PDF Creator Pro by Xingying Tech does the basics of the PDF creation job. It marks up documents, scans images to PDF, splits pages, merges files, and holds deleted files in a seven-day recycle bin. That is a useful bundle, especially for the price (free with ads). It also sits on a small developer footprint, a fairly thin scanner, and no cloud sync worth calling a workflow.
If you find yourself opening the app once a week to build or fix a PDF, the frictions add up. Ad breaks between actions, no OCR on scanned pages, no easy way to move files between your phone and laptop. There is a full bench of PDF Creator Pro alternatives on Android that cover creation, scanning and editing without those trade offs. We tested seven and ranked them on scan quality, editing depth, and how they handle multi-device workflows.
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | Free plan | Starting price | Standout |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xodo | Free creation and editing in one app | Yes, full editor | Free, paid Pro available | Merge, split, sign and annotate for free |
| iLovePDF | Web integrated PDF toolkit | Yes, generous | Around $4/mo | Tight sync with iLovePDF.com |
| CamScanner | Serious document scanning | Yes, limited | Around $5/mo | Best OCR on Android |
| Foxit PDF Editor | Cross-platform PDF power | Yes, viewer | Around $10/mo | Editor parity with desktop |
| Microsoft Lens | Free scanning from Microsoft | Yes, fully free | Free | Whiteboard and document modes |
| PDFelement | Pro editor for text and images | Yes, viewer | Around $8/mo | Real text editing on mobile |
| KDAN PDF Reader | Annotation and study workflows | Yes, viewer | Around $5/mo | Best-in-class annotation tools |
Why people leave PDF Creator Pro
Ads interrupt the workflow. The app is ad supported at the free tier, and the ads land between actions like save, share and split. If your usual use is a five-step edit, that is four ad breaks in a minute. It works, but it wears.
The scanner is basic. PDF Creator Pro scans images to PDF, but there is no OCR, no reliable auto-crop, and no page-detection quality that competes with CamScanner or Microsoft Lens. Scans come out as image-only PDFs that you cannot search or copy text from.
No cloud sync means no laptop hand off. Files stay on the phone unless you manually share them. There is no Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive or iCloud integration, so any workflow that ends on a laptop needs an extra AirDrop, upload, or email step.
Small developer, thin update cadence. Xingying Tech maintains a single PDF utility on Play. That is not a red flag on its own, but bigger tools like Xodo, Adobe or Foxit ship security and Android compatibility updates on a much faster clock. Users on newer Android versions have flagged the odd rendering bug that lingers between updates.
The best PDF Creator Pro alternatives
Xodo, best free creation and editing in one app
Xodo covers everything PDF Creator Pro does (mark up, split, merge, scan to PDF) and adds real editing, form filling, signing and compression on top. All of that sits in the free tier with no ad interruptions during the flow.
Xodo vs PDF Creator Pro is close on the create-and-mark-up job and much wider once you also want to edit or sign. Xodo also has cloud connectors for Google Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive, which fixes the biggest PDF Creator Pro limitation for anyone who works across devices.
Where it falls short: OCR sits behind Xodo Pro. The scanner is decent but not as good as CamScanner or Microsoft Lens for stack-of-receipts work.
Pricing:
- Free: Editor, sign, merge, split, compress, convert, cloud connectors
- Pro: Cloud sync, OCR, team features (paid tier)
- vs PDF Creator Pro: Ad free, wider feature set, includes real editing
Migrating from PDF Creator Pro: Point Xodo at your local PDF folder and files appear in the recent list. Nothing proprietary to export.
Bottom line: The default replacement for anyone who used PDF Creator Pro for occasional creation and mark up.
iLovePDF, best web integrated PDF toolkit
iLovePDF started as a browser tool and the Android app carries that DNA. Every job (merge, split, compress, convert, rotate, watermark, sign) is a task-first flow: pick your files, pick your job, run it, share. Files sync with iLovePDF.com, so a job you started on the phone can finish on a laptop and vice versa.
iLovePDF vs PDF Creator Pro is a clear upgrade on the toolkit side (many more PDF operations) and on the multi-device side. The trade is that the phone UI is more task oriented than viewer oriented, so casual PDF reading is not its strength.
