How to Use PDF Expert: Maximize Productivity in 2026

Quick Start

This guide covers every PDF Expert feature:

• Getting Started — Create your account and set up the app
• How to Use Edit PDFs — Rewrite text and resize images directly on the page
• How to Use Annotate PDFs — Highlight, underline, and strike through anything on the page
• How to Use Markup & Notes — Draw shapes and leave sticky notes anywhere on the page
• How to Use Convert PDFs — Swap between Word, Excel, image files, and PDF in a few clicks
• How to Use Sign PDFs — Add a saved signature to contracts and invoices in seconds
• How to Use Comment PDFs — Leave threaded feedback without changing the original layout
• How to Use Add Images — Place logos and photos anywhere, then crop or rotate them
• How to Use Manage Pages — Rearrange, rotate, delete, or split pages from one grid view
• How to Use Merge PDFs — Combine a collection of files into one clean document

Time needed: 5 minutes per feature

Also in this guide: Pro Tips | Common Mistakes | Troubleshooting | Pricing | Alternatives

Why Trust This Guide

I’ve used PDF Expert for two years on a Mac, an iPad, and an iPhone.

Every step below came from real files, not vendor screenshots.

PDF Expert is one of the fastest PDF tools you can run on a Mac.

But most people only ever open a file and scroll.

This How to Use PDF Expert guide shows you how to use every major feature.

Step by step, with screenshots and pro tips.

PDF Expert Tutorial

This PDF Expert tutorial walks through every PDF task, from your first file to advanced page work.

PDF Expert

Edit, annotate, and sign documents on your Mac, iPad, and iPhone. PDF Expert makes heavy files open in a blink and keeps your work stored offline. Try it free before you buy.

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Getting Started with PDF Expert

Do this one-time setup before you open any of the tools.

It takes about three minutes.

Here is what the app looks like in daily use:

Now let’s walk through each step.

Step 1: Create Your Account

Go to the PDF Expert website and click Free Trial.

Enter your email and create a password.

✓ Checkpoint: Check your inbox for a confirmation email.

Step 2: Download the App

Download PDF Expert for Mac, or grab the iOS app for iPad and iPhone.

There is no PC version, so Windows users need a different reader.

Here’s what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: You should see the file browser on your screen.

Step 3: Connect Your Storage

Link Dropbox, iCloud, or Google Drive so you can easily access every file.

The iOS version also keeps files stored locally inside the app.

How to Edit PDFs in PDF Expert

Edit PDFs lets you change text, fix typos, and swap images inside any PDF file.

Here’s how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Open Your File

Open the PDF file you want to change.

Drag it onto the app icon or use File then Open.

Step 2: Click Edit in the Toolbar

Click Edit in the toolbar at the top of your screen.

Here’s what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: The text block turns into an editable box with a blue border.

Step 3: Click Any Text Block

Click any paragraph and start typing.

How to Annotate PDFs in PDF Expert

Annotate PDFs lets you highlight text, underline key lines, and mark up scanned documents.

Here’s how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Switch to the Annotate Tab

Open your file and click Annotate in the toolbar.

All the annotation tools sit in one row here.

Step 2: Pick a Highlighter Color

Click the highlighter icon and choose a color.

Here’s what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: Your selected text carries a colored band across it.

Step 3: Drag Across the Text

Drag your cursor across the words you want to keep.

How to Use PDF Expert Markup & Notes

Markup & Notes lets you draw freehand, drop sticky notes, and write in the margins.

Here’s how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Choose the Pen Tool

Click the pen in the Annotate toolbar.

Step 2: Draw or Add a Note

Draw on the page, or click the note icon to type.

Here’s what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: A small yellow marker appears wherever you placed notes.

Step 3: Save Your Markup

Press Command S to save your work.

How to Convert PDFs in PDF Expert

Convert PDFs lets you turn Word, Excel, or image files into PDFs and back again.

Here’s how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Open the File Menu

Click File then Convert with your document open.

You can also drag a JPG or PNG onto the app to create a PDF.

Step 2: Pick Your Output Format

Choose DOC, image, or text as your output format.

