# PDF Scanner app vs Preview mini

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Preview mini at 63% against PDF Scanner app's 29%. PDF Scanner app's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 4.3) and update cadence (every 3 days vs every 10 days). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PDF Scanner app sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days and Preview mini sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

PDF Scanner app holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PDF Scanner app has 1.3K ratings behind it against 212, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 29% of PDF Scanner app's written reviews are positive against 63% of Preview mini's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

PDF Scanner app ships an update every 3 days, Preview mini every 10 days. Both last shipped on October 27, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF Scanner app | Preview mini |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (1.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-scanner-app-doc-scanner/id1526957611/reviews)** | [4.3 (212 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/preview-mini-image-and-pdf-tool/id1593078015/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.3K** | 212 |
| Positive reviews | 28.6% of reviews | **63.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 days** | Every 10 days |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 46 MB | 103 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Mikhail Katin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1526957613) | [Marian Koenig](https://appshunter.io/developer/1394020504) |

## What reviewers say

### PDF Scanner app

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-scanner-app-doc-scanner/id1526957611)

Transform your phone into a powerful document scanner. Easily capture, edit, sign, and share documents in PDF format. Securely store all your important papers, from contracts and IDs to receipts and notes, directly on your device.

**Highlights:** Scan documents to PDF, Edit scanned documents, Sign documents digitally, Store documents securely, Share documents easily, Text recognition

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| The PDF Scanner documеntѕ арр | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| The PDF Scanner documеntѕ арр | $14.99 | per month |
| Yearly | $39.99 | per year |
| Full version | $29.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Excellent for scanning documents
- 💡 Helpful for immigration documents

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and issues with saving/sending scans
- 💰 Requires paid subscription to access full functionality
- 🔒 Limited free features, need to pay to unlock

**Reported bugs**

- Scanned documents not saving or sending properly
- App randomly switching to 'auto' mode
- Inconsistent document naming when sharing

**Requested features**

- Add ability to edit scanned documents
- Improve image quality of scans
- Provide more free features without subscription


### Preview mini

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/preview-mini-image-and-pdf-tool/id1593078015)

Edit and annotate images and PDFs with a desktop-like experience on your iPhone and iPad. Offers advanced features for viewing, converting, and managing files, inspired by macOS.

**Highlights:** Image editing and cropping, PDF annotation and editing, File conversion, Drag and drop support, Keyboard shortcuts, Password protection for PDFs

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Preview mini PRO | $4.99 | one-time |
| Fullversion | $8.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Useful application, replaces MS Paint
- 💡 Video tutorials are helpful
- 🚀 Makes life easier
- 👍 Wonderful and powerful iPad app
- 👍 Great replacement for Preview (almost)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Changes not saved on iPad
- 🐛 Does not export PDF as picture
- 🐛 Difficult to use on iPad
- 🐛 Crashing the app on large PDFs
- 🐛 Only allows acting on one page at a time

**Reported bugs**

- Changes not saved when attaching to email
- App errors out on large PDFs and crashes
- App shuts down during photo editing, unsaved work lost
- Cannot type the letter 'y' in documents
- Payment issues with Apple, requires new credit card data

**Requested features**

- Split-screen or slide-over capability
- Export PDF as picture (JPG, etc.)
- Ability to paste one image on top of another
- Ctrl-Z for quick undo
- Straight line option for markup


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PDF Scanner app free?

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

### Is Preview mini free?

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

### Which has better reviews, PDF Scanner app or Preview mini?

PDF Scanner app is rated higher. PDF Scanner app averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.3K ratings, while Preview mini averages 4.3 from 212 ratings.

### Do PDF Scanner app or Preview mini have ads?

Neither PDF Scanner app nor Preview mini shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, PDF Scanner app or Preview mini?

PDF Scanner app ships an update every 3 days, and Preview mini every 10 days. Most recently, PDF Scanner app was updated on October 27, 2026 and Preview mini on October 27, 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.*