# PDFMagic vs Scanner

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 2 months). On price, ratings volume, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. PDFMagic sells 5 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.

Scanner holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 110 and 210 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 72% of PDFMagic's written reviews are positive against 85% of Scanner's.

PDFMagic ships an update every 2 months, Scanner every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on November 11, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | PDFMagic | Scanner |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.8 (110 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdfmagic-pdf-editor-and-scanner/id862473183/reviews) | **[4.5 (210 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scanner-scan-docs-to-pdf/id1546567286/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 110 | **210** |
| Positive reviews | 72.4% of reviews | **85.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 17 MB | 87 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [iCubemedia Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/453286185) | [42 Digital](https://appshunter.io/developer/1484108329) |

## What reviewers say

### PDFMagic

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pdfmagic-pdf-editor-and-scanner/id862473183)

This app provides a comprehensive suite of tools for managing PDF documents offline. It allows users to scan, edit, annotate, convert, and protect PDFs without needing an account or uploading files. Features include OCR, AI-powered summaries, and various document templates.

**Highlights:** Scan documents with edge detection, Edit text and redact sensitive information, Convert PDFs to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and JPG, Merge, split, and reorder PDF pages, Annotate, fill forms, and add signatures, AI-powered document summaries, Password protection and privacy check

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Weekly | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly Premium | $4.99 | per month |
| Premium Annual | $49.99 | per year |
| Word Processor | $2.99 | one-time |
| PDFLifetime | $99.99 | one-time |


### Scanner

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scanner-scan-docs-to-pdf/id1546567286)

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:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PDF Scanner Pro Trial | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| PDF Scanner Pro | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| PDF Scanner Annual Pro | $29.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 👍 User-friendly
- 👍 Good for scanning documents
- 👍 Works great
- 👍 Very useful

**What reviewers complain about**

-  deceptive practice of listing paid apps as free
- 🐛 Annoying rating prompts
- 🐛 Difficulty naming documents
- 🐛 Text not visible while typing document names on iPhone

**Reported bugs**

- App does nothing without payment
- Annoying rating prompts
- Unable to see text while typing document names on iPhone

**Requested features**

- Allow users to evaluate apps without paying
- Improve document naming process
- Fix text visibility issue while typing document names on iPhone


## Frequently asked 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 110 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 2 months, and Scanner every 2 weeks. Most recently, PDFMagic was updated on November 11, 2026 and Scanner on November 11, 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.*