Comparison

CamScanner vs PDF Expert

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

CamScanner

Transform your mobile device into a powerful portable scanner. Instantly scan, edit, and share documents in various formats like PDF, JPG, Word, and TXT. Features include OCR, e-signatures, and secure file management.

Highlights
  • Mobile document scanning
  • Text recognition (OCR)
  • PDF conversion
  • E-signature creation
  • Secure file management
  • Cloud storage integration
Features
Read full description

The most intelligent scanner app Trusted by 300M+ users CamScanner is an all-in-one scanner app. It turns your mobile device into a powerful portable scanner that recognizes text automatically (OCR) and improves your productivity to save your time. Download this scanner app for free to instantly scan, save, and share any document in PDF, JPG, Word, or TXT formats. Would you like to keep your entire office in your pocket and increase your productivity at work? Use the CamScanner scanner app to handle your paperwork with ease. Say goodbye to huge and heavy copy machines and get this ultra-fast scanner app for free now. DOCUMENT SCANNER This free-of-charge yet powerful scanner app is a must-have for students and anyone involved in business: accountants, realtors, managers, or lawyers. With this PDF scanner, scan anything you need, receipts, contracts, paper notes, fax papers, books, and store your scans as multipage PDF or JPG files. VARIOUS SCANNING MODES –ID CARD & PASSPORT: A mode specifically designed for fast and convenient scans of ID documents. –QR CODE: Scan any QR code with the camera on your mobile device. PDF CONVERTER –PDF Converter: This PDF scanner enables you to create PDF from a website, and convert documents in multiple formats to PDF. –Supported file formats: PDF, JPG, DOC, DOCX, TXT, XLS, XLSM, XLSX, CVS, PPT, PPTM, PPTX. SHARE AND COLLABORATE –Share files for commenting or viewing in WhatsApp, iMessage, Microsoft Teams. –Collect comments from multiple people in one file online. –Speed document reviews by responding to each other's comments. –Receive activity notifications for the files you share. INNOVATIVE PDF SCANNER –Scan documents and photos to PDF, JPG, or TXT. –Easily scan multiple pages into one document. –Extract text from any scannable object with text recognition (OCR). –Create and add your own e-signature on documents. HANDY DOCUMENT EDITOR & FILE MANAGER –Edit scans with filters and the feature of noise removal. –Manage files with folders, drag & drop to reorder, and enjoy other document editing features. –Protect your confidential scans by locking folders and files with passwords. EASILY SEND DOCUMENT –Scan, save and send documents in just a few taps. –Email with attachments or send document links. –Upload scanned documents to cloud services like Dropbox, Google Drive, Evernote, and OneDrive. –Print PDF files, such as contracts and invoices, right from the scanner app. –Send files quickly and securely. Scanning or sharing is achieved with no intervention from the CamScanner scanner app team or any third party. Documents are safely stored on your mobile devices. UNLIMITED ACCESS MEMBERSHIP SUBSCRIPTION –You can subscribe to get unlimited access to all features of the scanner app. –Subscriptions are billed weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annually at the rate based on the subscription plan. –Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. –Subscription renews automatically unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. –Account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. The cost depends on the selected plan. –Subscriptions may be managed by the user, and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase. –Any unused portion of the free trial will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription. For Terms of Use, please visit https://www.camscanner.com/app/service?language=en-us For Privacy Policy, please visit https://www.camscanner.com/app/privacy?language=en-us We'd love to hear your feedback: isupport@camscanner.com Follow us on X: @CamScanner Like us on Facebook: @CamScanner UA Follow us on Instagram: @CamScanner_Official Follow us on YouTube: @CamScanner_Official Check out other products of INTSIG: CamCard - Business Card Reader

About

PDF Expert

This app allows you to edit, annotate, fill out forms, and convert PDF documents. It offers AI-powered summarization and analysis, along with tools to merge, sign, and protect your files. Work seamlessly across Apple devices with a user-friendly interface.

