Comparison

PDF Extractor vs AlignScan

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

Head to head
About

PDF Extractor

Features
Read full description

Pull the text, tables and images out of any PDF — entirely on your device. Nothing is uploaded, so private documents stay private. PDFExtract reads a PDF's own text layer when it has one, and falls back to on-device OCR when it doesn't. Either way it rebuilds what it finds as clean Markdown you can paste straight into your notes, docs or knowledge base. Every import becomes a project you can reopen, review and run again with different settings. WHAT IT DOES - Import standard and password-protected PDFs - Extract the text layer from selectable PDFs - On-device OCR for scanned and image-only pages - Rebuild detected tables as real Markdown tables - Pull embedded images out of pages at their original resolution - Preview the original PDF, the extracted images and the rendered Markdown - Copy Markdown, share it as a file, or export a whole project as a ZIP - Tune OCR: recognition level, render resolution up to 600 DPI, recognition languages, automatic language detection and language correction - Choose the Markdown output style, page headings and document title - Keep every import as a project you can revisit and re-extract WHAT'S FREE - Text, Markdown and OCR for the first 5 pages of a document - The first 10 extracted images of a project - Every OCR and Markdown setting - Copy the Markdown or share it as a file PDFEXTRACT PRO UNLOCKS - Every page of a document, however long it runs - Every extracted image, unblurred and shareable - Tables rebuilt as Markdown tables instead of run-together lines - Batch ZIP export of the Markdown and all extracted images SUBSCRIPTION DETAILS PDFExtract Pro is available as a monthly subscription, a yearly subscription, or a one-time Lifetime purchase. - Monthly: auto-renews every month - Yearly: auto-renews every year - Lifetime: a single payment, never renews Prices are shown in the app and vary by region. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. A subscription renews automatically unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period, and your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours of the period ending. You can manage or cancel a subscription any time in your Apple Account settings. PRIVACY PDF parsing, OCR, layout analysis and table recognition all run locally on your device. Your documents are never uploaded to a server. Privacy Policy: https://www.mzjpg.com/policy/pdfextract Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

AlignScan

Easily transform document photos into clear, professional files. Features auto-detection, perspective correction, and image enhancement for polished JPG or PDF exports. Ideal for students, professionals, and everyday users needing quick document scanning.

Highlights
  • Auto document detection and crop
  • Perspective correction
  • Image enhancement
  • A4-style page layout
  • JPG and PDF export
  • Privacy-friendly local processing
Features
Read full description

AlignScan is a lightweight mobile app built for document scanning, OCR text extraction, and clean page formatting. Whether you’re submitting homework, organizing contracts and reports, extracting text from images, or saving receipts and paper records, AlignScan helps turn ordinary document photos into clear, polished files. Why choose AlignScan • Auto document detection and crop Detects the useful document area and removes distracting background • Perspective correction Fixes tilted, angled, or distorted page shots for a cleaner result • Image enhancement Reduces shadows, improves brightness, and makes text easier to read • OCR text extraction Extract text from document photos or imported images, then copy it or save it as a TXT file • A4-style page layout Centers and formats pages neatly for a more professional look • JPG and PDF export Export single images or combine pages into PDF files • Privacy-friendly local processing Core scan, OCR, and formatting steps are handled on device Great for • Students scanning homework, notes, and test papers • Professionals capturing contracts, reports, invoices, and meeting notes • Users extracting text from printed documents, forms, receipts, and images • Everyday users saving receipts, forms, certificates, and printed records • Mobile work scenarios where documents need to be scanned quickly • Multi-page files that need to be combined and archived How it works Take a photo or import an image Let AlignScan auto crop, correct, enhance, recognize text, and format it Preview and export as JPG or PDF, or copy extracted text when needed With AlignScan, your document photos look straighter, cleaner, and more professional. You can also extract useful text from images for easier copying, saving, and sharing. No subscription required. One-time purchase, lifetime access. Your scans stay private with on-device processing. AlignScan only accesses the camera, photos, and local storage when needed for scanning, importing, OCR recognition, and exporting files.

Screenshots

PDF Extractor4 screens
AlignScan4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: AlignScan at none against PDF Extractor's shown. AlignScan also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 5 months) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.0). On price, 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. PDF Extractor sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and AlignScan sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PDF Extractor ships an update every 5 months, AlignScan fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
PDF Extractor versus AlignScan: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPDF ExtractorAlignScan
PriceFreeFree
Rating—4.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—3 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetization—Paid
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS18.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size79 MB5 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDajiale智慧 吴

In-app purchases

3 purchases

PDF Extractor

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Yearly$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • PDFExtract Pro — Lifetime$49.99
1 purchases

AlignScan

One-time1
  • AlignScan Full Version$0.99

Questions

Is PDF Extractor free?
PDF Extractor is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is AlignScan free?
AlignScan is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do PDF Extractor or AlignScan have ads?
PDF Extractor shows ads; AlignScan does not.
Which is updated more often, PDF Extractor or AlignScan?
PDF Extractor ships an update every 5 months, and AlignScan fortnightly. Most recently, PDF Extractor was updated on September 21, 2026 and AlignScan on September 15, 2026.

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