# PDF AI vs Scanly

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Scanly at none against PDF AI's 5. Scanly also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 2 days vs every 3 weeks). PDF AI's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.2). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PDF AI sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per 7 days. Scanly asks for nothing beyond the download.

PDF AI ships an update every 3 weeks, Scanly every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF AI | Scanly |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (163 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-ai-editor-scanner-chat/id6581489325/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **163** | — |
| Positive reviews | 88.4% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 169 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 18.2 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Yang Yang](https://appshunter.io/developer/1756128958) | [Vishwajith Shettigar](https://appshunter.io/developer/6775799934) |

## What reviewers say

### PDF AI

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-ai-editor-scanner-chat/id6581489325)

This application offers a comprehensive suite of AI-powered tools for managing PDF documents. Users can edit text and images, generate AI summaries, convert files to various formats, and securely sign documents. It prioritizes speed and privacy with local processing and encryption.

**Highlights:** Edit PDF text and images, AI-powered summaries and highlights, Annotate and collaborate on documents, Fill and e-sign forms, Convert PDFs to Word, Excel, PPT, Images, TXT, Secure offline scanning and organization

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly VIP | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly VIP | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Weekly VIP | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly VIP | $14.99 | per month |
| Yearly VIP | $59.99 | per year |


### Scanly

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scanly-fast-pdf-scanner/id6775799932)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PDF AI free?

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

### Is Scanly free?

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

### Do PDF AI or Scanly have ads?

PDF AI shows ads; Scanly does not.

### Which is updated more often, PDF AI or Scanly?

PDF AI ships an update every 3 weeks, and Scanly every 2 days. Most recently, PDF AI was updated on October 30, 2026 and Scanly on October 31, 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.*