# PDF Expert vs Mobile Scanner App

The clearest difference is ads: PDF Expert at none against Mobile Scanner App's shown. PDF Expert also leads on ratings volume (216K vs 56K). Mobile Scanner App's advantage is review sentiment (80% vs 46%). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PDF Expert sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Mobile Scanner App sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for PDF Expert against 4.8 for Mobile Scanner App. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 216K and 56K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 46% of PDF Expert's written reviews are positive against 80% of Mobile Scanner App's.

PDF Expert ships an update fortnightly, Mobile Scanner App every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on September 25, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDF Expert | Mobile Scanner App |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (216K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-expert-editor-and-reader/id743974925/reviews) | **[4.8 (56K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mobile-scanner-app-scan-pdf/id1461747901/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **216K** | 56K |
| Positive reviews | 46.0% of reviews | **80.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #71 | **#64** |
| Size | 307 MB | 199 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Readdle Technologies Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/285035419) | [Glority Global Group Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1499301607) |

## What reviewers say

### PDF Expert

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-expert-editor-and-reader/id743974925)

**Currently charting:** #71 Top Grossing · Productivity, #200 Top Free · Productivity (US App Store)

This app allows you to edit, annotate, fill out forms, and convert PDF documents. It offers AI-powered summarization and analysis, along with tools to merge, sign, and protect your files. Work seamlessly across Apple devices with a user-friendly interface.

**Highlights:** Edit PDF text and images, Annotate and highlight PDFs, Fill out PDF forms, Convert files to and from PDF, AI-powered summarization and analysis, Merge and combine PDF files, Sign documents with e-signatures

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PDF Expert Premium Trial | $9.99 | per month |
| PDF Expert Premium No Trial | $9.99 | per month |
| PDF Expert for Education | $39.99 | per year |
| PDF Expert Premium | $49.99 | per year |
| PDF Expert Premium New | $49.99 | per year |
| PDF Expert Premium Existing | $49.99 | per year |
| PDF Expert – Premium Editing | $49.99 | per year |
| PDF Expert Mac & iOS Pro | $79.99 | per year |
| PDF Expert Mac & iOS | $79.99 | per year |
| PDF Expert Basic | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and responsive
- 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
- 💡 Powerful annotation and editing tools
- 🔒 Seamless cloud integration
- 📚 Excellent for reading and organizing PDFs

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability issues
- 🔒 Subscription model for advanced features
- 🔒 Inconsistent pricing and feature changes
- 🔍 Cluttered and confusing UI in latest update
- 🔍 Reduced customization options for annotations

**Reported bugs**

- Corrupted PDFs after editing
- Sync issues with cloud storage providers
- Unexpected loss of annotations and edits
- Unreliable performance on older iPad models

**Requested features**

- Improved palm rejection for Apple Pencil
- Customizable toolbar and annotation presets
- Better integration with other productivity apps
- More flexible file management and organization
- Ability to create fillable PDF forms


### Mobile Scanner App

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mobile-scanner-app-scan-pdf/id1461747901)

**Currently charting:** #64 Top Grossing · Productivity, #98 Top Free · Productivity (US App Store)

Transform your phone into a powerful scanner. Easily digitize documents, receipts, and photos into clear PDFs or JPEGs. Extract text with OCR, organize files, and share them securely.

**Highlights:** Scan documents, receipts, photos, and books, Convert to PDF, Word, or JPEG, OCR text extraction and editing, Automatic border detection and cropping, Sign and edit scanned documents, Organize and share files via cloud, Password protection for documents

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Scanner Premium | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| Scanner Premium | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| Scanner Premium | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| Scanner Premium | $9.99 | per month |
| Scanner Premium | $9.99 | per month |
| MobileScanner Premium | $39.99 | per year |
| Scanner Yearly Premium | $39.99 | per year |
| Scanner Yearly Premium | $39.99 | per year |
| Scanner Yearly Premium | $39.99 | per year |
| MobileScanner Premium | $39.99 | per year |
| No Ads | $0.99 | one-time |
| Scanner Premium Lifetime | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Convenient and efficient
- 📤 Seamless document sharing
- 🔍 Accurate scanning and image quality
- 🗂️ Helpful file organization and management

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Concerns about subscription model and cancellation process
- 💰 Perceived high subscription cost
- 🐛 Occasional technical issues and bugs
- 🔍 Limited customization and editing options

**Reported bugs**

- Trouble with file transfer and email integration
- Inconsistent performance and unexpected crashes
- Issues with subscription management and cancellation

**Requested features**

- Improved integration with cloud storage and productivity apps
- More flexible subscription options or one-time purchase
- Enhanced OCR capabilities and text editing features
- Expanded support for larger document sizes and multi-page scanning


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PDF Expert free?

PDF Expert is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Mobile Scanner App free?

Mobile Scanner App is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, PDF Expert or Mobile Scanner App?

Mobile Scanner App is rated higher. PDF Expert averages 4.7 out of 5 from 216K ratings, while Mobile Scanner App averages 4.8 from 56K ratings.

### Do PDF Expert or Mobile Scanner App have ads?

Mobile Scanner App shows ads; PDF Expert does not.

### Which is updated more often, PDF Expert or Mobile Scanner App?

PDF Expert ships an update fortnightly, and Mobile Scanner App every 2 weeks. Most recently, PDF Expert was updated on September 25, 2026 and Mobile Scanner App on September 25, 2026.

### Which is more popular, PDF Expert or Mobile Scanner App?

PDF Expert currently peaks at #71 in the App Store charts, and Mobile Scanner App at #64. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*