# Scanner App vs PaperScan

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: PaperScan at none against Scanner App's 12. PaperScan also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). Scanner App's advantage is ratings volume (1.4M vs 747) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 4 months). On price, rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Scanner App sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. PaperScan asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Scanner App against 4.8 for PaperScan. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Scanner App has 1.4M ratings behind it against 747, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 90% of Scanner App's written reviews are positive against 71% of PaperScan's.

Scanner App ships an update every 3 weeks, PaperScan every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Scanner App | PaperScan |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (1.4M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scanner-app-genius-scan/id377672876/reviews)** | [4.8 (747 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paperscan/id670210933/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.4M** | 747 |
| Positive reviews | **90.2% of reviews** | 70.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#31** | — |
| Size | 99 MB | 23 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [The Grizzly Labs](https://appshunter.io/developer/377672879) | [DocuWare GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/411884967) |

## What reviewers say

### Scanner App

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scanner-app-genius-scan/id377672876)

**Currently charting:** #31 Top Grossing · Business, #58 Top Free · Business (US App Store)

This app transforms your mobile device into a powerful document scanner. It automatically detects, crops, and enhances paper documents, allowing you to export them as multi-page PDFs. Organize, secure, and share your scanned files with advanced features.

**Highlights:** Smart document detection and cropping, Batch scanning for multiple pages, PDF creation and editing, OCR text recognition, On-device security features, Cloud backup and sync

**Features:** iMessage stickers

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Genius Scan Plus | $0.99 | per month |
| Genius Scan Ultra | $4.99 | per month |
| Genius Scan Plus | $11.99 | per year |
| Genius Scan Ultra | $39.99 | per year |
| Genius Scan Ultra | $39.99 | per year |
| Genius Scan Ultra | $49.99 | per year |
| Genius Scan Ultra | $49.99 | per year |
| Small Tip | $0.99 | one-time |
| Generous Tip | $2.99 | one-time |
| Genius Scan+ | $9.99 | one-time |
| Super Large Tip | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Fast and efficient scanning
- 🔒 Secure document handling
- 📤 Convenient export options
- 🖼️ High-quality scans

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional issues with cropping and alignment
- 🔍 OCR accuracy could be improved
- 💰 Premium features locked behind paywall
- 🔄 Sync issues with cloud storage
- 🤔 Confusing workflow changes in recent updates

**Reported bugs**

- Freezing on login screen
- Inconsistent behavior when exporting documents

**Requested features**

- Ability to edit scanned text
- Improved folder organization and search
- Automatic upload to multiple cloud services
- Customizable file naming and tagging


### PaperScan

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/paperscan/id670210933)

Easily digitize various paper documents like invoices, receipts, and recipes. Automatically crop, straighten, and enhance scans for outstanding quality. Upload to cloud storage or share via email and print.

**Highlights:** Automatic document recognition and capture, Automatic cropping and straightening, Scans various document types, High scan quality in any lighting, Creates PDF files, Batch upload to cloud storage, Share via email, print, and AirDrop

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use and intuitive interface
- 📄 Automatic edge detection and document alignment
- 🚀 Fast scanning and processing
- 💾 Multiple export options (PDF, email, Dropbox, DocuWare)
- ✨ High-quality document capture

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inconsistent edge detection accuracy
- ⚠️ Forced flash usage in good lighting
- 🖼️ Automatic brightness adjustment issues
- 🎨 Unattractive UI/skin design
- ⏱️ Slow autoscan feature

**Reported bugs**

- Image disappears after scanning instead of displaying
- App freezes and requires multiple restarts to show scans
- Edge detection fails 50% of the time
- DocuWare integration not transferring documents properly
- Autoscan unreliable and inconsistent

**Requested features**

- Direct save to Photos app instead of Files only
- Improved edge detection algorithm
- Better autoscan reliability and speed
- Manual brightness control options
- UI/design improvements


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Scanner App free?

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

### Is PaperScan free?

PaperScan is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Scanner App or PaperScan?

Scanner App is rated higher. Scanner App averages 4.9 out of 5 from 1.4M ratings, while PaperScan averages 4.8 from 747 ratings.

### Do Scanner App or PaperScan have ads?

Neither Scanner App nor PaperScan shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Scanner App or PaperScan?

Scanner App ships an update every 3 weeks, and PaperScan every 4 months. Most recently, Scanner App was updated on September 24, 2026 and PaperScan on September 20, 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.*