# Adobe Scan vs PDF

The clearest difference is rating: Adobe Scan at 4.9 against PDF's 4.4. Adobe Scan also leads on ratings volume (1.6M vs 1.4K) and review sentiment (83% vs 60%). PDF's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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 sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Adobe Scan holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Adobe Scan has 1.6M ratings behind it against 1.4K, 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 60% of PDF's.

Adobe Scan ships an update fortnightly, PDF every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Adobe Scan | PDF |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (1.6M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/adobe-scan-pdf-and-ocr-scanner/id1199564834/reviews)** | [4.4 (1.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-scanner-reader-and-editor/id1536913299/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.6M** | 1.4K |
| Positive reviews | **82.6% of reviews** | 60.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#12** | — |
| Size | 398 MB | 228 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Adobe Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/331646274) | [Pravin Gondaliya](https://appshunter.io/developer/1210259494) |

## 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

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-scanner-reader-and-editor/id1536913299)

This app transforms your device into a comprehensive document management tool. Scan, read, edit, and securely sign PDFs with features like OCR, PIN protection, and cloud integration. Organize all your files effortlessly for work, study, or personal use.

**Highlights:** PIN Protection & Secure File Locking, Electronic Signature, Smart Document Scanner, Accurate OCR (Text Recognition), All-in-One File Manager, Multi-Format Export (PDF, JPG), Page Management Tools

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

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Camera Scanner Week | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| PDF Scanner - 1 Month | $4.99 | per month |
| Camera Scanner Pro | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| Camera Scanner Lite | $9.99 | per month |
| Camera Scanner Lite | $9.99 | per month |
| Camera Scanner Pro | $23.99 | per year |
| Camera Scanner Pro | $39.99 | per year |
| PDF Scanner - Lifetime | $79.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Adobe Scan free?

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

### Is PDF free?

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

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

Adobe Scan is rated higher. Adobe Scan averages 4.9 out of 5 from 1.6M ratings, while PDF averages 4.4 from 1.4K ratings.

### Do Adobe Scan or PDF have ads?

Both Adobe Scan and PDF show ads.

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

Adobe Scan ships an update fortnightly, and PDF every 6 weeks. Most recently, Adobe Scan was updated on September 25, 2026 and PDF on September 22, 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.*