# Scanner PDF vs PDF Scanner App

The clearest difference is monetization model: PDF Scanner App at free with in-app purchases against Scanner PDF's subscription. PDF Scanner App also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months). Scanner PDF's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (20K vs 6.3K). On price, rating, review sentiment and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Scanner PDF sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days and PDF Scanner App sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. 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 Scanner PDF against 4.5 for PDF Scanner App. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 20K and 6.3K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 32% of Scanner PDF's written reviews are positive against 28% of PDF Scanner App's.

Scanner PDF ships an update every 3 months, PDF Scanner App every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Scanner PDF | PDF Scanner App |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (20K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scanner-pdf-scan-document/id1314963982/reviews)** | [4.5 (6.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-scanner-app-scan-document/id1414756292/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **20K** | 6.3K |
| Positive reviews | **32.4% of reviews** | 27.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 125 MB | 92 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Neosus](https://appshunter.io/developer/1231145899) | [Smart Tool Studio](https://appshunter.io/developer/1080080426) |

## What reviewers say

### Scanner PDF

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scanner-pdf-scan-document/id1314963982)

This app transforms your phone into a portable scanner. Easily digitize documents, add signatures and stamps, and convert them into high-quality PDFs or JPEGs. It also features OCR for text recognition and translation, and allows direct faxing.

**Highlights:** Scan documents with phone camera, Convert to PDF, JPEG, PNG, OCR text recognition and translation, E-sign and stamp documents, Direct faxing from device, Cloud storage backup

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Scanner Premium | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| 1 Week Smart Business Pack | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Scanner Premium | $9.99 | per month |
| 1 Week Business Pack | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| 1 Month Business Pack | $24.99 | per month |
| Scanner Premium | $34.99 | per 6 months |
| Scanner Premium | $49.99 | per year |
| Scanner yearly premium | $99.99 | per year |
| 1 Year Business Pack | $119.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 👍 Convenient mobile scanning
- 🚀 Fast scanning process
- 💡 Useful for on-the-go document needs

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Deceptive subscription model
- 💰 Overpriced subscription fees
- 🐛 Poor image quality
- 🔒 Difficult to cancel subscription
- 🐛 Unreliable scanning and document handling

**Reported bugs**

- Scanned documents disappearing
- Subscription charges even after cancellation
- Inability to access scanned documents

**Requested features**

- Option to permanently disable subscription
- Improved image quality and processing
- Clearer pricing and subscription information


### PDF Scanner App

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-scanner-app-scan-document/id1414756292)

Transform your phone into a powerful mobile scanner. Quickly scan, sign, and share documents in various formats. Features OCR, QR code scanning, and robust editing tools for professional document management.

**Highlights:** Scan documents to PDF, JPEG, TXT, OCR for text recognition, QR code and barcode scanning, Electronic signature addition, Document editing and cropping, Cloud storage integration, File management with PIN protection

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Fax Premium (One Month) | $4.99 | per month |
| Premium (One Week) | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium (One Month) | $7.99 | per month |
| One Month -PDFScanner Premium | $9.99 | per month |
| One Month -eScanner Premium | $9.99 | per month |
| Promotion PDF subscription | $19.99 | per year |
| Fax Premium (One Year) | $47.99 | per year |
| Scanner APP Premium | $59.99 | per year |
| One Year -PDFScanner Premium | $59.99 | per year |
| Lifetime-PDFScanner Purchase | $69.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- ⭐ Excellent scanning quality
- 📝 Useful text recognition
- 🔍 Convenient document management

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive subscription model
- 📢 Intrusive ads and popups
- 🤯 Buggy and unreliable performance
- 🤔 Confusing and unintuitive UI

**Reported bugs**

- Scans not saving properly
- Subscription issues and billing problems
- Compatibility problems with older devices

**Requested features**

- Add ability to edit scanned documents
- Improve OCR accuracy
- Provide more customization options


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Scanner PDF free?

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

### Is PDF Scanner App free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Scanner PDF or PDF Scanner App?

Scanner PDF is rated higher. Scanner PDF averages 4.6 out of 5 from 20K ratings, while PDF Scanner App averages 4.5 from 6.3K ratings.

### Do Scanner PDF or PDF Scanner App have ads?

PDF Scanner App shows ads; Scanner PDF does not.

### Which is updated more often, Scanner PDF or PDF Scanner App?

Scanner PDF ships an update every 3 months, and PDF Scanner App every 3 weeks. Most recently, Scanner PDF was updated on October 1, 2026 and PDF Scanner App on September 30, 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.*