# SmartScan AI vs Cursive Writing Reader

SmartScan AI and Cursive Writing Reader both sit at 4.4 stars, but that hides the real split: 54% of SmartScan AI's written reviews are positive against 0% of Cursive Writing Reader's. Cursive Writing Reader's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and ads (none vs shown). On price, rating, ratings volume and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. SmartScan AI sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Cursive Writing Reader asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for SmartScan AI against 4.4 for Cursive Writing Reader. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 94 and 38 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 54% of SmartScan AI's written reviews are positive against 0% of Cursive Writing Reader's.

SmartScan AI ships an update every 2 months, Cursive Writing Reader daily. The most recent releases landed on June 8, 2026 and August 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SmartScan AI | Cursive Writing Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (94 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smartscan-ai/id1393471734/reviews) | [4.4 (38 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cursive-writing-reader-camera/id6478762939/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **94** | 38 |
| Positive reviews | **54.2% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Daily** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 17 MB | 33 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Naveen Vijay](https://appshunter.io/developer/1275020392) | [Koji Watanabe](https://appshunter.io/developer/1332653587) |

## What reviewers say

### SmartScan AI

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smartscan-ai/id1393471734)

Effortlessly extract text from images using advanced AI. Translate content into over 150 languages, summarize complex information, and export editable files or professional PDFs. This intelligent assistant helps you work faster and smarter by digitizing notes and documents.

**Highlights:** Handwritten and printed text OCR, AI-powered translation to 150+ languages, AI assistant for summarization and insights, Text-to-speech functionality, Editable file and PDF export, Scan history and editing tools

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 75 Credits | $0.99 | one-time |
| 175 Credits | $1.99 | one-time |
| 500 Credits | $4.99 | one-time |


### Cursive Writing Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cursive-writing-reader-camera/id6478762939)

This app uses your device's camera to scan and convert handwritten cursive English into digital text. It can also recognize handwriting directly within the app, allowing you to easily copy and paste the converted content.

**Highlights:** Scan cursive from camera or gallery, Convert handwritten characters to text, OCR handwriting recognition, In-app handwriting recognition, Copy and paste converted text

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SmartScan AI free?

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

### Is Cursive Writing Reader free?

Cursive Writing Reader is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, SmartScan AI or Cursive Writing Reader?

SmartScan AI and Cursive Writing Reader are both rated 4.4 out of 5 on the App Store, from 94 and 38 ratings respectively.

### Do SmartScan AI or Cursive Writing Reader have ads?

SmartScan AI shows ads; Cursive Writing Reader does not.

### Which is updated more often, SmartScan AI or Cursive Writing Reader?

SmartScan AI ships an update every 2 months, and Cursive Writing Reader daily. Most recently, SmartScan AI was updated on June 8, 2026 and Cursive Writing Reader on August 20, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*