Readdle
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersFolsom, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Readdle does
Readdle is a privately held software company founded in 2007 and domiciled in Ireland (Readdle Limited, registered office Dublin) that develops productivity applications exclusively for Apple platforms (iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch). The company operates a six-product portfolio covering PDF editing (PDF Expert, Apple App of the Year), email (Spark, Editors' Choice), document scanning and OCR (Scanner Pro), time management (Calendars, Red Dot Award 2021), file management (Documents, Red Dot Design Award 2025, 91M+ downloads), and enterprise document workflow (Fluix, G2 High Performer). Core technology is native Apple-platform development with cloud synchronization, OCR, AI-powered summarization/transcription, and proprietary interoperability features (FileDrop, Scanner Pro Workflows, FOCUS design framework).
The company employs 300+ people across 30 countries and 8 global hubs, generating revenue through a freemium model combining low-price monthly subscriptions (e.g., Scanner Pro at $5/month) and one-time lifetime licenses (PDF Expert Premium ~$70-$80, regularly $139.99 MSRP). Distribution is primarily product-led through the Apple App Store and Mac App Store, supplemented by direct website downloads, third-party resellers, and a dedicated education program (Readdle for Education). Readdle has been bootstrapped since founding with no disclosed external funding, acquisitions, or institutional investors, and is led by founders Igor Zhadanov (CEO & co-founder) and Andrian Budantsov (co-founder), with Eugene Plokhoj as VP of Product.
Readdle firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Readdle
- Legal name
- Readdle Limited
- Website
- https://readdle.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Readdle is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Folsom
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Readdle business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Operations
Revenue model
- Premium Software Subscriptions: Readdle generates revenue primarily through premium subscription plans for its productivity apps (PDF Expert, Scanner Pro, Spark, Calendars, Documents, Fluix). All apps offer a free tier with core features; premium plans unlock advanced capabilities such as AI features, automated workflows, cloud sync, and professional tools. Subscriptions are billed monthly or annually per app.
- One-Time Lifetime Licenses: PDF Expert is also offered as a one-time lifetime purchase (e.g., Premium Plan at $79.99 or $69.97 promotional), providing perpetual access to the software without recurring payments.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Scanner Pro expense reporting feature subscription |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | PDF Expert Premium lifetime plan |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Readdle product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Readdle develops and sells a suite of native productivity applications exclusively for Apple platforms (iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch), including PDF Expert for PDF editing, Spark for email management, Scanner Pro for document scanning with OCR and automated expense reporting, Calendars for time management, Documents as a file management super app, and Fluix for business team document workflows. The apps are distributed primarily through the Apple App Store and Mac App Store with freemium pricing and premium subscriptions.
Product overview
Readdle is a productivity software company offering an ecosystem of six interconnected productivity apps for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch. The product portfolio centers on document management and productivity tools: Documents serves as the flagship 'super app' combining file management, PDF editing, media playback, and cloud integration; PDF Expert provides professional PDF editing capabilities; Scanner Pro offers document scanning with OCR and automation features; Spark delivers AI-powered email management; Calendars handles time management across Apple devices; and Fluix addresses enterprise document workflow needs for business teams. The apps share a unified design philosophy and can interoperate, with features like FileDrop enabling wireless file transfer between devices and Workflows automating cross-app document handling. The company has achieved over 235 million product downloads worldwide across 18 years in the market.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- PDF Expert: PDF editor for Mac and Apple devices - won Apple App of the Year
- Spark
- Scanner Pro
- Calendars
- Documents
- Fluix
Products and services
- PDF Expert
Quantifiable outcome
- Documents app downloaded 91 million times; combined Readdle products downloaded 225+ million times
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Readdle
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Readdle technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration7 records
AI capability4 records
Feature12 records
Readdle partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Readdle competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- CamScanner: CamScanner is a leading mobile document scanning app with OCR and PDF export, directly competing with Scanner Pro on iOS for individual and SMB scanning workflows.
- 1Password: 1Password is a cross-platform password and secure documents manager serving Apple-first consumers and SMBs, overlapping Readdle's premium Apple productivity positioning and subscription model.
- Notion: Notion is a productivity and document/notes platform that overlaps with Documents and PDF Expert in document creation, management, and AI-assisted workflows, particularly for prosumer and SMB knowledge workers.
- Evernote: Evernote is a notes and document organization app that overlaps directly with Documents and PDF Expert, particularly for users managing mixed-format personal and professional content.
- Adobe (Acrobat & Scan): Adobe's Acrobat (PDF editing) and Adobe Scan (mobile scanning) directly compete with Readdle's PDF Expert and Scanner Pro, including AI-powered features. Adobe is the dominant incumbent in PDF workflows across platforms.
- Bear (Shiny Frog): Bear is a premium Apple-platform notes app that competes with Documents' markdown/note capabilities on iOS and Mac, targeting the same design-conscious Apple prosumer segment.
Broad incumbents
- Dropbox: Dropbox is a cloud file storage and document collaboration platform that competes with Documents on cloud file management, sync, and PDF preview, while offering a broader enterprise SaaS portfolio.
- Microsoft (Office Mobile, OneNote, Lens): Microsoft bundles Office Mobile (Word/PowerPoint/Excel), OneNote, and Microsoft Lens into iOS and Android for free, competing head-on with PDF Expert, Documents, and Scanner Pro from a much larger distribution and budget base.
- Google (Workspace & Drive): Google Docs, Drive, and Gmail compete across document editing, file management, and email — overlapping with Documents, Spark, and PDF Expert. Google bundles productivity for free, leveraging search and account ecosystems.
- Apple (Files, Notes, Mail): Apple's first-party Files, Notes, and Mail apps are pre-installed on every iOS/macOS device and increasingly absorb PDF, document, and email functionality — making them the most pervasive competitive substitute for Readdle's suite.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Readdle social profiles
Digital presenceReaddle compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Readdle financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Readdle leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
Readdle funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Readdle M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Readdle
What does Readdle do?
Readdle develops and sells a suite of native productivity applications exclusively for Apple platforms (iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch), including PDF Expert for PDF editing, Spark for email management, Scanner Pro for document scanning with OCR and automated expense reporting, Calendars for time management, Documents as a file management super app, and Fluix for business team document workflows. The apps are distributed primarily through the Apple App Store and Mac App Store with freemium pricing and premium subscriptions.
Is Readdle a public or private company?
Readdle is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Readdle founded?
Readdle was founded in 2007. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Readdle based?
Readdle is headquartered in Folsom, United States, in the North America region.
How does Readdle make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Premium Software Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are one-Time Lifetime Licenses.
Who are Readdle's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are CamScanner, 1Password, Notion, Evernote, Adobe (Acrobat & Scan) and Bear (Shiny Frog). Broad incumbents are Dropbox, Microsoft (Office Mobile, OneNote, Lens), Google (Workspace & Drive) and Apple (Files, Notes, Mail).
Does Readdle have an API?
No public API is recorded for Readdle.