# OCR Server vs CardBal

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: CardBal at none against OCR Server's 1. CardBal also leads on iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.4). OCR Server's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 weeks). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. OCR Server sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. CardBal asks for nothing beyond the download.

OCR Server ships an update every 4 days, CardBal every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | OCR Server | CardBal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Every 2 weeks |
| Size | 19 MB | 51 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.4 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Wei-Cheng Ling](https://appshunter.io/developer/1155984309) | [Kitta Co.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896674871) |

## What reviewers say

### OCR Server

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ocr-server/id6749533041)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Buy me a coffee | $4.99 | one-time |


### CardBal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cardbal-transit-card-reader/id6760978958)

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is OCR Server free?

OCR Server is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is CardBal free?

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

### Do OCR Server or CardBal have ads?

Neither OCR Server nor CardBal shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, OCR Server or CardBal?

OCR Server ships an update every 4 days, and CardBal every 2 weeks. Most recently, OCR Server was updated on October 10, 2026 and CardBal on October 25, 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.*