Comparison

VDScan vs Synthy

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

Head to head
About

VDScan

Capture text from documents, labels, and signs using your camera and have it read aloud with text-to-speech. This app offers fast, accurate, and private on-device OCR with support for numerous languages. Save, export, and enhance your scanned documents with intelligent features.

Highlights
  • On-device OCR and text recognition
  • Text-to-speech with 61 voices
  • ScanTone real-time text detection
  • Batch scanning mode
  • Export as plain text or PDF
  • Offline functionality
Features
Read full description

Scan paper documents, labels, signs with the camera and recognize text. Listen using built-in text-to-speech. Save and export. Unlimited use: no subscriptions or additional charges. State-of-the-art A.I. for OCR and text recognition: Fast and accurate, even in poor lighting conditions. Works entirely on device: No need for internet and your data stays private. Recognizes text in the following languages: Catalan, Chinese, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Hindi, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Swedish, and Turkish. ScanTone, a sound that represents the amount of recognizable text in the camera's field of view in real time. It uses artificial intelligence to analyze the live feed from the camera for text, angle, rotation, and document edges. Exports scans as plain text or accessible PDF with embedded text. Detailed Feature List Scanning - ScanTone - Live edges/crop detection - Flashlight - Batch mode for scanning multiple pages quickly - Intelligent auto capture Image - Automatic edge detection for stretching and cropping - Manually cropping - Automatic orientation detection and rotation - Manual image rotation - Automatic image enhancement OCR - Fast: about a second on the latest iPhone - Offline: does not require Internet connection - Private: image and text stay on device - Automatic language detection - Option to see image or recognized text Text To Speech - Choose from 61 voices - Premium voices in Voice Dream Reader available - Change speech rate - Option to start reading as soon as OCR is complete - Spoken word is highlighted in the text or the image - Rewind and fast forward by text section (VoiceOver users only) - Double tap on text to start reading from there Import and Export - Load from Photo Library - Share extension for sending images to Scanner from another app - Export plain text - Export PDF with text layer under the image so that it's accessible, searchable and selectable - Export to Voice Dream Reader

About

Synthy

Transform documents, books, and web content into audio with advanced text-to-speech technology. Scan physical documents or import digital files and listen to them read aloud with natural-sounding AI voices. Adjust playback speed and enjoy background listening for a seamless audio experience.

Highlights
  • Scan and read documents
  • Text to speech with AI voices
  • Adjustable reading speed
  • Import files and web links
  • Background listening mode
  • Type and listen functionality
Features
Read full description

Introducing Synthy — Your Ultimate Audio Books & Reading App! Do you have a mountain of documents, books, or material to read but no time? Synthy is the perfect PDF reader, text to speech tool, and voice aloud reader to save your day! Simply scan and read, upload text, document or web-link and listen to any text aloud. Whether it’s book reading, articles, or newspapers, our app reads everything for you with natural TTS voices. Key Features of Synthy: Text to Speech & Voice Reader Transform any text into audio! Use your phone’s camera to scan and read books (PDF, EPUB, DOCX, etc.), and let Synthy read text aloud like a personal audio book reader. Perfect for multitasking or book reading on the go! Realistic AI Voices for Document Reader No more robotic sounds! Enjoy voice reader technology with lifelike voices. Whether for PDF read aloud, screen reader tasks, or reading apps, Synthy adapts to your style. Adjustable Speed Reading App Customize pacing for read aloud comfort. Speed up for quick reviews or slow down to savor content—ideal for audio books and document reader needs. Type & Listen with Voice Aloud Reader Need to read text aloud from notes? Type anything, and Synthy will turn text to voice instantly. Great for students and professionals! Import Files & Web Content Import PDFs, eBooks, or links—Synthy acts as a screen reader for all formats. Even online articles become audio books with our TTS! Background Mode Keep listening while your phone is locked. A must-have for book reading fans and voice reader enthusiasts! Why Choose Synthy? More than a PDF reader or text to speech tool, Synthy is your all-in-one voice aloud reader and audio book reader. Whether for scan and read convenience, read aloud flexibility, or document reader functionality. Book reading lovers Professionals needing PDF read aloud Anyone who wants a screen reader or voice reader to speak for me effortlessly! Privacy policy: https://speechie.app/privacy.html Terms of use: https://speechie.app/terms.html Support: • Email: support@speechie.app • FAQ: https://speechie.app/faq.html

