# Adobe Scan vs Basic Scan

The clearest difference is monetization model: Adobe Scan at free with in-app purchases against Basic Scan's subscription. Adobe Scan also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.5) and ratings volume (1.6M vs 294). Basic Scan's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (95% vs 83%). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Adobe Scan sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Basic Scan sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 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 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Adobe Scan has 1.6M ratings behind it against 294, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 83% of Adobe Scan's written reviews are positive against 95% of Basic Scan's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Adobe Scan ships an update fortnightly, Basic Scan every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and July 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Adobe Scan | Basic Scan |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (1.6M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/adobe-scan-pdf-and-ocr-scanner/id1199564834/reviews)** | [4.5 (294 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/basic-scan-pdf-scanner-ocr/id1437323368/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.6M** | 294 |
| Positive reviews | 82.6% of reviews | **95.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Best chart rank | **#11** | — |
| Size | 398 MB | 17 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Adobe Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/331646274) | [INWARD INSIGHT LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1437323367) |

## What reviewers say

### Adobe Scan

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

**Currently charting:** #11 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


### Basic Scan

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/basic-scan-pdf-scanner-ocr/id1437323368)

Easily capture, scan, and share documents, receipts, and notes. Convert images to high-quality PDFs or PNGs, and extract text using OCR for easy searching. Sign documents and organize your scanned files efficiently.

**Highlights:** Document scanning with edge detection, Image filters for readability, OCR text recognition (20 languages), Digital signature tool, Export as PNG, PDF, or TXT, Organize and manage scanned pages

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| اشتراك Premium شهري | $4.99 | per month |
| Basic Scan Premium | $9.99 | per month |
| اشتراك ربع سنوي | $11.99 | per 3 months |
| Basic Scan Premium | $19.99 | per 3 months |
| اشتراك Premium سنوي | $39.99 | per year |
| Basic Scan Premium | $59.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Adobe Scan free?

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

### Is Basic Scan free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Adobe Scan or Basic Scan?

Adobe Scan is rated higher. Adobe Scan averages 4.9 out of 5 from 1.6M ratings, while Basic Scan averages 4.5 from 294 ratings.

### Do Adobe Scan or Basic Scan have ads?

Adobe Scan shows ads; Basic Scan does not.

### Which is updated more often, Adobe Scan or Basic Scan?

Adobe Scan ships an update fortnightly, and Basic Scan every 3 weeks. Most recently, Adobe Scan was updated on September 29, 2026 and Basic Scan on July 5, 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.*