Comparison

Bookends vs Easy Smart Scanner

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

Head to head
About

Bookends

Manage your research references and PDFs on your mobile device. Search online databases, import metadata, annotate PDFs, and organize your library. Offers basic functionality for free with optional one-time purchase and yearly subscription for advanced features like cloud sync and unlimited imports.

Highlights
  • Search online reference databases
  • Import metadata and PDFs
  • PDF annotation and markup
  • Barcode scanning for references
  • Cloud sync across devices
  • Share online libraries
  • Create multiple libraries
Features
Read full description

Bookends is the reference management app you've been looking for. The basic version offers: • Search online sites directly (arXiv, Google Books, Google Scholar, JSTOR, the Library of Congress, PubMed, PubMed Central, and Semantic Scholar) or use the built-in browser (EZProxy-compliant) to download reference metadata and PDFs (access privileges required). Searches can return a maximum of 20 references, and only 50 references can be stored in your personal database. • Use unique identifiers such as DOI, PMID, ISBN, or arXiv id to autofill references. • View the text of PDF annotations in a note stream, and create your own with our powerful PDF markup engine. • Barcode scanning, one per day. • And many more features designed to help you discover, organize, and use reference information. Standard, one-time purchase ($14.99): • No limit on searches or importing. Premium, yearly subscription ($14.99). Requires a Standard purchase. • Cloud sync with all your iOS devices and Bookends for Mac (separate purchase). • Share online libraries with colleagues. • Scan documents with Mellel Mobile*. • Create multiple libraries. • Unlimited barcode scanning. • Extract PDF annotations with deep links to annotations and text. • Convenient UI to add PDF notes to the library. • Automate your actions with Shortcuts. * iPad-only. Requires a Mellel Mobile Premium subscription. Subscription is for one year and has an auto-renew option. The subscription can be managed in iOS -> Settings > [your name] > Subscriptions. A subscription will renew if it isn't canceled at least 24 hours before the renewal date. If the subscription is not renewed, Premium will be disabled but Standard will continue to work. Terms of Service: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Easy Smart Scanner

Transform your iPhone or iPad into a powerful portable scanner. Digitize documents, photos, and receipts with high-quality, multi-page scanning and easy sharing options. Enhance your scans with custom filters and enjoy all features for free.

Highlights
  • High-quality scanning
  • Multi-page document scanning
  • Share and export in PDF
  • Customizable enhancement filters
  • User-friendly interface
  • Completely free to use
Features
Read full description

