Comparison

Elfinbook vs ScanScan(白描)

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Elfinbook

Transform handwritten notes into digital text with this app. Scan, enhance, and organize your notes, then sync them to the cloud. It offers a paper-like writing experience with digital convenience.

Highlights
  • Mobile scanning with camera
  • Optical Character Recognition (OCR)
  • Digital pen and writing pad
  • Note organization and search
  • Cloud sync and auto-backup
  • PDF and JPEG export
Features
Read full description

Instantly transform your handwritten notes into clear-written images right in the power of your own hand! Here comes the ELFINBOOK app that goes hand in hand with your ELFINBOOK notebook. With notes written in your eco-friendly, reusable and waterproof notebook, automatically sync it in your choice of cloud services like Evernote, Google Drive, OneCloud and more. Whether you are a student, teacher, engineer, designer, writer or an artist, you’re going to need the ELFINBOOK to fully experience the power of your ELFINBOOK notebook. This user-friendly app makes accessing notes, capture thoughts and saving them much easier and more accessible. We bring you the pleasure of the paper and pen experience with the ease of technology much easier and more fun, we give you the ELFINBOOK App! ¬¬------ INTEGRATES THE USE OF CAMERA FOR MOBILE SCANNING -With the use of your smartphone’s camera, scan handwritten notes for a high-quality image. -You also have the choice of cropping and auto-enhancing to make the texts and graphics sharp and clear. RECOGNIZES TEXTS FROM IMAGES -The help of the new and improved Optical Character Recognition (OCR) feature extracts texts from sketches and illustrations that makes it easy to edit, revise and share. MARVEL IN THE PAPER AND PEN EXPERIENCE -You can add photos, capture handwritten notes, and type text through the app’s writing pad. -Bask in the variety of pens available for you to use! You have fountain pen, rollerball pen, and highlighter. -What’s more is that it has an auto-advancing zoom that you can use like how you write on paper. ORGANIZE, SEARCH AND SECURE NOTES -Organize your notes in an easy-tree diagram to aid you while studying. -Comes with a portal system that you can use to pin frequently-viewed documents and it automatically sends notes to the portal document section. -Easily search for your handwritten notes as the application uses OCR technology. -To ensure privacy on your mobile app, you can add a password to safeguard your notes. AUTO-BACKUP AND AUTOMATIC CLOUD SYNC -In order not to lose your notes, we added an automatic cloud sync and auto-backup so that you can access them in your devices and retrieve them while you study or while you work. -To view your saved notes, visit the ELFINBOOK website. SHARING YOUR IDEAS MADE EASY -You can easily download your notes as PDF or JPEG format and send them through Google Drive, Dropbox, Evernote, ICloud, OneNote, WeChat or Email. ------ CONTACT US Email: elfinbook@hzqihui.cn Website: www.elfinbook.com Follow us on Twitter @Elfinbook13 For more information about our reusable notebooks, please visit ELFINBOOK.com. If you have any concerns and feedback regarding our ELFINBOOK app, you can comment down below and we’ll do our best to improve the app for you.

About

ScanScan(白描)

This app uses advanced machine learning to accurately extract editable text from images and documents. It can also scan and convert documents into clear PDF files, with support for batch processing and multiple languages.

Highlights
  • Machine learning for accurate OCR
  • Edit and export OCR results (.txt, .docx)
  • Multi-language text recognition
  • Scan documents to image/PDF
  • PDF to image conversion
  • Batch processing (OCR, color filter)
  • Multi-language translation
Features
Read full description

