# Chronicling vs Simple Scan

The clearest difference is update cadence: Chronicling at every 2 weeks against Simple Scan's monthly. Chronicling also leads on device support (4 vs 2). Simple Scan's advantage is review sentiment (88% vs 79%) and ratings volume (670 vs 185). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Chronicling sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 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 — 4.8 for Chronicling against 4.9 for Simple Scan. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 185 and 670 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 79% of Chronicling's written reviews are positive against 88% of Simple Scan's.

Chronicling ships an update every 2 weeks, Simple Scan monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chronicling | Simple Scan |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (185 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chronicling-life-tracker/id6445992145/reviews) | **[4.9 (670 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-scan-quick-scanner/id6477965455/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 185 | **670** |
| Positive reviews | 79.3% of reviews | **87.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Freemium | Freemium |
| Size | 95 MB | 22 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.4 | **17.4** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Rebecca Owen](https://appshunter.io/developer/1675314775) | [Agile Tortoise](https://appshunter.io/developer/331942785) |

## What reviewers say

### Chronicling

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chronicling-life-tracker/id6445992145)

This app provides a flexible way to monitor habits, health, mood, and daily activities. It offers customizable tracking options, quick logging methods, and insightful data visualization to help users identify patterns and maintain consistency. Secure syncing and data export are also available.

**Highlights:** All-in-one habit and health tracking, Fully customizable categories, Fast and effortless logging, Smart reminders for goals, Detailed data logging (notes, numbers), Visual insights and trends, Private and secure iCloud sync

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Monthly | $0.99 | per month |
| Premium Annual | $9.99 | per year |
| Premium Lifetime | $39.99 | one-time |


### 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 Chronicling free?

Chronicling 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, Chronicling or Simple Scan?

Simple Scan is rated higher. Chronicling averages 4.8 out of 5 from 185 ratings, while Simple Scan averages 4.9 from 670 ratings.

### Do Chronicling or Simple Scan have ads?

Neither Chronicling nor Simple Scan shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Chronicling or Simple Scan?

Chronicling ships an update every 2 weeks, and Simple Scan monthly. Most recently, Chronicling was updated on October 12, 2026 and Simple Scan on October 14, 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.*