# Scanner Mini vs Simple Scan

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Scanner Mini at 21K against Simple Scan's 660. On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Scanner Mini sells 11 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Simple Scan sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Scanner Mini against 4.9 for Simple Scan. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Scanner Mini has 21K ratings behind it against 660, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 82% of Scanner Mini's written reviews are positive against 87% of Simple Scan's.

Scanner Mini ships an update every 2 weeks, Simple Scan every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Scanner Mini | Simple Scan |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.9 (21K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scanner-mini-scan-pdf-and-fax/id581365763/reviews) | [4.9 (660 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-scan-quick-scanner/id6477965455/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **21K** | 660 |
| Positive reviews | 81.8% of reviews | **87.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 242 MB | 21 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 17.4 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Readdle Technologies Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/285035419) | [Agile Tortoise](https://appshunter.io/developer/331942785) |

## 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


### Simple Scan

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-scan-quick-scanner/id6477965455)

Easily convert paper documents into searchable PDFs or images in seconds. This app offers a streamlined scanning experience without cluttering your existing notes, with options to share directly via email, messages, or other applications. Enjoy private, on-device processing with no ads.

**Highlights:** Scan documents to PDF or JPEG, Searchable PDFs with OCR, Share scans via email, messages, or system share sheet, Custom file destinations, File naming suggestions (Apple Intelligence required), On-device processing, No ads

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro - Annual | $9.99 | per year |
| Pro - Lifetime | $39.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great interface
- 🚀 Fast and efficient
- 🔒 No ads or privacy concerns
- 💡 Customizable workflows
- 👍 Simple and straightforward

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes
- 🔧 Cropping could be improved
- 🔧 Inability to name scans before saving

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes on multi-page scans for some users
- Issues with importing files from other apps

**Requested features**

- Ability to tag scans
- Favorite file/app destination options
- More image adjustment tools


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Scanner Mini free?

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

### Is Simple Scan free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Scanner Mini or Simple Scan?

Scanner Mini and Simple Scan are both rated 4.9 out of 5 on the App Store, from 21K and 660 ratings respectively.

### Do Scanner Mini or Simple Scan have ads?

Neither Scanner Mini nor Simple Scan shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Scanner Mini or Simple Scan?

Scanner Mini ships an update every 2 weeks, and Simple Scan every 3 weeks. Most recently, Scanner Mini was updated on September 25, 2026 and Simple Scan on September 21, 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.*