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Source-backed analysis9

Review basis

Research-based review: the AppDuo Editorial Team compiled it from official pages, documentation, app stores, press and user feedback, without hands-on testing. Every claim links to a source with the date it was checked.

9 reference sources

Information updated Nov 10, 2026

How we review
CamScanner logo

CamScanner Review

Document-scanning app with OCR, PDF tools and AI enhancement

Editorial Team6.8/10Write the first review

By Official AppDuo editorial team · Updated

  • Web
  • iOS
  • Android
Freemium · $9.99/mo
Visit CamScanner
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On this page

Decide at a glance

Our verdict

CamScanner suits people who scan paperwork, invoices and certificates into PDFs and pull text out quickly on a phone. The trade-offs are many features behind a paid plan with no price on the official site, a free app whose ads draw heavy complaints, and a 2019 advertising-library incident.

Best for: People who scan documents, invoices and IDs with a phone and export PDF, JPG, Word or TXT

Skip it if: Anyone who prioritizes privacy and does not want files synced to the vendor's servers

Pros

  • Strong store ratings: 4.8/5 from nearly 2 million on the US App Store and 4.6/5 from over 5 million on Google Play
  • Multi-page scanning, automatic edge cropping, shadow removal, OCR, e-signatures and an ID scan mode
  • Web app and online PDF tools (PDF to Word, merge, split) with sync across devices

Cons

  • The official site shows no Premium price, and the App Store lists ten different in-app purchase tiers, which makes comparison hard
  • Top Google Play reviews (September 2026) complain of intrusive, hard-to-close ads and of a full-year charge after a forgotten trial
All pros and cons · Who is it for?

Pros

  • The company holds ISO/IEC 27001 and 27701 certifications; files can be sent to Dropbox, Google Drive, Evernote and OneDrive

Cons

  • Wikipedia records the 2019 incident when an ad library with a trojan led Google to remove the app, and India's 2020 ban
  • Synced files are stored on the vendor's servers; no end-to-end encryption is mentioned

Best for

  • Small teams that need shared folders and document access management

Skip it if

  • People who only need to read and edit PDFs on a computer, where a dedicated PDF reader fits better

Problems it solves

Experience & key features

What is CamScanner?

CamScanner is an app that turns a phone into a document scanner, developed by INTSIG. Per Wikipedia it first released in 2010; the homepage claims over 300 million users across more than 200 countries and regions. It is available on iOS, Android and the web.

Key features

Per the homepage and store pages, the app scans multiple pages, detects edges, corrects perspective, removes shadows and finger marks, runs OCR, supports e-signatures and watermarks, and exports PDF, JPG, Word or TXT. The website also offers online PDF tools such as PDF to Word, merge and split. Files can be sent to Dropbox, Google Drive, Evernote and OneDrive.

Plans and pricing

The Premium page splits into three tiers: Basic (1 GB, 7-day trash, 3 free advanced extractions), Premium (10 GB, 1,000 per month, no ads) and For Business (20 GB per person, 9,999 per person per month). That page shows no prices. On the US App Store, Premium Account costs 9.99 USD a month or 59.99 USD a year; the Vietnam App Store lists 229,000 VND a month and several yearly tiers from 929,000 to 1,499,000 VND. With so many overlapping tiers, check the price and term in the app before subscribing.

More analysis

Privacy and history

For OCR and sync, the company collects uploaded files and replicates them to its servers, per the privacy policy. Wikipedia records that in August 2019 Kaspersky found an advertising library with a trojan dropper in recent Android versions and Google removed the app; a clean version returned on 5 September 2019. In June 2020 India banned CamScanner along with other Chinese apps, including TikTok.

Compared with alternatives

CamScanner is strongest at phone scanning with OCR. For deeper PDF editing on a computer, Adobe Acrobat is a different route; iLovePDF and Smallpdf focus on web PDF tools. Weigh privacy if your documents hold sensitive information.

Screenshots

CamScanner promotional screenshot for iPhone from the App Store page
CamScanner promotional screenshot for iPhone from the App Store page
Second CamScanner screenshot on the App Store
Second CamScanner screenshot on the App Store
Third CamScanner screenshot on the App Store
Third CamScanner screenshot on the App Store

Plans & pricing

Prices last verified Nov 10, 2026

Basic

Personal

Free

Per CamScanner's Premium page: 1 GB cloud storage, 7-day trash retention, unlimited standard text extraction (mobile app only) and 3 free advanced text extractions.

Premium

Personal

$9.99/mo/user

$5/mo billed yearly

10 GB cloud storage, 30-day trash, 1,000 advanced text extractions per month, image to Excel and Word, 10 ID photos per month and no ads. The Premium page shows no price; the US App Store in-app purchases list "Premium Account (1 Month)" at 9.99 USD and "Premium Account (1 year)" at 59.99 USD (about 5 USD per month), plus several other tiers from 4.99 to 69.99 USD without a stated term.