"When I want to get the editable text from image, the first choice is Scanscan." - user said. Scanscan(白描) - OCR image to text, the most powerful and easiest-to-use OCR App, also can scan images and documents to pdf files, efficient and accurate mobile scanner. KEY FEATURES: - Machine learning make OCR more accurate. - Edit OCR results and notes of the doc, exporting as .txt file and .docx file. - 360° text recognition in many languages , including Chinese, English, Japanese, Russian, German, Spanish, Greek, Turkish, Korean and so on. Support vertical and horizon text. - Scan docs into clear & sharp image/PDF, to email, print or share to anywhere. - Support the conversion of PDF to picture format, which can be converted to text and other formats through OCR word recognition. - Support batch processing, like batch OCR, batch documents color filter. - Support multiply language translation, support business negotiation, study work, travel abroad, and other requirements. - Copy, Paste and Edit recognized result with one-click. - Automatically save extracted text. - Find history recognition results in "Records". - Support combination of multiple recognized text. “当我需要快速识别图片中的文字,第一个想到的就是白描。” 获得 App Store 首页推荐、OPPO应用时刻、小米应用市场金米奖、金米奖2018年度应用、豌豆荚设计奖、豌豆荚2018年年度应用、少数派2017年年度应用、AppSo官方推荐、最美应用2017年年度应用、360市场年度应用等众多奖项的扫描应用。 #给女朋友的,当然是最好的# 初衷是为女朋友做一个方便读书做笔记的轻量化ocr文字识别工具。 现已升级批量识别与翻译功能,以及文件扫描功能。专注,专业,准确高效,轻松提取图片中文字信息,生成清晰扫描件。 -----使用场景----- 拍照翻译文字、公司文件转录、纸质书阅读笔记摘录、截图文字内容提取、身份证识别、购物小票识别,纸质文件电子化存档等等多种场景适用。 ----功能亮点---- ● 云端识别 云端OCR识别引擎,识别准确度随着自动学习越来越高,识别速度快;另外可以放心的是,图片上传经过加密处理,无需担心隐私。 ● 批量识别。 同类app里的领跑者,能一次识别50张图片,批量识别后也可以对多张原图同时进行校对。 ● 支持系统相册插件识别,无需打开APP即可快速完成识别; ● 识别结果自动存为历史记录,检索方便。 ● 支持表格识别。 ● 支持长图识别和多栏文字图片识别。 ● 识别结果翻译 支持简体中文、日语、英语、韩语、法语、西班牙语、阿拉伯语、俄语、德语、葡萄牙语、意大利语、繁体中文、粤语、文言文、泰语、希腊语、波兰语、荷兰语、保加利亚语、爱沙尼亚语、丹麦语、芬兰语、捷克语、罗马尼亚语、斯洛文尼亚语、瑞典语、匈牙利语、越南语的互译; ● 多语言识别 支持中文、英语、日语、韩语、法语、德语、俄语、西班牙语等大多数语言的OCR识别;留学生说“白描用来处理上课笔记实在是太好用了”; ● 手机里的扫描仪,自动识别文档边界生成扫描件 将摄像头对准文档,即可自动识别边界并拍出扫描件,多种文档色彩可供选择。 ● 自动识连续拍照扫描件 如果有多张文档待生成扫描件,只要相机对着每张文档即可全部自动拍出来。 ● 生成的扫描件图片直接生成PDF文件 可将多张扫描件直接生成一个PDF,自由分享与保存。 ● 灵活选择 手指流畅顺滑,即可分块选择需要的文字,想要哪段点哪段(想查看所有文本,不需要按行点选);识别结果可编辑且选择复制到各种app中使用,支持微信、QQ、有道云、印象笔记等软件。 ● 快速校对 在识别结果页面点击“校对”按钮进行校对,可以在不离开编辑区域的情况下方便对照着原文修改,弥补OCR技术的不完美之处(大概是手写字不够工整时需要担待一点)。 ● 识别结果自动分段,弥补了大多数识别软件无法还原原文段落的问题; ●系统插件翻译,无需打开翻译APP 在 Safari 等软件中,您可以选择一段文字,然后点击共享,在弹出的菜单中选择白描直接进行翻译,省去了打开翻译APP的步骤。 ●已适配iPad,iPad用户可以从 App Store下载使用。 ●支持iPad多任务和 Drag & Drop。 使用中有任何问题或建议,可通过以下任意途径—— 1、在设置里给我反馈, 2、发邮件至tolecen@163.com, 3、联系我的微博:凉子的狗狗 找到我和解决方法。 ----如果----- 如果白描有方便到你,希望你有空时能花一分钟给它评星并写两句评论,有用的评论和五颗星能让它在榜单上排在前面一点。 如果你喜欢这只白喵,请考虑打赏一点猫粮,让它存活得更容易些,独立开发者的我将有更多精力改进它的功能:) ----找到我---- 新浪微博@凉子的狗狗 私信留言反馈更快:)

Screenshots

Elfinbook4 screens
ScanScan(白描)4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: ScanScan(白描) at 87% against Elfinbook's 38%. ScanScan(白描) also leads on ads (none vs shown) and rating (4.8 vs 4.4). Elfinbook's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.0). On price, ratings volume, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Elfinbook sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and ScanScan(白描) sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

ScanScan(白描) holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 354 and 349 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 38% of Elfinbook's written reviews are positive against 87% of ScanScan(白描)'s.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Elfinbook ships an update every 2 weeks, ScanScan(白描) every 2 months. Both last shipped on November 2, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Elfinbook versus ScanScan(白描): the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterElfinbookScanScan(白描)
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (354 ratings)4.8 (349 ratings) — better
Positive reviews37.7% of reviews86.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings354 — better349
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 2 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS11.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size215 MB47 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHangzhou Qihui Technology Co., Ltd新乐 陶

Customer experience

Elfinbook

All ratings353 ratings
Positive84.4%
Neutral5.7%
Negative9.9%
Written reviews114 reviews
Positive37.7%
Neutral14.9%
Negative47.4%

ScanScan(白描)

All ratings349 ratings
Positive95.1%
Neutral0.3%
Negative4.6%
Written reviews128 reviews
Positive86.7%
Neutral6.3%
Negative7.0%

