Comparison

PDFly vs DocScanner

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

Head to head
About

PDFly

This app is a comprehensive PDF toolkit for mobile devices. It allows users to convert images to PDF, scan documents, merge files, compress PDFs, and edit documents with text, signatures, and drawings. It's designed for quick and secure document management.

Highlights
  • Convert images to PDF
  • Scan documents with edge detection
  • Edit PDFs with text and signatures
  • Compress PDF file size
  • Merge multiple PDF files
  • Convert DOCX to PDF
Features
Read full description

PDFly is the complete PDF toolkit for iPhone and iPad. Scan documents, convert images to PDF, edit PDF files, add signatures, merge documents, compress PDFs, and convert Word files all from one easy-to-use app. No subscriptions. No hidden paywalls. Just powerful PDF tools whenever you need them. KEY FEATURES PDF Scanner • Scan receipts, IDs, notes, contracts, books, and documents • Automatic edge detection and scan enhancement • Save scans instantly as PDF files PDF Editor • Add text anywhere in your PDF • Insert signatures and annotations • Draw, highlight, and erase content • Fill forms and review documents quickly Image to PDF Converter • Convert multiple photos into a single PDF • Reorder, crop, rotate, and edit images • Create professional-quality PDF documents Merge PDF Files • Combine multiple PDFs into one document • Rearrange pages before merging Compress PDFs and Images • Reduce file size while maintaining quality • Save storage and share files faster DOCX to PDF • Convert Word documents to PDF • Preserve formatting and layout PDF to JPG • Convert PDF pages into images • Export pages individually or as ZIP files Privacy First • Files stay on your device • No unnecessary uploads to external servers Perfect for students, professionals, teachers, freelancers, remote workers, and businesses. Download PDFly today and manage all your PDF tasks in one place.

About

DocScanner

Quickly transform documents like receipts, contracts, and notes into professional PDF files. This app prioritizes your privacy by storing all scans locally on your device, offering a streamlined workflow for organizing and sharing your documents.

Highlights
  • Scan documents to PDF
  • Local storage for privacy
  • Organize and preview scans
  • Instant PDF sharing
  • No account required
  • Simple user interface
Read full description

Turn your iPhone or iPad into a private document scanner for receipts, contracts, invoices, forms, and notes. DocScanner creates searchable PDF files with offline OCR, keeps your library on your device, and makes scans easy to organize, preview, and share. SCAN DOCUMENTS TO PDF • Capture single-page and multi-page documents with the camera scanner • Create PDF files automatically • Add selectable and searchable text with on-device OCR • Choose preferred OCR languages in Settings ORGANIZE YOUR LIBRARY • Create and rename folders for work, school, receipts, or personal records • Scan directly into a folder or move existing documents into one • Search document titles and folder names • Rename, sort, select, move, and delete documents PREVIEW AND SHARE • Review every page in the built-in PDF viewer • Choose Low, Medium, High, or Very High export quality • Check the exported file size before sharing • Send PDF copies through the iOS share sheet PRIVATE BY DESIGN Your documents, previews, folders, and OCR processing stay on your device. DocScanner does not require an account or cloud setup and has no ads or third-party analytics. DOCSCANNER PRO A one-time in-app purchase unlocks: • Secure folders that encrypt folder names, PDFs, and previews on your device • Face ID, Touch ID, or device passcode access to secure folders • Password-protected PDF copies for sharing DocScanner Pro is a one-time purchase with no subscription. Previous purchases can be restored. Use DocScanner to digitize receipts, invoices, contracts, signed forms, school notes, home records, and other paperwork on iPhone or iPad.

Screenshots

PDFly4 screens
DocScanner4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: DocScanner at none against PDFly's shown. DocScanner also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.3) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). On price, update cadence, 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

DocScanner holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: DocScanner has 47 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PDFly ships an update fortnightly, DocScanner every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
PDFly versus DocScanner: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPDFlyDocScanner
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (6 ratings)4.7 (47 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—66.7% of reviews
Number of ratings647 — better
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 9 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.6 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size51 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperParas ButaniYoussef Dhibi

Customer experience

PDFly

All ratings4 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%

DocScanner

All ratings45 ratings
Positive91.1%
Neutral4.4%
Negative4.4%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%

In-app purchases

None

PDFly

No in-app purchases

None

DocScanner

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is PDFly free?
PDFly is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is DocScanner free?
DocScanner is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, PDFly or DocScanner?
DocScanner is rated higher. PDFly averages 4.3 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while DocScanner averages 4.7 from 47 ratings.
Do PDFly or DocScanner have ads?
PDFly shows ads; DocScanner does not.
Which is updated more often, PDFly or DocScanner?
PDFly ships an update fortnightly, and DocScanner every 9 days. Most recently, PDFly was updated on October 23, 2026 and DocScanner on October 24, 2026.

Other comparisons