Verithiathe honest score on any app
Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
Head-to-head

ScanGuru vs Adobe Scan

ScanGuru 4.6★ · Free + IAP 30
Winner Adobe Scan
Adobe Scan 4.9★ · Free to download 75

Adobe Scan is the better choice for reliable, high-quality document scanning with a more transparent free tier, while ScanGuru is plagued by aggressive monetization and subscription issues.

Full reviews: ScanGuru · Adobe Scan

Adobe Scan generally provides clear, high-quality scans and is praised for its ease of use and reliability, despite some recent complaints about export features and occasional bugs. ScanGuru, while capable of good scans, faces significant user backlash due to deceptive free trial practices, high subscription costs, and difficulty canceling.

Head to head

Scanning Quality & Features edge: Adobe ScanR11R31R40R47
ScanGuru ScanGuru users report that it can easily scan and convert documents to PDF, with some finding it great for saving certificates and letters R40R11. However, others experience issues with framing documents, incorrect text translation, and the app not working at all for scanning R11R47R31.
Adobe Scan Adobe Scan is widely praised for producing crisp, clean, clear, and high-quality scans, making physical documents into PDFs effectively . Users appreciate its ability to convert and save documents, though some recent updates have reportedly made the crop function buggy or caused issues with text editing and color scanning .
Ease of Use edge: Adobe ScanR4R8R32R57
ScanGuru Some ScanGuru users find the app easy to use and set up R8R32. Conversely, many others describe it as very hard to use, with no instructions, error messages, and difficulty getting it to work R4R57.
Adobe Scan Adobe Scan is frequently described as easy to use, simple, and intuitive, helping users organize documents effectively . However, some users find it intentionally difficult or clunky, especially with recent updates, and wish for a simpler interface R78.
Reliability & Performance edge: Adobe ScanR29R31R33R49
ScanGuru ScanGuru has numerous reports of not working, failing to scan, or displaying blank screens R29R31R33R49. Some users also experience issues with the app crashing or stopping working after a few months R49.
Adobe Scan Adobe Scan is generally considered reliable, with users having used it for years for various tasks . However, recent reviews mention issues like crashing on iPads during multi-page scans, refusing to open after updates, and general bugginess . Some also note that it's not always reliable after updates .
Price & Value edge: Adobe ScanR1R9R10R12
ScanGuru ScanGuru is heavily criticized for its pricing model, with many users feeling scammed. Complaints include high weekly fees ($7-8 per week), charges during a 'free' trial, and difficulty canceling subscriptions R1R9R10R12. Users are disappointed that basic functions require payment R13.
Adobe Scan Adobe Scan is free to download, and many users appreciate its value, with some stating it doesn't charge a ton of money or has saved them money . However, a significant number of users express frustration with features being locked behind a premium subscription, especially for exporting PDFs, and find the premium price too expensive for occasional use R64R66R85R90. There are also reports of unexpected charges after trial periods .
Support & Cancellation edge: ScanGuruR1R17R29R49
ScanGuru ScanGuru users report extreme difficulty canceling subscriptions, with the app refusing to cancel or charges continuing despite cancellation R1R17R51. There are also complaints about a lack of contact information for help and no response to emails R29R49.
Adobe Scan Adobe Scan has some reports of users being charged after trial periods and having difficulty getting refunds, even when claiming it was a mistake . There are no specific mentions of direct support interactions or cancellation difficulties beyond the billing issues.
Pick ScanGuru if

You are looking for a basic scanning app and are extremely careful about managing free trials and subscriptions, as some users find it easy to use for simple tasks R8R32.

Pick Adobe Scan if

You need a reliable scanner that produces clear, high-quality documents and are comfortable with a freemium model where advanced features or convenient exporting might require a subscription . You value an intuitive interface for scanning and organizing documents .

Evidence note: ScanGuru's reviews are heavily skewed by complaints about its monetization strategy and subscription issues, making it difficult to assess its core scanning functionality fairly. Adobe Scan has a much larger user base and a higher lifetime rating, suggesting a generally positive experience despite recent complaints about updates and premium feature gating.

Frequently asked

Is ScanGuru truly free?
No, ScanGuru is not truly free; many users report that while it advertises a free trial, it quickly charges high, undisclosed, and recurring subscription fees, with basic functions like downloading scanned documents or scanning multiple pages requiring payment R9R10R13R17.
How much does ScanGuru cost?
ScanGuru's pricing is a major point of contention, with users reporting charges of $7 to $8 per week, which many find too expensive for occasional use R12R27.
Can I easily cancel ScanGuru?
Many users report significant difficulty canceling ScanGuru subscriptions, with the app refusing to cancel, charges continuing despite cancellation, and a lack of clear contact information for support R1R17R29R51.
Does Adobe Scan require a subscription?
Adobe Scan is free to download and use for basic scanning, but many advanced features, especially for editing and convenient exporting of PDFs, are locked behind a paid premium subscription R64R66R85R90.
Why can't I save or export PDFs easily with Adobe Scan?
Some Adobe Scan users report that recent updates have made it intentionally difficult to save or export PDFs directly to their phone files, often providing a link instead of a downloadable PDF, which pushes users towards paid features or cloud services R64R66R70R78.