Where it falls short: The free tier caps file size and daily task count. Some tools are pro only. Reading experience is minimal compared to a dedicated viewer.
Pricing:
- Free: Most tools, with file-size and daily-task caps
- Premium: Around $4/mo for unlimited task use and larger files
- vs PDF Creator Pro: Broader toolkit, real cross-device sync, subscription needed for heavy use
Migrating from PDF Creator Pro: Open iLovePDF, tap the tool you need (merge, split, etc.), pick your PDF from local storage. Files created stay on the device and optionally sync to your iLovePDF account.
Bottom line: Best pick if the PDF work moves between your phone and a browser tab.
CamScanner, best serious document scanning
CamScanner is the app to reach for when the scan quality matters. Auto page detection, perspective correction, batch mode, and OCR that actually returns editable text set it apart from every generic PDF-creator app. Scanned PDFs come out searchable, not as flat images.
CamScanner vs PDF Creator Pro is a large jump on the scanning side. PDF Creator Pro converts images to PDF; CamScanner scans documents to PDF with the text layer intact. That difference matters the first time you try to Ctrl-F a receipt.
Where it falls short: The free tier has ads and a small watermark on some exports. OCR beyond a few languages sits behind the subscription. There have been past privacy incidents (a 2019 SDK issue), so weigh the developer track record if the content is sensitive.
Pricing:
- Free: Scanning, basic OCR, some ads and watermark
- Paid: Around $5/mo for no watermark, more OCR languages, cloud storage
- vs PDF Creator Pro: Much stronger scanning and OCR; subscription required to remove ads
Migrating from PDF Creator Pro: Install, scan a fresh document, and use CamScanner from that point on. There is no need to import existing PDFs; they still live in your regular file browser.
Bottom line: The right pick when scanning documents is the main reason you had PDF Creator Pro installed.
Foxit PDF Editor, best cross-platform PDF power
Foxit PDF Editor is the commercial route to serious PDF creation and editing on mobile. It handles text and image edits, redaction, form filling, and signatures, and its file library syncs across Android, iOS, Windows and Mac. If Foxit already runs on a laptop in your workflow, the mobile app slots in cleanly.
Foxit vs PDF Creator Pro is a full step up: fewer ads (basically none), real editing, better rendering, cross-device library. The trade is a subscription for the pro tools and a heavier install.
Where it falls short: Free tier is essentially a viewer with basic annotations. UI takes longer to learn than Xodo or iLovePDF.
Pricing:
- Free: Viewer plus basic annotations
- Paid: Around $10/mo for editing, redaction, form filling
- vs PDF Creator Pro: Real editing on the pro tier; no ads at any tier
Migrating from PDF Creator Pro: Install Foxit, sign in if you use it on desktop, and local PDFs plus your synced files appear side by side.
Bottom line: Best if you want desktop-grade PDF editing with a matching mobile app.
Microsoft Lens, best free scanning from Microsoft
Microsoft Lens (formerly Office Lens) is a fully free scanner from Microsoft, with document, whiteboard and business card modes. It exports to PDF, JPEG, Word, PowerPoint and OneNote, and its OCR is solid for English and major European languages. Because it lives in the Microsoft 365 world, results push straight to OneDrive.
Microsoft Lens vs PDF Creator Pro is a targeted comparison: the scanning side of the job is much stronger, and it is free with no ads. The trade is Lens is scan first, so mark up and page management for non-scanned PDFs are not really its job.
Where it falls short: Not a general PDF viewer or editor. Best used alongside another app for reading and editing.
Pricing:
- Free: Fully free with no ads
- Optional: A Microsoft 365 subscription unlocks more OneDrive space
- vs PDF Creator Pro: Better scanning, free, no ads; not a full PDF toolkit
Migrating from PDF Creator Pro: Install Lens, use it for new scans, keep another app for reading and editing existing PDFs.
Bottom line: The free scanner pick, especially if you already live in Microsoft 365.
PDFelement, best pro editor for text and images
PDFelement by Wondershare is a dedicated PDF editor with strong text and image editing on Android. Change body copy, swap an image, redact a section, or reorganize pages, all on the phone. It also syncs with the Wondershare desktop app, so an edit on the phone flows to the laptop.
