# A5 Journal vs OCR Hero

A5 Journal and OCR Hero 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.

Both are free to download. A5 Journal sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and OCR Hero sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

A5 Journal ships an update weekly, OCR Hero every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | A5 Journal | OCR Hero |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Weekly | **Every 4 days** |
| Size | 93 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [ThinkFULL Holdings Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1881115717) | [江慧 杨](https://appshunter.io/developer/1893525164) |

## What reviewers say

### A5 Journal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/a5-journal/id6759840404)

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| A5 Journal Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| A5 Journal Members - Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| A5 Journal Family Plan | $10.99 | per month |
| A5 Journal Business Plan Monthly | $25.99 | per month |
| A5 Journal Annual | $29.99 | per year |
| A5 Journal Members - Yearly | $29.99 | per year |
| A5 Journal Business+ Plan Monthly | $49.99 | per month |
| A5 Journal Family Plan Yearly | $109.99 | per year |
| A5 Journal Business Plan Yearly | $259.99 | per year |
| A5 Journal Business+ Plan Yearly | $499.99 | per year |


### OCR Hero

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ocr-hero/id6762252940)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| OCR Hero Pro Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| OCR Hero Pro Quarterly | $13.99 | per 3 months |
| OCR Hero Pro Yearly | $51.99 | per year |
| OCR Hero Credit Pack | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is A5 Journal free?

A5 Journal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is OCR Hero free?

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

### Do A5 Journal or OCR Hero have ads?

Neither A5 Journal nor OCR Hero shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, A5 Journal or OCR Hero?

A5 Journal ships an update weekly, and OCR Hero every 4 days. Most recently, A5 Journal was updated on October 10, 2026 and OCR Hero on October 1, 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.*