Readdle develops PDF Expert, a desktop and mobile application for PDF editing, annotation, and document management. This page aggregates customer ratings and reviews to help you understand shoppers' real experiences with the software's functionality, billing practices, and customer service.
Readdle Reviews
What Shoppers Say About Readdle
Readdle's PDF Expert receives predominantly negative feedback, with 14 shoppers rating it 1.9 out of 5. The most serious complaints center on billing practices, including unauthorized subscription charges that continued after cancellation, unexpected annual fees applied without clear consent, and customers reporting they had to block charges through their banks. Additionally, users who purchased lifetime licenses report frustration with feature restrictions following a new authentication system rollout, lack of guidance on license transfers when changing computers, and poor or nonexistent customer support responses to inquiries.
A small number of users report positive experiences with the software's core PDF functionality, describing it as reliable for essential tasks like page rearrangement, markup, text insertion, and document editing over extended periods. However, these positive reviews are significantly outweighed by reports of app malfunctions in 2024, unclear licensing terms, and what users perceive as a shift toward monetizing previously included features.
Customer Reviews (14)
Sorted by: Most recentI stopped my subscription but they kept billing me month after month, so I had to block the charges with my bank.
I bought a lifetime license thinking I was getting a good deal, but I've been really let down. When I got a new computer, I couldn't transfer the license without deactivating it on the old one first. I got a notification about this, but there was zero guidance on the actual process. I've emailed their support multiple times and gotten nothing back. As someone paying for their product, this neglect is frustrating. If you're offering lifetime licenses, you should make it straightforward for people to move licenses between computers when they upgrade. I hope they take this seriously and make real improvements to how they handle customer assistance.
It's a solid PDF application with room for improvement. I've relied on it for years while working on restoring vintage sheet music documents. I see some people leave poor reviews, but my experience has been quite different. The software covers all the core functions you'd want like rearranging pages, copying, pasting, marking up, and inserting text. There are some odd design choices that don't follow typical Mac conventions, like needing to drag from a secondary toolbar to move windows around, which gets annoying. I've flagged this, but the developers haven't shown much interest. It would be amazing if it included things like alignment tools for straightening elements or the ability to grab and reposition items freely. While there's definitely room for growth, it remains the best Mac PDF solution I've found.
After they rolled out the authentication system on the app, they restricted a bunch of features that used to be available without paying extra, even though I own a lifetime license.
It's been junk since 2024. The app is broken and won't work. Threw away 150 bucks on nothing.
I never agreed to any subscription for this service or signed up for the 39.99 pound yearly charge. I just uploaded some photos as PDFs through their tool and there was nothing that indicated I'd be subscribing to anything, let alone getting hit with an annual fee. How did this happen?
Updates required practically every other day or it stops functioning. Absolutely annoying.
Honestly, this product is a total rip-off. I can't even get basic document signing to work. Zero customer service either. Seriously, stay far away from this.
After an update, the paid version of this app suddenly started requiring account registration. The software won't function at all without it, and I have no interest in creating an account. I think the company is pulling some shady marketing tactics to force paying customers into signing up for accounts they don't really need, just so they can gather data about us. An app that worked perfectly for me and that I purchased with a permanent license has now been rendered useless, disrupting what I do and forcing me to find an alternative. Plus, they won't let you access previous app versions. This is really disappointing.
I've been working on Macs for over a decade. For a long time, the built-in Preview tool was sufficient. As I needed more capabilities, I spent considerable time looking for software that offered comprehensive features at a fair price. PDF Expert checked all those boxes. The toolkit is extensive and robust. For me personally, standout features include the ability to build custom signature and stamp collections, plus the option to quickly shrink oversized PDF files. What really sets them apart though is their outstanding customer support. They respond quickly and thoughtfully. You get the sense that they genuinely value having you as a customer.