# FineReader vs Scanner PDF

FineReader and Scanner PDF both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 71% of FineReader's written reviews are positive against 32% of Scanner PDF's. FineReader also leads on monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months). Scanner PDF's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. FineReader sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Scanner PDF sells 9 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 FineReader against 4.6 for Scanner PDF. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 19K and 20K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 71% of FineReader's written reviews are positive against 32% of Scanner PDF's.

FineReader ships an update monthly, Scanner PDF every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | FineReader | Scanner PDF |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (19K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/finereader-pdf-scanner-and-ocr/id534203582/reviews)** | [4.6 (20K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scanner-pdf-scan-document/id1314963982/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 19K | **20K** |
| Positive reviews | **71.3% of reviews** | 32.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Size | 130 MB | 125 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [ABBYY USA Software House Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/347345477) | [Neosus](https://appshunter.io/developer/1231145899) |

## What reviewers say

### FineReader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/finereader-pdf-scanner-and-ocr/id534203582)

Transform your mobile device into a powerful scanner for documents and books. Extract text from images with advanced OCR technology, create editable digital copies, and share them easily. Organize and annotate your scanned files with intelligent features.

**Highlights:** Scan documents and books, Offline and online OCR, Extract text to TXT, Save as PDF and JPEG, Share to cloud storage, Annotate PDFs, Automatic document classification

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ARCHIVE Entry Premium monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Scan PDF and documents | $2.99 | per month |
| ARCHIVE Basic Premium monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| ARCHIVE-Advanced Premium month | $5.99 | per month |
| PDF Scanner + OCR | $5.99 | per month |
| FineScanner Premium monthly | $7.99 | per month |
| PDF Scanner | $9.99 | per year |
| Photo Scanning app | $20.99 | per year |
| FineScanner Premium yearly | $29.99 | per year |
| ARCHIVE  No Ads | $5.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Quick scanning
- 👍 Intuitive and easy to use
- 📁 Efficient file management
- 🔑 Reliable OCR performance
- 💾 Convenient cloud integration

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Privacy concerns with cloud processing
- 🔋 Drains battery quickly
- 💰 Expensive subscription model
- 🐛 Inconsistent scanning quality
- 📄 Limited multi-page document handling

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent crashes when switching between apps
- Unreliable auto-capture feature
- Issues with sending scans via email

**Requested features**

- Ability to edit scanned documents
- Support for multi-page PDF scanning
- Improved edge detection for curved documents
- Offline OCR processing option


### Scanner PDF

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scanner-pdf-scan-document/id1314963982)

This app transforms your phone into a portable scanner. Easily digitize documents, add signatures and stamps, and convert them into high-quality PDFs or JPEGs. It also features OCR for text recognition and translation, and allows direct faxing.

**Highlights:** Scan documents with phone camera, Convert to PDF, JPEG, PNG, OCR text recognition and translation, E-sign and stamp documents, Direct faxing from device, Cloud storage backup

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Scanner Premium | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| 1 Week Smart Business Pack | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Scanner Premium | $9.99 | per month |
| 1 Week Business Pack | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| 1 Month Business Pack | $24.99 | per month |
| Scanner Premium | $34.99 | per 6 months |
| Scanner Premium | $49.99 | per year |
| Scanner yearly premium | $99.99 | per year |
| 1 Year Business Pack | $119.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 👍 Convenient mobile scanning
- 🚀 Fast scanning process
- 💡 Useful for on-the-go document needs

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Deceptive subscription model
- 💰 Overpriced subscription fees
- 🐛 Poor image quality
- 🔒 Difficult to cancel subscription
- 🐛 Unreliable scanning and document handling

**Reported bugs**

- Scanned documents disappearing
- Subscription charges even after cancellation
- Inability to access scanned documents

**Requested features**

- Option to permanently disable subscription
- Improved image quality and processing
- Clearer pricing and subscription information


## Frequently asked questions

### Is FineReader free?

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

### Is Scanner PDF free?

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

### Which has better reviews, FineReader or Scanner PDF?

FineReader is rated higher. FineReader averages 4.7 out of 5 from 19K ratings, while Scanner PDF averages 4.6 from 20K ratings.

### Do FineReader or Scanner PDF have ads?

Neither FineReader nor Scanner PDF shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, FineReader or Scanner PDF?

FineReader ships an update monthly, and Scanner PDF every 3 months. Most recently, FineReader was updated on September 24, 2026 and Scanner PDF on September 25, 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.*