I built PageBuddy because I wanted to read PDFs on my iPad the way I read a physical book. I kept running into the same problem: PDF apps treat reading and writing as two different activities. You read in one mode, switch to annotation mode when you want to write, switch back when you want to continue reading — and suddenly the interface is getting in the way of the book. I was also frustrated by how often PDF apps clutter the page with menus and toolbars. When I want to read, I want to see the book — not an editor interface. So I tried something simpler: what if there were no modes at all? With PageBuddy, Apple Pencil is always a pencil, and your finger is always your finger. You can read, underline, write in the margins, search, select text, turn pages, and keep going without changing modes. I also didn't want another app that imports your books into its own library. Your PDFs stay in your folders. PageBuddy simply builds a reading experience on top of them, while reading progress and annotations sync through iCloud. It started as a personal experiment and gradually became a full PDF reader. No accounts, no subscription, and no trial. PageBuddy is completely free. I'd really love to hear from people who use an iPad as their reading and study device: what do you wish your current PDF reader did differently?

PageBuddy - PDF Reader & Notes

Read PDFs. Annotate with Apple Pencil. No mode switching.

Read PDFs. Annotate with Apple Pencil. No mode switching.