OrbitNote vs Claro ScanPen
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
OrbitNote
This tool allows users to read, annotate, and listen to PDF documents. It converts image-based PDFs to accessible text and offers features like speech playback, highlighting, and iCloud sync for seamless document management across devices.
- Annotate PDFs with highlights, underscores, and notes
- Convert image PDFs to searchable text
- Listen to PDFs with human-quality voice playback
- Change background and text colors for readability
- Sync documents and annotations with iCloud
- Import/export PDFs from cloud storage and other apps
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OrbitNote is an accessible, reading and study PDF tool for all. Annotate, mark up, listen to and save PDF files which are then still fully compatible with other popular PDF apps. Have accessible text PDF files spoken back to you with human quality voice & synchronised highlighting. PDF image files or photographs of text can be converted to accessible, searchable PDF files and read in the app. + Speech, Productivity and Accessibility Alongside the full range of iOS system voices, OrbitNote comes with a range of high-quality voices in different languages. A ‘Speak in Background’ option lets you listen to a PDF while viewing another app - great for proofreading PDF files while you’re working in other apps. The ‘Speak on tap’ and ‘Stop on tap’ options make speech easy to control. + OrbitNote allows the background colour of the PDF to be changed, and text colour inverted, to enhance readability. OrbitNote fully supports VoiceOver. + Annotations, Notes and Comments OrbitNote includes a powerful Annotation toolbar that lets you add notes and other comments. These are fully interchangeable with most other popular PDF apps, so your OrbitNote comments will still be there if you open the PDF on another device. Annotations created in another PDF app can also be viewed and edited. Annotation features include: highlight; underscore; strikeout; notes; free text (type straight into the PDF); free line draw; shapes (circle, square, line - with many options); images (you can even insert photos from your iPad camera or photo library into the PDF file); audio and video. + Photos and Image PDF to Text PDF Conversion You can convert photos and other images to fully accessible text PDF files that can be spoken, searched, copied and highlighted. As well as converting photos, you can also convert any PDF Image file into a fully accessible Text PDF file. Along with making these PDF files accessible and searchable, it will also compress them, reducing file size. Further credit can be purchased in app. Photos and Image PDF to Text PDF Conversion in OrbitNote requires an internet connection. + Managing PDF Files PDF files can be opened in OrbitNote from all other apps, including Mail and Safari. All opened PDF files will be placed in the OrbitNote Documents List for later viewing. You can also open files from Google Drive, OneDrive, or import directly from your device. PDF files can be saved into OrbitNote Documents, OneDrive or Google Drive, sent by email, or opened in other apps that support PDF files. + Sync with iCloud You can sync ClaroPDF with your iCloud account. This lets you store and synchronise your PDF files and annotations across multiple devices. Sync with iCloud can also act as a document backup so you can keep your documents safe. + Switch Accessibility OrbitNote responds to switch or Bluetooth keyboard commands: 1 (~1) Start speech 2 (~2) Stop speech 3 (~3) Turn to previous page 4 (~4) Turn to next page + Fullscreen mode Allows the full document to be seen without toolbars in view. Ideal for smaller screens!
Claro ScanPen
This app allows you to take a photo of printed text and have it read aloud to you instantly. It uses OCR technology to convert images to text and supports multiple languages. It's ideal for students, professionals, and anyone needing auditory access to printed materials, even without an internet connection.
- Photo capture of printed text
- Selectable text for audio playback
- Instant human-quality voice output
- Offline functionality
- Multi-language support
- OCR technology
- Copy and share text
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Need to listen to printed text spoken aloud - at school, in a test or exam, at work or at home? Use Claro ScanPen to photo your printed text document, letter, test paper - then select the text with your finger (or stylus), and hear it spoken straight back to you. Instantly! No internet connection required. Claro ScanPen advances reading aloud support. It gives access to printed text materials and documents for all, in a wide range of languages. Using your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad, simply: • Take a photo of the text or select a photo of the text document from your camera roll. • Highlight with your finger or stylus which section of text you want to hear spoken to you. • Listen as Claro ScanPen instantly reads the text back to you using a human quality voice in a language of your choice. With your finger (or stylus) you can highlight all of the text, word by word or line by line. Tap anywhere to stop the speech. Claro ScanPen can also be used with the built in iOS VoiceOver accessibility feature, allowing low vision and blind users to access text. Claro ScanPen has no access to the internet or any reference material, so is perfect to use as a computer reader under exam and test conditions, helping students who cannot read text very well (e.g. students with dyslexia) to listen to the exam test paper questions and information. It can also be used for quickly converting class handout materials, printed presentations, instructions, books - in fact anything containing printed texts. Great for independent access and learning. Claro ScanPen uses the latest premium Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology to convert your picture into text and uses iOS system voices to read the text back to you. The OCR in Claro ScanPen fully supports the recognition of text in the following languages: • English • Danish • Dutch • French • German • Italian • Norwegian • Portuguese • Spanish • Swedish Simply select the voice that matches the language of your text to hear it read back correctly. Higher-quality Nuance Expressive and Acapela voices are available to purchase in-app. Claro ScanPen is a great addition to the popular Claro Reading and Writing support apps ClaroSpeak and ClaroPDF. Claro ScanPen does not require internet access to function. Explore using the Apple iOS Guided Access feature to lock the iPad, iPod Touch or iPhone into a single app, for more secure and controlled usage. Tap iOS Settings > General > Accessibility > Guided Access to set up Guided Access. Selected text can be copied to the clipboard by enabling the advanced setting in iOS Settings. A share button can be enabled in advanced settings in iOS Settings. This lets you export your image to other apps, email and other destinations. Now supports drag and drop of the scanned text, to apps that support text, such as Notes. Requires iOS 11 and an iPad that supports multi-tasking. *** Minimum camera spec: 2MP *** If you require any product support please email us at support@clarosoftware.com. We cannot respond to any support requests made via the App Store review channel, so please email us first.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: OrbitNote at Free against Claro ScanPen's $9.99. OrbitNote also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.2) and review sentiment (50% vs 24%). Claro ScanPen's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.5). On ratings volume, 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
OrbitNote is free to download; Claro ScanPen costs $9.99 up front. OrbitNote sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Claro ScanPen sells 11 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
OrbitNote holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 60 and 147 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of OrbitNote's written reviews are positive against 24% of Claro ScanPen's.
OrbitNote ships an update every 4 weeks, Claro ScanPen every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on July 24, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | OrbitNote | Claro ScanPen |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $9.99 |
| Rating | 4.7 (60 ratings) — better | 4.2 (147 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews — better | 23.5% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 60 | 147 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.5 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 257 MB | 136 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Everway Opco Ltd. | Claro Software Limited |
Customer experience
OrbitNote
Claro ScanPen
In-app purchases
OrbitNote
- Krzysztof$1.99
- Joaquim$1.99
- 5000 Credits$3.99
Show 7 moreShow fewer
- Elise$3.99
- Valentin$3.99
- Elias$3.99
- Emilie$3.99
- Filip$3.99
- Freja$3.99
- Unlock ClaroPDF Pro$9.99
Claro ScanPen
- Allison$1.99
- Ava$1.99
- Samantha$1.99
Show 8 moreShow fewer
- Tom$1.99
- Susan$1.99
- Heather$1.99
- Ryan$1.99
- Micah$1.99
- Rod$1.99
- Tyler$1.99
- Will$1.99









