SurveyWhere Drawboard PDF is stronger
- A native Windows and iPad app with a polished pen feel
- Years of use in design offices
- Drawboard Projects, a separate product, adds review workflows and issue tracking for design teams
Survey vs Drawboard PDF
Drawboard PDF is a well-known markup app for Windows and iPad. Survey gives you the same markup tools in the browser, free, and adds site surveys that export as data, and spaces and regions.
Where Survey is stronger
- Every markup tool is free, including callouts, measuring, OCR and page tools, which Drawboard puts behind PRO
- Site surveys on the plan that export as a spreadsheet you can open anywhere
- Spaces and regions: work on one part of a sheet at a time
- Count markers with running totals
- Runs in any browser on a computer, tablet or phone
- Pro is $9.99 a month, with a free plan that has no time limit
Tool by tool
| Tool | Survey | Drawboard PDF |
|---|---|---|
| Pen and highlighter | Free | Free |
| Shapes | Free | Free |
| Text and notes | Free | Free |
| Insert, rotate and delete pages | Free | Free |
| Pressure ink | Free | PRO |
| Callouts | Free | PRO |
| Measure length and area | Free | PRO |
| OCR | Free | PRO |
| Merge and split | Free | PRO |
| Count markers with totals | Free | Not listed |
| Site surveys with data export | Pro | Not listed |
| Spaces and regions | Pro | Not listed |
| Survey templates | Pro | Not listed |
| Live editing together | Pro | PRO |
Drawboard's column is from drawboard.com in October 2026. "Not listed" means it is not on their feature list. Check their site for current facts.
Which one should you pick?
Pick Drawboard if you want a native Windows or iPad app and your team already uses it. Pick Survey if you want the same markup tools free in the browser, or you walk sites and want the survey answers as data.
We make Survey, so read this with that in mind. Check Drawboard PDF's own site for its current features and prices.