# CamScan vs PDF Reader

The clearest difference is update cadence: CamScan at every 2 days against PDF Reader's every 6 weeks. PDF Reader's advantage is monetization model (ad-supported vs free with in-app purchases) and device support (3 vs 1). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. CamScan sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $9.99 per 7 days and PDF Reader sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for CamScan against 5.0 for PDF Reader. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively.

CamScan ships an update every 2 days, PDF Reader every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and September 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | CamScan | PDF Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/camscan-scan-documents/id6760490439/reviews) | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-reader-edit-and-sign/id6761097664/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 1 |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 days** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 6 MB | 54 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Federico hidalgo abril](https://appshunter.io/developer/1677032061) | [Quynh Trang Pham Doan](https://appshunter.io/developer/1880613796) |

## What reviewers say

### CamScan

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/camscan-scan-documents/id6760490439)

Transform your phone into a powerful document scanner and PDF editor. Digitize, convert, sign, and organize all your files with advanced OCR and a comprehensive toolkit.

**Highlights:** Automatic edge detection for clean scans, OCR for text extraction, Digital signature creation and placement, PDF to Word, Excel, PowerPoint conversion, File merging and compression, Password protection and watermarking, Organized folder system with search

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| weekly_scan | $9.99 | per 7 days |


### PDF Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-reader-edit-and-sign/id6761097664)

Easily manage your PDF files on your phone with tools for reading, editing, signing, and converting documents. Import files, use the camera, and access recent documents quickly. Convert various file types to PDF and perform essential PDF management tasks like merging and splitting.

**Highlights:** Sign documents, Add text to PDFs, Highlight and underline content, Convert Docs/Excel/Img to PDF, Merge and split PDFs, Compress and extract PDFs

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Premium | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| Yearly Premium | $39.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is CamScan free?

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

### Is PDF Reader free?

PDF Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, CamScan or PDF Reader?

CamScan and PDF Reader are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 1 ratings respectively.

### Do CamScan or PDF Reader have ads?

Both CamScan and PDF Reader show ads.

### Which is updated more often, CamScan or PDF Reader?

CamScan ships an update every 2 days, and PDF Reader every 6 weeks. Most recently, CamScan was updated on September 19, 2026 and PDF Reader on September 14, 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.*