Easy Smart Scanner is completely free to use with no subscription fees! Welcome to Easy Smart Scanner, the most advanced and user-friendly scanning application designed to make your life easier. Easy Smart Scanner transforms your iPhone or iPad into a powerful portable scanner, enabling you to digitize documents, photos, receipts, and more with unprecedented ease and accuracy. Whether you need to scan business documents, receipts, notes, or photos, Easy Smart Scanner is the perfect solution. Say goodbye to bulky and expensive traditional scanners and experience the convenience of having a powerful scanner right in your pocket. 1. High-Quality Scanning: Capture crisp, clear scans every time with Easy Smart Scanner. Our intelligent image processing algorithms automatically detect edges, correct perspective, and enhance text readability, ensuring that your scans are always of the highest quality. Whether it's a business card or a multi-page contract, Easy Smart Scanner delivers professional results. 2. Multi-Page Scanning: Easily scan multiple pages in a single document without any hassle. Just keep scanning, and Easy Smart Scanner will automatically compile them into a single, easy-to-share PDF file. Perfect for students, professionals, and anyone who needs to digitize lengthy documents. 3. Share and Export: Share your scans with just a few taps. Easy Smart Scanner supports multiple export formats including PDF. Whether you need to send a document to a colleague or save a receipt to the cloud, Easy Smart Scanner makes it effortless. 4. Custom Filters: Enhance your scans with customizable filters. Adjust brightness, contrast, and color settings to get the perfect scan every time. Make faded documents readable again or give your photos a professional touch with just a few adjustments. 5. Completely Free: Easy Smart Scanner is completely free to use. No hidden charges, no subscription fees – just straightforward, high-quality scanning. Enjoy all the features without any cost and make the most of your scanning needs without breaking the bank. Why Choose Easy Smart Scanner? Easy Smart Scanner stands out in the crowded scanning app market due to its robust feature set, intuitive design, and commitment to user satisfaction. Whether you’re a student needing to digitize notes, a professional managing business documents, or someone who wants to keep track of receipts and personal records, Easy Smart Scanner is the perfect tool for you. User-Friendly Interface: Our app is designed with you in mind. The clean, intuitive interface ensures that you can start scanning immediately without any steep learning curve. With clear instructions and easy-to-navigate menus, even first-time users can become scanning experts in no time. Regular Updates: We are committed to continuous improvement. Expect regular updates with new features, enhancements, and performance improvements based on user feedback. We listen to our users and strive to make Easy Smart Scanner the best scanning app on the market. Versatile and Reliable: Easy Smart Scanner is versatile enough to handle any scanning task. From business documents to personal photos, it delivers reliable results every time. Whether you’re at home, in the office, or on the go, Easy Smart Scanner is your reliable partner for all your scanning needs. Download Easy Smart Scanner Today! Join millions of satisfied users who have made Easy Smart Scanner their go-to scanning app. Download Easy Smart Scanner now and take the first step towards a more organized, efficient, and paperless life. Experience the convenience of having a powerful scanner in your pocket – and enjoy it all for free! With Easy Smart Scanner, scanning, managing, and sharing documents has never been easier. Experience the future of scanning today – and enjoy it all for free!

Screenshots

Bookends4 screens
Easy Smart Scanner4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Easy Smart Scanner at none against Bookends's 2. Easy Smart Scanner also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 2 months) and rating (4.9 vs 4.7). Bookends's advantage is ratings volume (394 vs 12). On price, ads and device support 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. Bookends sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per year. Easy Smart Scanner asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Easy Smart Scanner holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bookends has 394 ratings behind it against 12, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Bookends ships an update every 2 months, Easy Smart Scanner every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on August 28, 2026 and September 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Bookends versus Easy Smart Scanner: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBookendsEasy Smart Scanner
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (394 ratings)4.9 (12 ratings) — better
Positive reviews76.4% of reviews—
Number of ratings394 — better12
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.615.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size111 MB2 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSonny Software, LLCChristophe Pereira

Customer experience

Bookends

All ratings394 ratings
Positive92.1%
Neutral2.3%
Negative5.6%
Written reviews127 reviews
Positive76.4%
Neutral8.7%
Negative15.0%

Easy Smart Scanner

All ratings12 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Bookends

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Incompatibility with iCloud Optimized Storage
  • Unreliable sync between desktop and mobile versions
  • Occasional data loss or corruption

Requested features

4 requests
  • Nested folders and tags for better organization
  • Automatic PDF metadata extraction
  • Improved search and filtering capabilities
  • Seamless integration with third-party services

Easy Smart Scanner

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Bookends

Subscriptions1
  • Premium3 Months trial$14.991 Year
One-time1
  • Standard$14.99
None

Easy Smart Scanner

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Bookends free?
Bookends is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Easy Smart Scanner free?
Easy Smart Scanner is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Bookends or Easy Smart Scanner?
Easy Smart Scanner is rated higher. Bookends averages 4.7 out of 5 from 394 ratings, while Easy Smart Scanner averages 4.9 from 12 ratings.
Do Bookends or Easy Smart Scanner have ads?
Neither Bookends nor Easy Smart Scanner shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Bookends or Easy Smart Scanner?
Bookends ships an update every 2 months, and Easy Smart Scanner every 2 days. Most recently, Bookends was updated on August 28, 2026 and Easy Smart Scanner on September 11, 2026.

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