Highlights
  • Edit PDF text and images
  • Annotate and highlight PDFs
  • Fill out PDF forms
  • Convert files to and from PDF
  • AI-powered summarization and analysis
  • Merge and combine PDF files
  • Sign documents with e-signatures
Features
Read full description

Unlock your potential with a fast and easy PDF Expert app with all the features you need in a well-designed and intuitive user interface. BEST FOR iPHONE, iPAD, MAC & VISION PRO Read PDF files easily, highlight and annotate PDFs, fill out forms, convert any file to PDF, merge several files into one, add notes, summarize and navigate PDF documents in seconds with AI-powered tools. Unlock unlimited possibilities with PDF Expert Premium features and work across all your Apple devices, effortlessly letting you complete any PDF task on the go. “PDF Expert is one of my must-have iPad apps and a desktop-class PDF reader.” – MacStories “The best app for managing, editing, and reading PDFs on your iPad.” – The Sweet Setup ▶ WITH PDF EXPERT, YOU CAN: READ PDFs WITH JOY • Pick Day, Night, or Sepia mode and enjoy reading anytime, anywhere. • Enjoy both vertical and horizontal scrolling. • Export PDF files from email, web, or any app that supports the Apple system-wide Share menu • Use Text to Speech to hear the selected text read out loud HIGHLIGHT AND ANNOTATE PDFs • Mark important info in books using colors, text, or stickers • Add stamps such as Approved, Confidential, etc. • Record your voice and add it to the doc FILL OUT FORMS • Fill out PDF forms using interactive text fields, checkboxes, and radio buttons • All the major form formats support, including acro forms and static XFA forms ***PREMIUM FEATURES *** EDIT PDFs DOCS EASILY • Edit or modify existing text directly in a PDF – just as you would in a Word document • Add links: link any part of the text or image to a different page or website • Add outlines to big PDFs to simplify navigation for hundreds of pages • Easily add, replace, and resize images in your PDFs SUMMARIZE AND ANALYZE HUGE PDFs WITH PDF COPILOT – YOUR SMART AI ASSISTANT • List Main Points – instantly scan and highlight key takeaways from any PDF • Summarize – get concise summaries of entire PDFs, or annotations • Ask Anything – find specific details with AI-powered answers and references • Explain – no more Googling! Get instant, contextual explanations of words or phrases MERGE AND COMBINE PDFs • Merge and combine multiple PDF files into one • Add, delete, and rearrange pages with a thumbnail preview • Rotate and reorder pages in PDFs EDIT SCANNED DOCUMENTS • Access the scanned PDFs that you’ve created using PDF Expert • Open your scans to fill out, sign, comment, and share CONVERT FROM AND TO PDF • Convert PDFs to Word, Excel, PPT, JPG/PNG, TXT, and vice versa • Converts any file in seconds SIGN DOCUMENTS • Use e-signatures to sign contracts on the go • Create custom stamps or import one from the images PROTECT YOUR FILES • Restrict access to PDF Expert with a password • Permanently blackout or erase sensitive information like credit card numbers • Secure and Safe trusted brand software COMPRESS PDFs • Compress large PDF files to save space on your device • Merge several files into one and compress it to reduce the file size CONSTRUCTION TOOLS • Scale and measure drawings using our Measure tab • Polygon and polyline shapes • Redline tools COLLABORATE ON THE GO PDF Expert provides the best platform for paperless collaboration between team members. Annotate and add notes in project materials, fill and sign contracts and invoices, and exchange files via email or cloud on the go. OTHER AMAZING FEATURES: • Fully customizable toolbar • Create a Link (drag and add a landing page or a Web) • Presentation Mode • Print and Share ONE ACCOUNT FOR ALL YOUR APPLE DEVICES Now, you don’t need to purchase Mac and iPhone & iPad versions separately. PDF Expert introduces a single Premium subscription for all your Apple devices. Read more about our terms and conditions here: https://pdfexpert.com/privacy https://pdfexpert.com/terms Don’t hesitate to reach out to us at http://readdle.com/contact

Screenshots

CamScanner4 screens
PDF Expert4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: PDF Expert at none against CamScanner's shown. CamScanner's advantage is review sentiment (61% vs 46%) and update cadence (weekly vs fortnightly). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. CamScanner sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and PDF Expert sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for CamScanner against 4.7 for PDF Expert. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: CamScanner has 1.9M ratings behind it against 216K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 61% of CamScanner's written reviews are positive against 46% of PDF Expert's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

CamScanner ships an update weekly, PDF Expert fortnightly. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
CamScanner versus PDF Expert: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCamScannerPDF Expert
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (1.9M ratings) — better4.7 (216K ratings)
Positive reviews61.1% of reviews — better46.0% of reviews
Number of ratings1.9M — better216K
Update frequencyWeekly — betterFortnightly
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#7 — better#69
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size383 MB307 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperINTSIG Information Co., LtdReaddle Technologies Limited

Customer experience

CamScanner

All ratings1,914,032 ratings
Positive96.6%
Neutral1.4%
Negative2.0%
Written reviews2,684 reviews
Positive61.1%
Neutral3.7%
Negative35.2%

