# Reader vs Scanner

Reader and Scanner both sit at 5.0 stars, but that hides the real split: 96% of Scanner's written reviews are positive against 57% of Reader's. Scanner also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and ratings volume (13 vs 3). Reader's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 8 months) and device support (5 vs 3). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Reader sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Scanner sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Reader against 4.9 for Scanner. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 13 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 57% of Reader's written reviews are positive against 96% of Scanner's.

Reader ships an update weekly, Scanner every 8 months. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Reader | Scanner |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reader/id1179373118/reviews)** | [4.9 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scanner-pdf-and-ocr-scanner/id1545894404/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 3 | **13** |
| Positive reviews | 57.1% of reviews | **95.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 8 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 1 MB | 26 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | 14.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [The Augmented Text Company LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/459748478) | [传胜 贾](https://appshunter.io/developer/789568029) |

## What reviewers say

### Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/reader/id1179373118)

This app provides a distraction-free reading and annotation experience for PDF documents on iOS. Seamlessly sync your annotated files with your Mac for further editing and workflow integration via iCloud.

**Highlights:** Distraction-free reading, PDF annotation, iCloud sync with Mac, Companion to macOS app

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Ask AI Subscription | $1.99 | one-time |


### Scanner

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scanner-pdf-and-ocr-scanner/id1545894404)

This app offers fast document scanning and accurate OCR text recognition. It supports converting various important documents into PDF or JPG formats and allows adding watermarks for security.

**Highlights:** Fast document scanning, Accurate OCR text recognition, Convert to PDF or JPG, Scan ID cards and bank cards, Add watermarks to documents

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 20 Processing counts | $0.99 | one-time |
| 5 Processing counts | $0.99 | one-time |
| Permanent VIP | $3.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Reader free?

Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Scanner free?

Scanner is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Reader or Scanner?

Reader is rated higher. Reader averages 5.0 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Scanner averages 4.9 from 13 ratings.

### Do Reader or Scanner have ads?

Neither Reader nor Scanner shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Reader or Scanner?

Reader ships an update weekly, and Scanner every 8 months. Most recently, Reader was updated on October 10, 2026 and Scanner on October 8, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*