Comparison

Crisp Document Scanner vs Explorer

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

Head to head
About

Crisp Document Scanner

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Crisp Document Scanner is built on a simple idea: scanning a document shouldn't require an account, a subscription, or sending your data to a third-party server. All processing happens on your iPhone or iPad, using Apple's own frameworks. Your scans are saved to iCloud and accessible from the Files app on all your devices. No compromises. SCAN IN ONE TAP Open the app and tap Scan. That's it. Automatic edge detection finds the edges of your document and perspective correction straightens it instantly. Scan a single receipt or a 50-page contract in one session. The camera adapts to your environment and captures sharp, clean pages every time. SEARCHABLE PDFs WITH OCR Every scan is automatically processed with on-device text recognition. The result: PDFs where you can search for any word, select text, and copy it to other apps. Looking for an amount on a 20-page statement? Just search. Need to copy an address from a letter? Select and copy. OCR supports English, Spanish, and French, with automatic language detection. Even handwritten text is recognized. PERFECT FOR EVERYDAY DOCUMENTS - Invoices and bills - Receipts and purchase confirmations - Bank and credit card statements - Contracts and agreements - Letters and official correspondence - Meeting notes and memos - Certificates and forms - Any paper document you want to digitize SAVED TO iCLOUD All your scans are saved directly to iCloud and accessible from the Files app on any of your Apple devices. Browse, rename, organize into folders, and manage your documents the way you already manage all your other files. No proprietary format, no lock-in — just standard PDF files in your iCloud Drive. SHARE INSTANTLY Send your scans anywhere. Use AirDrop to share with nearby devices, attach to an email or message, or share directly from the Files app. Works with every app that accepts PDF files. PRIVATE BY DESIGN This is not just a feature — it is the foundation of the app. - No account required. Open the app and start scanning. - No third-party servers. Your documents go to your iCloud, not ours. - No analytics or tracking. We don't know what you scan. - No ads. A clean interface, nothing else. - No subscription. Pay once, use forever. All text recognition and document processing happens locally using Apple's native Vision and VisionKit frameworks. Your documents are yours and yours alone. BUILT WITH APPLE FRAMEWORKS Document Scanner relies entirely on Apple's native technologies: VisionKit for camera scanning, Vision for text recognition, PDFKit for PDF generation, and iCloud for seamless sync. This means fast performance, low battery usage, and seamless integration with iOS. No third-party libraries, no external dependencies, no surprises.

About

Explorer

Features
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Explorer turns your iPhone into a full sensor logger. Start a session and it records your GPS track together with barometric pressure, compass heading, motion and activity data, step counts, and battery state — in the foreground or with the screen locked. YOUR DATA STAYS YOURS Everything is stored on your device. No account, no analytics, no ads, no third-party SDKs. Data leaves your phone only when you export it — and you choose where it goes. RECORD • One-tap session recording with live dashboard: position, speed, altitude, G-force • Background tracking that keeps logging while your screen is off • Log points of interest with a tap - or hands-free with Siri: "Log a POI in Explorer" • Per-sensor controls and sample rates to balance detail against battery EXPLORE • Every session drawn on the map in its own color, with POI pins • Live compass, motion, and environment views • Browse every reading in the Data viewer with filters and charts • Preview any session on a map before deleting it EXPORT ANYWHERE • Share ZIPs of CSV or JSONL via Files, AirDrop, or Mail • Or send data straight to your own server: any HTTP(S) endpoint, POST or PUT, custom headers, Bearer/Basic/API-key auth — credentials kept in the iOS Keychain • Filter exports by sensor type, session, and date range • Full schema documentation built into the app (Help → Data Reference) Explorer asks for location (including Always, for background recording) and motion permissions. Recording happens after you tap Start Tracking or open the app.

Screenshots

Crisp Document Scanner4 screens
Explorer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Explorer at 17.0 against Crisp Document Scanner's 26.0. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Scorecard1 real difference Ā· 5 level
Crisp Document Scanner versus Explorer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCrisp Document ScannerExplorer
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 3 days—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS26.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB2 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAgimemJames Bolderson

In-app purchases

None

Crisp Document Scanner

No in-app purchases

None

Explorer

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Crisp Document Scanner free?
Crisp Document Scanner is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Explorer free?
Explorer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Crisp Document Scanner or Explorer have ads?
Neither Crisp Document Scanner nor Explorer shows ads.

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