Comparison

PDFMagic vs Scanner

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

Head to head
About

PDFMagic

This app offers a comprehensive suite of PDF editing and management tools that operate entirely on your device. It allows for organization, optimization, editing, signing, and secure handling of documents, with advanced AI features available.

Highlights
  • Merge, split, reorder, rotate, crop, and delete PDF pages
  • Create PDFs from photos, text, or scans
  • OCR for searchable scans
  • Edit text, drawings, and highlights in PDFs
  • Convert between PDF and Word/Excel/images
  • AI-powered summarization, extraction, and proofreading
  • Password protection and true redaction
Features
Read full description

Your whole PDF toolbox and it never leaves your iPhone. PDFMagic does what the big online PDF sites do, but right on your device: nothing is uploaded, nothing is stored on a server, and most tools work with no internet at all. Your documents never leave your iPhone. ORGANIZE • Merge, split, reorder, rotate, crop and delete pages • Create a PDF from photos, text or a scan • Start from a template — lined paper, grids, planners OPTIMIZE • Compress to shrink file size • Repair a damaged PDF • OCR — make a scan searchable, on device • Enhance a scan — auto-straighten, color, grayscale or black & white EDIT & SIGN • Add text, drawings and highlights • Fill in forms and flatten them • Draw a signature and place it • Page numbers, watermarks, Bates numbering and pages-per-sheet CONVERT — ON DEVICE • Word and Excel to PDF, and PDF back to editable Word or Excel • Images, text, RTF, Markdown and HTML to PDF • PDF to JPG SECURE & PRIVATE • Password-protect or unlock a PDF • True redaction — permanently removes the text underneath, not just a black box • Auto-redact and Privacy Check — find emails, phone numbers and cards • Sanitize metadata before you share AI & ADVANCED — ON YOUR DEVICE • Summarize any PDF at the length you choose • Extract contacts, totals, dates and addresses • Pull out action items and deadlines • Proofread and rewrite text • Classify, tag and auto-file a document • Upscale images and remove backgrounds • Read QR codes and barcodes • Translate and compare documents Powered by Apple's on-device intelligence — your documents are never sent to a server. IMAGE TOOLS • Compress, convert, resize and upscale images • Convert images to and from PDF WHY PDFMAGIC • On-device and private — your files stay with you • Works offline — no signal needed • Document scanner with edge detection • No account, no sign-up The core PDF tools are free. Use the AI & advanced tools free by watching a short ad, or go Premium to remove every ad and use them without limits. PDFMagic Premium is offered as a weekly or yearly auto-renewable subscription, or a one-time lifetime purchase. Payment is charged to your Apple Account. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period; manage or cancel anytime in Settings > Apple Account > Subscriptions. Terms of Use: https://pdfmagic.xyz/terms Privacy Policy: https://pdfmagic.xyz/privacy Questions or feedback? Email - info@icubemedia.ca

About

Scanner

Easily convert documents and photos into digital PDF files in seconds. Scan, edit, crop, and share your files with a built-in scanner tool. Supports batch scanning and e-signature functionality.

Highlights
  • Convert documents to PDF
  • Scan photos to PDF
  • Edit and crop scanned images
  • Batch mode for multiple files
  • Add e-signatures to PDFs
  • Save and share digital copies
Features
Read full description

