# Notate PDF vs Scanner App

The clearest difference is ads: Notate PDF at none against Scanner App's shown. Scanner App's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (12K vs 33). On price, review sentiment, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Notate PDF sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $3.49 per month and Scanner App sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Scanner App holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Scanner App has 12K ratings behind it against 33, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 25% of Notate PDF's written reviews are positive against 26% of Scanner App's.

Notate PDF ships an update every 3 months, Scanner App fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Notate PDF | Scanner App |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (33 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notate-pdf/id1490573353/reviews) | **[4.6 (12K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scanner-app-docs-scan-and-sign/id1492815018/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 33 | **12K** |
| Positive reviews | 25.0% of reviews | **26.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 224 MB | 65 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Shafer Systems LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/648469052) | [UNA Consulting GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/1492815017) |

## What reviewers say

### Notate PDF

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notate-pdf/id1490573353)

Edit, annotate, and collaborate on PDF and Microsoft Office files online or offline. This app integrates with cloud storage and email for seamless business workflows, offering digital signatures and OCR scanning.

**Highlights:** Edit PDFs and Office documents, Sign and approve documents digitally, Collaborate with threaded comments, OCR scanning for searchable PDFs, Handwrite, type, or draw notes, Integrates with cloud storage

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

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $3.49 | per month |
| Monthly subscription(promo) | $3.49 | per month |
| Monthly Subscription | $3.49 | per month |
| Monthly Premium Subscription | $3.49 | per month |
| Annual subscription | $29.99 | per year |
| Annual subscription (promo) | $29.99 | per year |
| Annual Subscription | $29.99 | per year |
| Annual Premium Subscription | $29.99 | per year |
| 14 day premium trial | Free | one-time |


### Scanner App

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scanner-app-docs-scan-and-sign/id1492815018)

Easily scan documents, IDs, and photos into digital formats like PDF or JPEG. Add signatures, watermarks, and share your files anywhere. Manage multi-page documents and turn handwritten notes into digital copies on the go.

**Highlights:** Scan documents and photos, Automatic border detection, Export to PDF or JPEG, Add signatures and watermarks, Manage multi-page documents, Share via email or cloud, Print via Wi-Fi

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Access | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium Weekly | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium Weekly | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Scanner App: Premium Month | $7.99 | per month |
| Weekly Premium | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Scanner App: Premium Year | $39.99 | per year |
| Premium Access | $49.99 | per year |
| Premium Yearly | $49.99 | per year |
| Scanner App: Premium Year | $89.99 | per year |
| Premium Lifetime | $59.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 👍 Handy for iPhone
- 💡 Helpful for work, school, and personal use
- 🚀 Very effective scanning system
- 👍 Simple and straightforward

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Continuous app closures
- 🐛 Unreliable and crashes frequently
- 🐛 Blurry and low-quality scans
- 💰 Expensive subscription model
- 🔒 Misleading free trial that turns into a paid subscription

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when scanning large documents
- Inability to save and resume scans
- Inconsistent performance and functionality

**Requested features**

- Add rotation feature
- Improve OCR accuracy
- Integrate with cloud storage services
- Provide better instructions and guidance


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Notate PDF free?

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

### Is Scanner App free?

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

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

Scanner App is rated higher. Notate PDF averages 4.3 out of 5 from 33 ratings, while Scanner App averages 4.6 from 12K ratings.

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

Scanner App shows ads; Notate PDF does not.

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

Notate PDF ships an update every 3 months, and Scanner App fortnightly. Most recently, Notate PDF was updated on November 7, 2026 and Scanner App on November 8, 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.*