Comparison

Scanly vs Archi

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

Head to head
About

Scanly

Turn your device into a high-quality document scanner that syncs effortlessly with iCloud. Organize your digital documents with smart folders mirroring your iCloud structure and export them as PDFs. Streamline your paperless workflow across all Apple devices.

Highlights
  • High-quality document scanning
  • Smart folder organization
  • 1:1 sync across Apple devices
  • Paperless-ngx integration
  • Export to PDF
  • Intuitive interface
Features
Read full description

Transform your device into a powerful document scanner that seamlessly integrates with iCloud. Scanly offers pristine document scanning with intelligent organization features that sync perfectly across all your Apple devices. Scanly transforms your iPhone or iPad into a powerful document scanner that perfectly integrates with your iCloud ecosystem. Create crisp, professional-quality scans that automatically sync across all your Apple devices. Key Features: - Instant high-quality document scanning - Smart folder organization that mirrors your iCloud structure - Perfect 1:1 sync across iPhone, iPad, and Mac via iCloud - Paperless-ngx integration for advanced document management - Intuitive interface designed for simplicity and efficiency - Export to PDF format Whether you're a student capturing lecture notes, a professional digitizing business cards, or simply organizing household documents, Scanly offers the perfect balance of simplicity and power. Your scans appear exactly as organized in iCloud - creating a folder in Scanly creates it in iCloud, making document management effortless and intuitive. Browse your documents across all devices with perfect consistency - what you see on your iPhone is exactly what you'll see on your Mac or iPad. Say goodbye to paper clutter and hello to a streamlined, organized digital document system with Scanly.

About

Archi

This app scans documents, extracts text and metadata using on-device AI and OCR, and syncs with a self-hosted server. It prioritizes user privacy with no cloud subscriptions or data sharing. Ideal for managing receipts, invoices, and personal records securely.

Highlights
  • On-device OCR with Apple Vision
  • AI metadata extraction with Gemma 4
  • Automatic title, tag, and correspondent suggestions
  • Import PDFs and images via Share sheet
  • Browse and search Paperless-NGX archive
  • Offline queue for scanning
Features
Read full description

Archi is the Paperless-NGX client for iPhone, iPad and Mac that runs AI and OCR entirely on your device — no cloud subscription, no data sharing, zero privacy compromises. Try it for free: the first 10 captures are included. After that, a one-time purchase unlocks the full version — no subscription, no cloud, no data collection. Note: With iOS 27 and Apple Intelligence turned on, Archi needs no download. Otherwise it downloads the Gemma 4 model (approx. 2.4 GB) once after installation. ■ WHAT ARCHI DOES Scan a document, recognize text, extract metadata — all in seconds, all locally. The document then lands neatly categorized in your self-hosted Paperless-NGX server. ■ ON YOUR DEVICE, NOT IN THE CLOUD • OCR with Apple Vision — fast, offline, free • AI metadata extraction with Apple Intelligence (iOS 27 and later) or Google's Gemma 4 — both run directly on your iPhone, no server needed • Automatic title, tag and correspondent suggestions based on content • Import PDFs and images from other apps via the Share sheet ■ PAPERLESS-NGX INTEGRATION • Browse and manage your entire document archive • Full-text search across all documents • Filter by tags, document type and correspondent • Offline queue — scans saved locally until you're back online ■ REAL-WORLD USE CASES Tax Season: Scan every receipt, invoice and bill as it arrives. Archi automatically recognizes the date, vendor and amount — and suggests the right tags. Come April, your IRS paperwork is already done. Home Office & Business: Incoming invoices, delivery notes, contracts — Archi reads the document and proposes correspondent, document type and filing date without you lifting a finger. Medical & Insurance: Digitize EOBs, lab results, insurance policies and medical records securely. Your health data never leaves your device. No Wi-Fi? No Problem: Scan documents in the subway, in a basement archive or while travelling. Archi queues everything locally and syncs automatically when you're back online — unlike server-dependent alternatives. Homelab & Self-Hosting: Running Paperless-NGX on a Synology NAS, Proxmox, Docker or a Raspberry Pi? Archi was built for exactly your setup. No SaaS, no monthly fees, no vendor lock-in. ■ PRIVACY FIRST No account. No subscription. No cloud. Your documents stay on your device and your server — and nowhere else. All AI processing, all OCR, all metadata extraction runs exclusively on your iPhone. Archi never transmits document content to any external server — not Apple's, not Google's, not ours. ■ TECHNICAL DETAILS • AI models: Apple Intelligence (Foundation Models, iOS 27 and later) or Gemma 4 E2B INT4 (Google open weights) — both run fully on-device; Gemma via LiteRT, Metal GPU accelerated • OCR: Apple Vision Framework — free, offline, privacy-preserving • Backend: Paperless-NGX (self-hosted, URL and token fully configurable) • Offline queue: SQLite-based, zero data loss when offline • On-device AI: iPhone 15 Pro or newer, or an iPad with 6 GB RAM (M-series). Apple Intelligence does not cover every language Archi supports; Archi shows which in Settings, and Gemma 4 stays available for the rest. Scanning, uploading and your archive work on all supported devices — even without AI. • Runs on iPhone, iPad and Apple silicon Mac. Archi requires a self-hosted Paperless-NGX server.

Screenshots

Scanly3 screens
Archi4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Archi at Free against Scanly's $3.99. Scanly's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and update cadence (daily vs weekly). On ads, monetization model 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Archi is free to download; Scanly costs $3.99 up front. Archi sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Scanly asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Scanly ships an update daily, Archi weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Scanly versus Archi: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterScanlyArchi
Price$3.99Free — better
Rating—2.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better75.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyDaily — betterWeekly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size34 MB57 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAdam GolczakArne Stenmanns

Customer experience

Scanly

Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Archi

All ratings1 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%
Written reviews8 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%

In-app purchases

None

Scanly

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Archi

One-time1
  • Full Version$3.99

Questions

Is Scanly free?
Scanly costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Archi free?
Archi is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Scanly or Archi have ads?
Neither Scanly nor Archi shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Scanly or Archi?
Scanly ships an update daily, and Archi weekly. Most recently, Scanly was updated on October 10, 2026 and Archi on October 25, 2026.

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