Scan any document and let AI do the rest. Scanner turns your phone into a powerful document scanner, PDF creator, file converter, and AI document assistant. Capture paperwork in seconds, summarize long reports, extract key information, and ask questions about anything you scan. SCAN ANYTHING IN SECONDS Point your camera at a page and Scanner automatically detects the edges, captures it when steady, corrects the perspective, improves the lighting, and creates a clean digital copy. • Hands-free auto-capture • Automatic edge detection and smart cropping • Perspective and lighting correction • Batch scanning for up to 50 pages • Scan receipts, invoices, notes, contracts, photos, ID cards, and passports • Scan both sides of an ID card • Built-in QR code scanner AI THAT READS FOR YOU Save time on long or complicated documents with built-in AI tools. • Summarize documents in seconds • Extract names, dates, amounts, numbers, and action items • Ask questions about scanned documents • Find specific details without reading every page • Translate scanned documents into your language AI features are optional. When you choose to use them, relevant document text or page images may be securely processed by third-party AI providers after you grant permission. AI-generated results may be inaccurate, so verify important information. CONVERT TO EDITABLE FILES Turn paper documents into files you can continue editing on your phone or computer. • Convert scans into editable text documents • Extract tables into spreadsheets • Turn documents into presentations • Export as PDF, image, editable document, spreadsheet, or presentation files • Combine multiple pages or images into one PDF • Share files through email, messaging apps, or cloud storage EDIT, SIGN, AND SHARE Prepare documents without needing a computer. • Crop, rotate, reorder, and enhance pages • Add your signature to PDF documents • Create and reuse a digital signature • Scan and save invoices as PDF files • Organize multiple pages into one document STAY ORGANIZED Keep important documents easy to find. • Smart folders for receipts, ID cards, invoices, and more • Full-text search across scanned documents • Search inside PDFs using recognized text • Filter by scans, documents, spreadsheets, or presentations • Rename and organize files in one place • Optional account and cloud sync across devices PRIVACY BY DESIGN Your scans stay on your device by default. Document capture and basic text recognition are processed locally. You can scan, save, and export without creating an account. Documents are uploaded only when you enable cloud sync or actively use a feature that requires online processing, such as AI or file conversion. AI features require permission before document content is sent for processing. Scanner does not sell your personal information or display third-party ads. HOW TO SCAN A DOCUMENT 1. Open Scanner and create a new document. 2. Point your camera at the page. 3. Scanner automatically detects and captures it. 4. Crop, enhance, reorder, or add more pages. 5. Save as PDF or convert it into another format. SCANNER PREMIUM Some features, including AI tools, file conversion, advanced PDF editing, and QR code tools, may require a Scanner Premium subscription. Available plans, prices, billing periods, and included features are shown before purchase. Payment is charged to your store account after confirmation. Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled before the end of the current billing period. You can manage or cancel your subscription through your account settings. Privacy Policy: https://www.scannedapp.com/privacy Terms of Use: https://www.scannedapp.com/terms

Screenshots

PDFMagic4 screens
Scanner4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Scanner at 4.5 against PDFMagic's 3.8. Scanner also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 3 months). On price, ratings volume, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. PDFMagic sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days and Scanner sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Scanner holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 109 and 210 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 72% of PDFMagic's written reviews are positive against 85% of Scanner's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PDFMagic ships an update every 3 months, Scanner every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
PDFMagic versus Scanner: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPDFMagicScanner
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.8 (109 ratings)4.5 (210 ratings) — better
Positive reviews72.4% of reviews85.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings109210 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.016.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size18 MB87 MB
Age rating+44+
DeveloperiCubemedia Inc.42 Digital

Customer experience

PDFMagic

All ratings109 ratings
Positive70.6%
Neutral0.0%
Negative29.4%
Written reviews29 reviews
Positive72.4%
Neutral0.0%
Negative27.6%

Scanner

All ratings210 ratings
Positive86.7%
Neutral6.2%
Negative7.1%
Written reviews20 reviews
Positive85.0%
Neutral5.0%
Negative10.0%

In-app purchases

4 purchases

PDFMagic

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Weekly$2.997 Days
  • Premium Annual$14.991 Year
One-time2
  • Word Processor$2.99
  • PDFLifetime$29.99
3 purchases

Scanner

Subscriptions3
  • PDF Scanner Pro Trial3 Days trial$7.997 Days
  • PDF Scanner Pro$7.997 Days
  • PDF Scanner Annual Pro3 Days trial$29.991 Year

Questions

Is PDFMagic free?
PDFMagic is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Scanner free?
Scanner is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, PDFMagic or Scanner?
Scanner is rated higher. PDFMagic averages 3.8 out of 5 from 109 ratings, while Scanner averages 4.5 from 210 ratings.
Do PDFMagic or Scanner have ads?
PDFMagic shows ads; Scanner does not.
Which is updated more often, PDFMagic or Scanner?
PDFMagic ships an update every 3 months, and Scanner every 2 weeks. Most recently, PDFMagic was updated on October 7, 2026 and Scanner on October 15, 2026.

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