Archivist vs Smart Document Manager
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side β with what reviewers say about each.
Archivist
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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.
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.
- 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
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Scan or import a documentβSmart 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
Verdict
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
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.
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.
| Parameter | Archivist | Smart Document Manager |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Positive reviews | β | 100.0% of reviews |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Every 5 days β better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | β | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 β better | 26.0 |
| Further details β not scored | ||
| Size | 29 MB | 44 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Dominik Butz | Eugen Muhl |
In-app purchases
Archivist
- Doc Properties Detection 25x$0.29
- Doc Properties Detection 50x$0.49
- Doc Properties Detection 100x$0.69
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- Unlimited Documents$0.99
Smart Document Manager
- Starter 30 pages3 Days trial$2.991 Month
- Pro 150 pages$4.991 Month
- Ultimate 500 pages$7.991 Month
- Starter 30 Scans$3.99
- Pro 75 Scans$5.99
- Business 1500 Scans$229.00
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- Business Pro 3000 Scans$299.00
Questions
Is Archivist free?
Is Smart Document Manager free?
Do Archivist or Smart Document Manager have ads?
Which is updated more often, Archivist or Smart Document Manager?
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