Highlights: PDF Reader & Notes

Name: Highlights: PDF Reader & Notes
Rating: 4.5 (1573 reviews)
Author: Jonas Myren Ribe

By: Jonas Myren Ribe

Edit Research Documents/Books

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Features & Capabilities

Highlights: PDF Reader & Notes is a fast, lightweight PDF reader designed for research across macOS, iPad, iPhone, and now as a Chrome extension. It keeps your focus on the bigger picture by turning every annotation into organized notes and by exporting those notes to your workflow with Markdown, HTML, or PDF exports. The app is ad‑free with offline-friendly features, offering a smooth reading and annotating experience without distracting ads or trackers.

Key capabilities include precise text and image highlighting, comments and sticky notes, and context-aware popovers. Annotations are automatically converted into notes that you can format and organize, with table data and text extraction, smart copy to multiple formats, and citation lookups. Exports work with popular note-taking and writing apps, while Pro adds advanced exports, more customization, and extended search. This makes Highlights ideal for students, researchers, and professionals who manage large PDF-based studies.

User Growth & Download Statistics

App Education Writing Task Management

By:

Jonas Myren Ribe

Rating:

4.50

(1,573) 6 new ratings

Version:

2026.1.2 Last updated: 2026-05-22

Version code:

885974350

Creation date:

2020-04-10

Compatible devices:

Size:

34.31MB

URLs:

Website ,Privacy policy

Full description:

Source:

Apple Apps Store

Data ingested on:

2026-06-03

Compare stats and ranking:

Ranking

# 48,126 ▼ 38

Other rankings

#5 in The Best Apps for PDFs #21 in The Best Note-Taking Apps #2 in highlighter keyword 51 #25 in citation generator keyword 60 ▲ 7#41 in reader keyword 75 ▲ 3

For Developers

Monetize with App Pass Boost with Extension Booster

Contact the developer

Chrome-Stats does not own this Apple app. Please use these information below to contact the Apple app developer.

Developed by:

Jonas Myren Ribe

Apple Apps Store

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/highlights-pdf-reader-notes/id1498912833

Website:

https://highlightsapp.net/features/

User Reviews

Highlights excels at cross‑device syncing and an efficient reading/highlighting workflow, making it popular for research on Mac and iPad. However, many users balk at the ongoing subscription cost and desire a one‑time purchase. Stability issues like freezes and lost highlights undermine reliability, and essential features such as saving progress, bookmarks, and margins are missing. Overall, solid for annotation but hindered by pricing and feature gaps.

Pros

Cross‑device syncing and strong macOS/iPad integration keeps annotations synced across devices.
Efficient reading and annotation workflow that supports research and note organization.
User-friendly interface with a smooth basic reading/highlighting experience.
Widely trusted as the go‑to PDF reader on Mac and iPhone among long‑time users.

Cons

Subscription pricing (annual Pro) is a major sticking point; many would prefer a one‑time purchase.
No handwriting or Apple Pencil support for annotations.
Frequent stability issues: freezes/crashes and loss of highlights across sessions.
Missing basic features like saving your place/bookmarks and margins/blank pages (limited page/view options).

Recent reviews

Okay so the app does what it is supposed to do. I can’t stand the UI. It’s literally just the Apple file system. I would like to organize my notes separately from… everything else on my computer. I guess I need the mental separation. Also, I don’t understand why there is a subscription for this app. It feels greedy. I’m not asking it to do anything extravagant, just highlight my pdfs. Won’t be renewing.