# Open Scanner vs Timbre

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Open Scanner at none against Timbre's 2. Open Scanner also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.2) and ratings volume (205 vs 5). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Timbre sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month. Open Scanner asks for nothing beyond the download.

Open Scanner holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Open Scanner has 205 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Open Scanner ships an update every 10 days, Timbre every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Open Scanner | Timbre |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (205 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/open-scanner-pdf-scanning/id6578414558/reviews)** | [4.2 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/timbre-text-to-speech/id6745225224/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **205** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | 71.4% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 10 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Size | 1 MB | 216 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 18.2 |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Pencil Research](https://appshunter.io/developer/1473063859) | [Jack Ransom](https://appshunter.io/developer/1811377391) |

## What reviewers say

### Open Scanner

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/open-scanner-pdf-scanning/id6578414558)

Transform your device into a powerful document scanner. Quickly capture papers, automatically recognize text, and organize your scans with AI-powered features. Seamlessly share and edit your documents in various formats.

**Highlights:** Automatic text recognition (OCR), Automatic document naming, Location-based tagging, Add saved signatures, Organize and re-order pages, iCloud sync, Annotate and edit scans, Export as PDF

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Timbre

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/timbre-text-to-speech/id6745225224)

Listen to your books aloud with natural-sounding voices and adjustable speeds. Highlight text as it's read to improve comprehension. Convert physical books into audiobooks by capturing images.

**Highlights:** Listen at 2X speed, Natural human voices, Text highlighting, Convert books to audiobooks, Free voice option

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Timbre Monthly Subscription | $19.99 | per month |
| Timbre Annual Subscription | $99.00 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Open Scanner free?

Open Scanner is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Timbre free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Open Scanner or Timbre?

Open Scanner is rated higher. Open Scanner averages 4.7 out of 5 from 205 ratings, while Timbre averages 4.2 from 5 ratings.

### Do Open Scanner or Timbre have ads?

Neither Open Scanner nor Timbre shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Open Scanner or Timbre?

Open Scanner ships an update every 10 days, and Timbre every 3 weeks. Most recently, Open Scanner was updated on October 30, 2026 and Timbre on October 7, 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.*