Comparison

Claro ScanPen Premium vs Pic Answer

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Claro ScanPen Premium

This app allows users to photograph printed text and have it read aloud instantly. It's ideal for students, professionals, or anyone needing auditory access to printed materials, with no internet connection required. It supports multiple languages and integrates with accessibility features.

Highlights
  • Photo capture of printed text
  • Selectable text highlighting
  • Instant spoken output
  • Offline functionality
  • Multiple language support
  • OCR technology
  • iOS VoiceOver integration
Features
Read full description

Need to listen to printed text spoken aloud - at school, in a test exam, at work or at home? Use Claro ScanPen to photo your printed text document, letter, test paper - then select the text with your finger (or stylus), and hear it spoken straight back to you. Instantly! No internet connection required. Claro ScanPen Premium is free to use for either 10 scans, or for 14 days when you sign up to the annual auto-renewing subscription (which you're free to cancel at any time). When you have an active subscription you can download as many premium voices as you need for no extra cost. Our premium voices are currently Nuance Vocalizer and Acapela. If you want to purchase ScanPen outright and buy any extra voices, search the App Store for our standard version called "Claro ScanPen". Claro ScanPen advances reading aloud support. It gives access to printed text materials and documents for all, in a wide range of languages. Using your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad, simply: • Take a photo of the text or select a photo of the text document from your camera roll. • Highlight with your finger or stylus which section of text you want to hear spoken to you. • Listen as Claro ScanPen instantly reads the text back to you using a human quality voice in a language of your choice. With your finger (or stylus) you can highlight all of the text, word by word or line by line. Tap anywhere to stop the speech. Claro ScanPen can also be used with the built in iOS VoiceOver accessibility feature, allowing low vision and blind users to access text. Claro ScanPen has no access to the internet or any reference material, so is perfect to use as a computer reader under exam and test conditions, helping students who cannot read text very well (e.g. students with dyslexia) to listen to the exam test paper questions and information. It can also be used for quickly converting class handout materials, printed presentations, instructions, books - in fact anything containing printed texts. Claro ScanPen uses the latest premium Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology to convert your picture into text and uses iOS system voices to read the text back to you. The OCR in Claro ScanPen fully supports the recognition of text in the following languages: • English • Danish • Dutch • French • German • Italian • Norwegian • Portuguese • Spanish • Swedish Simply select the voice that matches the language of your text to hear it read back correctly. Claro ScanPen is a great addition to the popular Claro Reading and Writing support apps ClaroSpeak and ClaroPDF. Claro ScanPen does not require internet access to function and does not store any photographs taken within the ScanPen App. Explore using the Apple iOS Guided Access feature to lock the iPad, iPod Touch or iPhone into a single app, for more secure and controlled usage. Tap iOS Settings > General > Accessibility > Guided Access to set up Guided Access. ***Minimum camera spec: 2MP*** If you require any product support please email us at support@clarosoftware.com. SUBSCRIPTION TERMS • Purchase an annual subscription for $9.99 to use ScanPen with unlimited number of scans and ability to download and use our full range of premium TTS voices. • Payment will be charged to your iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. • The subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. • The app offers a free 14 day free trial. At the end of the trial period, the full price of the subscription will be charged. Cancellations must occur 24 hours before the end of the subscription period to avoid being charged. See http://support.apple.com/kb/ht4098 for more information. • Our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use can be found at https://www.clarosoftware.com/legal

About

Pic Answer

This application uses AI to solve homework problems by analyzing photos. It offers instant solutions and interactive chat assistance across multiple academic subjects, aiming to deepen understanding of concepts.

Highlights
  • AI-powered photo scanner for problem solving
  • Interactive AI chat for subject assistance
  • Instant accurate solutions
  • Comprehensive learning and concept explanation
  • User-friendly interface for all ages
Features
Read full description

