Best Document Scanner Program

Software for document scanning free download can be used on Mac computers or Windows. You can also use it on new laptops (which is important, as laptops seem to be replacing desktops in many offices). If you are looking for best free scan software, the list below will help you.

Best Document Scanner Program is a free document scanning software for Windows 10/8.1/8/7/Vista/XP. The easy-to-use interface and built-in advanced image processing functions (such as color auto focus and exposure, perspective correction, etc.) can help you quickly scan your paper documents into digital PDF or JPEG files. In addition to scanning functionality, it also comes with OCR capabilities.

Scanned documents are easily editable, because of this, document scanner program serves as your best friend when you want to make some changes on the content of a certain document. However, hundreds of them available today in the market which makes it tough for you to choose the most application-suited ones. Though most are free but acting on the saying “all that glitters is not gold” when choosing your scanner software.

Our free document scanner will help you save time and space by scanning and organizing all your paperwork. With our simple drag and drop, you can scan any paper, so you can get back to doing more important things. Save time with the best scanning software for windows 10.

What is Scanning Software?

What is Scanning Software?
Image Source: Software Suggest

In this rapidly evolving digitization world, scanning software can prove to be a boon to create, scan, edit, or evaluate documents and images with ease. A scanning software comes power-packed with many nifty features that allow you to make instant edits to your documents or photos before you store them digitally.

Apart from this, scanning software also allows you to convert your photos into PDF format to easily make quick changes and do the required editing to process your documents and photos.

Adobe Acrobat DC

A powerful tool from the software behemothTODAY’S BEST DEALS

REASONS TO BUY

+Powerful suite+Extensive range of tools and capabilities+Lots of integrations

REASONS TO AVOID

-Higher price

If there’s a software company that knows how to handle a document or two, it’s Adobe, and when it comes to PDFs, you’re in safe hands with Acrobat DC ,which stands for ‘Document Cloud.’ After all, just about everyone has used Adobe Acrobat Reader for opening a PDF at some point.

The platform allows you to create PDFs from just about everywhere: Microsoft Office applications, the camera of your phone when you’re out and about, HTML pages, and even from disparate emails, spreadsheets and documents which can be merged and organized into a simple PDF file. 

Key features include passwords and permission for added security, standardized templates to keep your documents consistent in style, the ability to edit and annotate both normal text and data in tables, a comparing tool to identify differences between different versions of the document, and ‘reverse’ conversions from PDF to Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Storing all these converted files is made easier too, thanks to integrations with Dropbox, OneDrive and Box. 

With Adobe Acrobat, scanning your document really is just the beginning, but the caveat with this platform, like so many Adobe tools, is that it doesn’t come cheap.

Abbyy FineReader

An excellent OCR toolTODAY’S BEST DEALSABBYY FineReader Pro for MacUS$119.99ABBYY FineReader 14 StandardUS$199.99ABBYY FineReader 14 CorporateUS$399.99VISIT SITEat ABBYY USA

REASONS TO BUY

+Simple to use+Includes tool for batch processing+Perpetual license

Abbyy is responsible for a number of enterprise-oriented software tools and among them is its platform for document scanning, FineReader. This software lets you edit, review, protect, compare and convert PDFs and scans. 

The free PDF editor feature allows you to comment and annotate your PDF, making it perfect for collaboration. Compare, meanwhile, helps you identify text changes between different versions of the same document, saving time on proofreading and back-checking.   Advertisement

FineReader calls its OCR (optical character recognition) technology ‘world-leading’ no less, promising accurate conversion of paper documents, scans and PDFs to Word, Excel, searchable PDFs, and other file formats.  

If you’re dealing with scanning on a large scale, the Hot Folder feature is on hand to help schedule batch processing and track documents for conversion with ‘watched’ folders. FineReader can recognize a whopping 192 languages, so you should be covered no matter where your documents are coming from.

PaperScan

The universal scanner softwareTODAY’S BEST DEALSVISIT SITE

REASONS TO BUY

+Affordable+Multi-language support+Free tier

REASONS TO AVOID

-Not suitable for cloud use

PaperScan takes the approach of upgrading your scanner’s software to a more robust solution to get the most out of the device. After all, while most scanners ship with software, the manufacturers too often focus on building the hardware, relegating the software to more of an afterthought.

