# PDF Scanner App vs Simple Scanner

PDF Scanner App and Simple Scanner both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 95% of Simple Scanner's written reviews are positive against 37% of PDF Scanner App's. Simple Scanner also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.0). PDF Scanner App's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (27K vs 929). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PDF Scanner App sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days and Simple Scanner sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Simple Scanner holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PDF Scanner App has 27K ratings behind it against 929, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 37% of PDF Scanner App's written reviews are positive against 95% of Simple Scanner's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on October 25, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF Scanner App | Simple Scanner |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (27K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-scanner-app-tapscanner/id1382564905/reviews) | **[4.8 (929 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-scanner-pdf-doc-scan/id1531265666/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **27K** | 929 |
| Positive reviews | 36.6% of reviews | **95.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#86** | — |
| Size | 175 MB | 196 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [SMART MEDIA INTERNET MARKETING LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/718353904) | [TongSoft Information Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1522822281) |

## What reviewers say

### PDF Scanner App

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-scanner-app-tapscanner/id1382564905)

**Currently charting:** #86 Top Grossing · Business (US App Store)

Transform your mobile device into a powerful scanner. Easily capture documents, receipts, and more, convert them to PDF, and edit them with advanced tools. Secure your files with passwords and share them effortlessly.

**Highlights:** Scan documents to PDF, Edit scans with OCR, Add e-signatures, Enhance scans with filters, Split and merge PDFs, Convert between PDF and JPG/Word, Compress PDF files, Password protect PDFs

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Scanner App to PDF PRO Weekly | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Unlimited access | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Unlimited access | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| Unlimited Access - Weekly | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Unlimited access | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Unlimited access | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| Scan to PDF App PRO Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Unlimited access | $19.99 | per year |
| Unlimited access | $39.99 | per year |
| Document Scanner App Pro | $49.99 | per year |
| Unlimited access | $49.99 | per year |
| PDF Scanner App Pro | $49.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 👍 User-friendly
- 🚀 Convenient scanning
- 👍 Great features
- 👍 Intuitive navigation

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Expensive subscription
- 🐛 Buggy app
- 🔒 Difficult to cancel subscription
- 🐛 Unreliable scanning
- 🐛 Mixes up pages

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes during scanning
- Subscription issues
- Unable to save scans properly
- Compatibility problems with new devices

**Requested features**

- Option to reorder pages
- Ability to cancel subscription easily
- Support for older devices
- Improved customer service


### Simple Scanner

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-scanner-pdf-doc-scan/id1531265666)

Transform your phone into a portable scanner to digitize documents, photos, and receipts. Save scans as images or PDFs, organize them with folders and tags, and share them via cloud services, email, or direct Wi-Fi transfer. Features include OCR text recognition and password protection.

**Highlights:** Portable document scanner, Save as JPG or PDF, Cloud upload and sync, OCR text recognition, Password protection, Direct Wi-Fi transfer

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 month subscription | $3.99 | per month |
| 1 Month -Send unlimited faxes | $19.99 | per month |
| 1 year subscription | $29.99 | per year |
| 1 year subscription | $29.99 | per year |
| cloud storage subscription | $79.99 | per year |
| 1 Year - send unlimited faxes | $149.99 | per year |
| Fax  15  credits | $0.99 | one-time |
| Fax  60  credits | $2.99 | one-time |
| Fax 250 credits | $9.99 | one-time |
| Fax 600 credits | $19.99 | one-time |
| Fax 2000 credits | $49.99 | one-time |
| lifetime license | $89.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Fast and efficient
- 💡 Useful features
- 🔒 Secure
- 📁 Organizes documents well

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or bugs
- 💰 Subscription issues
- 📢 Too many ads
- 🔄 Syncing problems

**Reported bugs**

- Camera not working properly
- Trouble canceling subscriptions
- Scanned documents not saving correctly

**Requested features**

- Add support for more file formats
- Improve sharing and exporting options
- Implement dark mode
- Allow importing PDFs directly


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PDF Scanner App free?

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

### Is Simple Scanner free?

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

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

Simple Scanner is rated higher. PDF Scanner App averages 4.7 out of 5 from 27K ratings, while Simple Scanner averages 4.8 from 929 ratings.

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

Simple Scanner shows ads; PDF Scanner App does not.

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

PDF Scanner App ships an update every 2 weeks, and Simple Scanner every 2 weeks. Most recently, PDF Scanner App was updated on October 25, 2026 and Simple Scanner on October 25, 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.*