# Scanner vs Readonly

The clearest difference is rating: Scanner at 4.9 against Readonly's 4.4. Scanner also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16.0). Readonly's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 8 months). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Scanner sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Readonly sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Scanner holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 13 and 16 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 96% of Scanner's written reviews are positive against 100% of Readonly's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Scanner ships an update every 8 months, Readonly every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Scanner | Readonly |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scanner-pdf-and-ocr-scanner/id1545894404/reviews)** | [4.4 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/readonly-read-it-later/id6452241434/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 13 | **16** |
| Positive reviews | 95.8% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 8 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 26 MB | 9 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [传胜 贾](https://appshunter.io/developer/789568029) | [龙 陈](https://appshunter.io/developer/1680445870) |

## What reviewers say

### Scanner

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scanner-pdf-and-ocr-scanner/id1545894404)

This app offers fast document scanning and accurate OCR text recognition. It supports converting various important documents into PDF or JPG formats and allows adding watermarks for security.

**Highlights:** Fast document scanning, Accurate OCR text recognition, Convert to PDF or JPG, Scan ID cards and bank cards, Add watermarks to documents

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 20 Processing counts | $0.99 | one-time |
| 5 Processing counts | $0.99 | one-time |
| Permanent VIP | $3.99 | one-time |


### Readonly

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/readonly-read-it-later/id6452241434)

Save articles from other apps to read later in a comfortable, distraction-free environment. Organize your saved content with tags, highlight key passages, and add notes for deeper comprehension. Customize the reading experience with various themes and layout adjustments.

**Highlights:** Quickly save articles from other apps, Highlight text and add notes, Organize articles with tags, Customize reading themes and layout, Synchronize data via iCloud, Export articles in Markdown format

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Permanent Purchase(iOS) | $2.99 | one-time |
| 永久购买（macOS） | $2.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Scanner free?

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

### Is Readonly free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Scanner or Readonly?

Scanner is rated higher. Scanner averages 4.9 out of 5 from 13 ratings, while Readonly averages 4.4 from 16 ratings.

### Do Scanner or Readonly have ads?

Neither Scanner nor Readonly shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Scanner or Readonly?

Scanner ships an update every 8 months, and Readonly every 3 weeks. Most recently, Scanner was updated on November 3, 2026 and Readonly on November 3, 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.*