Comparison

Universal Scanner vs Zebra

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

Head to head
About

Universal Scanner

Features
Read full description

Turn paper documents, IDs and cards into scans you can review, organize and export. Universal Scanner lets you start with the camera—no document type to choose first. Capture, text recognition and image processing happen on your iPhone. CAPTURE WITH MORE CONFIDENCE Get live hints about lighting, edges and movement. When a document is centered, steady and small in the frame, automatic zoom can gently move in up to about 2× while leaving space around the document. A green check appears when framing is steady; the camera continues to focus. You can turn it off or adjust zoom yourself. Digital zoom does not add detail, so move closer when the document is too far away. The edge guide waits for consistent observations to reduce jumping. CROP AND STRAIGHTEN After capture, the app tries to find the document edges, leave a safety margin and correct flat-page perspective, adding a slim white border around the scan. Drag the four corners to refine the crop, inspect the straightened preview, or keep the full image. If a reliable edge is not found, the full photo stays intact. Your original photo is kept, and a failed edit does not replace a usable scan. ORGANIZE AND EXPORT On-device text recognition and rules help distinguish paper documents, ID cards, household registers and other cards. You can correct the document type. Add photos or more pages, reorder and rotate them, then choose Auto, Natural, Clear or Black & White. Search scans by name and export JPEG images or image-based, multipage PDFs. Unfinished pages are never silently omitted. SAVE AND ADD A NOTE Save directly to Photos from the image viewer, or save every page at once. Add a custom note to a page as a repeating diagonal watermark to state its intended use. Notes are included in saved images and exported PDFs, can be edited or removed, and leave the original intact. A note does not guarantee tamper protection or legal enforceability. YOUR CONTENT, YOUR CHOICE Scanning and text recognition do not require uploading content to Himhuu. There is no account, advertising, subscription or in-app purchase. Originals and scans are stored in the app. Saving to Photos and any iCloud Photos sync, downloads from system photo services, device backups, and sharing or feedback that you initiate are handled by the services you choose. Detection, cropping and quality checks are not always accurate. Review every page before use. Editable text, Word/DOCX export, cloud sync and curved-book-page flattening are not supported. PDFs fit pages onto A4 paper; ID cards are not printed at guaranteed actual size. Support: support@himhuu.com Privacy: https://himhuu.com/apps/universal-scanner/privacy Terms: https://himhuu.com/apps/universal-scanner/terms

About

Zebra

A native Markdown notebook for iPhone and iPad that allows offline writing and syncing. It supports diagrams, math formulas, code blocks, and organizational features like folders and wiki links.

Highlights
  • Offline Markdown writing
  • Mermaid diagrams and LaTeX math
  • Code blocks with syntax coloring
  • Folders, nested tags, and wiki links
  • iCloud sync with smart text merging
  • Customizable themes and fonts
  • Note attachments (photos, files)
Features
Read full description

Markdown, as you write. Zebra carries your personal knowledge base in Markdown on iPhone and iPad. Write and read in a native visual editor, organize your notes, and turn a note into a presentation when you need to share an idea. Your library stays on your device by default. Write freely. Keep every note. Create unlimited notes for free. Writing, organization, keyword search, optional iCloud sync and note import/export have no note-count limit. Use headings, lists, tasks, tables and code; typeset LaTeX math and describe diagrams in Mermaid. Keep images and their context alongside your writing. Gather and connect your knowledge Organize with folders and nested tags. Connect related notes with links. Use keyword search to return to the right material. Import notes and share Markdown or a portable package containing your note and its attachments. Choose a theme and adjust typography to suit how you read. Turn notes into presentations with Pro Zebra Pro adds Markdown slides with themes, columns, backgrounds and transitions. Edit the content, preview your deck, and present full screen on iPhone or iPad. Export a PDF or a PowerPoint file to share. PowerPoint exports contain one image per slide; text and graphics cannot be edited separately in PowerPoint. One purchase, across your devices Zebra Pro is an optional one-time in-app purchase. Restore it with the same App Store account on Mac, iPhone and iPad. There is no subscription or automatic renewal, and no limit on free notes. Pro also includes an AI assistant and on-device semantic search in the Mac app. These two features are not available on iPhone or iPad. Mac AI features require a compatible agent you install and sign in to separately. Third-party AI account, subscription and usage fees are not included in Pro. Your library, stored locally Use Zebra without a Zebra account. Optional private iCloud sync connects devices using the same Apple Account; sync is off by default on a new installation. Notes and attachments remain readable and editable without purchasing Pro. Note passwords restrict viewing inside Zebra; they do not encrypt the content or attachments. Turning sync off does not erase copies already stored in iCloud.

Screenshots

Universal Scanner4 screens
Zebra4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Universal Scanner at none against Zebra's 1. Universal Scanner also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 weeks). Zebra's advantage is device support (3 vs 1). On price, ads 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. Zebra sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Universal Scanner asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Universal Scanner ships an update every 4 days, Zebra every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and November 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 6 level
Universal Scanner versus Zebra: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterUniversal ScannerZebra
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 days — betterEvery 2 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size4 MB59 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHimhuu Co., Ltd.飞 翟

In-app purchases

None

Universal Scanner

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Zebra

One-time1
  • Zebra Pro$14.99

Questions

Is Universal Scanner free?
Universal Scanner is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Zebra free?
Zebra is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Universal Scanner or Zebra have ads?
Neither Universal Scanner nor Zebra shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Universal Scanner or Zebra?
Universal Scanner ships an update every 4 days, and Zebra every 2 weeks. Most recently, Universal Scanner was updated on November 10, 2026 and Zebra on November 13, 2026.

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