Comparison

Skanae vs NorthScan

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

Head to head
About

Skanae

Features
Read full description

Skanae turns your iPhone into a private, on-device document scanner — no cloud processing, no account, no tracking. Its on-device AI automatically organizes every scan into the right category for you. Every scan, every word of OCR text, and every classification decision happens entirely on your device. Nothing is uploaded anywhere unless you personally choose to sync it to a cloud provider you trust. WHY PEOPLE SWITCH TO SKANAE • Auto-organize, not just scan — AI sorts invoices, receipts, contracts, and IDs into the right category automatically • 100% on-device OCR — searchable, selectable text extracted instantly, no internet required • Learns your habits — correct a category once and Skanae remembers your preference next time • Smart auto-naming — scans get clear, descriptive names, not "Scan001.pdf" • Works completely offline — scan on a plane, in a basement, anywhere at all • Sync only where you choose — iCloud, local storage, OneDrive, Google Drive, or Dropbox KEY FEATURES • Edge-detection scanning with automatic cropping and perspective correction • Multi-page scans combined into a single, clean PDF • On-device OCR (Apple Vision) makes every PDF fully searchable • On-device AI classification auto-sorts documents into categories: invoices, receipts, contracts, IDs, and more • Smart, descriptive file naming based on what's actually in the document • On-device learning — Skanae adapts as you correct and refine how documents are organized • Custom categories that match how you actually work • Multi-cloud export: iCloud Drive, local files, OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox — your choice, per document • Clean, fast, distraction-free scanning flow built for iOS and iPadOS PERFECT FOR • Freelancers and small-business owners scanning receipts and invoices • Professionals digitizing contracts and paperwork • Students organizing notes, forms, and ID documents • Anyone who wants a paperless, organized digital filing cabinet — without handing their documents to a server YOUR DATA NEVER LEAVES YOUR DEVICE Skanae was built privacy-first, from the ground up. OCR runs on Apple Vision, on-device. Document classification runs on a local AI model, on-device. There's no account to create, no sign-up, no analytics tracking what you scan, and no server that ever sees your documents. The only time your data leaves your iPhone is if you explicitly choose to back it up or sync it — to iCloud, OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox, or simply keep everything local. SYNC YOUR WAY Skanae doesn't lock you into one ecosystem. Connect the cloud storage you already use: • iCloud Drive • Local, on-device storage only • OneDrive • Google Drive • Dropbox Choose per document, per folder, or not at all — it's entirely up to you. Download Skanae and turn every scan into an organized, searchable, private document — automatically. Privacy Policy: https://skan.ae/policy.html Support: support@skan.ae

About

NorthScan

Features
Read full description

Scan it today. Find it tomorrow. NorthScan turns your iPhone and iPad into a fast, precise document scanner — and a searchable archive you'll actually be able to find things in. Capture receipts, contracts, notes, and IDs into crisp, clean PDFs, then search, organise, and share them in seconds. Everything stays private on your device by default, with iCloud sync only if you want it. Beautifully sharp scans Automatic edge detection and capture, so pages come out straight and clean A precise manual crop tool with a magnifying loupe, live angle readouts, and perspective and deskew correction Enhancement presets that make text crisp and pages bright — without touching your originals Dedicated modes for whiteboards, books, and receipts Find anything, instantly On-device text recognition makes every scan searchable Search by title, date, page count, tags, or the words inside your documents Organise with folders and tags, and recover mistakes from Recently Deleted Spotlight, Home Screen widgets, Shortcuts, and Home Screen quick actions Private by design Documents and text recognition stay on your device No accounts, no analytics, no third-party trackers iCloud sync is optional and entirely your choice — and syncs only to your own private iCloud Included free Unlimited scanning, on-device OCR, folders and tags, redaction and privacy scan, PDF and image export, and importing existing PDFs — all local to your device, with no page limits and no watermarks on your scans. NorthScan Plus An optional subscription that adds: iCloud sync across your iPhone and iPad App Lock with Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode The advanced PDF toolkit — password protection, compression presets, watermarks, split, merge, page extraction, and metadata editing Batch tools — process, rename, tag, file, OCR, and export many documents at once Document Intelligence — on-device suggested titles, summaries, tags, and folders Custom export presets Scan it today. Find it tomorrow. What's New (Version 1.0) Welcome to NorthScan! Scan any document into a crisp, searchable PDF, organise it with folders and tags, and find it again in seconds — all kept private on your device. We'd love your feedback. NorthScan Plus is available as an auto-renewing subscription. NorthScan Plus Monthly — $2.49 per month NorthScan Plus Yearly — $19.99 per year Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. Your subscription automatically renews unless it is cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel your subscription in your Apple Account settings after purchase. Any unused portion of a free trial, if offered, is forfeited when you purchase a subscription. Terms of Use: https://getnorthvault.com/northscan/terms/ Privacy Policy: https://getnorthvault.com/northscan/privacy/

Screenshots

Skanae4 screens
NorthScan4 screens

Verdict

The call

Skanae and NorthScan are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters — price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

Scored on Price Ā· Rating Ā· Positive reviews Ā· Number of ratings Ā· Update frequency Ā· Ads Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Monetization Ā· Best chart rank Ā· Devices Ā· Requires iOS

CostPrice Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Ads Ā· Monetization

Both are free to download. Skanae sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $19.99 per year and NorthScan sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Skanae ships an update every 10 days, NorthScan weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
Skanae versus NorthScan: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSkanaeNorthScan
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 10 daysWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.618.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size74 MB12 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLukas GergelMuhammad Rashid

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Skanae

Subscriptions1
  • Skanae Premium14 Days trial$19.991 Year
2 purchases

NorthScan

Subscriptions2
  • NorthScan Plus Monthly$1.991 Month
  • NorthScan Plus Annual$14.991 Year

Questions

Is Skanae free?
Skanae is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is NorthScan free?
NorthScan is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Skanae or NorthScan have ads?
Neither Skanae nor NorthScan shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Skanae or NorthScan?
Skanae ships an update every 10 days, and NorthScan weekly. Most recently, Skanae was updated on October 16, 2026 and NorthScan on October 6, 2026.

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