pages. I would like the ability to have instant access to each of the pages as I scroll. Sometimes I have to scroll over the blank page multiple times before it loads. I’m not sure where the lag is but I would prefer no lag at all. If there is a way, please let me know. I use an iPad Pro large screen version.

by Team 7 Is Theeee Best

Recently downloaded this PDF Editor by Wondershare. PDFReader is very user friendly, with an easy set of tools to use. Anyone can download it and learn to use it quite easily. I like the fact that you can create your own PDF from scratch. The tools are simple and effective. I gave it 4 stars because when you try to share or export the PDF, it has a watermark. Other than that, it is a great tool for anyone to use!

by Jonjonathanmark

During this time of COVID19 it’s important to get your documents handled online as much as possible. PDFReader helped me do that. I tried to use the signature feature but it didn’t seem to work so what I did instead is use the other pen feature and just signed my name in that way. It was a little challenging to find the colors to change it from red to blue or black.
Blue or black is needed to fill out official documents so I don’t know why they wouldn’t make that the default color option. Other than that it’s good and helped with filling out these docs without having to print and scan it back and all of that. I would recommend this but be prepared to understand the interface which may feel like a doosey the first time around.

by Greggo48

Very powerful pdf editor for a reasonable price but purchase and registration process is deceptively unwieldy. I purchased the Pro version after using the ‘trial’ version for a week. After my purchase I followed what seemed like a straight forward download, install, and activation process (login). No luck!!! Instead I was greeted with the ‘trial’ version asking me to purchase PDFReader !!! Finally, after repeated downloads I have installed a working version of the purchased application. But, if I open a file form outside of PDFReader I get the ‘trial’ version??? A work in progress. Wondershare needs to shape up their web download. Presently using Mac OS Catalina with 2019 iMac.

Downloaded the

by Mwmdasher

I desperately needed to merge two PDF’d documents on my iPhone. I downloaded PDFReader, and once I figured it out, it was pretty easy. Both docs were saved in my file folder on my iPhone. The directions that came with app did NOT address how to do this so I will. Once the PDF’s & app are downloaded to your phone do this:
1. Open the document and tap on the share icon that looks like a little box with an arrow pointing up.
2. Select the PDFELEMENT icon and the document will be stored there.
3. Repeat step 2 for next PDF and it will be stored in PDFELEMENT also.
4. Open PDFELEMENT and click on paper looking icon in top right corner. It will change to a check mark.
5. Tap on the circles next to the two PDFs you just uploaded and want to merge.
6. At the bottom, of the page the word “merge” will appear and tap on it.
7. Share the newly merged documents to your file folder on your phone and from there you can rename it and upload to wherever you need.

That’s it. Hope PDFReader makers add these directions to PDFReader user manual.

by Aloudnoise

I really like this PDF editor. The annotation features are very good, although the box shape doesn’t seem to put an outline on the left side of the box (not a feature I use often).
The one feature I would really like to see is an iCloud icon on the left bar so that I could get to it more quickly. Or the ability to favorite an iCloud or Dropbox folder for quick access.
Other than that, I appreciate the simplicity of PDFReader . Some of the other PDF editors are so stuffed with features, that you spend most of your time trying to figure out where everything is.

by Fangirl_the_crimewriter

Okay, I never ever ever review apps, but I just had to review this one. During quarantine, I’ve had to get used to doing things online, same as everyone else. I don’t have access to a printer in my home, and the majority of the assignments I receive as a college student require you to either have a hard copy of the homework, or access to a PDF editor. I was really struggling with completing my homework until I found this editor. It’s fantastic. It does everything you could possibly need it to do. It allows you to add text, drawings, change color and font of the text, do multi-page editing, it’s a dream.

A WORD OF ADVICE: This took me a really long time to figure out. In order to edit a picture from your iPad, you have to click on the + sign in the top right hand corner, click on ‘Camera’, and then you can access any of your photos. After I figured this out, this has been the best product I could have hoped for, and meets all my needs. To top it all, it’s FREE!!!

Thank you so much to the developers of PDFReader, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate having a great free product to be able to utilize for college! 10/10 highly recommended.

by BLUEBUNNYG

The only con to PDFReader is that when you are placing signatures or checkboxes, the checkbox only minimizes so much. I wish it would minimize more to fit inside of the typical checkbox you would encounter inside a fillable form. The other problem is that those checkboxes and signatures can only move so far to the left or right before it runs into an invisible barrier. Signature lines are typically to the far left or far right of the page. This invisible border needs to be removed so that you can manipulate the signature or checkboxesWherever they need to be.

by RyanWasTaken2?

