Comparison

PDF Scan vs Scanbox

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

Head to head
About

PDF Scan

Features
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Turn your iPhone into a pocket document scanner: point the camera at any paper page and get a clean, auto-cropped multi-page PDF in seconds β€” then pull the words off the page, drop your signature on it, and send it without ever leaving the app. Most scanner apps stop at the capture. This one finishes the job entirely on your device: automatic page detection squares and straightens the paper, on-device text recognition turns every scan into words you can search, copy, and export, and your saved handwritten signature goes straight onto the page. No account, no upload, no internet connection at any step. WHAT YOU GET - Clean multi-page PDFs straight from the camera, with automatic page detection and perspective correction - Searchable, copyable text lifted off any scan by on-device recognition, page by page, exported as TXT or PDF - Your handwritten signature drawn once, saved, then placed on any page and written back into the document - A business card reader that pulls out name, email and phone, and a receipt reader for merchant, date, total and line items - A QR and barcode reader, plus converters that turn photos from your library or typed text into a PDF - A tidy library: folders, favorites, search, sorting, rename, page reorder, rotate and delete, then share or AirDrop as PDF PERFECT FOR - Freelancers and small businesses turning contracts and invoices into signed PDFs - Students digitizing handouts, notes, and printed chapters - Anyone filing receipts, IDs, and paperwork for taxes or personal records - Remote workers who need to scan, sign, and send a document from their phone WHY NOT JUST PHOTOGRAPH THE PAPER? A camera photo is crooked, shadowed, oversized, and buried in your camera roll. This app squares the page, builds a proper multi-page PDF, makes the words searchable, lets you sign it, and hands you one file you can actually email. PRIVACY No account, no sign-up, no cloud upload, no tracking. Every scan, every text recognition pass, and every PDF is created and stored locally on your device, and the app works with no internet connection at all. FULL ACCESS The free version gives you 5 scans per day plus the QR and barcode reader and the photo-to-PDF and text-to-PDF converters. Full Access removes the daily scan limit and unlocks text extraction from your scans, saved signatures and document signing, and the business card and receipt readers. Choose a weekly plan, a yearly plan, or a one-time lifetime purchase you pay once and keep forever. Scan your first page in the next 30 seconds β€” open the app and tap Scan. Terms of Use (EULA): https://web-levi.web.app/terms Privacy Policy: https://web-levi.web.app/privacy-policy Questions? tphuc.work@gmail.com

About

Scanbox

Features
Read full description

Scanbox turns your phone into a fast, private document scanner β€” and everything happens on your device. Scan any document with automatic edge detection, run OCR on-device, and export a searchable, watermark-free PDF. Your documents never leave your phone: no cloud uploads, no account. WHY SCANBOX β€’ 100% on-device β€” capture, OCR and PDF all happen locally. Nothing is uploaded to a server. β€’ No watermark, ever β€” free exports are clean and professional. β€’ OCR is free β€” extract and search the text inside your scans, no paywall. β€’ One-time purchase β€” no subscriptions, ever. FEATURES β€’ Automatic edge detection and perspective correction β€’ Crop, rotate, reorder and enhance pages β€’ On-device OCR in Korean, English, Japanese and Chinese β€’ Full-text search across your library β€” even text inside scans β€’ Export a searchable PDF, JPEG or PNG β€’ Share anywhere with the system share sheet β€’ Clean, modern, distraction-free design PRO β€” one-time lifetime unlock (no subscription) β€’ Remove ads β€’ Batch-scan pages fast β€’ Organize with folders β€’ Password-lock your PDFs β€’ Advanced export (quality, page size, compression) OCR, searchable PDF and watermark-free exports are FREE forever. Pro just adds more power and convenience with a single purchase. Great for receipts, contracts, IDs, whiteboards, notes, and any document you'd rather not upload to a cloud scanner.

Screenshots

PDF Scan4 screens
Scanbox4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: PDF Scan at none against Scanbox's shown. Scanbox's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs monthly) and device support (3 vs 1). On price and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. PDF Scan sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per 7 days and Scanbox sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PDF Scan ships an update monthly, Scanbox every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 4, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences Β· 2 level
PDF Scan versus Scanbox: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPDF ScanScanbox
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 4 days β€” better
AdsNo β€” betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod β€” better
Requires iOS18.015.5 β€” better
Further details β€” not scored
Size6 MB138 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPhuc PhamSEONYONG LEE

In-app purchases

3 purchases

PDF Scan

Subscriptions2
  • Weekly Premium$5.997 Days
  • Annual Premium$29.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Premium$59.99
1 purchases

Scanbox

One-time1
  • Scanbox Pro$5.99

Questions

Is PDF Scan free?
PDF Scan is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Scanbox free?
Scanbox is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do PDF Scan or Scanbox have ads?
Scanbox shows ads; PDF Scan does not.
Which is updated more often, PDF Scan or Scanbox?
PDF Scan ships an update monthly, and Scanbox every 4 days. Most recently, PDF Scan was updated on October 4, 2026 and Scanbox on September 25, 2026.

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