MRZ Scanner PRO vs Grandpa Notes
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side β with what reviewers say about each.
MRZ Scanner PRO
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Machine-readable zone (MRZ) scanner app! MRZ scanner works in real-time, locally on a device, without the need of an internet connection. Since the scan happens right on the device, the data never leaves your device unless you want it to. All processing takes place on your device. This means the results never pass any external servers. MRZ scanner has the fastest decoding time on the market paired with the highest accuracy. Fields that don't have checksum digit from the MRZ can manually be checked and updated to avoid rescanning. The PRO version allows for unlimited history and ad free experience, as well as a way to POST your data to an URL of your choosing to allow for further data processing.
Grandpa Notes
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Grandpa Notes is a simple note-taking app. It is free and open source, with no advertisements, in-app purchases or tracking. Your notes are stored as plain text in a straightforward folder structure. You can create notebooks locally or in iCloud. There is also an optional encryption layer that is compatible with Cryptomator.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Grandpa Notes at Free against MRZ Scanner PRO's $5.99. MRZ Scanner PRO's advantage is update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 20 months) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 17.0). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS
Grandpa Notes is free to download; MRZ Scanner PRO costs $5.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
MRZ Scanner PRO ships an update every 6 weeks, Grandpa Notes every 20 months. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | MRZ Scanner PRO | Grandpa Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $5.99 | Free β better |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks β better | Every 20 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod β better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 9.0 β better | 17.0 |
| Further details β not scored | ||
| Size | 45 MB | 3 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Adamantus | Julien Eyriès |
In-app purchases
MRZ Scanner PRO
No in-app purchases
Grandpa Notes
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is MRZ Scanner PRO free?
Is Grandpa Notes free?
Do MRZ Scanner PRO or Grandpa Notes have ads?
Which is updated more often, MRZ Scanner PRO or Grandpa Notes?
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