# Scan Things vs Context Panel

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Context Panel at none against Scan Things's 1. Context Panel also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 6 weeks) and device support (6 vs 3). On price, ads and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Scan Things sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Context Panel asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scan Things ships an update every 6 weeks, Context Panel every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Scan Things | Context Panel |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.9 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scan-things/id6742055495/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **7** | — |
| Positive reviews | 37.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 222 MB | 38 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **17.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch, Vision Pro** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Operates Spaceships LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1587485668) | [Shiny Computers](https://appshunter.io/developer/973244337) |

## What reviewers say

### Scan Things

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scan-things/id6742055495)

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlimited Scans | $6.99 | one-time |


### Context Panel

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/context-panel/id6767567430)

**Features:** Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Scan Things free?

Scan Things is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Context Panel free?

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

### Do Scan Things or Context Panel have ads?

Neither Scan Things nor Context Panel shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Scan Things or Context Panel?

Scan Things ships an update every 6 weeks, and Context Panel every 5 days. Most recently, Scan Things was updated on October 24, 2026 and Context Panel on October 28, 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.*