An Adobe Scan alternative that keeps scans on your device
Scanlio is an alternative to Adobe Scan, CamScanner, Genius Scan, Scanner Pro, Microsoft Lens and the built-in Apple Notes and Files scanner for people who want scanning, OCR, signing and PDF editing in one app without uploading their documents to a cloud.
Adobe Scan is one of the most downloaded scanner apps on the App Store, and for good reason: it is free to install, the capture pipeline is reliable, and it plugs straight into the rest of Adobe's PDF tools. If it already does what you need, keep it. This page is for the people who searched for an Adobe Scan alternative because of a specific friction: the cloud upload that happens by default, the small OCR allowance on the free tier, the monthly subscription, or the fact that signing a scan means opening a second app. It explains what Adobe Scan does well, what Scanlio does differently, and how to move your files if you decide to switch.
What Adobe Scan does well
Adobe Scan's listing on the App Store describes a free scanner with automatic capture and clean-up, basic text recognition on the free tier, and automatic saving of every scan to Adobe Document Cloud so the file is available on other devices where you sign in. It carries a 4.9-star average across roughly 1.6 million ratings, which reflects a mature product. Because the scans land in Adobe's cloud, opening them in Acrobat Reader to comment, highlight, fill forms and sign is a short hop, and organisations that already pay for Acrobat get a consistent toolchain.
Adobe Scan is available for iPhone and iPad. A Mac version is not listed on the App Store page we checked.
Where people look for an alternative
- Cloud upload by default. The listing states that scans are automatically saved to Adobe Document Cloud. For contracts, medical letters, pay slips or a child's passport, some people prefer a scan that never leaves the phone.
- A limited OCR allowance on the free tier. Adobe's own premium pitch is that upgrading raises OCR capacity from 5 pages to 100 pages. If you scan more than a handful of text-heavy pages a month, text recognition becomes a paid feature.
- Combining and extracting pages is paid. Merging several scans into one file and the extract-pages tool are listed as subscriber features.
- Subscription pricing. At the time of writing the listing shows Adobe Scan Premium at $9.99 per month, Adobe Scan Plus at $4.99 per month or $19.99 per year, and several other tiers between $3.99 and $69.99. There is no one-time purchase in the list.
- Signing lives in another app. The listing directs you to open the scan in Acrobat Reader to fill forms and sign. It works, but it is a second install and a second set of permissions.
- Account sign-in. Whether the free tier strictly requires an Adobe ID is not verified from the listing; the cloud save described above implies one.
How Scanlio compares
Scanlio takes the opposite architectural decision: everything, including OCR, runs on the device, there is no account, and the file stays in the app's library on your iPhone, iPad or Mac (and in your own iCloud or device backups, which you control). Signing, text boxes, white-out, merging and splitting are inside the same app as the scanner, so a rental agreement can be scanned, signed and sent from one screen.
| Scanlio | Adobe Scan | |
|---|---|---|
| Price model | Free download; Pro as weekly, monthly or yearly subscription, or a one-time Lifetime purchase listed at $119.99 on the App Store at the time of writing | Free download; Premium $9.99/month, Plus $4.99/month or $19.99/year, other tiers $3.99–$69.99 (App Store listing at the time of writing); no one-time option listed |
| OCR on the free tier | Yes, within a shared free allowance; saving is never blocked; unlimited with Pro | Yes, limited; Premium raises OCR capacity from 5 to 100 pages |
| Sign PDFs | In the app: draw a reusable signature once with finger or Apple Pencil | Via the separate Acrobat Reader app |
| Edit PDF text / white-out | Movable, resizable text boxes; white-out to cover and replace text; freehand draw and highlight | Basic editing on the free tier; text editing not verified |
| Merge / split / extract pages | Yes | Paid (subscriber feature per listing) |
| PDF to Word | Yes (Word/.rtf), plus images and plain text | Not listed on the Adobe Scan page (Adobe offers it in other products); not verified |
| ID / passport mode | Dedicated guide frame, front-and-back capture, Face ID or PIN lock | Not listed; not verified |
| Where files are stored | On your device only; no upload | Automatically saved to Adobe Document Cloud |
| Account required | No | Not verified from the listing; cloud save implies an Adobe ID |
| Platforms | iPhone, iPad, Mac (iOS 17 / iPadOS 17 / macOS 14 or later) | iPhone, iPad |
Two honest caveats. First, Scanlio's free iPhone and iPad version shows non-personalised ads (the Mac version has none, and Pro removes them everywhere). Second, Scanlio is a young app, released in June 2026 and currently at version 1.0.17, so it does not have Adobe's years of edge cases behind it.
Who should stay with Adobe Scan
If your company runs on Acrobat and Adobe Sign, Adobe Scan is the natural capture front-end, and the automatic cloud save is a feature rather than a concern. If you scan fewer than five text pages a month and never need to merge files, the free tier may be all you need. And if you are on Android as well as iPhone, Adobe Scan covers both, whereas Scanlio is Apple-only.
How to switch from Adobe Scan to Scanlio
- Export the documents you want to keep from Adobe Scan as PDF files and save them to the Files app (or share them to Files from the share sheet). Existing scans stay usable in Adobe Scan; nothing is deleted.
- Install Scanlio from the App Store. No sign-up screen: the app opens on its library.
- Tap the “+” menu and choose import. Scanlio accepts PDFs and images (PNG, JPG, HEIC) from Files or Photos, so a batch export from Adobe Scan comes across as-is.
- Run OCR on any file you want searchable. The recognised text feeds Scanlio's full-text search across the library.
- From now on, scan directly in Scanlio. Automatic edge detection, multi-page capture and the high-contrast output are on by default.
Because Scanlio never uploads anything, there is no second account to delete afterwards. If you want your Adobe Document Cloud copies gone, remove them from your Adobe account separately.
Frequently asked questions
Is Scanlio really free, or is it a trial?
Scanlio is free to download and every tool works within a shared free allowance; saving is never blocked. Scanlio Pro removes the allowance and the ads. It is sold as a weekly, monthly or yearly subscription, and the App Store listing also shows a one-time Lifetime purchase at $119.99 at the time of writing.
Does Scanlio upload my scans to a cloud like Adobe Scan does?
No. Scanning, OCR, editing and conversion all run on the device, and the files stay in the app's library on your iPhone, iPad or Mac. There is no Scanlio account and no server-side copy.
Can I sign a PDF in Scanlio without another app?
Yes. You draw a signature once with your finger or Apple Pencil, then place it on any page. Adobe Scan directs you to the separate Acrobat Reader app for signing.
Does Scanlio have a Mac app?
Yes. Scanlio is a universal app for iPhone, iPad and Mac and requires iOS 17, iPadOS 17 or macOS 14 or later. Adobe Scan's App Store page lists iPhone and iPad only.
Is the OCR in Scanlio limited on the free tier?
OCR shares the same free allowance as the other tools. Scanlio Pro makes OCR unlimited. Adobe Scan's free tier is limited to a small number of OCR pages, with Premium raising it to 100 pages according to its listing.
Download Scanlio free on the App Store
Related guides
Sources: Scanlio on the App Store (v1.0.17, 26 Aug 2026), Adobe Scan on the App Store (feature and price statements quoted from its listing), Scanlio privacy policy. Prices are those listed on the US App Store on 6 September 2026 and can change.