SmoothOCR vs SMSReader
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
SmoothOCR
This application converts camera-captured text into editable digital text. It supports continuous scanning, multi-page management, and multilingual recognition, including Japanese vertical writing. Output options include text files, PDFs, and iCloud synchronization.
- Continuous text scanning
- Multi-page management
- Text editing
- TXT and PDF file export
- iCloud data synchronization
- Multilingual support
Read full descriptionHide full description
This is an app that can convert characters shown on the camera into text. Features ・Continuous scanning is possible for the time being ・Can manage multiple pages at once ・Simple UI ·Multilingual ・Supports Japanese vertical writing Supported functions ・Text edit ・txt file output ・PDF file output ・Data synchronization between devices using iCloud Terms of service: https://note.com/wakaba_dev/n/nf2c276e954bc Tutorial: https://note.com/wakaba_dev/n/nc1cf9dd8b1a9
SMSReader
This app offers a fast and comfortable reading experience for digital books and documents. It supports various file types like PDFs and EPUBs, with features for easy navigation, text customization, and annotation. It also includes text-to-speech and translation capabilities.
- Fast page turning with multiple speeds
- Customizable text and layout options
- Read Aloud text-to-speech functionality
- Integrated translation and summarization
- Search and annotation tools
- Organized bookshelf with folder support
Read full descriptionHide full description
SMSReader is a reader for digital books and documents, built to be fast and comfortable. Even in a book of thousands of pages, the next page appears the moment you tap the edge, and holding the edge flips through pages at speed. BUILT FOR THE LATEST DEVICES • A comfortable PDF viewer on iPad and iPhone, and on iPhone Duo too • Extensive accessibility support (VoiceOver and more) FAST PAGE TURNING • Tap the left or right edge to turn the page instantly, or choose a slide animation • Hold an edge to flip continuously (7 speeds, from 6 to 60 pages a second) • Flick, drag the slider, or type a page number to move • Pinch in for an overview of the pages EASY TO READ • Home View: keep the zoomed area and move it along one view at a time. Self-scanned books and two-column pages become easy to read • Right to left (vertical Japanese), left to right, or top to bottom. Two-page spreads and a cover shown alone are set automatically from the PDF • Tall pages fit the screen's width, handy for web page screenshots EPUB • Read reflowable and fixed-layout EPUBs, turning pages as fast as with PDFs • Vertical Japanese, ruby, tate-chu-yoko and emphasis marks, in the book's own fonts if you like • Choose the text size, font, margins, line spacing and paper for each book • Press and hold an illustration to see it over the whole screen, and pinch to zoom. Pictures larger than the page are fitted to it • Vertical books can show their contents vertically LISTEN AND SPEAK • Read Aloud: reads the text, leaving out running heads and page numbers, and follows the ruby in Japanese. The word being read is highlighted; start from any word, or move a paragraph back or forward • Turn Pages by Voice: say "next", "previous" or "page 12". Speech is recognized on the device • Or hear an online speech service's voice, with your own API key: ElevenLabs API / Aivis Cloud API / Amazon Polly • Siri and Shortcuts: "Continue reading in SMSReader", "Read aloud in SMSReader" and more SEARCH AND ANNOTATE • Search the text of a book or of your whole library, without missing words split across lines • Select text to copy, look up or share, including vertical text and ruby • Pages without text, such as scanned books, are read on the device and can be searched, selected, translated and read aloud • Annotate and highlight pages with Apple Pencil or your finger (iPadOS 26 or later). The file itself is never changed TRANSLATION AND SUMMARIES • Open the translation panel beside the page to see a translation of each paragraph. Tap a paragraph to match the original and the translation • For translation and summaries, use Apple Translate or Apple Intelligence (on device) • Or an online translation or AI service, with your own API key: Claude / DeepL / PLaMo / OpenAI-compatible BOOKSHELF • Organize your library in folders, and folders within folders • Keep the library on this device, in iCloud Drive, or in a folder the Files app can open, such as Dropbox. Books in the cloud are downloaded when you open them • Drop a whole folder to import its PDFs and EPUBs • Sync where you are, bookmarks, annotations, shelves and more across your devices with iCloud • Join several books to read them on as one • Password-protected PDFs open with their password • Shelves, one for each shelf tag, work across folders, and a folder can be filtered by shelf tag • Use any page or image as a cover. Books can also be hidden • Lock the whole app or single books with a passcode and Face ID PRIVACY • No ads, no account, no analytics • Books, bookmarks, annotations and settings stay on your device; with sync on, they are kept in your own iCloud • Text is sent to an outside service only when you have set your own API key, confirmed where it goes and agreed, and then run a translation, summary or read-aloud with it • Text selection and AI features such as translation and summaries are off for PDFs that forbid copying For iPad and iPhone (Duo), iPadOS / iOS 18 or later (some features need 26 or later).
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: SmoothOCR at $3.99 against SMSReader's $9.99. SMSReader's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs fortnightly). On review sentiment, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
SmoothOCR costs $3.99 and SMSReader $9.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
SmoothOCR ships an update fortnightly, SMSReader every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and November 11, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | SmoothOCR | SMSReader |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $3.99 — better | $9.99 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Every 3 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 1 MB | 15 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Shinya Saito | Kotatsu RIN |
Customer experience
SmoothOCR
SMSReader
In-app purchases
SmoothOCR
No in-app purchases
SMSReader
No in-app purchases







