# PDF Pro vs Scanner HD

The clearest difference is monetization model: Scanner HD at free with in-app purchases against PDF Pro's subscription. Scanner HD also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). PDF Pro's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (6.9K vs 312). On price, rating, review sentiment and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PDF Pro sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Scanner HD sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for PDF Pro against 4.8 for Scanner HD. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PDF Pro has 6.9K ratings behind it against 312, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 60% of PDF Pro's written reviews are positive against 54% of Scanner HD's.

PDF Pro ships an update every 2 months, Scanner HD fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF Pro | Scanner HD |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (6.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-pro-reader-editor-forms/id454936656/reviews) | **[4.8 (312 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scanner-hd-pdf-scanner-app/id1515233937/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **6.9K** | 312 |
| Positive reviews | **60.3% of reviews** | 54.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 91 MB | 129 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Dominic Rodemer](https://appshunter.io/developer/309872333) | [Allpro Mobile Apps](https://appshunter.io/developer/1515233936) |

## What reviewers say

### PDF Pro

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-pro-reader-editor-forms/id454936656)

Edit, annotate, and read PDF documents on your iPhone and iPad. Highlight text, add notes, shapes, voice recordings, and photos. Search your entire PDF library, fill out forms, and sign documents.

**Highlights:** Edit and annotate PDFs, Highlight text and add notes, Embed audio and photo annotations, Full-text search of PDF library, Fill out and sign PDF forms, Organize PDFs with folders and tags, Import from cloud storage

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

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Offer - Monthly - macOS | $1.99 | per month |
| Offer - Monthly - iOS | $2.99 | per month |
| Premium - Monthly - iOS | $3.99 | per month |
| Premium - Monthly - macOS | $4.99 | per month |
| Offer - Annual - iOS | $12.99 | per year |
| Offer - Annual - macOS | $22.99 | per year |
| Premium  - Annual - iOS | $24.99 | per year |
| Offer - macOS + iOS | $24.99 | per year |
| Offer - iOS + macOS | $29.99 | per year |
| Premium - Annual - macOS | $44.99 | per year |
| Premium - iOS + macOS | $49.99 | per year |
| Premium - macOS + iOS | $49.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 🚀 Fast and efficient
- 💡 Excellent PDF management features
- 🔒 Secure and reliable
- 🎨 Great annotation tools

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and stability issues
- 💰 Expensive subscription model
- 🔍 Inconsistent search functionality
- 📖 Loses last read position
- 🖋️ Unreliable handwriting support

**Reported bugs**

- Annotations and highlights randomly disappearing
- Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions
- Corrupted PDF files after editing
- Slow performance on older devices
- Inconsistent behavior when switching between PDFs

**Requested features**

- Improved bookmarking and note-taking
- Seamless iCloud/cloud storage integration
- Customizable keyboard shortcuts
- Advanced text editing and OCR capabilities
- Better organization and folder management


### Scanner HD

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scanner-hd-pdf-scanner-app/id1515233937)

Transform your smartphone into a powerful document scanner. Easily capture, edit, sign, and share PDFs and images. Features advanced OCR for text recognition in 14 languages and seamless cloud integration.

**Highlights:** Scan documents with smartphone camera, Auto crop and multi-page PDF creation, Text recognition (OCR) in 14 languages, Edit, sign, and share PDFs/images, Convert scans to TXT, PNG, JPG, PDF, Cloud storage integration, Password protection for scans

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ScannerHd_weekly | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| PDF Scanner App Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| ScannerHd_yearly | $39.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Efficient scanning
- 👍 Easy to use
- 💡 Helpful for work/school
- 🚀 Fast and convenient

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and freezes
- 💰 Expensive subscription
- 📢 Too many ads
- 🔒 Difficult to cancel subscription

**Reported bugs**

- Scans not saving properly
- Compatibility issues on tablets
- Unreliable performance

**Requested features**

- Improved PDF handling
- Ability to save scans to gallery
- Better language support


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PDF Pro free?

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

### Is Scanner HD free?

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

### Which has better reviews, PDF Pro or Scanner HD?

Scanner HD is rated higher. PDF Pro averages 4.7 out of 5 from 6.9K ratings, while Scanner HD averages 4.8 from 312 ratings.

### Do PDF Pro or Scanner HD have ads?

Scanner HD shows ads; PDF Pro does not.

### Which is updated more often, PDF Pro or Scanner HD?

PDF Pro ships an update every 2 months, and Scanner HD fortnightly. Most recently, PDF Pro was updated on September 24, 2026 and Scanner HD on September 22, 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.*