I’ve been using PDFReader for a couple of weeks now and while I’m unsure if there is a limit on the amount of files I can have uploaded at once (using free version), it is exactly what I was looking for. I work in sales and am able to upload my leads and mark on them accordingly, which has been great for keeping me organized. I’m learning more about it’s abilities as I go and am trusting the usefulness of PDFReader more and more. I learned today that separate documents can be merged into one; I learned that you can even edit the text of uploaded documents. It pretty much has everything I need! Now, if I could learn how to create folders I’d be even happier.

by Camper0414

Another fantastic app and software from Wondershare! PDFReader is a very clean and user friendly pdf reader that allows editing and annotations! Exactly what I needed! More importantly is the way Wondershare treats it user! I have many of their products and I have been so impressed. If a user needs help they have supports in place to help. They believe in their products unconditionally and will actually speak or chat with you to problem solve. In addition they want their product to work for the user! They even requested the document I was having trouble with and worked with me and truly listened to what I needed. They do not just ask what you would like the software to do, they actually do their very best to add the option to the next update! Wondershare is a company that remembers that technology should make people’s life easier and they work to keep you a user to their work.

by Roscoe Kid

Never heard of Wondershare until last year when I was tasked by my school to edit a flyer full of typos. Though one may consider this product expensive, it does so much more than edit typos. This is practically a suite of editing tools to make your vision come to life. I don’t know why I waited so long to review it, but now that version 8 is available, packing with it many more features, I must give credit where credit is due. Wondershare has a whole host of products that truly stand above the rest, whether we’re talking productivity, creativity, or even phone backups. Truly incredible, intuitive and important

by T.V. Diner

I was 1/3 of the way finished with a 14 page document, only to scroll back to the top to see than NONE of the written entries were there. I redid it thinking that I may have erred somewhere along the process. It happened again! I did page 1 and hit save; which PDFReader confirmed that it saved. It happened again. I typed my info in page one and printed page one. The written info didn’t appear, only the checked boxes. At least I can print the document. Unfortunately I’ll have to use one of those sticks with the ink in them to complete the forms.

by Smordred

PDFReader is ok but unfortunately I have the feeling that it has been ported to mac/ios rather than designed for mac/ios.

It has way to go, simple things such as hand off between devices, or side by side apps in iPad or drag & drop support, or apple files support are missing, it really helps having these options.

For a simple pdf app, these are a lot of features to miss. Still, only minor improvements might make it a real competition for pdf expert, which btw they really need one because their development is quite slow as a result of the lack of competition.

The “pro” mac version is a comparable option to adobe’s joke that they have to offer. And in fact it has a wider set of features than pdf expert’s mac counterpart. However, you still feel that PDFReader in mac is also ported from windows rather than designed for mac. You don’t even have pinch to zoom in the Mac version. Now, come on guys, I know you are better than that!

by @doncaprio

I do rate apps but I rarely write reviews. I am compelled to write this because I am impressed. I downloaded loads of PDF editing apps but all I could do was annotate. PDFReader is the only one that actually let me edit the texts directly. I send invoices as PDF and now, all I do is pick up an existing one, edit, and send. Works flawlessly for what I needed it for and it’s free! All I had to do was just create an account to enable saving the PDF file.

Please enable iOS 11 features like drag and drop, split screen, etc. That would make it perfect.

by Jonathan A.R.

I needed an alternative app for .pdf’s and PDFelement has done an admirable job so far, compared to Adobe Acrobat. I have a new iPad Air with the Apple Pencil. The program works quite well. I would like to see an improved highlighter, and more colors for both the highlighter and the pencil. Also, more Pencil capabilities would be a productive improvement to PDFReader. Overall, I prefer using PDFReader over the behemoth that is Acrobat. I look forward to future updates to PDFReader.

by Jasonshen1990

I used Goodreader for a while. After using the PDFelement in the OSX I decided to try this mobile version. It’s exact what I need. I can edit directly on the PDF file which is really useful. The UI is better than GoodReader as the font size is easy to read while it’s too small in GoodReader. It would be great if the PDFelement could support ppt or pptx file which is another format commonly used in my work. Hope you guys would think about it.