Comparison

Claro ScanPen vs Text Simplifier VPP

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

Head to head
About

Claro ScanPen

This app allows you to take a photo of printed text and have it read aloud to you instantly. It uses OCR technology to convert images to text and supports multiple languages. It's ideal for students, professionals, and anyone needing auditory access to printed materials, even without an internet connection.

Highlights
  • Photo capture of printed text
  • Selectable text for audio playback
  • Instant human-quality voice output
  • Offline functionality
  • Multi-language support
  • OCR technology
  • Copy and share text
Features
Read full description

Need to listen to printed text spoken aloud - at school, in a test or exam, at work or at home? Use Claro ScanPen to photo your printed text document, letter, test paper - then select the text with your finger (or stylus), and hear it spoken straight back to you. Instantly! No internet connection required. Claro ScanPen advances reading aloud support. It gives access to printed text materials and documents for all, in a wide range of languages. Using your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad, simply: • Take a photo of the text or select a photo of the text document from your camera roll. • Highlight with your finger or stylus which section of text you want to hear spoken to you. • Listen as Claro ScanPen instantly reads the text back to you using a human quality voice in a language of your choice. With your finger (or stylus) you can highlight all of the text, word by word or line by line. Tap anywhere to stop the speech. Claro ScanPen can also be used with the built in iOS VoiceOver accessibility feature, allowing low vision and blind users to access text. Claro ScanPen has no access to the internet or any reference material, so is perfect to use as a computer reader under exam and test conditions, helping students who cannot read text very well (e.g. students with dyslexia) to listen to the exam test paper questions and information. It can also be used for quickly converting class handout materials, printed presentations, instructions, books - in fact anything containing printed texts. Great for independent access and learning. Claro ScanPen uses the latest premium Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology to convert your picture into text and uses iOS system voices to read the text back to you. The OCR in Claro ScanPen fully supports the recognition of text in the following languages: • English • Danish • Dutch • French • German • Italian • Norwegian • Portuguese • Spanish • Swedish Simply select the voice that matches the language of your text to hear it read back correctly. Higher-quality Nuance Expressive and Acapela voices are available to purchase in-app. Claro ScanPen is a great addition to the popular Claro Reading and Writing support apps ClaroSpeak and ClaroPDF. Claro ScanPen does not require internet access to function. Explore using the Apple iOS Guided Access feature to lock the iPad, iPod Touch or iPhone into a single app, for more secure and controlled usage. Tap iOS Settings > General > Accessibility > Guided Access to set up Guided Access. Selected text can be copied to the clipboard by enabling the advanced setting in iOS Settings. A share button can be enabled in advanced settings in iOS Settings. This lets you export your image to other apps, email and other destinations. Now supports drag and drop of the scanned text, to apps that support text, such as Notes. Requires iOS 11 and an iPad that supports multi-tasking. *** Minimum camera spec: 2MP *** If you require any product support please email us at support@clarosoftware.com. We cannot respond to any support requests made via the App Store review channel, so please email us first.

About

Text Simplifier VPP

This app simplifies complex texts into easy-to-understand language. It offers features like text-to-speech, word explanations, and adjustable font sizes to aid reading comprehension for various users.

Highlights
  • Text simplification
  • Text-to-speech with highlighting
  • Word explanation on long press
  • Adjustable font size
  • Input text, photos, or web pages
  • Reader Mode for web pages
Features
Read full description

This is a feature-identical version of the Text Simplifier app for the AppStore for Volume Licenses (VPP), without in-app purchases but with more inclusive text simplifications. You're facing difficult texts and wish they were easier to understand? This app is exactly what you need! Whether in inclusive education, for beginning readers, or for anyone who appreciates clear and understandable language - with just one click, complicated becomes simple. The Text Simplifier app makes difficult texts easier. Then the texts are easier to read and understand. And if you need help reading, the app can also read words to you. To do this, just follow along under the words with your finger. This app is for people with reading difficulties or beginning readers. It can also be very helpful in inclusive classroom instruction. There are then fewer barriers due to difficult texts. You have several options for simplifying texts: 1. Enter text: You can write a text, speak (dictate) or copy from another source. When you press the "Simplify Text" button, the text becomes simpler. 2. Take a picture of a text: You can take a photo of a text, for example from a book or worksheet. Then the app can read you the text or simplify it. 3. Internet texts: If you are reading on the internet and want a simpler text, just press the "Simplify Texts" button. The app is actually very suitable for children and beginning readers, but due to the integrated browser, Apple recommends it only from age 17+, as any web page can be accessed. The app can do even more: - The app can read along with you. For this you have to use your reading finger. Move your finger along under the text as you read. And turn on the speaker. The app will then help you read. - The app can also read the entire text to you. If you want, the words are even highlighted as they are read. - You can long press on a word if you don't understand it. An explanation will then be displayed and read aloud (please turn on speaker). - You can make the letters bigger or smaller. - You can decide how simple the text should be. This is done in the settings. - Web pages can be displayed in "Reader Mode". Only the text and images are shown (without text simplification). Ads and menus are not shown. ## Tip: How to improve the voice! ## The iOS voice sometimes doesn't sound very good. You can simply use a different voice. To do this, go to the "Settings" app. Then to "Accessibility". Then select "Spoken Content" and then "Voices". Now you can select and download other voices. The enhanced voices sound especially good. ## What does it cost? ## The app is ad-free. It uses artificial intelligence from OpenAI to simplify texts. The texts are sent to OpenAI over the internet for simplification. Each simplification costs some money. That's why the app costs something. This is the version for schools where you don't have to buy additional simplifications. Once you've purchased the app, you can simplify about 1000 texts (depending on length) without restrictions. After that theres a daily limit for simplifications.

Screenshots

Claro ScanPen4 screens
Text Simplifier VPP4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Text Simplifier VPP at 100% against Claro ScanPen's 24%. Text Simplifier VPP also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 11) and price ($4.99 vs $9.99). Claro ScanPen's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Claro ScanPen costs $9.99 and Text Simplifier VPP $4.99 up front. Claro ScanPen sells 11 one-off in-app purchases. Text Simplifier VPP asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Claro ScanPen ships an update every 2 months, Text Simplifier VPP every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Claro ScanPen versus Text Simplifier VPP: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterClaro ScanPenText Simplifier VPP
Price$9.99$4.99 — better
Rating4.2 (147 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews23.5% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings147 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size136 MB19 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperClaro Software LimitedChristian Urff

Customer experience

Claro ScanPen

All ratings147 ratings
Positive79.6%
Neutral4.1%
Negative16.3%
Written reviews17 reviews
Positive23.5%
Neutral17.6%
Negative58.8%

Text Simplifier VPP

Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

11 purchases

Claro ScanPen

One-time11
  • Allison$1.99
  • Ava$1.99
  • Samantha$1.99
Show 8 more
  • Tom$1.99
  • Susan$1.99
  • Heather$1.99
  • Ryan$1.99
  • Micah$1.99
  • Rod$1.99
  • Tyler$1.99
  • Will$1.99
None

Text Simplifier VPP

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Claro ScanPen free?
Claro ScanPen costs $9.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Text Simplifier VPP free?
Text Simplifier VPP costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do Claro ScanPen or Text Simplifier VPP have ads?
Neither Claro ScanPen nor Text Simplifier VPP shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Claro ScanPen or Text Simplifier VPP?
Claro ScanPen ships an update every 2 months, and Text Simplifier VPP every 3 weeks. Most recently, Claro ScanPen was updated on September 22, 2026 and Text Simplifier VPP on September 10, 2026.

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