PhotoScanRestore Alternatives for Whole Album Pages
If you have whole albums rather than a few loose prints, the alternatives to PhotoScanRestore are apps that find several photos on one album page in a single shot: Albumbox, Photomyne and Pic Scanner Gold. PhotoScanRestore takes one print per shot and sells restoration in paid packs. If restoring damaged photos is your main goal, compare how each app charges for it: Albumbox uses credits from €4.99 for 25 that never expire, and Photomyne charges for restoration separately.
We make Albumbox, one of the apps compared here. The comparison therefore lists facts you can check in the stores and on the providers' websites, each with a date, and contains no scores or rankings.
PhotoScanRestore and the alternatives at a glance
| App | Several photos per shot | Restoration | Share an album as one link |
|---|---|---|---|
| PhotoScanRestore | No, one print per shot | Packs and plans, $9.99 to $149.00 | Not described in the listing |
| Albumbox | Yes, up to 6 per page | Credits, 25 for €4.99 | Yes, with Plus |
| Photomyne | Yes | Charged separately | Browser link, active for a limited time |
| Pic Scanner Gold | Yes | Not in the description | No |
| Google PhotoScan | No, one print per shot | No | Through Google Photos |
Prices as of November 2026, from the App Store, Google Play and the providers' websites. PhotoScanRestore is an iPhone app from madesimple.ai.
One print at a time or a whole page at once?
The biggest practical difference is the number of shots. An album with 40 pages and four photos on each page holds 160 photos. An app that scans one print per shot needs 160 pictures, and usually the prints have to come out of the album or be photographed one by one through the plastic. An app that finds the photos on a page needs 40 pictures, and the prints stay where they are.
That matters most for old albums with sticky pages, where lifting a photo can tear it. It also keeps the order of the pages and the handwritten notes next to the photos. The guide on how to digitize a whole photo album without removing photos explains the method step by step.
For single loose prints, scanning one at a time is fine, and an app built around restoration may suit you. The question is simply what is on your table: a few prints, or a shelf of albums.
How restoration is paid for
Restoration means repairing damage: scratches, tears, dust and stains, or adding color to a black-and-white photo. None of the apps here includes unlimited restoration in a free version.
- PhotoScanRestore charges for restoration through in-app purchases: one-time packs and monthly or annual plans, from $9.99 to $149.00 (App Store, November 2026).
- Photomyne charges for restoration separately from the subscription that is required for full use.
- Albumbox uses credits. One credit restores one photo for one action, such as "Repair" or "Refresh colors". Credits come in packs of 25 for €4.99, 100 for €14.99 and 500 for €49.99, which works out at roughly €0.10 to €0.20 per photo depending on the pack (as of November 2026). Credits never expire, and if a restoration fails or a photo has hardly any damage, you get the credit back. Plus does not include credits, but starting Plus comes with 3 credits.
In Albumbox, the original always stays: a restored photo is saved as an additional version. You can compare both and keep the one you prefer.
Scan first, restore only what needs it
Most album photos do not need restoration. In Albumbox every scan is already improved in contrast and color as it is captured, so faded prints often look good enough straight away. Restoration is worth it for the photos that are really damaged: a torn wedding portrait, a stained school photo, a scratched print of a grandparent.
A sensible order is to scan the whole album first, look through it, and then restore the handful of photos that need it. That keeps the cost down whichever app you use.
The alternatives in brief
Albumbox photographs a whole album page and finds up to six photos on it, crops and straightens them, and saves each one separately. It runs on iPhone and Android. Scanning, viewing, creating albums and adding names and dates are free without sign-up. Saving whole albums at once, PDF photo books and sharing an album as one link are part of Plus: €14.99 per month, €39.99 per year or €79.99 once for three years without renewal (prices in euros as of November 2026; the store shows your currency). Shared albums open in any browser, and relatives need no app and no account.
Photomyne also detects several photos per shot and runs on iPhone and Android. A subscription is required for full use, and restoration is charged separately. More on it in the guide on Photomyne alternatives.
Pic Scanner Gold scans whole album pages too. It is a one-time purchase of $9.99 (App Store, October 2026), runs on iPhone and iPad only and has no shareable album link.
Google PhotoScan is free and scans one print per shot, with glare removed by combining several pictures. It saves JPEG files, shares through Google Photos and has had no meaningful updates since 2022 (iOS) and 2023 (Android).
Which option fits which situation
| Situation | Option that fits |
|---|---|
| Shelves of albums, many photos per page | Albumbox, Photomyne, Pic Scanner Gold (iPhone) |
| A few damaged loose prints | An app with restoration, such as PhotoScanRestore or Albumbox credits |
| Restoration without a subscription | Albumbox credits, also without Plus |
| Family should see the albums without apps | Albumbox link, which needs Plus |
You do not have to choose a single way. Many families scan their albums page by page with an app that detects several photos, and then deal with the few loose or damaged prints one at a time. What matters is that all photos end up in one place, with names and years, and that there is a second copy on a computer or a hard drive.
A wider overview is in the comparison of photo scanning apps in 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What is an alternative to PhotoScanRestore for whole albums?
Apps that detect several photos on an album page in one shot: Albumbox, Photomyne and Pic Scanner Gold. They need one picture per page instead of one per photo, and the prints can stay in the album.
Can I restore old photos without a subscription?
Yes. In Albumbox, restoration uses credits that you buy in packs, from €4.99 for 25 (as of November 2026), with or without Plus. Credits never expire.
How much does photo restoration cost per photo?
In Albumbox it is one credit per photo and action, which is roughly €0.10 to €0.20 depending on the pack size. Other apps charge differently, so check the price in the app before you start.
Does restoring a photo replace the original scan?
Not in Albumbox. The original stays, and the restored photo is saved as an additional version, so you can compare both.
Can I scan a whole album page at once?
Yes, with an app that detects the photos on the page. Albumbox finds up to six photos per page; Photomyne and Pic Scanner Gold also detect several photos per shot.
If you have a damaged favorite among your albums, scan its page first and decide afterwards whether it needs restoring.
Photomyne is a trademark of Photomyne Ltd., PhotoScan by Google Photos a trademark of Google LLC, Pic Scanner Gold and PhotoScanRestore trademarks of their respective owners. Prices and features as of November 2026, sources: App Store, Google Play, provider websites.
