Comparison

PDF Merger vs ScanMate

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side โ€” with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

PDF Merger

Features
Read full description

PDF Merger 2.0 is the fastest, most private way to combine, split, compress, scan, OCR, and sign PDFs on iPhone and iPad โ€” now with built-in AI Chat powered by Gemini. โ€” NEW IN 2.0 โ€” โ€ข AI Chat (Gemini 2.5 Flash-Lite) โ€” Ask any PDF anything. Summaries, lookups, totals, translations. Opt-in, with no chat history stored on our servers. 5 free questions/week. โ€ข OCR (on-device) โ€” Recognise text on scanned PDFs in 30+ languages. Searchable, copyable, exportable. โ€ข Page Extraction โ€” Pull any page into its own PDF in one tap. โ€ข Page Numbering โ€” Add numbers to every page with custom format & position. โ€ข E-Signature โ€” Stamp a saved signature image with date. โ€ข Cover Page Bundler โ€” Auto-generate a cover with title + table of contents. โ€ข Insert Blank Page โ€” Perfect for chapter breaks. โ€ข 40+ Languages โ€” Fully localized UI and App Store keywords. โ€ข iPad Polished โ€” Sidebar layout, drag-and-drop, Apple Pencil ready. โ€” CORE FEATURES โ€” โ€ข Merge PDFs โ€” Drag, drop, and reorder unlimited files into one PDF. โ€ข Split PDFs โ€” Extract page ranges or single pages with one tap. โ€ข Compress PDFs โ€” Shrink size up to 80% while preserving readability. โ€ข Rotate Pages โ€” Fix sideways scans, per-page or in batch. โ€ข Add Watermark โ€” Text or image, adjustable opacity and position. โ€ข Password Lock โ€” AES-128 encrypted PDFs. โ€ข Document Scanner โ€” Camera-to-PDF with auto-crop and perspective correction. โ€ข JPG to PDF โ€” Photos to PDF with auto-cropping. โ€ข PDF to Images โ€” Each page as JPG or PNG. โ€ข Apple Intelligence โ€” Smart Summary + Auto-Rename, fully on-device. โ€” PRIVACY-FIRST โ€” โ€ข PDF processing stays 100% on your device. โ€ข AI Chat is opt-in. When enabled, only the text of the PDF you're asking about is sent to Gemini, cached for 1 hour, and never stored beyond that. โ€ข No tracking, no analytics, no advertising. โ€ข Files live in your private app sandbox; deleted when you delete them. โ€” PRO TIER (optional) โ€” Unlock unlimited merges, larger batches, watermark removal, password protection, document scanner, OCR, e-signature, AI Chat, Apple Intelligence Smart Summary, and every new feature with a single subscription or one-time Lifetime purchase. โ€ข Weekly โ€” try Pro for less than a coffee โ€ข Yearly โ€” save 70% โ€ข Lifetime โ€” pay once, own forever Subscriptions auto-renew unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the renewal date. Payment is charged to your Apple ID. Manage in Settings โ†’ Apple ID โ†’ Subscriptions. โ€” DESIGNED FOR iOS โ€” โ€ข Built natively with SwiftUI + PDFKit for iOS 17+. โ€ข Optimized for iPhone, iPad, and Apple Pencil. โ€ข Full Dark Mode support. โ€ข Dynamic Type accessibility throughout. โ€ข VoiceOver labels on every interactive control. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.freeprivacypolicy.com/live/dca821a0-9b8b-48a6-9565-d1c64344a313

About

ScanMate

Features
Read full description

Turn your iPhone into a powerful document scanner โ€” free, fast, and no sign-up needed. Scan any document in seconds Auto edge detection for perfect crops Merge multiple pages into one PDF Share instantly via WhatsApp, Gmail & more PDF Scanner - Doc Scan & Save is the simplest way to digitize your documents on iPhone. Whether you're scanning contracts, invoices, ID cards, receipts, or handwritten notes โ€” get a clean, professional PDF in seconds. FEATURES: โ€ข Smart Auto-Crop โ€” Automatically detects document edges for precise cropping โ€ข 4 Filter Modes โ€” Original, Black & White, Grayscale, and Photo mode โ€ข Multi-Page PDF โ€” Combine multiple scans into a single PDF file โ€ข Import from Gallery โ€” Convert existing photos to PDF instantly โ€ข File Manager โ€” Organize, search, and manage all your scanned documents โ€ข Instant Share โ€” Send via WhatsApp, Gmail, Google Drive, AirDrop, and more โ€ข No Account Needed โ€” Works completely offline, no sign-up required HOW TO USE: 1. Tap the Scan button on the home screen 2. Point your camera at any document 3. The app auto-detects edges โ€” adjust corners if needed 4. Choose a filter to enhance clarity 5. Add more pages or tap Done to generate your PDF 6. Save to your device or share instantly Your documents, digitized in seconds. PDF Scanner โ€” scan smarter, not harder.

Screenshots

PDF Merger3 screens
ScanMate4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ScanMate at none against PDF Merger's 3. ScanMate also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 9 months) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.0). PDF Merger's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. PDF Merger sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. ScanMate asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PDF Merger ships an update every 9 months, ScanMate every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences ยท 2 level
PDF Merger versus ScanMate: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPDF MergerScanMate
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 9 monthsEvery 3 weeks โ€” better
AdsNo โ€” betterYes
In-app purchasesYesNo โ€” better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS17.015.6 โ€” better
Further details โ€” not scored
Size2 MB9 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperAhmet Bostanckliogluๆขฆ ่‚–

In-app purchases

3 purchases

PDF Merger

Subscriptions2
  • Pro โ€” Weekly3 Days trial$1.997 Days
  • Pro โ€” Yearly$29.991 Year
One-time1
  • PDF Merger Lifetime$59.99
None

ScanMate

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is PDF Merger free?
PDF Merger is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is ScanMate free?
ScanMate is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do PDF Merger or ScanMate have ads?
ScanMate shows ads; PDF Merger does not.
Which is updated more often, PDF Merger or ScanMate?
PDF Merger ships an update every 9 months, and ScanMate every 3 weeks. Most recently, PDF Merger was updated on October 7, 2026 and ScanMate on October 16, 2026.

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