# Short Circuit vs Simple Scan

The clearest difference is monetization model: Simple Scan at freemium against Short Circuit's subscription. Simple Scan also leads on review sentiment (88% vs 62%) and rating (4.9 vs 4.7). Short Circuit's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Short Circuit sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Simple Scan sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Simple Scan holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Simple Scan has 665 ratings behind it against 128, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 62% of Short Circuit's written reviews are positive against 88% of Simple Scan's.

Short Circuit ships an update every 2 days, Simple Scan every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on August 23, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Short Circuit | Simple Scan |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (128 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/short-circuit-ai-assistant/id1638522784/reviews) | **[4.9 (665 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-scan-quick-scanner/id6477965455/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 128 | **665** |
| Positive reviews | 61.5% of reviews | **87.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Freemium** |
| Size | 15 MB | 21 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.1** | 17.4 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Red Panda Club Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/735322475) | [Agile Tortoise](https://appshunter.io/developer/331942785) |

## What reviewers say

### Short Circuit

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/short-circuit-ai-assistant/id1638522784)

This AI-powered chatbot offers intelligent and sophisticated responses to your questions, leveraging advanced OpenAI models like ChatGPT and GPT-4. It integrates seamlessly with Siri and Shortcuts for hands-free access and personalized workflows. The more you use it, the smarter it becomes, acting as a personal tutor, storyteller, or programming companion.

**Highlights:** AI-powered chatbot, OpenAI GPT-4 integration, Siri voice assistant integration, Apple Shortcuts support, Personalized learning, Fact-checking capabilities

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Starter | $2.99 | per month |
| Pro | $5.99 | per month |
| Premium | $14.99 | per month |
| Lifetime: Pay Once | $29.99 | one-time |


### Simple Scan

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-scan-quick-scanner/id6477965455)

Easily convert paper documents into searchable PDFs or images in seconds. This app offers a streamlined scanning experience without cluttering your existing notes, with options to share directly via email, messages, or other applications. Enjoy private, on-device processing with no ads.

**Highlights:** Scan documents to PDF or JPEG, Searchable PDFs with OCR, Share scans via email, messages, or system share sheet, Custom file destinations, File naming suggestions (Apple Intelligence required), On-device processing, No ads

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro - Annual | $9.99 | per year |
| Pro - Lifetime | $39.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great interface
- 🚀 Fast and efficient
- 🔒 No ads or privacy concerns
- 💡 Customizable workflows
- 👍 Simple and straightforward

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes
- 🔧 Cropping could be improved
- 🔧 Inability to name scans before saving

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes on multi-page scans for some users
- Issues with importing files from other apps

**Requested features**

- Ability to tag scans
- Favorite file/app destination options
- More image adjustment tools


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Short Circuit free?

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

### Is Simple Scan free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Short Circuit or Simple Scan?

Simple Scan is rated higher. Short Circuit averages 4.7 out of 5 from 128 ratings, while Simple Scan averages 4.9 from 665 ratings.

### Do Short Circuit or Simple Scan have ads?

Neither Short Circuit nor Simple Scan shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Short Circuit or Simple Scan?

Short Circuit ships an update every 2 days, and Simple Scan every 3 weeks. Most recently, Short Circuit was updated on August 23, 2026 and Simple Scan on September 28, 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.*