For Business

Business

Contact sales

20 GB per person, 9,999 advanced text extractions per person per month, account permission management and dedicated VIP support. No price is listed on the page read.

Free plan limits
The free app contains ads per the Google Play listing, with the storage, trash and advanced-OCR limits above. Some PDF tools are marked as free for a limited time.
Free trial
No free trial
Cancellation & refunds

The pages read state no refund policy; the App Store says subscriptions auto-renew unless turned off at least 24 hours before the period ends, and any unused free trial is forfeited when a subscription is purchased. Some Google Play reviewers (September 2026) report being charged for a full year after forgetting to cancel a trial.

Privacy

CamScanner's privacy policy (updated 20 July 2026) says that when you use OCR or cloud sync it collects the files you scan or upload and processes them for storage and technical processing such as text recognition. Data may be stored on your device; on sync it is replicated to the company's servers. It also collects advertising identifiers (IDFA, GAID) and shares non-identifying information with advertising providers. File data is kept until you delete the files or your account. On the App Store the developer declares identifiers and usage data are used to track you, and Google Play says the app may share device IDs with third parties. The company holds ISO/IEC 27001, 27701 and 20000 certifications. Wikipedia records that in August 2019 Kaspersky found an advertising library with a trojan dropper in recent Android versions, Google removed the app, and a cleaned version returned on 5 September 2019; India banned the app in June 2020. The pages read do not mention end-to-end encryption.

Official pricing page

CamScanner alternatives

iLovePDF logo7.7/10

iLovePDF

About 30 web PDF tools: merge, split, compress, convert and sign, with a free tier

Freemium
Smallpdf logo7.3/10

Smallpdf

Web-based PDF toolkit: compress, convert, merge, edit and sign

Freemium
All alternatives

Frequently asked questions

Is CamScanner free?

There is a free Basic tier with 1 GB cloud storage and 3 advanced text extractions, per the Premium page. Google Play lists ads and in-app purchases.

Is CamScanner safe?

The company holds ISO/IEC 27001 and 27701 certifications, but per Wikipedia Google removed the app in 2019 over an ad library with a trojan in some Android versions; a clean version returned. Synced files are stored on the vendor's servers.

Which formats can CamScanner export?

Google Play says documents can be saved and shared as PDF, JPG, Word or TXT.

Can I use CamScanner on a computer?

There is a Web App and online PDF tools on the homepage. The pages read name no separate desktop application.

Review evidence & sources9

Scores

Ease of use
7.6
Why this score

Scanning auto-crops, straightens and enhances; the app scores 4.8/5 on the US and Vietnam App Stores and 4.6/5 on Google Play. Marked down because top Google Play reviews (September 2026) report intrusive ads that are sometimes hard to close.

Features
8.0
Why this score

Scanning, OCR, PDF conversion, e-signatures, ID photos, team folders and a web app. Some conversion tools are free only for a limited time.

Value for money
6.0
Why this score

Basic gives 1 GB and only 3 advanced OCR uses, with ads that only a paid plan removes. On the US App Store Premium runs about 9.99 USD a month or 59.99 USD a year, but tiers overlap and the official site lists no price. Google Play reviewers also complain about auto-renewal after trials.

Performance
7.4
Why this score

The vendor claims 99.77% average OCR accuracy (not independently verified) and over 300 million users. Store scores are high but no independent performance measurements were found.

Support
6.5
Why this score

An FAQ, blog and dedicated VIP support for the business plan. Individual users can send in-app feedback or email [email protected], and the developer replies to negative Google Play reviews.

Privacy & security
5.0
Why this score

ISO 27001 and 27701 certified, but synced files sit on the vendor's servers, the policy lists advertising identifiers, the App Store label declares data used for tracking, and Wikipedia records the 2019 ad-library incident and India's 2020 ban.

What users say

Sources

Specs & compatibility
Developer
INTSIG
Headquarters
China
Launched
2010
Category
ProductivityUtilities

Capabilities

  • AI features
  • Real-time collaboration
  • Integrations
  • Mobile app

Platforms

  • Web
  • iOS
  • Android

Interface languages

  • Vietnamese
  • English
  • Japanese
  • Chinese
  • Spanish
  • French
  • Korean
  • German
  • Portuguese
  • Russian
  • Thai
  • Indonesian

Integrations

  • Dropbox
  • Google Drive
  • Evernote
  • OneDrive

Support

  • Help center
  • Email

Change history

  1. Update.US Executive Order 13971 bars transactions with CamScanner and other Chinese apps; it is revoked in June 2021.
  2. Update.The Government of India bans a batch of Chinese apps, including TikTok and CamScanner.
  3. Update.An updated version without the ad library returns to Google Play.
Full change history (5)
  1. Update.Kaspersky reports an advertising library with a trojan dropper in recent Android versions; Google removes the app from Google Play.
  2. Launch.The first iOS version is released on the App Store (per AppGoblin data).
About the author

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