A CamScanner alternative with no watermark and no cloud upload
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.
CamScanner has been on the App Store since 2011 and is, by rating count, one of the largest scanner apps in existence. It is also the app most often named in searches for “scanner without watermark” and “scanner without subscription”, because its free tier stamps a watermark on output and its paid tier is a recurring Premium account. This page sets out, from CamScanner's own App Store listing, what it does well and where the friction is, then shows how Scanlio handles the same jobs and how to move your documents across.
What CamScanner does well
CamScanner's listing describes a broad tool: text recognition (OCR), a built-in e-signature, filters and noise removal for cleaning up scans, and export to a long list of formats including PDF, JPG, DOC and DOCX, TXT, XLS and XLSX, and PPT and PPTX. It uploads to Dropbox, Google Drive, Evernote and OneDrive, runs on iPhone, iPad and Apple-silicon Macs, and carries a 4.8-star average across about 1.9 million ratings. If you need a scan turned into an editable spreadsheet or slide deck, CamScanner lists formats that Scanlio does not.
Where people look for an alternative
- Watermark on the free tier. User reviews quoted on the listing describe a watermark in the bottom-right corner of documents produced without paying. A watermarked scan is rarely acceptable for a lease, an invoice or a form you are returning to an administration.
- Ads. Advertising is listed under “Contains” on the App Store page.
- Subscription-only Premium. At the time of writing the listing shows a Premium account at $9.99 per month or $59.99 per year, with other Premium items between $4.99 and $69.99. No one-time purchase appears in the list.
- Cloud and account. Cloud upload to third-party services is a headline feature. Whether a CamScanner account is required for basic scanning is not verified from the listing.
How Scanlio compares
Scanlio does not add a watermark at any tier. Its free tier is defined by a shared allowance across tools rather than by marking your output, and the 1.0.17 release notes state that saving is never blocked. Files are never uploaded: scanning, OCR, editing and conversion run on the device, and there is no account to create. For the recurring-payment objection, the App Store listing shows Scanlio Pro as a weekly, monthly or yearly subscription and also as a one-time Lifetime purchase at $119.99 at the time of writing.
| Scanlio | CamScanner | |
|---|---|---|
| Price model | Free download; Pro as weekly, monthly or yearly subscription, or a one-time Lifetime purchase listed at $119.99 (App Store, at the time of writing) | Free download; Premium account $9.99/month or $59.99/year, other Premium items $4.99–$69.99 (App Store listing at the time of writing); no one-time option listed |
| Watermark on free output | No | Yes, per user reviews quoted on the listing |
| OCR on the free tier | Yes, within a shared free allowance; unlimited with Pro | OCR listed; free-tier limits not verified |
| Sign PDFs | Yes, reusable signature drawn once | Yes, e-signature listed |
| Edit PDF text / white-out | Movable text boxes, white-out, freehand draw and highlight | Filters and noise removal listed; text editing not verified |
| Merge / split / extract pages | Yes | Not verified |
| PDF to Word | Yes (Word/.rtf), images and plain text | Yes: DOC, DOCX, plus XLS, PPT, TXT and more |
| ID / passport mode | Guide frame, front-and-back capture, Face ID or PIN lock | Not verified |
| Where files are stored | On your device only; no upload | Device plus optional upload to Dropbox, Google Drive, Evernote, OneDrive |
| Account required | No | Not verified |
| Platforms | iPhone, iPad, Mac (iOS 17 / iPadOS 17 / macOS 14 or later) | iPhone, iPad, Mac with Apple silicon (iOS 13 / macOS 13 or later) |
Scanlio's honest limits: the free iPhone and iPad version shows non-personalised ads (none on the Mac version, none with Pro), the conversion targets are Word, images and plain text rather than spreadsheets or slides, and the app is new, first released in June 2026.
Who should stay with CamScanner
Stay if you rely on Excel or PowerPoint output from scans, if your workflow is built around uploading to Dropbox, Drive, Evernote or OneDrive from inside the scanner, or if you also use Android and want the same app on both platforms. CamScanner's fax option (a one-page fax is listed at $0.99) is another feature Scanlio does not offer.
How to switch from CamScanner to Scanlio
- In CamScanner, export the documents you want to keep as PDF and save them to the Files app. If you already had a Premium account, these exports are clean; free-tier exports carry the watermark and are best re-scanned.
- Install Scanlio. There is no sign-up step.
- Use the “+” menu to import PDFs or images (PNG, JPG, HEIC) from Files or Photos. Multi-page PDFs come in as multi-page documents.
- Run OCR where you need searchable text; the result feeds full-text search across your Scanlio library.
- Re-scan the originals of any watermarked pages you still have. Automatic edge detection and the high-contrast output are on by default, and multi-page capture builds a single PDF.
Once the files are in Scanlio, sharing goes through the standard iOS share sheet as PDF, JPG or Word, so Mail, AirDrop, WhatsApp or any cloud app you already use keeps working without a scanner-specific integration.
Frequently asked questions
Does Scanlio put a watermark on scans?
No. Scanlio does not add a watermark on any tier. The free tier is limited by a shared allowance across tools, and saving is never blocked; Scanlio Pro removes the allowance and the ads.
Can I use Scanlio without a subscription?
Yes. Scanlio is free to download and use within its free allowance. To go unlimited you can subscribe weekly, monthly or yearly, or buy the one-time Lifetime option listed on the App Store at $119.99 at the time of writing.
Does Scanlio upload documents to Dropbox or Google Drive?
Scanlio has no built-in cloud upload. Files stay on your device, and you share them through the iOS share sheet to Mail, AirDrop, WhatsApp or any app, including cloud apps you already have installed.
Can Scanlio export to Excel or PowerPoint like CamScanner?
No. Scanlio converts PDF to Word (as .rtf), to images and to plain text. CamScanner lists XLS, XLSX, PPT and PPTX among its export formats.
Is Scanlio available on Mac?
Yes. Scanlio is a universal app for iPhone, iPad and Mac and requires iOS 17, iPadOS 17 or macOS 14 or later. The Mac version shows no ads.
Download Scanlio free on the App Store
Related guides
Sources: Scanlio on the App Store (v1.0.17, 26 Aug 2026), CamScanner on the App Store (features, prices and quoted reviews from its listing), Scanlio privacy policy. Prices are those listed on the US App Store on 6 September 2026 and can change.