Comparison

Basic Scan vs PDF Photos+

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

Head to head
About

Basic Scan

Easily capture, scan, and share documents, receipts, and notes. Convert images to high-quality PDFs or PNGs, and extract text using OCR for easy searching. Sign documents and organize your scanned files efficiently.

Highlights
  • Document scanning with edge detection
  • Image filters for readability
  • OCR text recognition (20 languages)
  • Digital signature tool
  • Export as PNG, PDF, or TXT
  • Organize and manage scanned pages
Features
Read full description

Basic Scan is a simple way to capture and share your documents, letters, notes, business cards, receipts, sketches, homework, and more. Easily convert pictures to scanner quality images or PDFs, and extract text using OCR (optical character recognition) to search the document. Export the results as .png, .pdf, or .txt - try it out now! Use Basic Scan for: * Edge detection of document corners and edit the corners to get the perfect image crop. * Image filters to remove shadows and generate a readable result. * OCR Text Recognition to extract text from image. Now including support for 20 languages! * Sign pages with your signature in red, blue or black. * Share selected documents or pages as images, PDFs, or OCR text. * Add images by gallery or camera in batch mode or one-by-one * Organize, reorder, copy, move or delete selected pages and documents. * Search for keywords in the OCR results of all the documents and pages. Choose from 3 subscription options: - a 1-month subscription with a 3-day free trial period - a 3-month subscription - an annual subscription with a 7-day free trial period. Your free trial subscription will automatically renew to a paid subscription unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the free trial period. You can cancel your subscription in the App Store account settings at least 24 hours before the end of the free trial period. Subscription payments will be charged to your App Store account at confirmation of your purchase and upon commencement of each renewal term. Please note: any unused portion of a free trial period (if offered) will be forfeited when you purchase a premium subscription during the free trial period. You can cancel a free trial or subscription anytime by turning off auto-renewal through your iTunes account settings. This must be done 24 hours before the end of a free trial or subscription period to avoid being charged. The cancellation will take effect the day after the last day of the current subscription period, and you will be downgraded to the free service. Privacy Policy: https://sites.google.com/view/basic-scan-privacy-policy Terms of Use: https://sites.google.com/view/basic-scan-terms-conditions Got feedback? Please visit https://goo.gl/forms/8zLLRSSGQeB9hNXj1

About

PDF Photos+

Transform your phone into a high-quality document scanner. Quickly scan, save, extract text, and share documents as PDFs or JPEGs. Organize receipts, contracts, notes, and more, going paperless and boosting productivity.

Highlights
  • AI-powered OCR and text recognition
  • Automatic border cropping
  • Professional scan filters
  • Add signatures to documents
  • Annotate and draw on documents
  • Import images from photos
  • PIN lock for application security
Features
Read full description

Searching for a fast pdf scanner? Turn your phone into a high-quality document scanner and boost your productivity at school or work. Download this scanner free of cost to quickly scan, save, extract text, and share any document as a PDF. Go paperless with our fast PDF scanner - keep all your information in a single app on your phone! Camera Scanner This little yet versatile free scanner is a necessary requirement for bookkeepers, property agents, chiefs, or legal counselors. Store and organize your documents, including receipts, contracts, paper notes, books, photos, and keep your documents as multipage PDF or JPEG records. KEY FEATURES • AI powered OCR and text recognition • Automatically crop scans to correct borders • Professional filters including Color, Black and White, and Grayscale • Add signature to documents • Annotate or draw over documents • Import images from your photos • Lock and unlock application with a pin number Keep your entire workplace in your pocket and increase your work efficiency. Say goodbye to copiers and get this amazing speedy scanner for free! Subscription Details: • Weekly, monthly, and annual subscriptions are available • Payment will be charged to your iTunes account at affirmation of purchase. • Your subscription will automatically renew until auto-renew is disabled at least 24 hours before the end of the subscription period. • Automatic renewals will be charged at the same amount as the original subscription. • Subscriptions can be managed by using going to Account Settings on the App Store after purchase. Note: As much as possible, we're working to make it better by adding advanced and exciting features. To succeed, we need your constant support. Please feel free to send us your queries/suggestions/feedback at support@astrumcomputing.com. We are always interested in hearing from you. Download the Camera Scanner app and enjoy the best scanning that you deserve. Privacy Policy: https://www.astrumcomputing.com/home/privacylegal Terms of Use: https://www.astrumcomputing.com/home/termsofservice