PDFelement vs PDF Creator Pro is a straight editing upgrade. PDF Creator Pro marks up on top of a PDF; PDFelement rewrites the PDF itself. That matters when the file is a contract that needs a rewrite, not just a comment.
Where it falls short: The free tier is basically a viewer. Some export features and unlimited use are pro only. Not the fastest app on older phones.
Pricing:
- Free: Viewing and light annotation
- Paid: Around $8/mo for full editing
- vs PDF Creator Pro: Real body-text and image editing on the pro tier
Migrating from PDF Creator Pro: Install, open your local PDFs, and the editor works on them directly. Wondershare accounts sync the file list to the desktop app.
Bottom line: Best if the job is real PDF editing, not just annotation.
KDAN PDF Reader, best annotation and study workflows
KDAN PDF Reader is a PDF app that leans hard into annotation and study workflows. Highlighting, freehand ink, sticky notes, form fill and shape tools all feel polished, and its bookmark and outline tools are useful for people reading long PDFs. KDAN also has a Chromebook and iPad app, so annotations sync across screens.
KDAN vs PDF Creator Pro is a swap of “create and merge” for “annotate and study.” If your typical use is reading and marking up textbooks, research papers or long contracts, KDAN feels considerably better than a generic creator.
Where it falls short: File creation from images is not its strongest module. Some scanner and OCR features sit behind a subscription. The free tier is limited.
Pricing:
- Free: Viewing, basic annotation
- Paid: Around $5/mo for full annotation and cloud sync
- vs PDF Creator Pro: Deeper annotation, cross-device sync; less focused on scan-to-PDF
Migrating from PDF Creator Pro: Install, point KDAN at your PDF folder, and existing files load with their pages intact. Any annotation you add lives inside KDAN’s own document layer.
Bottom line: Best pick for annotation-heavy readers, especially students.
How to choose
Pick Xodo if you want a free replacement that covers what PDF Creator Pro does plus real editing, signing and cloud connectors. It is the default landing for most users.
Pick iLovePDF if you use both the browser and the phone. The sync between the app and iLovePDF.com is smooth, and the task-first UI matches how most PDF jobs actually work.
Pick CamScanner or Microsoft Lens if scanning is why you had PDF Creator Pro installed. Lens is free and strong; CamScanner is more powerful and has better OCR, at a subscription cost.
Pick Foxit PDF Editor or PDFelement if you edit contracts, not just annotate them. Foxit is better on cross-platform parity; PDFelement is stronger on pure text-and-image editing.
Pick KDAN PDF Reader if you spend hours reading and marking up long PDFs. Its annotation tools sit above anything else on this list.
Stay on PDF Creator Pro only if you use it once or twice a month for very small jobs and truly do not mind the ads. For a regular workflow, any of the seven above is less friction on day one.
FAQ
Is PDF Creator Pro safe to use?
The Aptoide listing marks it as “Trusted” and its Play signature is valid. The concerns are not the binary but the free-tier ad flow, absent OCR, and a small developer footprint. It is fine for infrequent use. For daily PDF work or sensitive documents most users prefer an alternative with a longer developer track record.
What is the best free alternative to PDF Creator Pro?
Xodo is the best free full-featured pick, covering markup, merge, split, compression, signing and free cloud connectors. Microsoft Lens is the best free scanner. Both cost zero and neither runs the ad breaks that PDF Creator Pro does.
Can I scan documents and get searchable text?
Yes. CamScanner and Microsoft Lens both run OCR on scans. CamScanner has stronger OCR on the paid tier; Lens is fully free and covers major languages well. Xodo also has OCR, but on the paid tier.
What is the difference between PDF Creator Pro and Xodo?
PDF Creator Pro focuses on markup, image-to-PDF conversion and simple merges, with an ad-supported free tier. Xodo covers all of that plus real PDF editing, form filling, signing, compression and cloud connectors, and does it without ads. Xodo is the wider free tool of the two.
How do I keep my PDFs across my phone and laptop?
Pick an app with cloud sync. Xodo connects to Google Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive. iLovePDF syncs to iLovePDF.com. Foxit and PDFelement both have their own sync with a matching desktop app. PDF Creator Pro does not sync, which is why file hand off is one of the most cited reasons users switch.
