Comparison

FlashScan vs Near

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

Head to head
About

FlashScan

This app transforms your phone into a powerful document scanner. It automatically detects edges, corrects perspective, and enhances images for clear, readable scans. Features include text extraction, PDF editing, and privacy redaction.

Highlights
  • Automatic edge detection and perspective correction
  • Image enhancement filters
  • Text recognition (OCR) for text extraction
  • PDF editing and annotation
  • Privacy redaction for sensitive information
  • Signature and watermark addition
Features
Read full description

FlashScan is a privacy-first document scanner and PDF tool. Point your camera at any document and it automatically detects the edges, crops, corrects perspective and enhances the image. KEY FEATURES • Smart Crop — find the page edges and correct perspective, even when the photo is tilted. • Remove Handwriting — clear handwritten marks while keeping printed content and layout. • Text Removal — erase unwanted text or marks while keeping the paper background. • Exam Enhancement — remove shadows and background tint for clearer exam papers. • Receipt Enhancement — make receipt and invoice text and tables easier to read. • Remove Screen Moiré — reduce moiré patterns and glare from photos of screens. • Background Cleanup — remove paper tint and shadows for a clean scan. • Contract Cleanup — flatten and clarify contract pages for archiving and sharing. • Smart Scanning — automatic edge detection and perspective correction, with flash and auto/manual capture. • Image Enhance — filters such as Bright, Clarity, Print, Color Print, Grayscale and Black & White, applied to one page or the whole document. • Privacy Redaction — automatically detects names, phone numbers and addresses and redacts them in one tap; supports manual region drawing and per-word redaction with multiple colors. • Text Recognition (OCR) — extract text from documents, then select, copy and share it, with multi-language support. • PDF Tool — import PDFs and edit a copy (your original is never modified): insert pages, batch delete, jump to pages, convert pages to images, add signatures and watermarks, then export as a new PDF. • Signatures & Stamps — sign on screen, or extract a signature or stamp from a photo and reuse it from your library. • Watermark — protect your scans with a custom watermark. • ID Card — a dedicated mode for scanning both sides of ID cards. • Defaults — choose the default filter for scans and imports, plus auto or manual capture. • Export & Share — export as PDF, images or a ZIP archive, plus system printing. Smart Crop, Remove Handwriting, Text Removal, Exam Enhancement, Receipt Enhancement, Remove Screen Moiré, Background Cleanup and Contract Cleanup use credits per page (4 credits per page). New users receive starter credits, and inviting a friend gives credits to both of you. Only the selected pages are uploaded for processing; the third-party provider does not retain the original images. Credits for a page are refunded if processing fails. PRIVACY Everyday scanning, filters, redaction and text recognition happen on your device. The per-page enhancements listed above send only the selected pages to a third-party technology provider for processing; the original images are not retained afterward. Your documents are stored locally by default.

About

Near

Organize your daily tasks, notes, and reminders with customizable templates and presets. Easily capture information from various sources and display important details on your lock screen and wrist. Prioritize what matters with a privacy-focused, offline-capable action hub.

Highlights
  • 22 templates and 18 role presets
  • Customizable entry points
  • Live Activity and Dynamic Island support
  • Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets
  • Apple Watch views
  • Offline functionality
  • Encrypted local storage
Features
Read full description

Turn information from screenshots, messages and quick notes into cards you can act on. Find your pickup code at the counter, check your seat before boarding, and put the card away when you're done. CAPTURE, THEN ACT Type, paste a notification or import a screenshot. On-device recognition extracts information for parcel and food pickups, trains, flights, movies, events, parking, lists, countdowns and more. Review, edit and add details as needed. KEEP THE NEXT STEP IN SIGHT Show a card now, schedule its display, or keep it inside the app. On supported devices, see key details in Dynamic Island, Live Activities on the Lock Screen, widgets and Apple Watch. Work through multiple pickup codes and move to the next one after collection. Automatic display depends on system permissions and execution opportunities; you can also start manually. Flight cards contain saved information, not live flight status. ROOM FOR EVERYDAY RECORDS Keep quick notes, checklists and a journal alongside your plans. Choose a card type that suits the task, then deal with it at your own pace. FREE FEATURES AND NEAR PRO On-device recognition has no usage limit and requires no account. Ordinary local cards are unlimited; the free tier supports up to 3 scheduled cards and 3 recurring items. Pro adds more themes and appearance options, more sharing styles, optional iCloud sync, and unlimited scheduled cards and recurring items. Some themes and features require Pro. OPTIONAL AI, YOUR CONFIGURATION Pro users can configure their own AI provider, model and API key. Near explains data sharing and tests the connection before activation. When enabled, relevant recognition content is sent to your configured provider, which may charge separately. On-device recognition remains available without AI. YOUR DATA CHOICES Local recognition runs on your device. iCloud sync and AI enhancement are separate opt-in features. Structured vaccination, medication and medical appointment records and linked sources are excluded from iCloud sync. Content you submit to enabled AI is processed under your provider's policies. Basic usage analytics can be disabled in settings. See the privacy policy for source retention and processing details. PURCHASES Pro is available through monthly or yearly auto-renewable subscriptions, or a one-time lifetime purchase. Prices, offers and trial eligibility are shown in the purchase screen and App Store confirmation. Manage or cancel subscriptions in your Apple Account settings. Restore Purchases is available in the app. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://near.mingxi.io/privacy

Screenshots

FlashScan4 screens
Near4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: Near at free against FlashScan's free with in-app purchases. On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads 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. FlashScan sells 5 one-off in-app purchases and Near 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

FlashScan ships an update every 3 days, Near every 5 days. Both last shipped on November 10, 2026.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
FlashScan versus Near: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFlashScanNear
PriceFreeFree
Rating—4.9 (7 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better95.8% of reviews
Number of ratings—7 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 days — betterEvery 5 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, Apple Watch
Requires iOS16.0 — better16.2
Further details — not scored
Size33 MB292 MB
Age rating4+12+
Developer祖恒 廖毓凯 林

Customer experience

FlashScan

Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Near

All ratings7 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews24 reviews
Positive95.8%
Neutral0.0%
Negative4.2%

In-app purchases

5 purchases

FlashScan

One-time5
  • 120 credits$1.99
  • 180 credits$2.99
  • 500 credits$4.99
Show 2 more
  • 1100 credits$9.99
  • 2000 credits$14.99
3 purchases

Near

Subscriptions2
  • Near Pro Monthly7 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • Near Pro Yearly1 Year trial$9.991 Year
One-time1
  • Near Pro Lifetime$9.99

Questions

Is FlashScan free?
FlashScan is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Near free?
Near is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do FlashScan or Near have ads?
Neither FlashScan nor Near shows ads.
Which is updated more often, FlashScan or Near?
FlashScan ships an update every 3 days, and Near every 5 days. Most recently, FlashScan was updated on November 10, 2026 and Near on November 10, 2026.

Other comparisons