Comparison

Scan Things vs PDF Editor & Scanner

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

Head to head
About

Scan Things

Extract objects, people, pets, and artwork from images, URLs, or PDFs. Capture books and documents with searchable, selectable text embedded in PDFs. All processing is done on-device for maximum privacy.

Highlights
  • Extract objects from images
  • Extract text from images and PDFs
  • Save as searchable PDF
  • On-device processing
  • No account required
  • Offline functionality
Read full description

With Scan Things, you can extract objects, people, pets, artwork and just about anything else from any image, image URL, or PDF document.  Scan Things can also capture books and documents with the original images intact and the text extracted and embedded. You can save your scan as a single- or multi-page PDF with all its text fully searchable and selectable. You don't need an account to use Scan Things. You don't need internet access. Your scans never leave your iPhone or iPad as Scan Things does all of its processing on-device. Because your privacy is important (not to mention none of our business), we collect no data whatsoever and we don't use any third-party code. Your privacy is yours, and we think it should stay that way. You can get Scan Things for a one-time purchase and share it with your family at no extra cost. No subscriptions. No adds. No shenanigans. Privacy Policy: https://scanthing.app/privacy-policy/ Terms of Use: https://scanthing.app/terms-of-use/

About

PDF Editor & Scanner

This app is an all-in-one solution for managing PDF documents. It allows users to scan paper documents into high-quality PDFs, edit existing PDFs with various tools, annotate text, and extract editable text using OCR. It's designed for efficient document workflow management.

Highlights
  • High-quality PDF scanning
  • Comprehensive PDF editing tools
  • Powerful annotation and markup
  • OCR text extraction and search
  • Merge and convert PDFs
  • Cloud service integration
Features
Read full description

Professional PDF Editor and Document Management Solution PDF Editing | PDF Scanner is the ultimate all-in-one PDF application for iOS, designed to help you scan, edit, annotate, convert, and manage PDF documents with complete ease. Whether you are digitizing paper documents, editing existing PDFs, or extracting text with OCR, this app provides professional-grade functionality in a clean, intuitive interface. Advanced PDF Scanning and Conversion • High-quality PDF scanning with automatic edge detection • Multi-page scanning with instant PDF creation • Import existing PDFs from Files, iCloud, Google Drive, Dropbox, and other cloud services • Organize pages efficiently with smart document management tools • Batch scanning and processing for multiple documents at once • Convert images or photos into PDF format for easy archiving Comprehensive PDF Editing Tools • Add, delete, rotate, reorder, or duplicate PDF pages effortlessly • Merge multiple PDFs into a single document • Professional page management controls for precise editing • Real-time preview of all edits before saving • Support for multiple file formats including PDF, JPG, and PNG Powerful Annotation and Markup • Highlight, underline, or strikethrough text with custom colors • Insert text, shapes, and digital signatures for professional documents • Resize, reposition, or format annotations with complete flexibility • Ideal for contracts, reports, assignments, and other professional documents OCR Text Extraction and Search • Convert scanned PDFs into searchable and editable text • Quickly search through extracted content within your PDFs • Export text for use in other applications or workflows • Essential for students, educators, and professionals managing documents Professional Features for Every User • High-resolution PDF output for crisp, clear documents • Advanced PDF editing, annotation, and text extraction tools • Merge, compress, and convert PDFs with professional efficiency • Secure and private handling of sensitive files • Designed for business professionals, students, and anyone needing robust PDF tools Why Choose PDF Editing | PDF Scanner? • All-in-one PDF solution: scan, edit, annotate, and manage documents • Professional-grade PDF editor and OCR text extraction • Intuitive interface that is easy to navigate • Comprehensive annotation and markup capabilities • Seamless cloud backup and multi-device synchronization • Streamline your document workflow with a single, reliable app Download PDF Editing | PDF Scanner today and transform your document workflow. Whether you need a PDF editor, PDF scanner, OCR tool, document organizer, or annotation app, this solution provides everything you need to manage, edit, and optimize your PDF documents efficiently and professionally. you need a paid subscription. Prices may vary by country and are subject to change without notice. Prices are clearly displayed in the app. * Payment will be charged to your iTunes account at confirmation of purchase. * Your subscription will automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. * Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours before the end of the current period. * You can manage your subscriptions and turn off auto-renewal by going to your Account Settings in the iTunes Store. * If offered, if you choose to use our free trial, any unused portion of the free trial period will be forfeited when you purchase a subscription to that publication, where applicable. Privacy Policy : https://sites.google.com/view/mohamed-lotfi-pp/home Terms of Use: https://sites.google.com/view/mohamedlotfi-terms/home

Screenshots

Scan Things1 screens
PDF Editor & Scanner4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: PDF Editor & Scanner at 88% against Scan Things's 38%. PDF Editor & Scanner also leads on rating (4.7 vs 3.9) and ratings volume (94 vs 7). Scan Things's advantage is monetization model (free vs subscription). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Scan Things sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and PDF Editor & Scanner sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

PDF Editor & Scanner holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PDF Editor & Scanner has 94 ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 38% of Scan Things's written reviews are positive against 88% of PDF Editor & Scanner's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Scan Things ships an update every 6 weeks, PDF Editor & Scanner every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Scan Things versus PDF Editor & Scanner: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterScan ThingsPDF Editor & Scanner
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.9 (7 ratings)4.7 (94 ratings) — better
Positive reviews37.5% of reviews87.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings794 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeks — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree — betterSubscription
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.6 — better18.5
Further details — not scored
Size222 MB40 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperOperates Spaceships LLCMohamed Lotfi

Customer experience

Scan Things

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews8 reviews
Positive37.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative62.5%

PDF Editor & Scanner

All ratings82 ratings
Positive91.5%
Neutral4.9%
Negative3.7%
Written reviews16 reviews
Positive87.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative12.5%

Bugs and requests

Scan Things

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

PDF Editor & Scanner

Reported bugs

1 issue
  • Supposedly offers free lifetime, but NO…

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Scan Things

One-time1
  • Unlimited Scans$6.99
3 purchases

PDF Editor & Scanner

Subscriptions2
  • Weekly Premium Plan$7.997 Days
  • Yearly Premium Plan$29.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Premium Plan$19.99

Questions

Is Scan Things free?
Scan Things is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is PDF Editor & Scanner free?
PDF Editor & Scanner is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Scan Things or PDF Editor & Scanner?
PDF Editor & Scanner is rated higher. Scan Things averages 3.9 out of 5 from 7 ratings, while PDF Editor & Scanner averages 4.7 from 94 ratings.
Do Scan Things or PDF Editor & Scanner have ads?
Neither Scan Things nor PDF Editor & Scanner shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Scan Things or PDF Editor & Scanner?
Scan Things ships an update every 6 weeks, and PDF Editor & Scanner every 3 months. Most recently, Scan Things was updated on November 4, 2026 and PDF Editor & Scanner on November 5, 2026.

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