# Nova Scanner vs Adobe Scan

The clearest difference is ads: Nova Scanner at none against Adobe Scan's shown. Nova Scanner also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). Adobe Scan's advantage is ratings volume (1.6M vs 817) and rating (4.9 vs 4.6). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Nova Scanner sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Adobe Scan sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Adobe Scan holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Adobe Scan has 1.6M ratings behind it against 817, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 74% of Nova Scanner's written reviews are positive against 83% of Adobe Scan's.

Nova Scanner ships an update every 2 months, Adobe Scan fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Nova Scanner | Adobe Scan |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (817 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nova-scanner-scan-pdf-document/id1193953564/reviews) | **[4.9 (1.6M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/adobe-scan-pdf-and-ocr-scanner/id1199564834/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 817 | **1.6M** |
| Positive reviews | 74.4% of reviews | **82.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#12** |
| Size | 133 MB | 398 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Beesoft Apps](https://appshunter.io/developer/1420966143) | [Adobe Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/331646274) |

## What reviewers say

### Nova Scanner

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nova-scanner-scan-pdf-document/id1193953564)

Transform your phone into a powerful mobile scanner. Easily capture, edit, and share documents as PDFs or JPEGs. Features include OCR for text extraction, faxing, and secure document management.

**Highlights:** Multipage scanning, OCR text extraction, Cheap fax service, Document signing, Cloud file integration, Export as PDF/JPEG/PNG

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

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Scanner App Premium - 1 Month | $1.99 | per month |
| PDF Scanner, Fax and OCR | $9.99 | per year |
| PDF Scanner, Fax and OCR | $10.99 | per year |
| Scanner App Premium - 1 Year | $11.99 | per year |
| Scanner App - 50 Fax Credits | $3.99 | one-time |
| 250 Fax Credits | $9.99 | one-time |
| 600 Fax Credits | $19.99 | one-time |
| Upgrade to Premium | $19.99 | one-time |
| 2000 Fax Credits | $49.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Convenient
- 💡 Great for on-the-go scanning
- 👍 User-friendly
- 👍 Excellent scanning quality

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Subscription issues (unable to use after paying)
- 🐛 Crashes and glitches
- 🔒 Security concerns (unable to bulk share documents)

**Reported bugs**

- Subscription not working as expected
- Repeated prompts to subscribe even with active subscription
- Distorted or partial image capture

**Requested features**

- Bulk document sharing
- Improved subscription management
- Compatibility with more platforms (e.g., Canvas, Discord)


### Adobe Scan

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/adobe-scan-pdf-and-ocr-scanner/id1199564834)

**Currently charting:** #12 Top Grossing · Business, #33 Top Free · Business (US App Store)

Transform your mobile device into a powerful document scanner. Easily convert paper documents, receipts, and IDs into professional-looking PDFs or JPEGs. Enhance scans with automatic straightening, stain removal, and editable text conversion.

**Highlights:** High-speed bulk scanning, Convert paper to PDF/JPEG, Automatic straightening, Magic eraser for cleanup, Extract pages, Image to text OCR, Organize into folders

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Adobe Scan Premium | $3.99 | per month |
| Adobe Scan Plus - Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Adobe PDF Pack | $9.99 | per month |
| Adobe Scan Premium - Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Adobe Scan Premium | $9.99 | per month |
| Scan premium - monthly | $14.99 | per month |
| Adobe Scan Plus - Yearly | $19.99 | per year |
| Adobe Scan Premium | $29.99 | per year |
| Adobe Scan Premium | $49.99 | per year |
| Adobe Scan Premium | $69.99 | per year |
| Adobe Scan Premium | $69.99 | per year |
| Adobe PDF Pack | $89.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 👍 Intuitive interface
- 🚀 Quick scanning
- 👍 Convenient for on-the-go
- 🚀 High-quality scans

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or freezes
- 🐛 Issues with auto-cropping and alignment
- 🔒 Privacy concerns around cloud storage
- 💰 Expensive premium features

**Reported bugs**

- Scans not saving properly
- Compatibility issues with older devices
- Problems with multi-page document scanning

**Requested features**

- Add option to save scans locally without cloud sync
- Improve edge detection and auto-cropping accuracy
- Implement multi-language OCR support
- Allow manual control over scan settings and adjustments


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Nova Scanner free?

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

### Is Adobe Scan free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Nova Scanner or Adobe Scan?

Adobe Scan is rated higher. Nova Scanner averages 4.6 out of 5 from 817 ratings, while Adobe Scan averages 4.9 from 1.6M ratings.

### Do Nova Scanner or Adobe Scan have ads?

Adobe Scan shows ads; Nova Scanner does not.

### Which is updated more often, Nova Scanner or Adobe Scan?

Nova Scanner ships an update every 2 months, and Adobe Scan fortnightly. Most recently, Nova Scanner was updated on September 21, 2026 and Adobe Scan on September 25, 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.*