The best scanner apps in 2026 (iPhone and Android)
Updated
The best scanner app in 2026 is the one that turns paper into a clean, searchable PDF without ads, watermarks or a forced sign-up, and on that test our pick is Doc Scanner by Ginowl for iPhone and Android. Doc Scanner is made by us, Ginowl, so we rank it first and say so up front.
Below are seven more apps we compared, plus the free scanners already built into iPhone and Android, and what happened to Microsoft Lens. Every fact about another app comes from its store listing, official site or a named review, linked under Sources and checked on October 1, 2026.
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Doc Scanner by Ginowl — iPhone & Android · Free to download
Disclosure: Doc Scanner is made by us (Ginowl), so we rank it first. Other apps are described only from their store listings, official sites and the sources listed on this page.
1. Doc Scanner
Best for: almost everyone who wants a fast, clean PDF scanner on iPhone or Android. Doc Scanner is made by us, Ginowl.
Doc Scanner gets the defaults right: crisp scans, a searchable PDF, and nothing between you and the file.
- Searchable PDFs on the free plan. Every PDF you export gets an invisible text layer, so you can search and copy its words later. See how searchable PDFs work.
- No ads. No watermarks. No sign-up. Open the app and scan. An account is created for you automatically, and Apple or Google sign-in is optional.
- Many pages, one PDF. Smart edge detection, perspective correction and auto-capture in Batch mode; add, reorder and delete pages whenever you like.
- ID card front and back on one page (Premium). Scan an ID card and send one tidy page instead of two photos.
- AI-powered text recognition on your phone. Google ML Kit reads your scans offline and uploads nothing for recognition. Copying text with Extract Text is Premium.
- Free signatures. Draw once, save it, then place and resize it on any page.
- Export your way. PDF or JPG, plus TXT and Word (.docx) with Premium and PowerPoint (.pptx). Pick Low, Medium or High quality, an Original, A4 or Letter page size and exactly which pages to send. Lock a PDF with AES-256 encryption (Premium).
It runs on iPhone (iOS 15.5 or later) and Android (7.0 or later), in 21 interface languages, with light and dark mode. Doc Scanner is free to download with a free plan; Premium is an optional subscription.
2. Genius Scan
Best for: a no-frills free scanner if you don't need text recognition.
Genius Scan, from The Grizzly Labs in Paris, has a free Basic plan that adds no watermark, shows no third-party ads and needs no account. Batch scanning, perspective correction and auto-capture are all free. Its text recognition runs on the device, but text recognition, searchable PDFs and PDF passwords belong to the paid plans (the Ultra subscription, or the older Plus plan). Signing isn't built into the app: Genius Scan's help centre points to its separate Genius Sign app on iPhone. The current iPhone version requires iOS 17 or later.
Why Doc Scanner ranks higher: searchable PDFs and signatures are on Doc Scanner's free plan, and Doc Scanner has an ID card mode that puts both sides on one page (Premium).
3. Adobe Scan
Best for: people who already live in Adobe Acrobat.
Adobe Scan is free to download, with a free tier and an optional Premium subscription. Its capture modes include Document, Book, Whiteboard, Business card and an ID card mode that puts both sides of a card on one page. TechRadar's 2025 review notes that you need an Adobe ID and have to log in before you can use it, and Adobe's own guides say saved scans go to Adobe cloud storage. Combining files, password protection and export to Office formats are Premium. The current iPhone version requires iOS 18, and Adobe's Android release notes list Android 10 and above.
Why Doc Scanner ranks higher: no sign-up, scanning and text recognition happen on your phone, and merging documents is on the free plan.
4. CamScanner
Best for: the biggest feature list, including versions for computers and browsers.
CamScanner by INTSIG has been around since 2010 and does a lot: file conversions, an ID card mode, text recognition in many languages and apps beyond the phone. Its free version shows ads (Google Play labels it “Contains ads”), and by default its PDFs carry a “Scanned by CamScanner” watermark; in November 2022 CamScanner let US users remove it without a subscription. Its privacy policy says it collects the files you choose for text recognition or online storage, and its terms require a CS Account for some features.
Why Doc Scanner ranks higher: no ads, nothing stamped on your pages, and text recognition that runs on your phone. Switching? Read our CamScanner alternatives.
5. Scanner Pro
Best for: iPhone and iPad owners who want Readdle's automation tools.
Scanner Pro by Readdle runs only on Apple devices (iPhone, iPad and Apple Vision Pro), and the current version requires iOS 18. Its free Basic plan scans, organises and shares, but Readdle says the free version adds a watermark to exported scans. Text recognition (which runs on the device), signatures, merging files and PDF passwords come with the Scanner Pro Plus subscription for new users.
Why Doc Scanner ranks higher: it works on Android as well as iPhone, adds no watermark, and includes searchable PDFs, signatures and merging on the free plan.
