iPhone document scanner

Document scanner for iPhone. Scan to PDF. No subscription.

ScanWow is a document scanner and PDF scanner for iPhone and iPad. Capture paper, auto-crop, enhance, and scan to PDF in a few taps. OCR reads text in 17 languages on your device, and you can search inside your scans in the app. Free to download with 3 free documents. Pro is a one-time $4.99 in the US, with no subscription.

Download ScanWow Free See pricing

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What this document scanner app does

Scan documents, receipts, contracts, invoices, notes, and whiteboards to PDF
Auto-crop and image enhancement on every capture
Multi-page documents: add pages as you go, remove any page you do not need
OCR text recognition in 17 languages, on your device for most languages
Search inside your scans by the words they contain
New scans are named from the heading at the top of the page (version 3.0.7 or later), with a dated name like "Scan, Nov 4" when no heading is found. Rename anytime.
Export standard PDFs via Files, Mail, AirDrop, or the iOS share sheet
Import from Photos and Files, including existing PDFs (up to 20 pages per PDF)
Automatic iCloud Backup to your own iCloud with Pro
No account required to start scanning
One-time $4.99 Pro: no subscription, no auto-renewal

Scan to PDF in four steps

Open ScanWow and point the camera at the page. The app finds the edges and captures a clean scan.
Add more pages if you need a multi-page PDF, or import photos and PDFs you already have.
Confirm the crop and enhancement. OCR runs so you can search the scan later in the app.
Export as PDF and share wherever you need it. With Pro, turn on Automatic iCloud Backup so a new iPhone can restore your library.

Free document scanner, then a one-time Pro

Free to try

Download is free. Your first 3 documents are free. A multi-page scan counts as one document, and so does a photo or PDF import. Text recognition, search inside your scans, multi-page PDF export, Siri and Shortcuts, and Secure API Export are included for everyone.

Pro, once

ScanWow Pro is $4.99 once in the US (the App Store shows your local price). Pro adds unlimited scans, Automatic iCloud Backup to your own iCloud, and 1,000 Magic Enhance credits. No monthly fee. See full pricing.

Built for the searches people actually type

Document scanner / doc scanner / scanner app: Fast capture with auto-crop, then a clear PDF you can file or send.
PDF scanner / scan to PDF: One page or many, exported as a standard PDF.
Free document scanner app: Free download and 3 free documents before you decide on Pro.
Scanner with no subscription: Pro is a one-time purchase. No auto-renewal.
OCR text scanner: On-device text recognition in 17 languages (see the text scanner page). Optional Magic Enhance (Anthropic Claude, with Google Gemini as a backup) is only used when you tap it on a page, and you can turn Magic Cloud off in Settings.
Receipts, contracts, invoices: Same scanner workflow. See the receipts guide, the contracts guide, or the compare hub.

Privacy and where your pages go

ScanWow reads text on your device by default, and your scans are never stored on our servers. A page is only sent for AI cleanup when you tap Magic Enhance on it. To keep every page on your device, turn off Magic Cloud in Settings and leave iCloud Backup and Secure API Export off. Pages you share or export go wherever you send them. Details are on the Privacy Policy.

Common questions

What is the best free document scanner app for iPhone?

ScanWow is free to download, and your first 3 documents are free. You can scan to PDF, use OCR in 17 languages, and search inside your scans without paying. ScanWow Pro is an optional one-time $4.99 in the US for unlimited scans, automatic iCloud Backup, and 1,000 Magic Enhance credits. There is no subscription.

Can ScanWow scan documents to PDF on iPhone?

Yes. ScanWow is built for scan-to-PDF on iPhone and iPad. Capture one page or many, auto-crop and enhance, then export a standard PDF you can share via Files, Mail, AirDrop, or any app on the share sheet.

Is there a scanner app with no subscription?

Yes. ScanWow Pro is a one-time $4.99 purchase in the US (the App Store shows your local price). There is no monthly fee and no auto-renewal. All future updates are included.

Does ScanWow make searchable PDF files?

ScanWow recognizes text when you scan and lets you search inside your scans in the app. From version 3.0.5, exported PDFs carry that text on pages with recognized text, so you can search them in Files and copy text from them. Clear file names still help.

Does ScanWow work offline?

Yes. You can scan, crop, enhance, read text for most languages, and export PDFs without an internet connection. Automatic iCloud Backup (Pro) uploads when you reconnect. Magic Enhance needs a connection when you choose to use it.

Ready to scan to PDF?

Free to download. 3 documents free. Pro is $4.99 once. No subscription.

Download on the App Store