Epson DocumentScan vs Simple Scan
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Epson DocumentScan
Scan documents directly from your Epson scanner to your Apple device. Preview, edit, and organize scanned pages before sending them via email, to other apps, or to popular cloud storage services. Transfer files to your PC using iTunes.
- Direct scanning to iPhone, iPod touch, iPad
- Edit scanned pages (rotation, re-ordering)
- Send files via email
- Integrate with cloud services (Box, Dropbox, Evernote, Google Drive, OneDrive)
- Send data to PC via iTunes
- Autosize and auto image type recognition
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This app is only for Epson scanners. Make sure that your scanner is supported. Scan documents directly to your iPhone®, iPod touch or iPad®. You can preview scanned data and send it to email, directly to other applications or to cloud services like Box®, DropBox™, Evernote®, Google Drive™ and Microsoft® OneDrive. Scanners Supported https://support.epson.net/appinfo/documentscan/en/index.html Key Features - Directly scan to your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad - Edit scanned pages – multi-page rotation or re-ordering - Send scanned files via email - Send saved data to other applications, or to cloud services including Box, DropBox, Evernote, Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive*. *Applications must be installed on your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad. - Send saved data to your PC via iTunes® - Get help with a built-in FAQ section Advanced features - Autosize recognition, auto image type recognition - Multi-page rotation and re-ordering How to Connect Follow your scanner guide to connect your scanner via Wi-Fi® or AP direct connect mode. EPSON and WorkForce are registered trademarks. All other product and brand names are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Epson disclaims any and all rights in these marks.
Simple Scan
Easily convert paper documents into searchable PDFs or images in seconds. This app offers a streamlined scanning experience without cluttering your existing notes, with options to share directly via email, messages, or other applications. Enjoy private, on-device processing with no ads.
- Scan documents to PDF or JPEG
- Searchable PDFs with OCR
- Share scans via email, messages, or system share sheet
- Custom file destinations
- File naming suggestions (Apple Intelligence required)
- On-device processing
- No ads
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Simple Scan is the quick, easy way to scan paper documents to optimized, searchable PDF documents (or images) and send them almost anywhere. ## FEATURES ## * Same great scanning functionality as Notes, but no need to clutter your notes data with one-off scans * Create high-resolution multi-page PDFs from your paper documents * PDFs are searchable thanks to automatic Optical Character Recognition (OCR) * Built for simplicity. Just scan and send – no document library * Send scans via email or messages. Save to a file, or "Share" use to send to other apps via the system share sheet * Set up message destinations with pre-filled recipients for easy "Email to Myself" and other common uses * Custom file destinations save scans directly to a pre-selected folder without extra taps * File naming suggestions, such as names, dates, pulled from the scanned document (requires Apple Intelligence) * Save scans directly to Photos * Option to output as images (JPEG) instead of PDF * Quality option to control file size * Never any ads. Ever. * Private and on-device. All scan processing is done locally on your device. ## SIMPLE SCAN PRO ## Simple Scan is free to download and try! To continue using Simple Scan, unlock Simple Scan Pro--available as a low-cost, annual subscription or a one-time lifetime unlock purchase. ## SUBSCRIPTION DETAILS ## * Payment will be charged to your Apple account at confirmation of purchase * Your subscription will automatically renew unless auto-renew is disabled at least 24 hours before the end of the current subscription period * Automatic renewals will be charged at the same price you were initially charged for the subscription * Subscriptions can be managed or canceled by going to Account Settings on the App Store after purchase Have questions? Email support@agiletortoise.com. Terms: https://agiletortoise.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://agiletortoise.com/privacy-policy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Simple Scan at 87% against Epson DocumentScan's 12%. Simple Scan also leads on rating (4.9 vs 1.8) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months). Epson DocumentScan's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.4). 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
Both are free to download. Simple Scan sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per year. Epson DocumentScan asks for nothing beyond the download.
Simple Scan holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 1.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Simple Scan has 660 ratings behind it against 121, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 12% of Epson DocumentScan's written reviews are positive against 87% of Simple Scan's.
Epson DocumentScan ships an update every 3 months, Simple Scan every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on August 13, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Epson DocumentScan | Simple Scan |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 1.8 (121 ratings) | 4.9 (660 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 11.5% of reviews | 87.3% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 121 | 660 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 17.4 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 21 MB | 21 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Seiko Epson Corporation | Agile Tortoise |
Customer experience
Epson DocumentScan
Simple Scan
User reviews
Epson DocumentScan
From 121 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- ✅ Basic scanning functionality works
- 📱 WiFi connectivity available for mobile scanning
- 📄 Saves documents as PDF format
- ⚡ Quick setup process for compatible scanners
- 🎨 Works well with art canvas scanning
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent WiFi connectivity issues
- ❌ Poor iOS/iPhone compatibility
- 🔌 Requires cellular data to be disabled on iOS devices
- 📤 Difficult file export and sharing functionality
- ⚙️ Missing advanced features compared to desktop app
Simple Scan
From 660 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Great interface
- 🚀 Fast and efficient
- 🔒 No ads or privacy concerns
- 💡 Customizable workflows
- 👍 Simple and straightforward
Room to improve
- 🐛 Occasional crashes
- 🔧 Cropping could be improved
- 🔧 Inability to name scans before saving
Bugs and requests
Epson DocumentScan
Reported bugs
15 issues- App cannot find scanner even when connected to same network
- WiFi direct mode fails to establish connection
- App freezes on scanner search screen
- Crashes when attempting to save photos to camera roll
- Crashes when pressing 'scan more' during batch operations
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- Cellular data interferes with scanner connection on iOS
- App loses all scanned data after reinstallation
- Setup completes but scanning fails in WAP mode
- Long loading times between operations
- Scanner connection drops randomly during scanning
- App not compatible with iOS 14 and later versions
- Incompatible with all-in-one printer/scanner models
- Specific scanner models not recognized despite being listed
- Spinning/loading indicator gets stuck indefinitely
- WiFi connection inconsistent and unreliable
Requested features
16 requests- Direct save to Files app and cloud storage (Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive)
- OCR support for searchable PDFs
- Bulk export of multiple files at once
- Higher DPI scanning options (600 DPI or higher)
- Automatic double-sided page detection
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- Image editing tools (crop, skew correction, exposure/color adjustment)
- Batch scanning with automatic document separation
- Support for all Epson scanner and printer models
- Ability to save scans to camera roll directly
- Multiple file format options beyond PDF
- Network configuration within the app (without EpsonNet Config)
- Improved file management and organization
- Automatic document size detection without manual override
- Ability to scan more than 100 pages per file
- Dark mode option
- Better integration with iOS Files app
Simple Scan
Reported bugs
2 issues- Crashes on multi-page scans for some users
- Issues with importing files from other apps
Requested features
3 requests- Ability to tag scans
- Favorite file/app destination options
- More image adjustment tools
In-app purchases
Epson DocumentScan
No in-app purchases
Simple Scan
- Pro - Annual$9.991 Year
- Pro - Lifetime$39.99
Questions
Is Epson DocumentScan free?
Is Simple Scan free?
Which has better reviews, Epson DocumentScan or Simple Scan?
Do Epson DocumentScan or Simple Scan have ads?
Which is updated more often, Epson DocumentScan or Simple Scan?
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