PaperScan instead aims to provide additional useful features that will allow you to not simply scan but also organize your documents after scanning. A free version comes with post-processing tools such as rotation, border removal, hole punch removal, and color adjustments with filter options. However, this version of the software is ad-supported.

PaperScan’s Home edition offers the same but without ads, along with a few different file format options to save to, all for a one-time fee.

It’s really the Professional edition where PaperScan really comes into its own, offering a comprehensive range of features to add to your scanner to make organizing scanned files so much easier. Features here include support for PDF-OCR in over 60 languages, batch processing with automatic blank page removal, annotations, and additional color editing tools.

Overall, PaperScan offers a really useful set of tools at a very competitive price point by comparison to larger vendors.

ScanSpeeder

ScanSpeeder
Image Source: YouTube

Next on our list of best free scanning software for Windows comes ScanSpeeder. ScanSpeeder is a nifty document and photo scanning tool that speedily does the job for you with efficiency and accuracy.Pros:

  • Scans multiple docs and images at once.
  • Cost-effective.
  • Also scans slides and negatives. (Paid version)
  • High auto-detection rate.
  • Supports advanced batch editing features and toolset.
  • Comes back with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Cons:

  • 16-bit true gray scanning feature that scans black and white images is only supported along with the software’s paid version.

VueScan

VueScan
Image Source: Hamrick

VueScan is an all-in-one utility tool to effectively scans your documents, images, and slides. Whether you want to scan a single document or image, or an entire batch, the tool works swiftly. Here are many pros and cons that you should consider before picking this free scanner program for Windows.Pros:

  • Automatic color detection.
  • Scans multiple photos and documents.
  • Supports all popular document and image formats.
  • Photoshop integration is included.
  • Available for both Windows and macOS.

Cons:

  • The user interface still needs a bit of re-touch.

Readiris 17

Readiris 17
Image source: ReadIris

Readiris is an intelligent, unique, and powerful document and photo scanner tool for the Windows platform. It allows you to easily edit, annotate, and collaborate with your documents in just a few clicks.Pros:

  • Supports a wide variety of file formats.
  • Compatible with both Windows and macOS.
  • You can even edit texts embedded in images.

Cons:

  • You cannot use the free version for an unlimited duration.

Soda PDF

Retyping an old document is time-consuming. You can save time by using Soda PDF’s OCR engine to convert scanned documents and images into searchable PDF files.

With this OCR feature, you can also automatically detect the text along with images. You can manually choose which part of your PDF you want to scan.

This PDF editor is among the best in its field, especially if we consider the quality-price ratio. Just like the other programs mentioned so far, Soda PDF also allows you to easily edit PDFs.

The software exists in two different versions: Standard and Pro. The Pro version allows you to transform scanned PDF files into editable and searchable documents.

Both versions only allow you to edit and convert PDF files. The only difference is that you have some plus-minus advanced functions.

Pros

  • The OCR function is really effective.
  • It allows you to protect and sign PDFs.

Cons

  • Protection and signature functions are also included in the Pro version only.

Compatible Systems: Soda PDF is compatible with both Windows and macOS & IOS.

Icecream PDF Converter PRO

Icecream PDF Converter is obviously focused on PDF conversion to and from practically any format including ODC, JPG, TIFF, XLS, EPS, GIF, WMF, HTML, PNG, and more.

You can even OCR a document into an editable PDF format or even better, convert multiple files with just one click thanks to the batch processing feature.

Privacy-sensitive Icecream Converter is compatible with all versions of Windows including older ones such as Vista and XP, which makes things even simpler for you.

Let’s quickly look at its key features:

  • Convert any file format to PDF and vice versa
  • Supports password-protected files
  • Batch processing to convert multiple files simultaneously
  • Supports OCR (Text Recognition) technology to turn scanned files into editable documents
  • Customize layout settings (content position, margins, page size, orientation, and more)
  • Built-in PDF editor (merge, split, convert, and more)

OmniPage Standard

OmniPage Standard is another highly rated OCR software package that provides very accurate text scanning. This software has Standard and Ultimate versions that are both compatible with Windows.

The Standard version should be perfectly sufficient for most as it still incorporates the best OCR technology. The Ultimate version has extra drawings, a digital signature, and scan-to folder tools.

