# Scanner Mini vs PDF Scanner

The clearest difference is ads: Scanner Mini at none against PDF Scanner's shown. Scanner Mini also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (21K vs 28). On price, review sentiment, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Scanner Mini sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and PDF Scanner sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Scanner Mini holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Scanner Mini has 21K ratings behind it against 28, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 82% and 82% positive.

Scanner Mini ships an update every 2 weeks, PDF Scanner every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Scanner Mini | PDF Scanner |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (21K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scanner-mini-scan-pdf-and-fax/id581365763/reviews)** | [4.5 (28 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-scanner-document-scan/id1559840634/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **21K** | 28 |
| Positive reviews | 81.8% of reviews | **82.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 242 MB | 50 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Readdle Technologies Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/285035419) | [AOS INTERNET CO., LIMITED](https://appshunter.io/developer/1559840636) |

## What reviewers say

### Scanner Mini

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scanner-mini-scan-pdf-and-fax/id581365763)

Transform your mobile device into a powerful portable scanner. Easily capture documents, receipts, and photos, converting them into high-quality PDFs or JPEGs. Organize, annotate, and share your scans with advanced editing and OCR capabilities.

**Highlights:** Scan documents to PDF/JPEG, Advanced image processing, Organize scans into categories, Annotate and edit scans, AI-powered object removal, OCR for text extraction, Secure password protection

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (11)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Expense Report | $4.99 | per month |
| Scanner 8 subscription | $14.99 | per year |
| Scanner Mini Plus | $29.99 | per year |
| Fax Pack 1 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Unlimited Email Upgrade | $1.99 | one-time |
| Secure | $1.99 | one-time |
| Upload | $1.99 | one-time |
| Fax Pack 2 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Full Pack | $3.99 | one-time |
| Fax Pack 3 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Print & Fax | $7.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Convenient for on-the-go scanning
- 💡 Helpful for organizing documents
- 🚀 Efficient scanning and sharing
- 👍 User-friendly interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or glitches
- 🔒 Limitations on sharing/emailing without paid version
- 🐛 Auto-capture feature not always reliable
- 🐛 Edge detection and page size issues
- 🐛 Overheating and unresponsive screen during scanning

**Reported bugs**

- Scans disappearing or not saving properly
- Inability to send scans via email
- Crashing issues after iOS 14 update
- Rotation issues with multi-page documents
- Excessive file sizes for scanned documents

**Requested features**

- Nested folders for better organization
- Improved OCR capabilities
- Ability to share scans without paid version
- Compatibility with Apple AirDrop
- Customizable scanning settings


### PDF Scanner

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-scanner-document-scan/id1559840634)

Transform paper documents, notes, and photos into digital PDFs or PNGs. Extract editable text from images using OCR technology. Share your scanned files and extracted text easily via various cloud services and messaging apps.

**Highlights:** Smart PDF scanning, Edge detection and auto crop, Batch scanning, Image to text OCR, Handwritten note recognition, Document organization and security, Cloud synchronization

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Scanner24_weekly | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| PDF Scanner App Monthly | $6.99 | per month |
| Scanner24_yearly | $39.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Fast and agile
- 📄 Scans and sends as PDF
- 💯 Excellent functionality
- 🌟 Very good app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Subscription cost is high
- 💸 Forcing to buy Pro version
- 😩 Annoying ads
- 📉 Poor editing quality
- ❌ Not automatically framing documents

**Reported bugs**

- 🐛 App keeps crashing
- 🐛 Crashes when scanning many pages
- 🐛 Errors when sending files
- 🐛 App closes unexpectedly

**Requested features**

- Automatic document framing
- Lower subscription cost


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Scanner Mini free?

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

### Is PDF Scanner free?

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

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

Scanner Mini is rated higher. Scanner Mini averages 4.9 out of 5 from 21K ratings, while PDF Scanner averages 4.5 from 28 ratings.

### Do Scanner Mini or PDF Scanner have ads?

PDF Scanner shows ads; Scanner Mini does not.

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

Scanner Mini ships an update every 2 weeks, and PDF Scanner every 2 months. Most recently, Scanner Mini was updated on October 29, 2026 and PDF Scanner on October 27, 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.*