# PDFelement vs CamNote

The clearest difference is ads: CamNote at none against PDFelement's shown. CamNote also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.6) and update cadence (every 2 days vs every 10 days). PDFelement's advantage is ratings volume (7.6K vs 1). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PDFelement sells 18 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and CamNote sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

CamNote holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PDFelement has 7.6K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

PDFelement ships an update every 10 days, CamNote every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDFelement | CamNote |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (7.6K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdfelement-pdf-editor-viewer/id1516765045/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/camnote-text-and-document-scan/id1664144717/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **7.6K** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 76.1% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 196 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Wondershare Technology Group Co.,LTD](https://appshunter.io/developer/298647757) | [若宣 殷](https://appshunter.io/developer/1611757046) |

## What reviewers say

### PDFelement

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdfelement-pdf-editor-viewer/id1516765045)

This application offers comprehensive PDF management, including advanced editing, AI-powered summarization and translation, and efficient scanning with OCR. It helps organize, convert, and secure documents for work, study, and personal use.

**Highlights:** AI Chat with PDF, Scan and OCR, PDF to Office Conversion, Edit PDF like Word, Password Protection, Compress PDF

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

**In-app purchases (18)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription (AI) | $3.99 | per month |
| PDF Editor& Converter& Scanner | $6.99 | per month |
| PDF Editor & Scanner Pro（iOS） | $6.99 | per month |
| Weekly Subscription (iOS) | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Quarterly Subscription (iOS) | $9.99 | per 3 months |
| Weekly Subscription (iOS) | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly Subscription (iOS) | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly Subscription (All) | $19.99 | per month |
| Annual Subscription (iOS) | $24.99 | per year |
| PDF Editor & Scanner Pro | $29.99 | per year |
| Annual Subscription (iOS) | $29.99 | per year |
| Annual Subscription (iOS) | $29.99 | per year |
| Quarterly Subscription (All) | $39.99 | per 3 months |
| Annual Subscription (iOS+Win) | $99.99 | per year |
| Annual Subscription (iOS+Mac) | $99.99 | per year |
| Annual Subscription (All) | $109.99 | per year |
| PDF Editor & Scanner Pro | $39.99 | one-time |
| iOS | $39.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Efficient PDF editing
- 💡 Comprehensive feature set
- 🔒 Secure document handling
- 👍 Intuitive interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or glitches
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🔒 Mandatory account required
- 🔒 Unclear licensing and subscription model
- 🐛 Syncing issues between devices

**Reported bugs**

- Login issues and inability to restore purchases
- Corrupted scanned files or loss of progress
- Inconsistent behavior when editing PDF text
- Compatibility problems with older devices or OS versions

**Requested features**

- Add dark mode option
- Improve cloud integration and file management
- Enhance OCR accuracy and capabilities
- Introduce multi-tab support for better workflow
- Add more customization options for toolbars and UI


### CamNote

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/camnote-text-and-document-scan/id1664144717)

Easily extract, edit, and act on text from your photos. Recognize key information like dates, phone numbers, and URLs, and sync your notes across devices with iCloud. Supports multiple languages and dark mode.

**Highlights:** Extract text from photos, Auto-recognize key information, Take actions on recognized text, iCloud data sync, Dark mode support, Folder management

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| CamNote Premium Monthly | $0.99 | per month |
| CamNote Premium Yearly | $5.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PDFelement free?

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

### Is CamNote free?

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

### Which has better reviews, PDFelement or CamNote?

CamNote is rated higher. PDFelement averages 4.6 out of 5 from 7.6K ratings, while CamNote averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do PDFelement or CamNote have ads?

PDFelement shows ads; CamNote does not.

### Which is updated more often, PDFelement or CamNote?

PDFelement ships an update every 10 days, and CamNote every 2 days. Most recently, PDFelement was updated on October 17, 2026 and CamNote on October 2, 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.*