# PDF Reader vs ScanLens

The clearest difference is rating: ScanLens at 5.0 against PDF Reader's 4.3. ScanLens also leads on ads (none vs shown). PDF Reader's advantage is ratings volume (538 vs 2) and chart position (#41 vs unranked). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PDF Reader sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per 7 days and ScanLens sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ScanLens holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PDF Reader has 538 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

PDF Reader ships an update every 10 days, ScanLens every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF Reader | ScanLens |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (538 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-reader-ocr-scan-edit/id6754001880/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scanlens-pdf-document-scanner/id6756875763/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **538** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 42.9% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 10 days** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | **#41** | — |
| Size | 72 MB | 103 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 17.4 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Fuzhou Jiange Technology Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1821346905) | [BitForge Pte. Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1815121251) |

## What reviewers say

### PDF Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-reader-ocr-scan-edit/id6754001880)

**Currently charting:** #41 Top Free · Productivity (US App Store)

This mobile app acts as a PDF office assistant, offering features for editing, scanning, and optical character recognition. It allows for easy document management, page manipulation, and conversion of images and paper documents into editable digital files.

**Highlights:** PDF Editing, Image to PDF conversion, Import PDF files, OCR Text Recognition, Add, delete, rearrange pages, Filters, highlights, annotations

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PDF Reader Ad-Free | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| PDF Reader Ad-Free | $29.99 | per year |


### ScanLens

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scanlens-pdf-document-scanner/id6756875763)

This app functions as a mobile document scanner and PDF editor. It allows users to scan physical documents, convert images into PDFs, add digital signatures and stamps, and perform various PDF editing tasks. Features include OCR for text extraction, file compression, and secure password protection.

**Highlights:** Document scanning with edge detection, Convert photos to PDF, Digital signatures and custom stamps, PDF annotation and editing tools, Text recognition (OCR), PDF compression and password protection, QR code scanning

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Weekly | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Premium Yearly | $29.99 | per year |
| Premium Lifetime | $59.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PDF Reader free?

PDF Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is ScanLens free?

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

### Which has better reviews, PDF Reader or ScanLens?

ScanLens is rated higher. PDF Reader averages 4.3 out of 5 from 538 ratings, while ScanLens averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do PDF Reader or ScanLens have ads?

PDF Reader shows ads; ScanLens does not.

### Which is updated more often, PDF Reader or ScanLens?

PDF Reader ships an update every 10 days, and ScanLens every 3 weeks. Most recently, PDF Reader was updated on November 9, 2026 and ScanLens on October 30, 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.*