6. iScanner
Best for: extra tools such as math and object-count modes on recent phones.
iScanner by BP Mobile has a free version with its PDF editor and e-signatures and, according to its own Free vs Pro table, no iScanner watermark. In that free version, text recognition isn't available, exports are capped per day, and on iPhone multi-page scanning needs a subscription. It has an ID card mode with a both-sides option. The current version requires iOS 18 on iPhone and Android 12 or later.
Why Doc Scanner ranks higher: it runs on older phones (iOS 15.5+, Android 7.0+), scans many pages into one PDF without a subscription, and makes searchable PDFs on the free plan.
7. Tiny Scanner
Best for: text recognition accuracy, if you're happy to pay for it.
Tiny Scanner by TinyWork Apps runs on iPhone (iOS 15 or later) and Android (8.0 or later). Zapier's 2024 review called it the most accurate of the scanning apps it tested for OCR, but text recognition is on paid plans, and Zapier also saw a one-time unlock offered in exchange for watching a video ad. Both store listings say it contains ads. It works without an account and has a double-sided ID card mode that merges front and back into one file.
Why Doc Scanner ranks higher: no ads, searchable PDFs on the free plan, and AI-powered text recognition that runs on your phone and works offline.
8. SwiftScan
Best for: text recognition in many scripts, on a paid plan.
SwiftScan (formerly Scanbot), now owned by Maple Media, runs on iPhone (iOS 15 or later) and Android (6.0 or later). Its free version is ad-supported and adds a “Scanned with SwiftScan” watermark that only a paid upgrade removes. Its text recognition runs on the device and covers more than 60 languages, but it needs SwiftScan Plus on iPhone or VIP on Android.
Why Doc Scanner ranks higher: no ads, no watermark, and searchable PDFs on the free plan.
Comparison table (sourced)
Checked on October 1, 2026, against each app's store listing, official site or help centre (links under Sources). “Free” means the free plan or free version. Phone versions are what the current release requires.
| App | Phones | Pricing model | Ads (free) | Watermark (free) | Sign-up to scan | Text recognition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doc Scanner | iPhone (iOS 15.5+), Android 7.0+ | Free plan + optional Premium | No | No | Not required | Searchable PDFs free; Extract Text is Premium; on the phone |
| Genius Scan | iPhone (iOS 17+), Android | Free Basic plan + paid plans | No third-party ads | No | Not required | Paid plans; on the device |
| Adobe Scan | iPhone (iOS 18+), Android 10+ | Free tier + Premium | No “Contains ads” label | None reported | Log-in required | Free on shorter scans; more with Premium |
| CamScanner | iPhone (iOS 15+), Android, computer and browser | Free with ads + Premium | Yes | By default (US users can remove it) | Account for some features | Cloud OCR, metered with credits |
| Scanner Pro | iPhone (iOS 18+); no Android | Free Basic plan + Plus | No ad label | Yes | None documented | Plus subscription; on the device |
| iScanner | iPhone (iOS 18+), Android 12+ | Limited free version + Pro | None, per its own table | No | Not required on the device | Pro only |
| Tiny Scanner | iPhone (iOS 15+), Android 8.0+ | Free with ads + Premium | Yes | None documented | Not required | Paid plans |
| SwiftScan | iPhone (iOS 15+), Android 6.0+ | Free with ads + paid upgrade | Yes | Yes | None documented | Paid upgrade; on the device |
Best for: free plan, iPhone, Android and privacy
- Best free scanner app: Doc Scanner. Searchable PDFs, signatures and watermark-free PDF and JPG export are on the free plan. Genius Scan's free Basic plan is also clean (no watermark, no third-party ads, no account) but leaves text recognition to paid plans. Full ranking: best free scanner apps.
- Best for iPhone: Doc Scanner. Your scans show up in Spotlight search with their recognised text, and it runs on iOS 15.5 or later, while the current Scanner Pro, Adobe Scan and iScanner need iOS 18. See the best scanner apps for iPhone.
- Best for Android: Doc Scanner. Automatic edge detection uses Google Play services' document scanner, you can import with “Share to” and “Open with”, and it runs on Android 7.0 or later.
- Best for privacy: Doc Scanner. Scanning, image processing and AI-powered text recognition happen on your phone, offline, with no sign-up.
- If you'd rather pay once: TurboScan by Piksoft sells a one-time upgrade instead of a subscription (its Android listing calls it “a one time cost for life”). Its store listings don't mention text recognition.
Built-in options: iPhone Notes and Google Drive
iPhone: Notes, Files and Preview
Apple's scanner is built in and free. In Notes, tap the Attachments button, then Scan Documents, and the scan is saved as a PDF in the note (Apple's iPhone User Guide for iOS 26 and iOS 27). The Files app can scan too, and so can Preview from iOS 26. For a single page now and then, it's often enough.