Screenshots

Basic Scan4 screens
PDF Photos+4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: PDF Photos+ at free with in-app purchases against Basic Scan's subscription. PDF Photos+ also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). Basic Scan's advantage is review sentiment (95% vs 59%) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads 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. Basic Scan sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and PDF Photos+ sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

PDF Photos+ holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 293 and 326 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 95% of Basic Scan's written reviews are positive against 59% of PDF Photos+'s, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Basic Scan ships an update every 3 weeks, PDF Photos+ weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Basic Scan versus PDF Photos+: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBasic ScanPDF Photos+
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (293 ratings)4.7 (326 ratings) — better
Positive reviews95.2% of reviews — better58.8% of reviews
Number of ratings293326 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscriptionFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS13.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size17 MB28 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperINWARD INSIGHT LLCAstrum Computing

Customer experience

Basic Scan

All ratings293 ratings
Positive88.7%
Neutral3.4%
Negative7.8%
Written reviews21 reviews
Positive95.2%
Neutral0.0%
Negative4.8%

PDF Photos+

All ratings326 ratings
Positive93.6%
Neutral1.8%
Negative4.6%
Written reviews17 reviews
Positive58.8%
Neutral17.6%
Negative23.5%

User reviews

Basic Scan

From 293 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 🚀 Fast and efficient
  • 👍 User-friendly interface
  • 💡 Great for scanning documents
  • 💡 Convenient for making PDFs

Room to improve

  • ❓ Difficulty canceling subscription
  • 🐛 Edges not always cropped properly

PDF Photos+

From 326 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fast and efficient scanning
  • 👍 User-friendly interface
  • ✨ High clarity scanned photos
  • ⏱️ Saves a lot of time
  • 🖨️ Converts to high-quality PDF or JPG

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Auto scanning not perfect (edges vs. corners)
  • 📉 Misleading lifetime IAP information
  • ⚠️ Free trial screen issues

Bugs and requests

Basic Scan

Reported bugs

1 issue
  • Manual edge selection can be difficult

Requested features

3 requests
  • Automated document naming (time/location)
  • AI-powered naming based on paper content
  • Automatic edge detection for documents

PDF Photos+

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App crashes on iPhone 6s Plus iOS 15.0
  • App crashes on iOS 15.1 (iPhone 11)
  • App opens on free trial screen and doesn't allow to decline

Requested features

3 requests
  • Support for more OCR languages (e.g., Ukrainian)
  • Editing of recognized text
  • iPad version availability

In-app purchases

6 purchases

Basic Scan

Subscriptions6
  • اشتراك Premium شهري3 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Basic Scan Premium3 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • اشتراك ربع سنوي$11.993 Months
Show 3 more
  • Basic Scan Premium$19.993 Months
  • اشتراك Premium سنوي7 Days trial$39.991 Year
  • Basic Scan Premium3 Days trial$59.991 Year
9 purchases

PDF Photos+

Subscriptions8
  • Professional version$1.997 Days
  • Professional version$3.991 Month
  • PDF Scanner Pro - Weekly$4.997 Days
Show 5 more
  • Professional version3 Days trial$5.991 Month
  • Professional version3 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • PDF Scanner Pro - Monthly$9.991 Month
  • PDF Scanner Premium Annual7 Days trial$34.991 Year
  • PDF Scanner Premium Annual7 Days trial$39.991 Year
One-time1
  • PDF Scanner Premium Lifetime$49.99

Questions

Is Basic Scan free?
Basic Scan is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is PDF Photos+ free?
PDF Photos+ is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Basic Scan or PDF Photos+?
PDF Photos+ is rated higher. Basic Scan averages 4.5 out of 5 from 293 ratings, while PDF Photos+ averages 4.7 from 326 ratings.
Do Basic Scan or PDF Photos+ have ads?
Neither Basic Scan nor PDF Photos+ shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Basic Scan or PDF Photos+?
Basic Scan ships an update every 3 weeks, and PDF Photos+ weekly. Most recently, Basic Scan was updated on October 24, 2026 and PDF Photos+ on October 30, 2026.

Other comparisons