OmniPage Standard is compatible with any TWAIN, WIA, or ISIS scanners.

The software supports a greater range of output formats than most alternatives including MS Office applications, PDF, HTML, Corel Word Perfect, XML, CSV, and more besides.

OmniPage’s 3-D correct technology gives it an edge when it comes to accuracy, and you can further enhance scan accuracy with some of the software’s enhancement tools.

For processing multiple documents, Omnipage includes a Batch OCR tool with which users can select a folder for automatic processing.

This program can also do OCR conversions in 123 languages. As such, it’s little wonder this is one of the industry-leading scanner software packages.

What is the best program to scan documents?

In this digital era, where almost everything is transitioned into being “Paperless,” investing in a scanner software sounds like a fair deal. You can pick any one tool from our above-mentioned list of best scanner software for Windows that works seamlessly well, whether you want to scan documents, images, or slides. If you’re confused about which one to pick, then go for Microsoft Office Lens which features advanced capabilities to enhance your documents and photos, like removing the shadows, improving brightness, trimming the edges, etc.

Software and Services Related to Document Scanning Software

Document Capture Software — Document capture tools assist with the extraction of information from your varied documents, whether scanned from paper or uploaded/downloaded from different sources. If you have invoices from various vendors, these applications can pull the most relevant data and distribute it where necessary (e.g., spreadsheets software, accounting software). Intelligent document capture can work hand in hand with document scanning software to turn pages of text into shareable, actionable data for both colleagues and clients or put into storage for personal records and later use. These tools leverage technology like zonal OCR (optical character recognition) to identify and extract data from the appropriate fields. OCR technology not only extracts information but makes it searchable and sortable.

File Converter Software — If you have image files of business documents, whether from batch scanning or individual uploads, these apps allow you to convert them into different file types as needed. You may need to share the image with users who don’t use the same software as you or upload files on websites that don’t allow certain file extensions. You may just desire multiple versions of your paper documents for later use. These apps allow users to convert files with certain file extensions into different file types. In addition to scanned images of paper documents, these tools can work with audio files, video files, photos, or other document types. Each tool in this category processes a specific type of file into a particular secondary type, so you may require multiple solutions for different results based on your needs.

File Storage and Sharing Software — Once you are done processing your text documents, whether with digital scanning platforms or traditional devices, these platforms offer disk-based or cloud storage so you can organize, access, and edit the files as needed. These solutions offer features that allow for ideal management of these files, including user permissions, customizable folders, and easy downloads by your intended audience—whether collaborating with colleagues or sharing batch documents with clients. You may consider enterprise content management software for more robust, internally focused management of documents.

Mobile Forms Automation Software — Just as document scanning software allows for the mobile capture and processing of paper forms, mobile forms automation software facilitates the creation and distribution of forms using mobile devices. These forms can be used to extract valuable, timely data or feedback from employees or customers, which can be conveniently accessed or transferred digitally and stored as needed. Forms that are distributed via these tools can include anything from work orders to customer registration forms, and can translate the acquired information into timely insight using analytics. These tools, like document scanning platforms, offer features that can help your company reduce paper usage while expediting batch work.

PDF Editor Software — PDFs are one of the most common file types you will encounter, particularly when it comes to invoices, contracts, resumes, and similar documents. While document scanning products can help you take paper forms and quickly upload them into scan-like PDFs, PDF editor software can transform these files into editable documents so you can modify them as needed for various purposes. If you scan a paper page but later discover a missing piece of information, these tools give you the ability to fix that without requesting a new version of the page or redoing your scan. You can also create new PDFs from within these platforms, password protect a certain document, or use a particular PDF as a prefilled template for later use.

Conclusion

Scanning papers and documents is never easy. There are many steps involved and sometimes the results are not what we expect. This is where a document scanner software can make all the difference. There are many document scanning programs available, but not every one of them suits your needs or wants. It is important to choose wisely because when it comes to scanners, you only get one chance to make a good impression!

The Best Free Document Scanner Program Just because a scanner is free doesn’t mean it is the best scanner software. It is necessary to know the right criteria for selecting free document scanner program before downloading a free scanner program and then evaluating it, so it will have value of a real commercial application.

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