Android: Google Drive and Files by Google
In Google Drive, tap the Camera button to scan; Google says the scans are saved as searchable PDFs to your Drive, inside your Google Account's storage. Files by Google has a Scan button that saves PDFs in a Scanned folder on the phone.
When a dedicated app is worth it
Doc Scanner adds things these built-in scanners don't document: an ID card mode that puts both sides on one page (Premium); Word (.docx) and TXT (Premium) and PowerPoint (.pptx) export right on the phone, where Google's help sends you to drive.google.com on a computer to convert scans to text; and one app with the same steps on iPhone and Android. Compared with Drive, there's no sign-in either: scans are saved on your phone, and you share the PDF wherever you like through the share sheet.
What happened to Microsoft Lens
Microsoft Lens (formerly Office Lens) is retired. Microsoft removed it from the App Store and Google Play on February 9, 2026, and it stopped creating new scans on March 9, 2026; existing scans stay viewable only while the app is still installed. Microsoft now recommends the scanner inside the OneDrive app, which needs a Microsoft account and, in Microsoft's own words, “does not support saving scans locally on your device.”
If a ranking you found still recommends Lens, it's out of date. For scans saved on your phone with no sign-up, Doc Scanner is the direct swap: compare the Microsoft Lens alternatives.
How we ranked (disclosure)
Doc Scanner is made by us, Ginowl, which is why it's first on our own list. For every other app we used only its store listings, official website and help pages, plus a few named reviews, and linked each one under Sources. We checked them on October 1, 2026. Free plans change often, so check the current store listing before you subscribe to anything.
We ranked on what most people need from a free download: a clean PDF without a watermark, whether searchable PDFs and text recognition are free, ads, whether you must sign up before scanning, where text recognition runs, and which phones are supported. We didn't use store ratings or download counts, and this isn't an independent lab test. We never print prices, because plans and prices vary by country and change often. Spotted something out of date? E-mail disciplifydeveloper@gmail.com and we'll fix it.
Scan your first document in seconds
Doc Scanner is free to download for iPhone and Android. No ads, no watermarks, no sign-up required.
Scan with your phone camera to get the app
Frequently asked questions
What is the best scanner app?
Our pick is Doc Scanner by Ginowl (made by us): on iPhone and Android it makes searchable PDFs on the free plan, with no ads, no watermarks and no sign-up. Genius Scan is a strong free choice if you don't need text recognition, and Adobe Scan suits people who already use Adobe Acrobat and don't mind logging in.
Which document scanner app is best for iPhone and Android together?
Doc Scanner, because the same app runs on iPhone (iOS 15.5 or later) and Android (7.0 or later) with the same tools: multi-page scanning, six filters, free signatures, folders, merging and searchable PDF export. Scanner Pro, by contrast, runs only on Apple devices.
What are the best free scanner apps?
Doc Scanner is free to download and has a free plan for scanning, signing and exporting PDFs. Premium unlocks text extraction, ID card mode, password-protected PDFs and more. Genius Scan's free Basic plan is another clean option without text recognition, and the scanners built into iPhone Notes and Google Drive cost nothing.
Is Microsoft Lens still available?
No. Microsoft retired Lens: it was removed from the App Store and Google Play on February 9, 2026, and it can't create new scans after March 9, 2026. Microsoft recommends the OneDrive app's scanner instead, which needs a Microsoft account and saves scans to OneDrive.
Is there a scanner app without ads or watermarks?
Yes. Doc Scanner shows no ads and adds no watermarks, on the free plan and on Premium. Genius Scan's free Basic plan has no watermark and no third-party ads either, while the free versions of CamScanner and SwiftScan show ads and stamp their name on scans by default.
