# Doc Scan vs PDF Hero

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Doc Scan at 91% against PDF Hero's 18%. Doc Scan also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.6). PDF Hero's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and chart position (#191 vs unranked). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Doc Scan sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and PDF Hero sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Doc Scan holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 14K and 10K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 91% of Doc Scan's written reviews are positive against 18% of PDF Hero's.

Doc Scan ships an update fortnightly, PDF Hero every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 1, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Doc Scan | PDF Hero |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (14K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/doc-scan-pdf-scanner/id453312964/reviews)** | [4.6 (10K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-hero-pdf-editor-and-reader/id1512973255/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **14K** | 10K |
| Positive reviews | **91.3% of reviews** | 17.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#191** |
| Size | 282 MB | 536 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 14.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [IFUNPLAY CO., LTD.](https://appshunter.io/developer/342161243) | [Mosaic S.r.l.](https://appshunter.io/developer/570748343) |

## What reviewers say

### Doc Scan

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/doc-scan-pdf-scanner/id453312964)

Transform your device into a portable scanner and PDF editor. Easily capture documents, extract text with OCR, fill forms, sign, and share in various formats. Organize, secure, and even fax your files.

**Highlights:** High-quality scanning with auto-detection, OCR text extraction (TXT, DOCX), Edit, annotate, and sign PDFs, Password encryption for security, Share via email, fax, cloud storage, QR code scanning, Fax sending and receiving

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| DocScan Pro BRONZE (Monthly) | $3.99 | per month |
| DocScan Pro SILVER (Monthly) | $5.99 | per month |
| DocScan Pro GOLD (Monthly) | $7.99 | per month |
| Fax Pack 1 | $0.99 | one-time |
| 1 Fax Credit | $0.99 | one-time |
| 5 Fax Credit | $4.99 | one-time |
| Fax No. For One Month | $5.99 | one-time |
| 10 Fax Credit | $7.99 | one-time |
| 20 Fax Credit | $14.99 | one-time |
| Upgrade to DocScan Pro | $39.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 👍 Convenient scanning
- 📂 Effective file organization
- ✉️ Seamless emailing
- 🖨️ Reliable faxing

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes
- 🔍 Difficult navigation after updates
- 💰 Paid features behind paywall
- 🖼️ Subpar image processing
- 🗂️ Disorganized file management

**Reported bugs**

- Lost files after updates
- Unreliable faxing
- Inconsistent scanning quality

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Improved OCR capabilities
- Batch scanning and processing
- Integration with cloud storage
- Advanced annotation tools


### PDF Hero

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-hero-pdf-editor-and-reader/id1512973255)

**Currently charting:** #191 Top Grossing · Business (US App Store)

Edit, create, and manage PDF documents on your mobile device. Annotate, fill forms, sign, and share files with ease. Offers advanced features like OCR and compression for enhanced document control.

**Highlights:** Create PDFs from scratch, Edit text and annotate documents, Fill and sign PDF forms, Convert images/documents to PDF, OCR for editable text, Compress and merge PDFs, Password-protect sensitive data

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly with free trial | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly Subscription | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly Premium | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly Premium with Free Trial | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| PDF Hero Premium 1 Month | $9.99 | per month |
| PDF Hero Premium 1 Month | $10.99 | per month |
| PDF Hero Premium 1 Month | $11.99 | per month |
| Convert & Merge PDF Documents | $14.99 | per month |
| PDF Hero Premium 3 Months | $19.99 | per 3 months |
| PDF Hero Premium 1 Year | $34.99 | per year |
| PDF Hero Premium 1 Year | $89.99 | per year |
| PDF Hero Premium 1 Year | $99.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 💡 Useful PDF editing features
- 🚀 Easy to use
- 👍 Signature functionality

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and malfunctions
- 🐛 Inconsistent behavior and glitches
- 🔋 High subscription cost
- 🔒 Difficult to cancel subscription
- 👎 Poor text editing capabilities

**Reported bugs**

- Text disappearing or jumping around during editing
- Inability to save or transfer edited documents
- App crashing or freezing during use
- Incorrect rendering of PDF content

**Requested features**

- Improved text editing and manipulation
- Better file management and organization
- Seamless integration with other apps
- Clearer subscription and cancellation policies


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Doc Scan free?

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

### Is PDF Hero free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Doc Scan or PDF Hero?

Doc Scan is rated higher. Doc Scan averages 4.8 out of 5 from 14K ratings, while PDF Hero averages 4.6 from 10K ratings.

### Do Doc Scan or PDF Hero have ads?

Doc Scan shows ads; PDF Hero does not.

### Which is updated more often, Doc Scan or PDF Hero?

Doc Scan ships an update fortnightly, and PDF Hero every 3 weeks. Most recently, Doc Scan was updated on October 1, 2026 and PDF Hero on October 1, 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.*