Comparison

FairScan vs OnlyScans

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

Head to head
About

FairScan

Transform your device into a private document scanner. Capture, enhance, and save documents as searchable PDFs locally. Offers features like ID card scanning, password protection, and redaction.

Highlights
  • On-device scanning and OCR
  • Searchable PDF creation
  • ID card scanning mode
  • Password-protected PDFs
  • Quick scan integrations
  • Document organization and signing
  • Redaction of sensitive information
Features
Read full description

FairScan turns your iPhone into a fast, private document scanner. Point, capture, and get a clean, searchable PDF — kept on your device, where it belongs to you. FairScan is built privacy-first: your pages are scanned and their text is recognised entirely on your iPhone using Apple's Vision framework. Your documents are never uploaded. There's no account to create and no cloud to trust. NEW IN 1.8 - Searchable PDFs: the text in your scans is stored inside the PDF, so you can search it in Files, Preview and Mail. - ID card mode: scan the front and back of a card onto one page, printable at actual size. - Password-protected PDFs: lock a copy with a password before you share it. - Quick scan from your Lock Screen, Control Center (iOS 18), the Action Button or Siri. HOW IT WORKS 1. Tap to capture — edge detection frames the page automatically. 2. Adjust — crop, straighten and enhance for a crisp scan. 3. Save — a multi-page PDF, ready to share. ON-DEVICE PRIVACY - Scanning and text recognition (OCR) run locally on your iPhone. - No account, no sign-up, no cloud storage. - Your documents stay on your device unless you share them yourself. - App Lock keeps your library behind Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode. WHAT YOU CAN DO - Scan multi-page documents into one PDF, or import PDFs and images from Files. - Organize documents into folders and search the text inside every scan. - Sign documents with your finger. - Redact sensitive info — black boxes are burned permanently into the PDF. - Merge, compress and reorder pages. - Share to Files, Mail, Messages or any app you like. START FREE, THEN CHOOSE WHAT FITS Keep up to 10 documents free — no account, no sign-up. When you need unlimited documents and the full toolkit, choose what suits you: - A monthly plan. - A yearly plan. - A one-time lifetime purchase if you'd rather own it for good. Prices are shown clearly in the app before you commit. Some tools require FairScan Pro. HONEST NOTE FairScan is a productivity and document tool. It is not a substitute for professional, legal, or medical advice, and automatic text recognition may not be perfect — always double-check important documents. SUPPORT Questions or feedback? Email dark2torch@gmail.com — a real person reads every message. Terms (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://moathothman.github.io/ExploringIdeas-legal/fairscan/privacy.html

About

OnlyScans

Features
Read full description

Turn receipts, forms and everyday paperwork into clean PDFs on your iPhone. Scan a single page and export it free, without a watermark or an account. Keep your paperwork organized with folders, pinning and search. Upgrade to Pro to scan multiple pages in a batch, create searchable PDFs with OCR, and add a signature or typed text before sharing. Scanning, enhancement, OCR and export run on your device. Optional OCR language packs may need a download first. Choose when and where to save or share your files. Start free. Pro is available monthly, yearly or with a one-time Lifetime purchase. START FREE • Single-page scanning with automatic edge detection and perspective correction • Crop, rotate, adjust brightness and contrast, and choose a filter for each page • Export PDF, JPEG or PNG without watermarks • Organize documents with folders, pinning and search • Merge, split and reorder pages • Keep your original scan so you can change edits later DO MORE WITH PRO • Batch scanning for multi-page paperwork • OCR text recognition and searchable PDF output • Signatures and typed text on your documents • ID-card and passport scanning • PDF import and password-protected PDF export • Optional automatic saving to Files or iCloud Drive • App Lock with Face ID or Touch ID CHOOSE HOW TO UPGRADE Use the free tools for single-page scans. Choose Pro monthly or yearly, or get Pro with a one-time Lifetime purchase. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation. Manage or cancel subscriptions in your App Store account settings. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://onlyscans.app/en/privacy-policy-ios Support: https://onlyscans.app/en/support

Screenshots

FairScan4 screens
OnlyScans4 screens

Verdict

The call

FairScan and OnlyScans are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters — price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

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. FairScan sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and OnlyScans sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

FairScan ships an update every 6 days, OnlyScans every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
FairScan versus OnlyScans: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFairScanOnlyScans
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 6 days — betterEvery 9 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, Mac — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size14 MB22 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMoaath OthmanGretchen Alaras

In-app purchases

3 purchases

FairScan

Subscriptions2
  • Pro Monthly7 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Pro Yearly7 Days trial$14.991 Year
One-time1
  • FairScan Pro$19.99
3 purchases

OnlyScans

Subscriptions2
  • Pro Monthly$1.991 Month
  • Pro Yearly$17.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime$29.99

Questions

Is FairScan free?
FairScan is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is OnlyScans free?
OnlyScans is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do FairScan or OnlyScans have ads?
Neither FairScan nor OnlyScans shows ads.
Which is updated more often, FairScan or OnlyScans?
FairScan ships an update every 6 days, and OnlyScans every 9 days. Most recently, FairScan was updated on October 31, 2026 and OnlyScans on November 5, 2026.

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