Here’s what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: A progress bar runs, then the converted file opens automatically.

Step 3: Export and Save

Click Convert, then pick where to save the new file.

How to Sign PDFs in PDF Expert

Sign PDFs lets you sign documents in seconds without printing a single page.

Here’s how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Open the Annotate Tab

Click Annotate, then click the signature icon.

There are three simple ways to sign a PDF agreement or invoice.

Step 2: Create Your Signature

Draw with your trackpad, type it, or scan a paper copy.

Here’s what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: Your signature sits on the page with a movable frame around it.

Step 3: Drop It on the Line

Drag the signature onto the signature line and resize it.

How to Comment in PDF Expert PDFs

Comment PDFs lets you leave feedback for teammates without touching the original layout.

Here’s how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Select the Text

Highlight text you want to question or praise.

Step 2: Click Add Comment

Click Add Comment in the popup menu and type your note.

Here’s what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: A comment bubble appears in the right corner of the page.

Step 3: Share the File

Send the file to your team and let them reply inline.

How to Add PDF Expert Images

Add Images lets you drop logos, photos, or screenshots onto any page you like.

Here’s how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Click Edit Then Image

Open Edit in the toolbar and click Image.

Step 2: Choose Your File

Pick an image from your computer and click Open.

Here’s what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: The image sits on the page with handles on every corner.

Step 3: Position and Crop

Drag the corner handles to resize, then rotate if needed.

How to Manage PDF Expert Pages

Manage Pages lets you rearrange, rotate, delete, or split pages in one view.

Here’s how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Open Thumbnail View

Click the thumbnails icon in the top left corner.

Step 2: Drag Pages Into Order

Drag any page to a new spot to rearrange the file.

Right click a page to rotate, delete, or extract it.

Here’s what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: Page numbers renumber themselves after every move.

Step 3: Save the New Order

Press Command S to lock in the new page order.

How to Merge PDFs in PDF Expert

Merge PDFs lets you combine a collection of separate files into one clean document.

Here’s how to use it step by step.

Step 1: Open the First File

Open the PDF that should sit at the front.

Step 2: Drag the Others In

Open thumbnail view and drag your other PDFs onto it.

Here’s what this looks like:

✓ Checkpoint: All pages from both files show in a single thumbnail strip.

Step 3: Export the Merged File

Click File then Export to save the combined document.

PDF Expert Pro Tips and Shortcuts

After two years of daily use, these are the shortcuts I reach for most.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Hidden Features Most People Miss

• Redaction: Hide addresses or credit card numbers before you share a file.
• AI summaries: Summarize long documents, pull key points, and create keywords.
• Offline translation: Translate whole PDFs on iOS 18 or newer without sending data out.
• Password protection: Lock a file so only the right people can open it.

PDF Expert Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake #1: Editing a Scan Without OCR

Mistake #2: Flattening Every File Before Sharing

Mistake #3: Rebuilding PDF Forms From Scratch

PDF Expert Troubleshooting

Problem: Text Won’t Edit

Cause: The page is an image from a scanner, not real text.

Fix: Open File, run OCR, wait for the scan to finish, then edit.

Problem: Fonts Change After Editing

Cause: The original font is not installed on your device.

Fix: Install the font, or pick the closest match from the format menu.

Problem: Changes Are Missing on Another Device

Cause: The file synced before your last save finished.

Fix: Save again, wait for the cloud icon to clear, then reopen the document.

📌 Note: If none of these fix your issue, contact PDF Expert support.

What is PDF Expert?

PDF Expert is a PDF editor and reader built for iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

Think of it like a word processor that finally speaks PDF.

Watch this quick overview:

Apple named it App of the Year Runner-up and gave it an Editors‘ Choice badge.

It includes these key features:

• Edit PDFs: Rewrite text and resize images directly on the page
• Annotate PDFs: Highlight, underline, and strike through anything on the page
• Markup & Notes: Draw shapes and leave sticky notes anywhere on the page
• Convert PDFs: Swap between Word, Excel, image files, and PDF in a few clicks
• Sign PDFs: Add a saved signature to contracts and invoices in seconds
• Comment PDFs: Leave threaded feedback without changing the original layout
• Add Images: Place logos and photos anywhere, then crop or rotate them
• Manage Pages: Rearrange, rotate, delete, or split pages from one grid view
• Merge PDFs: Combine a collection of files into one clean document

All the tools are grouped into toolbar sections you can explore when you open any file.

