Comparison

Scanly vs PDF Scanner

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

Head to head
About

Scanly

Features
Read full description

Scanly is a private document scanner for iPhone. Capture paper documents into clean PDFs, recognise text on-device, search your local scan library, and export through the iOS share sheet. It is built for receipts, invoices, leases, clinic receipts, travel packets, school forms, and any document you need to find again later. What you can do: - Scan single or multi-page packets with Apple's document camera on a real iPhone - Save local PDFs with page count, file size, and creation date - Recognise text on-device so names, invoice numbers, amounts, and terms are searchable - Preview PDFs and recognised text before exporting - Share PDFs to Files, Mail, AirDrop, print, or any iOS destination - Use sample packets in the simulator when camera hardware is unavailable - Keep documents private by default: no account, no ads, no analytics SDK, no cloud upload Scanly Pro unlocks searchable PDF export and advanced scanner workflow tools. Subscriptions are handled by Apple and can be managed from Apple ID subscriptions. Your documents stay on your device unless you choose to share them. Scanly Pro is an auto-renewable subscription (monthly or yearly). Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. It renews automatically unless turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period; manage or cancel in Apple ID subscription settings. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://scanly.uptrail.ai/privacy

About

PDF Scanner

This app transforms your smartphone into a professional scanner with AI-powered features for document capture, OCR, and PDF conversion. It offers offline editing, e-signature capabilities, and secure local storage for sensitive files. Ideal for professionals and students needing to digitize and manage documents efficiently.

Highlights
  • AI HD Scanning with auto edge detection
  • Multi-mode scanning for documents and IDs
  • Smart image optimization for print quality
  • Versatile PDF conversion to Word, Excel, PPT
  • Offline multilingual OCR for text extraction
  • PDF signing and annotation
  • Comprehensive local PDF editing
  • Secure local offline storage
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

This app is a portable office scanning tool featuring AI scanning, offline OCR, PDF conversion, and e-signature capabilities, effectively turning your smartphone into a professional scanner. It is ad-free, fully optimized for iOS devices, and suitable for office work, government administration, and field archiving. Files are stored locally—never uploaded to the cloud—ensuring the privacy of sensitive documents like ID cards, contracts, and receipts. Key Features • AI HD Scanning: Features automatic edge detection, skew correction, and background removal. Scan receipts, contracts, business cards, and notes while faithfully preserving the original text and layout. • Multi-mode Scanning: Offers modes for general documents, ID cards, and batch continuous shooting; automatically merges multiple pages and quickly generates standard ID scans. • Smart Image Optimization: Enhances brightness, removes shadows, reduces noise, and sharpens details to fix capture imperfections. Scans meet print-quality standards, making them ideal for business archiving. • Versatile PDF Conversion: Instantly convert images to PDF and switch between formats like images, Word, Excel, and PPT; supports splitting, merging, and page reordering. • Offline Multilingual OCR: Locally recognizes handwritten or printed text in Chinese, English, Japanese, and Korean. Extracted text is editable and copyable, eliminating the need for manual data entry. • PDF Signing & Annotation: Add handwritten signatures or import digital seals; annotate with highlights or lines. Sign contracts and documents directly online—no printing required. • Comprehensive PDF Editing: Crop, rotate, add/delete pages, apply watermarks, and insert page numbers—all editing operations are performed locally. • Flexible Export & Sharing: Files are saved locally and can be shared via email, social media, or cloud services; customize export resolution and file size. • Local Offline Storage: All scanned and edited files remain on your device with no background uploads, protecting the privacy of financial records, contracts, and ID documents. Use Cases Ideal for office workers scanning expense reports and archiving meeting documents; HR staff batch-archiving IDs and contracts; field personnel scanning, signing, and sending agreements on-site; students extracting text from exam papers and study materials; government staff generating standardized ID scans; and merchants archiving business receipts. Covers a full range of scenarios including study, office work, business, and government administration. Contact Information and Agreement Links Contact Information For more information or app support, please contact us at: lizhiqiang@dawanli88.com Terms of Use: https://xy.bjqyhd.cc/pdfscan_user.html Privacy Policy: https://xy.bjqyhd.cc/pdfscan_privacy.html

Screenshots

Scanly4 screens
PDF Scanner4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Scanly at none against PDF Scanner's shown. PDF Scanner's advantage is chart position (#126 vs unranked). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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. Scanly sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and PDF Scanner sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Scanly versus PDF Scanner: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterScanlyPDF Scanner
PriceFreeFree
Rating—4.7 (57 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—57 — better
Update frequency—Weekly
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
Best chart rank—#126 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS18.017 — better
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB30 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMitaanshu AgarwalQuke Technology

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Scanly

Subscriptions2
  • Scanly Monthly7 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Scanly Yearly7 Days trial$29.991 Year
2 purchases

PDF Scanner

Subscriptions2
  • weekly3 Days trial$4.997 Days
  • yearly$49.991 Year

Questions

Is Scanly free?
Scanly is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is PDF Scanner free?
PDF Scanner is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Scanly or PDF Scanner have ads?
PDF Scanner shows ads; Scanly does not.

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