Comparison

ThoughtsLeft vs ScanOnce

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

Head to head
About

ThoughtsLeft

Capture your fleeting thoughts, ideas, and worries quickly through typing or voice. Organize them into tasks or notes, or simply let them go. Gain insights into your thinking patterns and maintain mental clarity.

Highlights
  • Instant thought capture (type or voice)
  • Organize thoughts with swipe gestures
  • Spoken Thought for hands-free capture
  • Time-based task manager
  • Notes repository
  • Activity insights
  • Optional Pro upgrade for advanced features
Features
Read full description

ThoughtsLeft is a brain dump app for people who think too much: late-night spirals, half-finished ideas, worries you can't shake, things you're scared to forget. Get them all out fast, before the mental clutter takes over. Capture however it comes to you. Type it, or speak it out loud as a Spoken Thought. No structure required, no "right way" to do it. Just thought capture, fast. Then decide on your own time. Organize thoughts into a task, note or simply let them go completely with one swipe, because not every worry needs to become something. KEY FEATURES: • Instant thought capture for ideas, worries, and reminders • Capture from anywhere with the Action Button, Siri, or a Home Screen long-press • Swipe gestures to organize thoughts into tasks or notes • Spoken Thought for hands-free, voice-based capture • Batch processing sessions for inbox zero • Time-based task manager (Today, Tomorrow, This Week, Someday) • Notes repository for everything you want to keep • Activity insights into your thinking patterns • App lock with Face ID, or Touch ID • Dark and light themes • 100% private by default, all thoughts stay on your device (optional iCloud sync available) • Export all your thoughts or delete them anytime OPTIONAL PRO UPGRADE
 ThoughtsLeft works fully without upgrading. For deeper reflection, focus, and mental clarity, an optional PRO upgrade is available. Thought Timeline & History • View your complete thought history • See how thoughts become tasks, notes, or released items • Reflect on your thinking patterns over time Pattern Insights • Discover when your mind is loudest • Understand your overthinking habits Custom Scheduling • Set exact dates and times for tasks and get notified • Plan with more clarity and precision iCloud Sync • Keep your thoughts backed up and synced with iCloud • Your thoughts stay private, sync is always optional Apple Calendar Sync • Automatically sync your Thoughts Left tasks to your Apple Calendar • View your to-dos right alongside your daily events Premium Themes • Unlock 5 calming, nature-inspired themes • Personalise your space for reflection and focus Available as a one-time purchase or an annual subscription. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

ScanOnce

Features
Read full description

ScanOnce helps you capture, organize, and understand documents quickly. • Fast document scanning with automatic page capture • On-device OCR text extraction • Smart document insights (sender, totals, dates, invoice details) • Ask questions about your scanned document • Export and share as PDF • Privacy-first workflow with local processing Upgrade once for Lifetime Access to unlimited scanning.

Screenshots

ThoughtsLeft4 screens
ScanOnce4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: ThoughtsLeft at every 11 days against ScanOnce's every 2 months. On price, ads, in-app purchases 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

Both are free to download. ThoughtsLeft sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per year and ScanOnce sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ThoughtsLeft ships an update every 11 days, ScanOnce every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
ThoughtsLeft versus ScanOnce: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterThoughtsLeftScanOnce
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.0 (2 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 11 days — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS16.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size47 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJayasrinivasan VaradharajanJohanna Hoppe

In-app purchases

2 purchases

ThoughtsLeft

Subscriptions1
  • Thoughts Left PRO7 Days trial$9.991 Year
One-time1
  • Thoughts Left Pro$24.99
1 purchases

ScanOnce

One-time1
  • Lifetime Access$3.99

Questions

Is ThoughtsLeft free?
ThoughtsLeft is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is ScanOnce free?
ScanOnce is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do ThoughtsLeft or ScanOnce have ads?
Neither ThoughtsLeft nor ScanOnce shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ThoughtsLeft or ScanOnce?
ThoughtsLeft ships an update every 11 days, and ScanOnce every 2 months. Most recently, ThoughtsLeft was updated on October 1, 2026 and ScanOnce on October 12, 2026.

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