Pic Answer - AI Solver: Snap, Ask, Learn! Step into a world of effortless learning with Pic Answer - AI Solver, where each photo brings you closer to understanding. This app goes beyond traditional math solvers, offering a unique blend of AI-driven solutions and interactive chat for a variety of academic subjects. Why Choose Pic Answer? • Instant Photo Answers: Just snap a picture of your homework and watch as our AI provides accurate solutions in seconds. • All-Subject AI Chat: Whether you need help in math, science, or literature, our AI chat is ready to assist with personalized guidance. • Comprehensive Learning Made Simple: Our focus isn't just on answers, but on helping you understand the concepts behind them. • Intuitive and User-Friendly: We've designed our app to be easy and enjoyable for learners of all ages and abilities. Key Features: • AI-Powered Scanner: Simply snap a picture of the problem, and our app swiftly analyzes and resolves it with precision. • Real-Time AI Chat Assistance: Engage in interactive conversations for in-depth explanations and study tips. • Broad Subject Coverage: From complex math equations to science experiments and literary analysis, we've got you covered. Your Educational Companion: • Always Evolving: We constantly enhance our app with the latest AI advancements and user feedback. • Perfect for Everyone: Whether you're a student, teacher, or just curious, our app is tailored to fit your learning needs. The app includes optional subscriptions to unlock pro features. terms and conditions: http://techconsolidated.org/terms.html Download "Pic Answer - AI Solver" today and revolutionize the way you learn!

Screenshots

Claro ScanPen Premium4 screens
Pic Answer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Pic Answer at 3.5K against Claro ScanPen Premium's 33. Pic Answer also leads on review sentiment (56% vs 33%) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). Claro ScanPen Premium's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.6). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Claro ScanPen Premium sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $10.99 per year and Pic Answer sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Claro ScanPen Premium against 4.6 for Pic Answer. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pic Answer has 3.5K ratings behind it against 33, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 33% of Claro ScanPen Premium's written reviews are positive against 56% of Pic Answer's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Claro ScanPen Premium ships an update every 2 months, Pic Answer fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Claro ScanPen Premium versus Pic Answer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterClaro ScanPen PremiumPic Answer
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (33 ratings)4.6 (3.5K ratings) — better
Positive reviews33.3% of reviews55.9% of reviews — better
Number of ratings333.5K — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size135 MB131 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperClaro Software LimitedTech Consolidated Inc

Customer experience

Claro ScanPen Premium

All ratings33 ratings
Positive90.9%
Neutral3.0%
Negative6.1%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive33.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative66.7%

Pic Answer

All ratings3,421 ratings
Positive90.7%
Neutral3.5%
Negative5.8%
Written reviews220 reviews
Positive55.9%
Neutral6.4%
Negative37.7%

Bugs and requests

Claro ScanPen Premium

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Pic Answer

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App crashes or freezes when trying to solve questions
  • Subscription continues to be charged even after cancellation
  • Incorrect answers provided for simple math problems

Requested features

4 requests
  • Expand to more subject areas beyond math
  • Improve camera quality for better image capture
  • Add more detailed explanations for answers
  • Provide a true free trial without limitations

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Claro ScanPen Premium

Subscriptions1
  • Subscribe for 1 Year14 Days trial$10.991 Year
One-time9
  • Scott$3.99
  • Valeria$3.99
  • Emilio$3.99
Show 6 more
  • Elise$3.99
  • Valentin$3.99
  • Elias$3.99
  • Emilie$3.99
  • Filip$3.99
  • Freja$3.99
9 purchases

Pic Answer

Subscriptions8
  • PA Weekly Trial3 Days trial$4.997 Days
  • Pic Answer Weekly$4.997 Days
  • PA Weekly, 3 days trial3 Days trial$6.997 Days
Show 5 more
  • PA Weekly, No Trial2 variants$6.997 Days
  • PA Monthly With Trial7 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • PA Monthly Trial3 Days trial$14.991 Month
  • PA Yearly$29.991 Year
  • PA Yearly With Trial7 Days trial$69.991 Year
One-time1
  • Pic Answer Lifetime Purchase$39.99

Questions

Is Claro ScanPen Premium free?
Claro ScanPen Premium is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Pic Answer free?
Pic Answer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Claro ScanPen Premium or Pic Answer?
Pic Answer is rated higher. Claro ScanPen Premium averages 4.6 out of 5 from 33 ratings, while Pic Answer averages 4.6 from 3.5K ratings.
Do Claro ScanPen Premium or Pic Answer have ads?
Neither Claro ScanPen Premium nor Pic Answer shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Claro ScanPen Premium or Pic Answer?
Claro ScanPen Premium ships an update every 2 months, and Pic Answer fortnightly. Most recently, Claro ScanPen Premium was updated on November 2, 2026 and Pic Answer on November 3, 2026.

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