# CamScanner vs PDF Cabinet

The clearest difference is rating: CamScanner at 4.8 against PDF Cabinet's 3.8. CamScanner also leads on ratings volume (2M vs 57) and update cadence (weekly vs every 5 weeks). PDF Cabinet's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 14) and ads (none vs shown). On price, review sentiment and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. CamScanner sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. PDF Cabinet asks for nothing beyond the download.

CamScanner holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: CamScanner has 2M ratings behind it against 57, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 60% of CamScanner's written reviews are positive against 66% of PDF Cabinet's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

CamScanner ships an update weekly, PDF Cabinet every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | CamScanner | PDF Cabinet |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (2M ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/camscanner-pdf-scanner-app/id388627783/reviews)** | [3.8 (57 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-cabinet/id764366087/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2M** | 57 |
| Positive reviews | 59.9% of reviews | **66.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#8** | — |
| Size | 375 MB | 75 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [INTSIG Information Co., Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/344077850) | [Bright Nine SIA](https://appshunter.io/developer/1891636727) |

## What reviewers say

### CamScanner

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/camscanner-pdf-scanner-app/id388627783)

**Currently charting:** #8 Top Grossing · Productivity, #27 Top Free · Productivity, #130 Top Grossing (US App Store)

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:** macOS Compatibility, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (13)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Account | $4.99 | per month |
| CamScanner Premium(1 week) | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| CamScanner Premium | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium Account(1 Month) | $9.99 | per month |
| Premium Account (1 month) | $9.99 | per month |
| CamScanner Premium(1 week) | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| CamScanner Premium | $49.99 | per year |
| CamScanner Premium | $49.99 | per year |
| Premium Account (1 year) | $59.99 | per year |
| Premium Account(1 year) | $59.99 | per year |
| Premium Account(1 year) | $69.99 | per year |
| CamScanner Premium | $69.99 | per year |
| One-page Fax | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 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

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 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

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- 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


### PDF Cabinet

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-cabinet/id764366087)

This application offers a streamlined PDF experience for reading and annotating documents. It focuses on essential features with an intuitive interface, making it easy to mark up PDFs, share annotations, and collaborate in real-time with others. Optimized for performance, it handles large documents efficiently.

**Highlights:** Effortless PDF annotation, Intuitive user interface, Fast document review with thumbnails, Annotations sharing, Real-time collaboration, Quick note taking

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth performance
- 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
- 💡 Excellent annotation tools
- 🚀 Fast and responsive
- 👍 Simple and clean design

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and stability issues
- 💡 Limited highlighter and pen customization
- 💡 Lack of iCloud/cloud sync support
- 🐛 Text disappearing issue
- 🐛 Slow document loading and navigation

**Reported bugs**

- Randomly deleting files
- Sync issues causing loss of annotations
- Crashing when opening large documents
- Navigation problems when zoomed in
- Annotations not exporting properly

**Requested features**

- Add more highlighter and pen color options
- Implement palm rejection for Apple Pencil
- Add ability to resize and move annotation tools
- Improve cloud/sync functionality (iCloud, Dropbox, etc.)
- Implement vertical scrolling for continuous reading


## Frequently asked questions

### Is CamScanner free?

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

### Is PDF Cabinet free?

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

### Which has better reviews, CamScanner or PDF Cabinet?

CamScanner is rated higher. CamScanner averages 4.8 out of 5 from 2M ratings, while PDF Cabinet averages 3.8 from 57 ratings.

### Do CamScanner or PDF Cabinet have ads?

CamScanner shows ads; PDF Cabinet does not.

### Which is updated more often, CamScanner or PDF Cabinet?

CamScanner ships an update weekly, and PDF Cabinet every 5 weeks. Most recently, CamScanner was updated on November 1, 2026 and PDF Cabinet on October 23, 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.*