# A5 Journal vs Scanolio

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Scanolio at none against A5 Journal's 16. On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. A5 Journal sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Scanolio asks for nothing beyond the download.

A5 Journal ships an update weekly, Scanolio every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | A5 Journal | Scanolio |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 2 weeks |
| Size | 95 MB | 20 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [ThinkFULL Holdings Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1881115717) | [Seungmyun Park](https://appshunter.io/developer/1542458263) |

## 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 |


### Scanolio

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scanolio-textbook-scanner/id6806903517)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is A5 Journal free?

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

### Is Scanolio free?

Scanolio is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do A5 Journal or Scanolio have ads?

Neither A5 Journal nor Scanolio shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, A5 Journal or Scanolio?

A5 Journal ships an update weekly, and Scanolio every 2 weeks. Most recently, A5 Journal was updated on October 24, 2026 and Scanolio on October 26, 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.*