Screenshots

VDScan4 screens
Synthy4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Synthy at Free against VDScan's $14.99. Synthy also leads on review sentiment (81% vs 72%). VDScan's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 7) and rating (4.5 vs 4.2). On ratings volume, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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

Synthy is free to download; VDScan costs $14.99 up front. Synthy sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. VDScan asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

VDScan holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 575 and 384 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 72% of VDScan's written reviews are positive against 81% of Synthy's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

VDScan ships an update fortnightly, Synthy monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
VDScan versus Synthy: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterVDScanSynthy
Price$14.99Free — better
Rating4.5 (575 ratings) — better4.2 (384 ratings)
Positive reviews71.5% of reviews81.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings575 — better384
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.016.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size1.2 GB213 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperOpus Noma LLCDating onlain, ooo

Customer experience

VDScan

All ratings575 ratings
Positive86.3%
Neutral7.5%
Negative6.3%
Written reviews193 reviews
Positive71.5%
Neutral10.9%
Negative17.6%

Synthy

All ratings384 ratings
Positive81.0%
Neutral2.6%
Negative16.4%
Written reviews300 reviews
Positive81.3%
Neutral3.7%
Negative15.0%

User reviews

VDScan

From 575 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fast and accurate OCR
  • 👍 Easy to use interface
  • 💡 Integrates well with VoiceDream Reader
  • 🚀 Impressive scanning speed
  • 👍 Helpful audio cues for scanning

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes and loses scanned data
  • 🐛 Struggles with curved/angled pages
  • 🐛 Inconsistent performance on different surfaces
  • 🐛 Difficulty scanning multi-column documents

Synthy

From 384 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Convenient text-to-speech
  • 🚀 Efficient scanning and conversion
  • 🔊 Natural-sounding voices
  • 🔍 Versatile content support
  • 🔧 Customizable reading experience

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes and freezes
  • 💰 Subscription-based model
  • 🔌 Inconsistent performance
  • 📚 Limited free content access
  • 🤖 Occasional mispronunciations

Bugs and requests

VDScan

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Crashes when scanning too many pages
  • Loses scanned data after app restarts

Requested features

4 requests
  • Batch import of photos for OCR
  • Option to edit/correct OCR results
  • Support for scanning book pages and flattening
  • Ability to save scans directly to cloud storage

Synthy

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Scanning issues with page breaks
  • Playback pauses at paragraph ends
  • Inconsistent text recognition
  • Subscription cancellation problems

Requested features

5 requests
  • Highlight and annotate text
  • Background playback with screen lock
  • More language and voice options
  • Improved OCR accuracy
  • Easier file management and organization

In-app purchases

None

VDScan

No in-app purchases

7 purchases

Synthy

Subscriptions7
  • Synthy Scan & Read Premium$4.997 Days
  • Endless Listening with Synthy$5.991 Month
  • Endless Listening with Synthy$9.991 Month
Show 4 more
  • Endless Listening with Synthy3 Days trial$12.991 Month
  • Three months$34.993 Months
  • 6 month premium3 Days trial$49.996 Months
  • Synthy Premium3 Days trial$79.991 Year

Questions

Is VDScan free?
VDScan costs $14.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Synthy free?
Synthy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, VDScan or Synthy?
VDScan is rated higher. VDScan averages 4.5 out of 5 from 575 ratings, while Synthy averages 4.2 from 384 ratings.
Do VDScan or Synthy have ads?
Neither VDScan nor Synthy shows ads.
Which is updated more often, VDScan or Synthy?
VDScan ships an update fortnightly, and Synthy monthly. Most recently, VDScan was updated on September 24, 2026 and Synthy on September 20, 2026.

Other comparisons