# Adobe Scan vs PDF Editor

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Adobe Scan at 83% against PDF Editor's 20%. Adobe Scan also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.5) and ratings volume (1.6M vs 461). PDF Editor's advantage is iOS requirement (16.4 vs 18.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Adobe Scan sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 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.

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 461, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 83% of Adobe Scan's written reviews are positive against 20% of PDF Editor's.

Adobe Scan ships an update fortnightly, PDF Editor monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Adobe Scan | PDF Editor |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (1.6M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/adobe-scan-pdf-and-ocr-scanner/id1199564834/reviews)** | [4.5 (461 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-editor-reader-and-scanner/id1467641686/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.6M** | 461 |
| Positive reviews | **82.6% of reviews** | 20.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#12** | — |
| Size | 398 MB | 98 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **16.4** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Adobe Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/331646274) | [Maple Labs Co., Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1320450180) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### 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 Adobe Scan free?

Adobe Scan 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, Adobe Scan or PDF Editor?

Adobe Scan is rated higher. Adobe Scan averages 4.9 out of 5 from 1.6M ratings, while PDF Editor averages 4.5 from 461 ratings.

### Do Adobe Scan or PDF Editor have ads?

Both Adobe Scan and PDF Editor show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Adobe Scan or PDF Editor?

Adobe Scan ships an update fortnightly, and PDF Editor monthly. Most recently, Adobe Scan was updated on September 26, 2026 and PDF Editor on September 4, 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.*