# SwiftScan AI Document Scanner vs PDF Reader

The clearest difference is review sentiment: SwiftScan AI Document Scanner at 74% against PDF Reader's 0%. SwiftScan AI Document Scanner also leads on ratings volume (19K vs 18) and rating (4.8 vs 4.4). PDF Reader's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. SwiftScan AI Document Scanner sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month and PDF Reader sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

SwiftScan AI Document Scanner holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SwiftScan AI Document Scanner has 19K ratings behind it against 18, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 74% of SwiftScan AI Document Scanner's written reviews are positive against 0% of PDF Reader's.

SwiftScan AI Document Scanner ships an update every 5 weeks, PDF Reader every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SwiftScan AI Document Scanner | PDF Reader |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (19K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/swiftscan-ai-document-scanner/id834854351/reviews)** | [4.4 (18 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-reader-editor-and-converter/id1547414913/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **19K** | 18 |
| Positive reviews | **74.0% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 weeks** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 498 MB | 79 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Maple Media Apps, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1289801633) | [Laxay Gajera](https://appshunter.io/developer/1534406445) |

## What reviewers say

### SwiftScan AI Document Scanner

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/swiftscan-ai-document-scanner/id834854351)

This app transforms your mobile device into a powerful scanner, capturing high-quality PDFs and JPGs with a single tap. It leverages AI for advanced features like document summarization, translation, and text extraction. Easily manage, edit, sign, and share your scanned documents via email, fax, or cloud storage.

**Highlights:** High-quality PDF/JPG scanning, AI document summarization and translation, OCR text extraction, Send documents as fax, Cloud storage integration, QR code scanning, Edit, sign, and annotate documents

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| SwiftScan VIP Monthly | $5.99 | per month |
| SwiftScan Plus Monthly | $7.99 | per month |
| SwiftScan Plus Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| SwiftScan VIP Annual | $34.99 | per year |
| SwiftScan Plus Annual | $59.99 | per year |
| Credits to Fax from iPhone | $1.99 | one-time |
| SwiftScan Pro 40 | $3.99 | one-time |
| SwiftScan Pro-Full Scanner App | $6.99 | one-time |
| SwiftScan VIP-Full Scanner App | $8.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Efficient scanning and document processing
- 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
- 🔒 Secure cloud storage integration
- 📂 Excellent file management and organization
- 💡 Valuable OCR and text recognition capabilities

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Aggressive subscription model and paywall for features
- 🐛 Bugs, crashes, and loss of functionality after updates
- 💰 Expensive subscription fees compared to alternatives
- 🔁 Constant upsell prompts interrupting workflow
- 🤔 Unclear communication about feature changes

**Reported bugs**

- Scans and documents disappearing or becoming inaccessible
- Subscription restoration issues and double charging
- Inconsistent behavior with cloud storage integrations
- Camera and scanning functionality becoming unreliable

**Requested features**

- Ability to combine multiple documents into a single file
- Improved OCR accuracy and text extraction
- Option to disable subscription upsell prompts
- Grandfathering of existing paid users' features
- Better support for older devices and iOS versions


### PDF Reader

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdf-reader-editor-and-converter/id1547414913)

This application allows users to read, edit, annotate, and convert PDF documents. It supports cloud syncing, form filling, and password protection for files. Users can also scan documents and convert images to PDF.

**Highlights:** Read and edit PDFs, Annotate and highlight text, Convert documents to PDF, Fill and sign PDF forms, Sync with cloud storage, Scan documents to PDF, Password protect PDFs

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PDF Editor Pro - Weekly | $0.99 | per 7 days |
| PDF Editor Pro - Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| PDF Editor Pro - Yearly | $9.99 | per year |
| PDF Reader - Remove Ads | $3.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SwiftScan AI Document Scanner free?

SwiftScan AI Document Scanner is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is PDF Reader free?

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

### Which has better reviews, SwiftScan AI Document Scanner or PDF Reader?

SwiftScan AI Document Scanner is rated higher. SwiftScan AI Document Scanner averages 4.8 out of 5 from 19K ratings, while PDF Reader averages 4.4 from 18 ratings.

### Do SwiftScan AI Document Scanner or PDF Reader have ads?

SwiftScan AI Document Scanner shows ads; PDF Reader does not.

### Which is updated more often, SwiftScan AI Document Scanner or PDF Reader?

SwiftScan AI Document Scanner ships an update every 5 weeks, and PDF Reader every 5 months. Most recently, SwiftScan AI Document Scanner was updated on October 28, 2026 and PDF Reader on October 27, 2026.

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