Quick summary: Choose Scanner Pro if your team relies on automated cloud sync (WebDAV, Evernote, Dropbox) and you are willing to pay $29.99/year for Scanner Pro Plus. Choose img2pdf (requires iOS 18 or later) if you want 100% on-device privacy, zero watermarks, free on-device OCR, and a dedicated mode that puts both sides of an ID card on one page with zero subscriptions.
Overview: Enterprise Cloud Scanner vs Native Utility
Scanner Pro (developed by Readdle Technologies, App Store ID 333710667, readdle.com/scannerpro, checked November 2026) is one of the most mature document scanning apps in the iOS ecosystem. It offers extensive multi-cloud destinations and business workflow automations.
However, like many enterprise mobile apps, Scanner Pro has transitioned its primary feature set into a recurring subscription model (Scanner Pro Plus: $29.99/year or $4.99/month). Free users face watermarked exports and restricted access to OCR text recognition.
img2pdf is built on a radically different philosophy: utility software should be fast, private, and permanent. It operates 100% offline, never collects data, provides free on-device OCR via Apple's native Vision framework, and charges zero dollars for complete functionality.
Feature Breakdown: img2pdf vs Scanner Pro
| Feature | Scanner Pro (Readdle) | img2pdf |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing & Subscriptions | Freemium: $29.99/year or $4.99/month (Scanner Pro Plus) Source: App Store ID 333710667, checked Nov 2026 |
100% Free ($0, no subscriptions or in-app purchases) Source: App Store ID 6762545311, checked Nov 2026 |
| Watermark Policy | Free tier adds watermark ("Scanned with Scanner Pro"); Plus removes it | Clean export: 0 watermarks, 0 branding on all exports |
| Searchable PDF (OCR) | Gated behind $29.99/year Plus subscription | 100% Free on-device OCR (Apple Vision framework) |
| Put Both Sides of ID Card on 1 Page | ❌ No (saves front and back as 2 separate pages) | ✅ Dedicated ID card mode: 2-up single page layout |
| Email Size Presets | Basic quality slider without exact size target presets | Small (150 DPI B&W under 2MB), Standard (200 DPI), Best presets |
| Page Sequencing | Thumbnail reordering and folder hierarchy | Interactive visual drag-and-drop grid; reverse; sort by date |
| Cloud Integrations | Extensive: Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, WebDAV, Evernote | Direct iOS share sheet, Apple Files, AirDrop, and iCloud Drive |
| Data Collection & Privacy | Analytics, crash telemetry, cloud server connections | 100% On-Device: Data Not Collected (Apple Privacy Nutrition Label) |
Where Scanner Pro Excels
- Automated multi-cloud workflows: If you need every scan to automatically upload to a WebDAV enterprise server, Evernote notebook, or shared corporate Dropbox folder in the background.
- Fax service: Scanner Pro includes an integrated paid faxing utility for transmitting physical faxes from iPhone.
- Text translation: Supports multi-language translation of scanned text inside the app.
Where img2pdf Excels
- Put both sides of an ID card on one PDF page: img2pdf has an automated 2-up ID card scanner mode that centers front and back scans on a single US Letter or A4 sheet at true card scale. Scanner Pro makes two separate pages.
- No watermarks or paywalls: You never have to worry about an unexpected $29.99 renewal or sending a watermarked contract to a client.
- Email-friendly compression: The Small preset converts scans to crisp 150 DPI grayscale, guaranteeing the resulting file stays well under 2MB portal and email attachment limits.
- Permanent redaction: Dedicated black privacy blocks mask personal data, account numbers, and signatures before export.
- Absolute privacy: Zero data collection, no user accounts, and zero cloud uploads. Works in Airplane Mode without internet access.
Verdict: Which App Should You Choose?
Choose Scanner Pro if: You are an enterprise professional who needs automatic background sync to Dropbox or WebDAV and doesn't mind paying an ongoing $29.99/year subscription.
Choose img2pdf if: You want a clean, honest, fast utility that turns documents and photos into compact PDFs, combines both sides of driver's licenses on one page, provides free on-device OCR, and never pesters you with subscription paywalls.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Scanner Pro completely free on iPhone?
Scanner Pro by Readdle is free to download, but advanced features including full-text OCR, automatic cloud uploads, and watermark-free exports require a Scanner Pro Plus subscription costing $29.99 per year or $4.99 per month. img2pdf is completely free with no subscriptions or in-app purchases.
Does img2pdf place watermarks on exported PDF documents?
No. All PDFs exported by img2pdf are completely clean with zero forced branding or watermarks. While Scanner Pro's free tier adds a watermark unless upgraded to Plus, img2pdf remains 100% watermark-free for all users.
Can Scanner Pro combine the front and back of an ID card on one page?
Scanner Pro captures ID cards but saves each scanned side as a separate document page. img2pdf has a purpose-built ID Card mode that automatically positions both the front and back onto a single portrait US Letter or A4 page.
Does img2pdf require an internet connection or user account?
No. img2pdf requires no account, sign-in, or internet connection. All document scanning, OCR text generation, and PDF compression execute 100% locally on your iPhone hardware with Apple Privacy Nutrition Label classification of Data Not Collected.
The zero-subscription scanner for iPhone
100% on-device scanning, ID card dual-side layouts, and free OCR.
