Freedom251 › Mobile Scanning Apps
Open Scanner
What Open Scanner is
Open Scanner is a free iOS app for scanning receipts, notes, textbooks, and other documents with an iPhone. Scans are kept in a built-in library and synchronized to the user’s devices. Automatic text recognition creates a transcript for each page. Users can organize and reorder pages, annotate and edit scans, then share or export them as PDFs. Optional location permission lets the app attach location data, and signatures saved on other devices can be added. Apple Pencil markup is supported on iPad, while the listing also describes native Vision Pro support. The App Store lists the app as iPhone-only and requires iOS 16.0 or later; Apple Vision compatibility requires visionOS 1.0 or later. Open Scanner is open source under the MIT License. Pencil Research says documents are encrypted with the user’s Apple ID and private to that user. The maker says there are no third-party analytics or advertising SDKs, and no third-party account is required.
Who it suits
Open Scanner suits iPhone users who need document scans, OCR transcripts, PDF export, and page organization without subscriptions or third-party accounts.
What it does well
- Free plan has no ads or subscriptions
- Automatic text recognition creates transcripts
- Scans sync through a built-in library
- Supports PDF sharing and export
- Open source under the MIT License
What to know first
- iPhone-only listing
- Requires iOS 16.0 or later
- Android is not supported
- Location tagging requires optional permission
Plans
| Plan | Billed and limits | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Free | No ads · no in-app purchases · no subscriptions | Free |
As openscanner.app lists them, read 11 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.
Verdict
Open Scanner combines scanning, OCR, editing, and PDF export in a free open-source iOS app. Its account-free design and stated document privacy may appeal to users who want local Apple-platform scanning tools.
Facts from Open Scanner's own pages
- Accounts
- The App Store listing describes Open Scanner as a native iOS app that requires no third-party accounts. · apps.apple.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Android app
- No · openscanner.app, 22 Sept 2026
- Data collection
- The maker says the app has no third-party analytics or advertising SDKs and that Apple provides it only aggregated app telemetry. · openscanner.app, 11 Oct 2026
- Document privacy
- Pencil Research says it cannot access documents created in the app because they are encrypted with the user’s Apple ID and private to that user. · openscanner.app, 11 Oct 2026
- Document tools
- Users can organize and reorder pages, annotate and edit scans, and share or export them as PDFs. · apps.apple.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Free plan
- Yes · openscanner.app, 22 Sept 2026
- iOS app
- Yes · openscanner.app, 22 Sept 2026
- iPad and Vision Pro
- The App Store listing says the app supports Apple Pencil markup on iPad and native Vision Pro support. · apps.apple.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Library and sync
- Scans are saved in a built-in library and synced to the user’s devices. · openscanner.app, 11 Oct 2026
- Location tagging
- The app can annotate scans with location data if the user grants optional location permission. · openscanner.app, 11 Oct 2026
- OCR included
- Yes · openscanner.app, 22 Sept 2026
- Open source
- The app is open source under the MIT License, and its maker says developers can audit or republish the source code. · openscanner.app, 11 Oct 2026
- Platform requirements
- The App Store lists the app as iPhone-only and requires iOS 16.0 or later; it also lists Apple Vision compatibility with visionOS 1.0 or later. · apps.apple.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Open Scanner scans receipts, notes, textbooks, and other documents with an iPhone. · openscanner.app, 11 Oct 2026
- Signatures
- The App Store listing says users can add signatures saved on their other devices. · apps.apple.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Support
- The maker’s site links to an email contact for Pencil Research. · pencilresearch.com, 11 Oct 2026
- Text recognition
- The App Store listing says the app provides automatic text recognition to build a page transcript. · apps.apple.com, 11 Oct 2026
Where Open Scanner stands on Freedom251
- Mobile Scanning Apps#61 of 76
- Scanner apps#61 of 76