# Nova Scanner vs PDF Scanner Documents

Nova Scanner and PDF Scanner Documents 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 Scanner Documents's. Nova Scanner also leads on monetization model (freemium vs subscription) and ratings volume (817 vs 59). PDF Scanner Documents's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 2 months). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases 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 Scanner Documents sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. 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 4.7 for PDF Scanner Documents. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Nova Scanner has 817 ratings behind it against 59, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 74% of Nova Scanner's written reviews are positive against 20% of PDF Scanner Documents's.

Nova Scanner ships an update every 2 months, PDF Scanner Documents every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Nova Scanner | PDF Scanner Documents |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (817 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nova-scanner-scan-pdf-document/id1193953564/reviews) | **[4.7 (59 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-scanner-documents/id1613509119/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **817** | 59 |
| Positive reviews | **74.4% of reviews** | 19.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | **Freemium** | Subscription |
| Size | 133 MB | 15 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Beesoft Apps](https://appshunter.io/developer/1420966143) | [Audiojoy Software Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1500088430) |

## 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 Scanner Documents

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-scanner-documents/id1613509119)

Transform your smartphone into a portable scanner. Automatically crop, enhance, and correct distortions for professional-quality digital copies of documents, receipts, and books. Extract editable text with built-in OCR and easily share your scans.

**Highlights:** Smart cropping and auto-enhancement, High-quality digital scans, Built-in OCR for editable text, Export and share in PDF, PNG, TXT, File manager with folders, Password protection for documents

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PDF Scanner PRO (Week) | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| PDF Scanner Pro (weekly) | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| PDF Scanner PRO (Monthly) | $9.99 | per month |
| PDF Scanner PRO (3 Months) | $19.99 | per 3 months |
| PDF Scanner PRO (Annual) | $49.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and works
- 👍 Great app
- 👍 Best app
- 👍 Top
- 👍 Easy to use

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive subscription
- 💰 Charges even after unsubscribing
- 💰 No way to cancel
- 💰 Bills more than once a month
- 💰 Rip off

**Reported bugs**

- Doesn't compile multiple pages scan into a single multi-page document
- PDF size too large for sharing
- No way to reduce PDF size
- Does not offer scanning multiple docs & then being able to select all & share

**Requested features**

- Combine multiple pages into a single multi-page document
- Reduce PDF size for sharing
- Scan multiple documents and select all for sharing


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Nova Scanner free?

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

### Is PDF Scanner Documents free?

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

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

PDF Scanner Documents is rated higher. Nova Scanner averages 4.6 out of 5 from 817 ratings, while PDF Scanner Documents averages 4.7 from 59 ratings.

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

Neither Nova Scanner nor PDF Scanner Documents shows ads.

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

Nova Scanner ships an update every 2 months, and PDF Scanner Documents every 3 days. Most recently, Nova Scanner was updated on September 30, 2026 and PDF Scanner Documents on October 12, 2026.

---

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