Proton Authenticator vs PDFScanner Neo
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Proton Authenticator
Securely manage your two-factor authentication codes with an open-source, end-to-end encrypted authenticator app. It offers seamless cross-device syncing, effortless import from other apps, and robust backup options, all protected by strict Swiss privacy laws. Take control of your digital security with a trusted and private solution.
- End-to-end encrypted iCloud sync
- Effortless import from other authenticators
- Secure backup and export
- Swiss privacy by design
- Open source and transparent
- Offline support
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Get the authenticator trusted by millions — from Proton Mail, the world's largest encrypted email provider. Proton Authenticator is open source, end-to-end encrypted, and protected by strict Swiss privacy laws. Protect all your new accounts and strengthen security on your existing ones. Proton Authenticator keeps your 2FA codes secure, accessible, and completely private — with full control over where your data is stored. KEY FEATURES Local-First Storage:Your 2FA codes are stored entirely on your device, giving you complete control over your data. Effortless Import: Migrate from Google Authenticator, Authy, or any other app in seconds. Secure Backup & Export: Retain full control of your data with easy backup and restore options. Swiss Privacy by Design: Built under Switzerland's strongest data protection regulations. Open Source & Transparent: Auditable code. No tracking. No ads. Take control of your digital security with encryption you can trust. Free to use: No Proton account required, ad-free. Offline support: On mobile and desktop apps No other 2FA app provides this combination of security and privacy. Trusted by millions. Built by Proton. Take control of your digital security today. Terms of service: https://proton.me/legal/terms Learn more: https://proton.me
PDFScanner Neo
Easily scan paper documents into searchable PDFs using your device camera or network hardware scanners. Offers features like OCR, automatic page cleanup, and smart saving for efficient document capture and organization.
- Scan from Wi-Fi and network scanners
- Scan with device camera
- Optical character recognition (OCR)
- Automatic page cleanup and correction
- Fast page organization
- Compact PDF export
- Smart Save with presets
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PDF Scanning reimagined - from hardware scanners on your network or using the device camera on your iPhone or iPad! PDFScanner Neo brings the features you love from the Mac version of PDFScanner to mobile platforms: hardware scanner access, a fast and simple workflow, and minimal file sizes. The App is still very fresh, but its feature set is already larger than that of the Mac version and the whole experience has been completely redesigned around a mobile-first workflow. And of course, all your documents stay completely private: PDFScanner Neo has no tracking, no ads and does not send any information to any external servers. Scan paper documents, letters, receipts and notes directly into compact, searchable PDF files. PDFScanner Neo is built for people who want to capture documents quickly, keep them organized, and find them again later. Even on the go, when the hardware scanner at home is out of reach. Or if you do not have one at all. PDFScanner Neo supports the following features: • Scan from Wi-Fi and network scanners with AirScan/eSCL support • Scan with the built-in document camera on iPhone and iPad, including automatic perspective correction • Optical character recognition to make scanned documents searchable, for example with Spotlight • Invisible OCR text layer inside the PDF, so text can be found, selected and copied in other PDF apps • Automatic page cleanup, including deskewing and rotation correction • Fast page organization with reordering, deletion and more actions for single pages or batches of selected pages • Compact PDF export designed for scanned documents • High compression for black-and-white scans, including very small file sizes for archiving • Open existing PDF files or import additional PDF pages into the current scan workspace • Smart Save with presets, filename patterns, keywords and quick actions for faster recurring workflows • Customizable export filenames, including date-based and document-based naming • Automatic blank page removal for cleaner scan batches • Share or export finished PDFs directly from the scan workspace PDFScanner Neo is not a general-purpose document manager. It is focused on one task: scanning paper documents into clean, compact and searchable PDF files as quickly as possible. Advanced features require PDFScanner Neo Pro. Scanning and saving are always available in the free app, without restrictions.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Proton Authenticator at 56% against PDFScanner Neo's 0%. Proton Authenticator also leads on rating (4.4 vs 2.0) and in-app purchases (none vs 2). On price, update cadence, ads and device support 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
Both are free to download. PDFScanner Neo sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Proton Authenticator asks for nothing beyond the download.
Proton Authenticator holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 2.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Proton Authenticator has 242 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 56% of Proton Authenticator's written reviews are positive against 0% of PDFScanner Neo's.
Proton Authenticator ships an update weekly, PDFScanner Neo every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Proton Authenticator | PDFScanner Neo |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.4 (242 ratings) — better | 2.0 (4 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 55.9% of reviews — better | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 242 — better | 4 |
| Update frequency | Weekly — better | Every 10 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 119 MB | 20 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Proton AG | Felix Rotthowe |
Customer experience
Proton Authenticator
PDFScanner Neo
Bugs and requests
Proton Authenticator
Reported bugs
4 issues- Sync/login loop on iPad
- 2FA input broken on non-iPhone devices
- Screen strobing on iPad
- Duplicate entries after import
Requested features
5 requests- PIN unlock for desktop
- Alphabetical sorting option
- Export function (not just Proton-specific backup)
- Native macOS app
- Option to hide item icons
PDFScanner Neo
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Proton Authenticator
No in-app purchases
PDFScanner Neo
- Neo Pro Monthly7 Days trial$3.991 Month
- Neo Pro Yearly7 Days trial$44.991 Year
Questions
Is Proton Authenticator free?
Is PDFScanner Neo free?
Which has better reviews, Proton Authenticator or PDFScanner Neo?
Do Proton Authenticator or PDFScanner Neo have ads?
Which is updated more often, Proton Authenticator or PDFScanner Neo?
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