Bugs and requests

Elfinbook

Reported bugs

87 issues
  • App crashes immediately upon opening
  • App crashes during launch
  • Cannot export to PDF
  • Batch scan is too slow
  • OCR text recognition does not work
Show 82 more
  • App crashes when trying to take pictures
  • Premium membership disappears after reinstallation
  • App crashes when moving pictures
  • App crashes when trying to write something
  • Slow upload to cloud
  • Cannot log in or sign up
  • Camera not working
  • App crashes when capturing a new page
  • App crashes when moving picture order
  • Lost notes after upgrade
  • Failed to upgrade data
  • App crashes when trying to scan
  • App crashes after update
  • OCR cannot recognize Russian
  • OCR only works with English
  • OCR produces gibberish for German
  • OCR scan takes too long
  • App does not recognize text
  • Flash control icon missing
  • App does not sync documents
  • OCR not working properly
  • App stretches documents to A4 size
  • Cannot turn flash on or off
  • App signs out every time it's closed
  • App does not remember login details
  • Cannot set phone and email under account
  • OCR is not great, requires editing
  • No return/enter to start a new line when editing notes
  • Cannot register as a user
  • App stops and cannot go back
  • Email error code during registration
  • Unable to connect during registration
  • No registered message when trying to log in
  • Camera never works
  • App won't start after reinstallation
  • Paid app is unusable
  • Lost data in the cloud
  • Cannot link with Evernote
  • Password for Evernote is incorrect
  • Corrupted documents in the app
  • Documents become unrecoverable
  • Recognition button thinks text is in different languages
  • Writing reappears after heating
  • App crashes when scanning
  • Lifetime membership not staying connected
  • App lags
  • Does not keep user signed in to premium account
  • Often will not log in at all
  • OCR unreadable even with best penmanship
  • Password lost and cannot reset
  • No help from support
  • App is confusing and difficult to use
  • iPhone XS Max unusable after update
  • Cannot bind phone number to app
  • Cannot type or use options for phone number binding
  • OCR function not found
  • App written in Chinese, no translation
  • Imported document never arrived
  • Writing fades away when touched too much
  • App is a cheap knockoff
  • App is an insult
  • Pages are soft and indent, cannot be reused
  • Sync issues
  • OCR is bad
  • App not intuitive
  • Customer service is terrible
  • Cannot change phone number easily
  • Notebook pages stain easily
  • App is unstable
  • Lost all work notes
  • App doesn't detect margins of pages
  • App doesn't work on certain pages
  • Software is atrocious
  • Software is a letdown
  • Picture editing is basic
  • App doesn't support Traditional Chinese OCR
  • App doesn't support Russian OCR
  • App crashes during installation
  • App doesn't work after last update
  • App cannot be opened after update
  • App doesn't work after update
  • Cannot register with phone number

Requested features

18 requests
  • Improved OCR accuracy
  • Faster batch scanning
  • Better language support for OCR
  • More intuitive UI
  • Smoother syncing
Show 13 more
  • Google Drive integration
  • iCloud sync for iOS
  • Ability to set destination folders for scans
  • Improved camera detection of borders
  • Dark mode
  • Ability to hear environmental information and read documents via camera (for visually impaired)
  • Automatic scanning when over the document
  • Spanish language support
  • Option to scan with or without black frame
  • Better customer service response
  • Ability to change phone number/email easily
  • More advanced picture editing options
  • Improved pen holder placement on notebook

ScanScan(白描)

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

7 purchases

Elfinbook

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Premium$1.991 Month
  • Annually Premium3 Days trial$10.491 Year
One-time5
  • Elfinbook Premium One Month$0.99
  • 1GB Cloud Space$1.99
  • 1 Month$2.99
Show 2 more
  • Elfinbook Premium One Year$7.99
  • 12 Months$14.99
5 purchases

ScanScan(白描)

One-time5
  • Provide food for cat$2.99
  • 普通会员(永久)$3.99
  • 普通会员(优惠)$3.99
Show 2 more
  • 黄金会员(优惠)$3.99
  • Senior VIP (Permanent)$5.99

Questions

Is Elfinbook free?
Elfinbook is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is ScanScan(白描) free?
ScanScan(白描) is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Elfinbook or ScanScan(白描)?
ScanScan(白描) is rated higher. Elfinbook averages 4.4 out of 5 from 354 ratings, while ScanScan(白描) averages 4.8 from 349 ratings.
Do Elfinbook or ScanScan(白描) have ads?
Elfinbook shows ads; ScanScan(白描) does not.
Which is updated more often, Elfinbook or ScanScan(白描)?
Elfinbook ships an update every 2 weeks, and ScanScan(白描) every 2 months. Most recently, Elfinbook was updated on November 2, 2026 and ScanScan(白描) on November 2, 2026.

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