For a full review, see our PDF Expert review.

PDF Expert Pricing

Here’s what PDF Expert costs in 2026:

Free trial: Yes — try the app before you pay anything.

Money-back guarantee: Yes — refunds run through the App Store or Setapp.

💰 Best Value: Lifetime — it pays for itself in under two years.

PDF Expert vs Alternatives

How does PDF Expert compare? Here’s the landscape:

Quick picks:

• Best overall: PDF Expert — fastest way to edit PDFs on Mac.
• Best budget: DocHub — free tier handles light signing and edits.
• Best for beginners: PDF Expert — the toolbar explains itself.
• Best for Windows: Foxit — built for PC-first offices.

🎯 PDF Expert Alternatives

Looking for PDF Expert alternatives? Here are the top options:

• 🚀 Foxit: Fast reader with strong PDF editing and team collaboration for Windows-heavy offices.
• 💰 Pdffiller: Browser-based tool built to fill out forms and collect signatures without any download.
• 🔧 TenorShare: Budget desktop suite that repairs, unlocks, and converts PDFs on Windows and Mac.
• 🏢 PDFelement: Full desktop editor with batch processing, form building, and enterprise licensing.
• 💼 Nitro PDF: Business-focused platform with e-signature workflows and document analytics built in.
• ⚡ DocHub: Free web app that signs and edits PDFs straight from Gmail and Google Drive.
• 🧠 UPDF: Affordable cross-platform editor with AI summaries and unlimited device activation.

For the full list, see our PDF Expert alternatives guide.

⚔️ PDF Expert Compared

Here’s how PDF Expert stacks up against each competitor:

• PDF Expert vs Foxit: Foxit covers Windows better. PDF Expert wins on Mac, iPad, and iPhone speed.
• PDF Expert vs Pdffiller: Pdffiller works fully online. PDF Expert works offline and feels faster on a Mac.
• PDF Expert vs TenorShare: TenorShare fixes broken files well. PDF Expert is the easiest way to edit daily.
• PDF Expert vs PDFelement: PDFelement has deeper batch tools. PDF Expert has a cleaner, faster interface.
• PDF Expert vs Nitro PDF: Nitro suits large teams. PDF Expert suits individuals and small business users.
• PDF Expert vs DocHub: DocHub is free and quick. PDF Expert handles heavy files without a browser tab.
• PDF Expert vs UPDF: UPDF costs less across devices. PDF Expert feels more native on iOS and Mac.

Start Using PDF Expert Now

You learned how to use every major PDF Expert feature:

• ✅ Edit PDFs
• ✅ Annotate PDFs
• ✅ Markup & Notes
• ✅ Convert PDFs
• ✅ Sign PDFs
• ✅ Comment PDFs
• ✅ Add Images
• ✅ Manage Pages
• ✅ Merge PDFs

Next step: Pick one feature and try it now.

Most people start with Edit PDFs.

It takes less than 5 minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is PDF Expert free to use?

PDF Expert offers a free trial and a free reader mode. Editing, signing, and converting need a paid plan, priced weekly, yearly, or as a one-time lifetime purchase.

Can a PDF Expert edit a PDF?

Yes. PDF Expert edits text, images, and links directly on the page. Scanned documents need optical character recognition first, which the app runs in a few seconds.

What is the difference between Adobe Acrobat and PDF Expert?

Acrobat runs everywhere and costs more monthly. PDF Expert is Mac and iOS only, opens heavy files faster, and offers a lifetime licence instead of a subscription.

How to copy and paste on PDF Expert?

Select text, press Command C, then Command V where you want it. You can also right click the selection and choose Copy from the menu.

Is PDF Expert worth it?

For daily Mac, iPad, and iPhone users, yes. The lifetime price beats two years of most subscriptions, and the app handles almost every PDF task without extra software.