A ChatPDF alternative built for iPhone

ChatPDF is a popular web tool for asking questions about PDFs. If you'd rather have a native iPhone app that also scans paper, keeps your documents on-device, and cites the exact page on every answer — that's PDFChat AI.

Try PDFChat AI free

How PDFChat AI compares

An honest look — both tools let you chat with PDFs. The difference is where and how.

	PDFChat AI	Typical web PDF chat
Platform	Native iPhone app (iOS 17+)	Web browser
Scan paper / handwriting	Yes — camera + OCR	Usually upload-only
Page citations	On every answer	Varies
Where documents live	On your device by default	On the provider's servers
One-tap AI agents	Contract · Study · Research · Finance	Generic chat
Start without an account	Yes — free tier	Often requires sign-up

Why people switch to a native app

• Paper happens. Letters, forms, printed handouts — point the camera and ask. OCR reads handwriting too.
• Verify, don't trust. Every answer cites the exact page, so you can check the source in one tap.
• Privacy by default. Documents stay on your iPhone; AI processing is opt-in and only sends the text needed to answer.
• Agents, not blank prompts. Tap "Contract" and it surfaces red flags and auto-renewals — no prompt-crafting.

FAQ

Is it free? Start free with no account — 1 document, 5 AI actions and your first agent. Unlimited use is $29.99/year (3-day free trial) or $4.99/week. Cancel anytime.

Does it work offline-first? Documents stay on device; only the text needed to answer goes through a secure proxy, with your consent.

What formats? PDF, DOCX, RTF, TXT — plus anything you can photograph.

Download on the App Store