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R11] ScanGuru 4/5 · US Love this: Just Sometimes it hard to scan it is not able to frame my document and need to adjust But I am so happy I could save my certificates and letters
  2. [R31] ScanGuru 1/5 · US No sirve: No sirve no escanea imágenes
  3. [R40] ScanGuru 5/5 · US Works great: It easily scans and converts to pdf in a size that easily fits in email attachments. Pricey but simple & great at what it does
  4. [R47] ScanGuru 1/5 · US Scanner translation errors: For some reason the app will translate to text incorrectly, such as, changing the word DireWolves to DISHCLOTHES, when the word DireWolves is written clearly. Also the scanning to change the text will say complete them says, sorry I can’t complete that request. And it also gives a try again logo for pages that I have to exit the app and refresh it before going back int
  5. [R4] ScanGuru 1/5 · US Very hard to use!!: Very hard to use, no instructions, error, messages, coming up with no explanation. so far, not impressed with the app. I was thinking about purchasing it but not anymore.
  6. [R8] ScanGuru 5/5 · US Scam Guru: Easy-Peasy right in the palm of your hand onto your phone screen. Then you can file it wherever you want to put it🙌
  7. [R32] ScanGuru 5/5 · US Second to none: Love this app easy to use as well as set up
  8. [R57] ScanGuru 1/5 · US Disappointing: Keeps trying to force you into paid version. Can’t get it to work at all. Does anyone actually test these apps to see if they work for someone who doesn’t already know how to use them?
  9. [R29] ScanGuru 1/5 · US Review Jan 11: Tried using your system and nothing but blank came up on my phone. It then that I canceled my subscription. No contact information to help me.
  10. [R33] ScanGuru 1/5 · US Not working: I just added this app & it’s not working!!! 😡
  11. [R49] ScanGuru 1/5 · US This app stop working the soon the return 3 Months Circle of Apple Finnish so this is scam never buy: I have the pictures or this app not working I hope there was option to upload those pictures This app stop working the soon the return 3 Months Circle of Apple Finnish so this is scam never buy this Just wasting of your money and they never respond back to your email
  12. [R1] ScanGuru 2/5 · US No better than iPhone: And very difficult to cancel subscription. It refused to cancel on the app and told me to cancel it here.
  13. [R9] ScanGuru 3/5 · GB Disappointed: You can’t use it till you subscribe :(
  14. [R10] ScanGuru 1/5 · US Payment: I wish it was free to use but I’m so disappointed with this
  15. [R12] ScanGuru 3/5 · GB Good but needs more affordable price plans: $7 per week!? Had to look twice, thought it said per month at first. It makes sense if you use it all the time as a power productivity tool, but for an occasional user, too expensive
  16. [R17] ScanGuru 1/5 · US Please read!: Scan Guru advertised a free trial but then charged high, undisclosed, and recurring subscription fees. I canceled the application before the 7‑day trial ended, specifically on 03/02/2026, and I have a screenshot confirming the cancellation. Despite canceling on time, I was still charged, and I am now being billed for an additional week even though the subscription period ended on 03/19
  17. [R13] ScanGuru 1/5 · US ScamGuru: The most disgusting app in the world. Want to download a scanned document? Pay money. Want to scan several and save as one file? Pay money. Want to scan more than 3 pages at once? Pay money. Rename your crappy app to ScamGuru. The number of downloads won't overshadow your inadequacy. · translated
  18. [R27] ScanGuru 1/5 · US $8 a week no thanks: $8 a week no thanks
  19. [R51] ScanGuru 1/5 · US Canceling: Been trying to cancel FREE trial for 3 days and account is still activate. I want a refund !
  20. [R64] Adobe Scan 2/5 · US Useful, but feels intentionally difficult: Was looking to create a quick pdf, which the app did well. Getting that PDF was another story. Went to airdrop it to a computer to email, but instead of giving me the PDF it transmitted a link, which did not have download enabled. Feels like this could be easy, but Adobe wants to push you towards paid features instead of offering basic usability.
  21. [R66] Adobe Scan 3/5 · US Export PDF Needs Simplification.: Export PDF Needs Simplification. I don’t need a link, I need a PDF in my phone files.
  22. [R85] Adobe Scan 1/5 · US Adobe just sucks: That’s all there is to it. They let you use the app until you need to actually export anything from it and then they say, “not so fast! Surprise! Get a subscription”. Adobe does not value my time.
  23. [R90] Adobe Scan 3/5 · GB Premium is too expensive.: I liked this app and I use it once in a while but whenever I need it I need to use premium for editing it. Premium is also a bit too expensive so I normally use another app like photos.
  24. [R70] Adobe Scan 2/5 · US No ‘Save’ Button.: Adobe Scan used to be very good. It was my go to for scanning documents to PDF. But now you can no longer find a save button and I tried three times to save a document as a PDF but no nothing apparent. I’ll go to some other app till they fix this.
  25. [R78] Adobe Scan 3/5 · GB Used to be better: I used to love using this app for scanning my expense receipt and turning them into PDFs but now it seems more difficult with the insistent AI features and my PDFs look worse / harder to transfer directly via airdrop. I just want the PDF.

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store