Comparison

Archivist vs Smart Document Manager

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side β€” with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Archivist

Features
Read full description

Archivist is a document archiving app available for iOS, iPadOS and MacOS. No account signup, no login required other than iCloud. And best of all: no subscription. Archivist stores your documents as PDF securely in iCloud Drive, following a simple folder path pattern: Archive Drawer - Topic(s) - correspondent - year - PDF file. Archivist lets you search through your documents using full text search and filter labels like topics, document type, correspondents and archive drawer. Get rid of your messy folder system and let Archivist manage your documents for you! Ready for more? Switch on automatic AI document properties detection for new documents for enhanced document labelling including topics, document type and the document title. You can also use AI to export the data of a name card as new contact! Data privacy information: other than document creation with AI support, your document data will never leave your device(s) and Apple's iCloud servers. Archivist will never: - send data to third parties other than Apple's iCloud service without your consent - use any of your data for advertising purposes - store any of your document or user data on other servers than Apple's iCloud servers. New: Apple Intelligence is now available on supported devices. Instead of sending your document data to a third party AI provider, you can use Apple Intelligence locally for document auto-tagging. Apple Intelligence may not be available in all regions.

About

Smart Document Manager

This intelligent assistant scans, analyzes, and edits documents using AI. It automatically organizes files, summarizes content, and highlights important tasks. All your data is securely stored locally, with optional iCloud synchronization.

Highlights
  • AI-powered document analysis and summarization
  • Automatic folder organization and naming
  • Edit PDFs and images with text
  • Scan and import documents
  • Identify important tasks and deadlines
  • AI privacy filter for sensitive information
  • 100% local data storage
Features
Read full description

Scan or import a documentβ€”Smart Document Manager handles the filing. AI creates a clear title, recognizes the document type, and automatically places it in a useful folder and subfolder structure. Amounts, senders, contract dates, deadlines, and other key details appear in a smart document card. When the app detects a concrete action with a reliable due date, it can suggest a relevant task. You decide whether to save the task and a reminder. Find documents by title, folder, and recognized PDF text. Or ask questions across your archive in natural language and open the source documents used for the answer. Features: β€’ Scan paper documents with the camera β€’ Import PDFs and photos β€’ Create clear titles and folder structures automatically β€’ View key details in a smart document card β€’ Make documents searchable with OCR when possible β€’ Detect relevant tasks and deadlines β€’ Ask your documents questions and open sources β€’ Edit, share, and export PDFs β€’ Filter personal details before AI requests β€’ Optionally sync across iPhone, iPad, and Mac with iCloud No account is required. iCloud is optional. You stay in control of what is processed and stored. Less paperwork. No manual filing. An intelligent archive that does the work for you. In-app purchases and subscriptions are available. https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Archivist3 screens
Smart Document Manager4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Smart Document Manager at every 5 days against Archivist's monthly. Archivist's advantage is iOS requirement (16.4 vs 26.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. Archivist sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and Smart Document Manager sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Archivist ships an update monthly, Smart Document Manager every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences Β· 6 level
Archivist versus Smart Document Manager: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterArchivistSmart Document Manager
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviewsβ€”100.0% of reviews
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 5 days β€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetizationβ€”Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, MaciPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS16.4 β€” better26.0
Further details β€” not scored
Size29 MB44 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDominik ButzEugen Muhl

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Archivist

One-time4
  • Doc Properties Detection 25x$0.29
  • Doc Properties Detection 50x$0.49
  • Doc Properties Detection 100x$0.69
Show 1 more
  • Unlimited Documents$0.99
7 purchases

Smart Document Manager

Subscriptions3
  • Starter 30 pages3 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Pro 150 pages$4.991 Month
  • Ultimate 500 pages$7.991 Month
One-time4
  • Starter 30 Scans$3.99
  • Pro 75 Scans$5.99
  • Business 1500 Scans$229.00
Show 1 more
  • Business Pro 3000 Scans$299.00

Questions

Is Archivist free?
Archivist is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Smart Document Manager free?
Smart Document Manager is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Archivist or Smart Document Manager have ads?
Neither Archivist nor Smart Document Manager shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Archivist or Smart Document Manager?
Archivist ships an update monthly, and Smart Document Manager every 5 days. Most recently, Archivist was updated on October 9, 2026 and Smart Document Manager on September 27, 2026.

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