What is the best iPad app to edit PDFs instead of GoodReader?

September 4, 2013 2:03 PM

My partner regularly edits PDFs for clients and doesn't like the functionality of GoodReader which she is currently using. Is there a better option out there?

She underlines, circles words, writes in the margins etc with the red "pen" tool using a stylus. GoodReader is just a bit clunky and not always quick to pull up menus. Note: The app needs to be able to have an email function on it as well to send the final edited PDF. Thanks!

posted by timpanogos to Technology (11 answers total)

I like Foxit but its free capabilities might not offer the experience you're hoping for.
posted by stubbehtail at 2:44 PM on September 4, 2013

I like EZ PDF Reader. I've only used the Android version, but there is an iPad version available.
posted by MeatheadBrokeMyChair at 3:00 PM on September 4, 2013

Notability rocks my world. I read dozens of papers and dissertations and book manuscripts and administrative documents a semester and have to edit them, keep track of unfinished work, send them to students and colleagues with annotations, and file and keep track of them. Notability has worked wonders for this purpose, way better than iAnnotate for me (what I was using before). It has both DropBox and GoogleDrive sync, which are crucial features, and the annotation tools are marvelous. They just released an iPhone version at last too.

I honestly don't know how I worked without it. When people tell me iPads are for consuming media and not for productivity, I just picture my Notability document queue and laugh. It's been a huge productivity booster for me. Other apps have the same features, but this one is really elegantly designed (and constantly improved, each version has been a kickass upgrade).
posted by spitbull at 3:44 PM on September 4, 2013 [1 favorite]

PDFpen.
posted by entropicamericana at 3:45 PM on September 4, 2013

Spitbull, as an iAnnotate user (and I seconded the recommendation above) I'd find it useful if you'd sketch Notability's advantages over iAnnotate, and I imagine it would help the asker think about what features to look for as well.
posted by yoink at 3:48 PM on September 4, 2013

Boy, it's been two years since I switched, so I can't really say I remember my dissatisfactions with iAnnotate, but for a while I was using both and just always preferred Notability for having a more intuitive interface and (at the time) more features. I'd have to look at the current state of iAnnotate to be fair to it. But in any case, those are the two apps most of my colleagues who use iPads for reading/annotating scholarly texts use. And I've converted more than a few of them to Notability just by suggesting they try it. My big issue with Notability had been the lack of an iPhone version, but they just came out with that. I don't use it for reading and annotating, but for managing the queue it's helpful.

Here's a nice review of Notability from a medical transcription point of view.

The other thing that makes the biggest difference is the stylus you use. I've settled on kensington as my favorite brand, but they come in all flavors and at many price points and it's a very personal decision. If you're giving a gift to someone who uses an iPad for writing, a selection of different styli would be a thoughtful idea. I've tried much more expensive ones than the ones that are my favorite these days that I didn't like as much (although I find the really cheap ones useless).
posted by spitbull at 3:55 PM on September 4, 2013

I use both iAnnotate and Notability. Both have the advantage of being easier to use than Good Reader. Good Reader's problem for me is that it is almost too feature rich (too many options and steps). Don't get me wrong, I like GoodReader a lot and still use it but not for my standard workflow. Notability has very smooth support of dropbox, gdrive and other apps like twitter, box, iTunes and WebDav. You can also push the document you are working on into another app of your choice. The PDF markups show up fine in Acrobat Reader. iAnnotate has stepped its game and provides also smooth integration and many of the same features. Both have a nice, easy UI for going through your files. iAnnotate is more feature rich with outline, bookmarks and annotation tracking. Notability lets you do voice notes with the documents you are marking up.

Here is the kicker, bang for the buck, I would go with Notability since it is 99 cents. Yep, less than a dollar for a complete PDF reading annotation workflow. iAnnotate's game has improved and provides certain more power features e.g., multiple tabs, but you are paying more at ~$10 though it is for right now, free on Android (free is hard to beat).

It is just a matter of UI preference and what power features you may want, but both are excellent and have made my life more pleasant.
posted by jadepearl at 6:00 PM on September 4, 2013

I note that iAnnotate offers voice annotation, now. It didn't use to and that was one reason I switched.
posted by spitbull at 7:01 PM on September 4, 2013

The voice notation is kind of tucked way. There is more upfront labor tweaking iAnnotate to custom desires. I liked notability for the more simple UI that had me doing work in a very short amount of time. It was very simple no fuss, no muss working in Notability..
posted by jadepearl at 7:47 PM on September 4, 2013

PDF Expert
posted by professor plum with a rope at 2:29 AM on September 5, 2013

iPad + PdfPen = Happiness.
posted by blue_beetle at 7:23 AM on September 5, 2013