# Nova Scanner vs PDF Editor

Nova Scanner and PDF Editor both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 74% of Nova Scanner's written reviews are positive against 20% of PDF Editor's. Nova Scanner also leads on ads (none vs shown). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Nova Scanner sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and PDF Editor sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Nova Scanner against 4.5 for PDF Editor. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 817 and 461 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 74% of Nova Scanner's written reviews are positive against 20% of PDF Editor's.

Nova Scanner ships an update every 2 months, PDF Editor monthly. Both last shipped on September 30, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Nova Scanner | PDF Editor |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (817 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nova-scanner-scan-pdf-document/id1193953564/reviews)** | [4.5 (461 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-editor-reader-and-scanner/id1467641686/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **817** | 461 |
| Positive reviews | **74.4% of reviews** | 20.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 133 MB | 98 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Beesoft Apps](https://appshunter.io/developer/1420966143) | [Maple Labs Co., Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1320450180) |

## 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)


### PDF Editor

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-editor-reader-and-scanner/id1467641686)

Edit, scan, and manage all your PDF files with this comprehensive tool. Easily add text, highlight, sign documents, convert formats, and organize pages. Optimized for mobile devices, it streamlines everyday PDF tasks for work, study, and personal use.

**Highlights:** Edit PDF content, Sign documents, Scan to PDF, Convert PDF formats, Split and merge PDFs, Compress PDF size, Crop and adjust pages

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

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium | $4.99 | per month |
| Premium | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium | $49.99 | per year |
| Yearly Subscription | $59.99 | per year |
| Scanner Pro App | $59.99 | per year |
| Premium | $29.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Nova Scanner free?

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

### Is PDF Editor free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Nova Scanner or PDF Editor?

Nova Scanner is rated higher. Nova Scanner averages 4.6 out of 5 from 817 ratings, while PDF Editor averages 4.5 from 461 ratings.

### Do Nova Scanner or PDF Editor have ads?

PDF Editor shows ads; Nova Scanner does not.

### Which is updated more often, Nova Scanner or PDF Editor?

Nova Scanner ships an update every 2 months, and PDF Editor monthly. Most recently, Nova Scanner was updated on September 30, 2026 and PDF Editor on September 30, 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.*