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Productivity · head to head

PDF Expert vs Tana

PDF Expert logo

PDF Expert

Productivity

PDF Expert puts Adobe Acrobat to shame

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Tana logo

Tana

Productivity

The everything app for your personal workspace

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Tana has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: PDF Expert pricing displayed in AED (United Arab Emirates Dirham), not widely recognized currency; Tana the free plan hosts only 5 meetings a month with AI transcripts and summaries
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which PDF Expert and Tana actually diverge.

Attributes where PDF Expert and Tana differ
AttributePDF ExpertTana
Starting priceOn requestFree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWeb, Desktop
FoundedUnknown2020

Identical on both: pricing model (subscription), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Productivity).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in PDF Expert

Nothing recorded that Tana does not also cover.

Only in Tana

  • Outliner interface
  • Supertags
  • Live queries
  • AI integration
  • Graph views
  • Email capture
  • API
  • Zapier

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

PDF Expert

  • PDF editing and annotationnot Tana
  • Document conversion to PDFnot Tana
  • PDF text recognition (OCR)not Tana
  • Digital document signaturesnot Tana
  • Cross-device PDF managementnot Tana

Tana

  • Structured note taking with a graph based supertag data modelnot PDF Expert
  • Automatic meeting capture with AI transcripts and summariesnot PDF Expert
  • Turning notes into queryable structured databasesnot PDF Expert

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

PDF Expert

  • Pricing displayed in AED (United Arab Emirates Dirham), not widely recognized currency
  • Essential and Pro plans offer identical features despite different pricing
  • Lifetime plan limited to Mac only
  • New features beyond initial purchase may cost extra

Tana

  • The free plan hosts only 5 meetings a month with AI transcripts and summaries
  • The free plan connects only 1 calendar and allows 50 AI queries
  • Pro is $30 per user per month at standard price, with $20 shown as an early bird rate
  • Max is $120 per user per month at standard price, with $80 shown as an early bird rate
  • Integrations and full MCP require the Pro plan
  • Dedicated support and onboarding, and unlimited agents, skills and types, require the Max plan
  • The Business plan is custom priced, billed yearly and has no published rate
  • The free trial runs 30 days

Pricing, plan by plan

PDF Expert

On request
  • Essential$199.99/year
    • iPhone, iPad, and Mac access
    • AI assistant
    • PDF conversion
  • Pro$309.99/year
    • All Essential features
    • iPhone, iPad, and Mac access
    • AI assistant
  • Lifetime$499.99/one-time
    • Mac only
    • Perpetual license
    • All core features

Tana

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 5 hosted meetings monthly with AI transcripts
    • 1 calendar connection
    • 50 AI queries
  • Pro$20/month
    • Early bird pricing (regular $30/month)
    • Unlimited hosted meetings
    • Botless meeting agent for Zoom, Teams, Google Meet
  • Max$80/month
    • Early bird pricing (regular $120/month)
    • 5x more AI than Pro plan
    • Dedicated support and onboarding
  • Business$null/year
    • Custom pricing (billed yearly)
    • SAML SSO and advanced security controls
    • Designated customer success manager

Which should you pick?

Choose PDF Expert if

Nothing in the data separates PDF Expert from Tana on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

PDF Expert review

Choose Tana if

  • You need outliner interface.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Desktop.
  • You also want supertags.
Tana review

Questions people ask

Is PDF Expert or Tana better?
Neither clearly leads. PDF Expert starts at On request and Tana at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, PDF Expert or Tana?
Tana has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for PDF Expert and Free for Tana.
Does PDF Expert or Tana run on more platforms?
PDF Expert runs on Web. Tana runs on Web, Desktop.
Can I use Tana for free?
Yes. Tana has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. PDF Expert starts at On request.
What is PDF Expert best used for?
PDF Expert is most often used for pdf editing and annotation, document conversion to pdf, pdf text recognition (ocr), digital document signatures. Of those, pdf editing and annotation and document conversion to pdf are not what Tana is typically brought in for.
What can PDF Expert do that Tana cannot?
Tana covers Outliner interface, Supertags, Live queries, AI integration.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

PDF Expert: How much does PDF Expert cost annually?

PDF Expert's Essential plan costs AED199.99/year and the Pro plan costs AED309.99/year. Both plans include iPhone, iPad, and Mac access, AI assistant, PDF conversion, OCR, digital signatures, and priority support.

Source
Tana: What is Tana's cheapest paid plan?

Tana Pro starts at $20/month with early bird pricing (regular $30/month) per user, offering unlimited hosted meetings and AI transcripts.

Source
PDF Expert: Does PDF Expert offer a lifetime purchase option?

Yes. PDF Expert offers a Lifetime plan for AED499.99 as a one-time payment, but this license is restricted to Mac only.

Source
Tana: Does Tana offer a free trial?

Yes, Tana provides a 30-day free trial with no credit card required, plus a 60-day refund window for yearly plan subscribers.

Source
PDF Expert: Is there a money-back guarantee for PDF Expert?

Yes. All plans include a 30-day money-back guarantee if you are not satisfied.

Source
Tana: What is the difference between Tana Pro and Max plans?

Max provides 5x more AI than Pro ($80/month early bird or $120 regular), dedicated support, onboarding, and unlimited agents and skills.

Source
PDF Expert: Can students get a discount on PDF Expert?

Yes. Students and educators can receive up to 50% off annual subscriptions through educational email verification.

Source
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