Sources
- Genius Scan: official pricing page (checked 2026-10-01)
- Genius Scan help: quick start guide (ad-free, no watermarks) (checked 2026-10-01)
- Genius Scan help: account management (checked 2026-10-01)
- Genius Scan help: text recognition (OCR) (checked 2026-10-01)
- Genius Scan help: sign and annotate your scans (checked 2026-10-01)
- Genius Scan on the App Store (checked 2026-10-01)
- Genius Scan on Google Play (checked 2026-10-01)
- Adobe Scan on the App Store (checked 2026-10-01)
- Adobe Scan on Google Play (checked 2026-10-01)
- Adobe Scan for iOS user guide: sign-in options (checked 2026-10-01)
- Adobe Scan for iOS user guide: taking scans, ID card mode and Adobe cloud storage (checked 2026-10-01)
- Adobe Scan for iOS user guide: subscriptions and Premium features (checked 2026-10-01)
- Adobe Scan for Android release notes (supported Android versions) (checked 2026-10-01)
- TechRadar: Adobe Scan review (July 2025) (checked 2026-10-01)
- CamScanner on the App Store (checked 2026-10-01)
- CamScanner on Google Play (“Contains ads” label) (checked 2026-10-01)
- CamScanner official site (features and recognition languages) (checked 2026-10-01)
- CamScanner download page (supported platforms) (checked 2026-10-01)
- CamScanner blog: removing the watermark without a subscription (US users, November 2022) (checked 2026-10-01)
- CamScanner privacy policy (last updated 2026-07-20) (checked 2026-10-01)
- CamScanner CS Account terms (checked 2026-10-01)
- Scanner Pro on the App Store (checked 2026-10-01)
- Readdle help: use Scanner Pro for free or subscribe (checked 2026-10-01)
- Readdle blog: scan and store ID documents (free version watermark) (checked 2026-10-01)
- Readdle help: Scanner Pro text recognition (on-device) (checked 2026-10-01)
- iScanner support: Free version vs Pro version (checked 2026-10-01)
- iScanner on the App Store (checked 2026-10-01)
- iScanner on Google Play (checked 2026-10-01)
- iScanner blog: both sides of an ID card on one page (checked 2026-10-01)
- iScanner privacy policy (account optional for on-device use) (checked 2026-10-01)
- Tiny Scanner on the App Store (checked 2026-10-01)
- Tiny Scanner on Google Play (checked 2026-10-01)
- Tiny Scanner terms of service (use without registering) (checked 2026-10-01)
- Tiny Scanner blog: scanning ID cards and passports (checked 2026-10-01)
- Zapier: the best mobile scanning and OCR apps (updated October 2024) (checked 2026-10-01)
- SwiftScan help: premium features (iOS) (checked 2026-10-01)
- SwiftScan help: SwiftScan Plus OCR (checked 2026-10-01)
- SwiftScan on the App Store (checked 2026-10-01)
- SwiftScan on Google Play (checked 2026-10-01)
- Android Authority: best PDF scanner apps (August 2025) (checked 2026-10-01)
- TurboScan on Google Play (one-time upgrade) (checked 2026-10-01)
- Apple Support: How to scan documents on your iPhone or iPad (February 2026) (checked 2026-10-01)
- Apple iPhone User Guide (iOS 26 and iOS 27): scan text and documents in Notes (checked 2026-10-01)
- Apple iPhone User Guide (iOS 26 and later): get started with Preview (checked 2026-10-01)
- Google Drive Help: scan documents (Android) (checked 2026-10-01)
- Google Drive Help: convert PDF and photo files to text (checked 2026-10-01)
- Files by Google Help: scan documents (checked 2026-10-01)
- Microsoft Support: Retirement of Microsoft Lens (checked 2026-10-01)
- Microsoft Support: Use OneDrive on Android (sign-in) (checked 2026-10-01)
Doc Scanner is not affiliated with Genius Scan, The Grizzly Labs, Adobe, Adobe Scan, CamScanner, INTSIG, Scanner Pro, Readdle, iScanner, BP Mobile, Tiny Scanner, TinyWork Apps, SwiftScan, Scanbot, Maple Media, TurboScan, Piksoft, Microsoft, Microsoft Lens, OneDrive, Apple and Google. Trademarks belong to their respective owners.
Related pages
- Best for iPhoneThe best scanner app for iPhone in 2026: Doc Scanner, Genius Scan, Scanner Pro, Adobe Scan and more, ranked against the built-in Notes scanner.
- Best for AndroidThe best scanner apps for Android in 2026, ranked: Doc Scanner, Google Drive, Adobe Scan, Genius Scan, CamScanner. Sourced facts on ads, watermarks, OCR.
- Best free scannersThe best free scanner apps for iPhone and Android, ranked by what each free version includes: ads, watermarks, searchable PDFs, signatures and sign-up.
- CamScanner alternativesThe best CamScanner alternative for iPhone and Android: Doc Scanner has no ads, no watermarks and no sign-up, plus free searchable PDFs and signatures.
- Adobe Scan alternativesThe Adobe Scan alternative with no sign-up: Doc Scanner for iPhone and Android makes searchable PDFs with on-device OCR, plus free merge and signatures.
- Microsoft Lens alternativesMicrosoft Lens was retired in 2026. Compare the best Microsoft Lens alternatives for iPhone and Android, from OneDrive's scanner to Doc Scanner.
- No watermarkDoc Scanner is a scanner app with no watermark on PDFs or JPGs, free plan included. No ads, no sign-up, searchable PDFs. For iPhone and Android.
- HomeDoc Scanner app by Ginowl: a document scanner for iPhone and Android. Multi-page, searchable PDFs and free signatures. No ads, no watermarks, no sign-up.