PDF Expert

All ratings215,851 ratings
Positive92.4%
Neutral2.3%
Negative5.3%
Written reviews1,135 reviews
Positive46.0%
Neutral7.4%
Negative46.6%

User reviews

CamScanner

From 1.9M App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Efficient scanning and document management
  • 📁 Convenient cloud storage and backup
  • 🔍 Powerful OCR and document enhancement features
  • 🔧 Customizable scanning and editing options
  • 🏫 Useful for school and work applications

Room to improve

  • 🔒 Concerns about data privacy and security
  • 🤖 Inconsistent OCR and text recognition accuracy
  • 💰 Aggressive upselling and subscription model
  • 🔌 App crashes and performance issues
  • 📤 Difficulties with sharing and exporting files

PDF Expert

From 216K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fast and responsive
  • 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
  • 💡 Powerful annotation and editing tools
  • 🔒 Seamless cloud integration
  • 📚 Excellent for reading and organizing PDFs

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability issues
  • 🔒 Subscription model for advanced features
  • 🔒 Inconsistent pricing and feature changes
  • 🔍 Cluttered and confusing UI in latest update
  • 🔍 Reduced customization options for annotations

Bugs and requests

CamScanner

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • App crashes during scanning and editing
  • Syncing and backup issues causing data loss
  • Compatibility problems with newer devices
  • Unexpected charges and subscription renewals
  • Unreliable performance and frequent updates

Requested features

6 requests
  • Improved OCR and text recognition accuracy
  • More flexible export and sharing options
  • Customizable storage and backup settings
  • Enhanced security and privacy controls
  • Streamlined subscription and pricing model
Show 1 more
  • Reduced ads and more features in free version

PDF Expert

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Corrupted PDFs after editing
  • Sync issues with cloud storage providers
  • Unexpected loss of annotations and edits
  • Unreliable performance on older iPad models

Requested features

5 requests
  • Improved palm rejection for Apple Pencil
  • Customizable toolbar and annotation presets
  • Better integration with other productivity apps
  • More flexible file management and organization
  • Ability to create fillable PDF forms

In-app purchases

13 purchases

CamScanner

Subscriptions12
  • Premium Account$4.991 Month
  • CamScanner Premium(1 week)3 Days trial$4.997 Days
  • CamScanner Premium3 Days trial$6.997 Days
Show 9 more
  • Premium Account(1 Month)$9.991 Month
  • Premium Account (1 month)1 Month trial$9.991 Month
  • CamScanner Premium(1 week)3 Days trial$9.997 Days
  • CamScanner Premium1 Year trial$49.991 Year
  • CamScanner Premium3 Days trial$49.991 Year
  • Premium Account (1 year)7 Days trial$59.991 Year
  • Premium Account(1 year)3 Days trial$59.991 Year
  • Premium Account(1 year)3 Days trial$69.991 Year
  • CamScanner Premium1 Month trial$69.991 Year
One-time1
  • One-page Fax$0.99
10 purchases

PDF Expert

Subscriptions9
  • PDF Expert Premium Trial7 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • PDF Expert Premium No Trial$9.991 Month
  • PDF Expert for Education7 Days trial$39.991 Year
Show 6 more
  • PDF Expert Premium7 Days trial3 variants$49.991 Year
  • PDF Expert Premium New7 Days trial$49.991 Year
  • PDF Expert Premium Existing7 Days trial$49.991 Year
  • PDF Expert – Premium Editing1 Year trial$49.991 Year
  • PDF Expert Mac & iOS Pro7 Days trial$79.991 Year
  • PDF Expert Mac & iOS7 Days trial$79.991 Year
One-time1
  • PDF Expert Basic$9.99

Questions

Is CamScanner free?
CamScanner is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is PDF Expert free?
PDF Expert is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, CamScanner or PDF Expert?
CamScanner is rated higher. CamScanner averages 4.8 out of 5 from 1.9M ratings, while PDF Expert averages 4.7 from 216K ratings.
Do CamScanner or PDF Expert have ads?
CamScanner shows ads; PDF Expert does not.
Which is updated more often, CamScanner or PDF Expert?
CamScanner ships an update weekly, and PDF Expert fortnightly. Most recently, CamScanner was updated on September 24, 2026 and PDF Expert on September 24, 2026.
Which is more popular, CamScanner or PDF Expert?
CamScanner currently peaks at #7 in the App Store charts, and PDF Expert at #69. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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