“Can you sign and send back this PDF?”

You’re on your phone. Away from a computer.

Do you: A) Wait until you get home B) Print, sign, scan (in 2025?) C) Use an app that actually works

Let’s talk about option C.

What You Actually Need

Most people need exactly 4 PDF capabilities on mobile:

  1. Sign documents — Add your signature without printing
  2. Fill forms — Put text in form fields
  3. Merge PDFs — Combine multiple documents
  4. Annotate — Highlight, underline, add comments

That’s it. Everything else is nice-to-have.

The Options

Files App (iOS Built-in)

What it does: Basic markup. Simple signature. That’s about it.

What it doesn’t: Merge. Split. Fill forms. OCR.

Verdict: Fine for signing one page. Useless for real work.

Adobe Acrobat

What it does: Everything. The full PDF suite.

What’s the catch: Subscription. Expensive. Also slow and bloated.

Verdict: Overkill for most people. But if you need professional features, it’s the standard.

PDF Expert

What it does: All the essentials. Fast. Good interface.

What’s the catch: One-time purchase (good) but not cheap.

Verdict: Best for power users willing to pay more.

Small PDF / iLovePDF

What it does: Online converters with mobile apps.

What’s the catch: Uploads to servers. Privacy concerns. Subscription nagging.

Verdict: Convenient but not private.

What to Look For

Offline capability

Can you work without internet? If the app uploads everything to servers, your data isn’t private and you’re stuck without connection.

Signing workflow

How many taps to add a signature? Good apps: 2-3 taps. Bad apps: 5+ taps plus creating an account.

Merge and split

Combining PDFs should be drag and drop. Splitting should be visual. Not buried in menus.

Export options

Can you save to Files? Share to any app? Auto-upload to cloud storage?

No subscription pressure

Constant upsells ruin the experience. The best apps let you work in peace.

The Sweet Spot

You don’t need the $15/month Adobe subscription.

You need something that:

  • Works offline
  • Signs quickly
  • Merges easily
  • Doesn’t nag you

The App

I built PDFast because every option was either too expensive, too slow, or too annoying.

Scan documents. Sign with your finger. Merge multiple PDFs. Split pages. Export anywhere.

Desktop-level PDF power. In your pocket.

— Dolce