best document scanning software

11 Best Document Scanning Software Solutions for PC

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You've been working hard on physically scanning documents in the office and then forwarding them to other parties. Now it's time to use a document scanning software solution to increase efficiency and boost productivity. Automated document scanning software helps to reduce costs, including document retrieval expenses, recreating lost files, reduce risk, and achieve compliance.

Document scanning and indexing software provide an electronic version of the hardcopy records either upfront or as-needed basis. Documents are indexed, organized, and classified.

Best Document Scanning Software for PC

The following list of 11 Best Document Scanning Software will help you choose the best Document Management Software. Scanner software is available for Windows, Mac, Linux, and Android

The comparison table below compares OCR(Optical Content Recognition), Cloud Storage, Platform availability, Free versions, and Price.

Software Name OCR Available Cloud Storage Free Version Platform Paid Version
Adobe Acrobat DC Yes Yes Yes Windows, Mac, Linux, and Android $192
Readiris Yes Yes No Windows and Mac $49
ABBYY FineReader Yes No No Windows and Mac Windows - $199, Mac - $119
VueScan Yes No Free with WaterMark Windows and Mac $49
ScanSpeeder No No No Windows 10,7,8.1,8 $29.9
FileHold Yes Yes Trial 30 Days Windows $18/month/user for 20 User
PaperScan Yes No Yes Windows and Mac $149
Alaris Capture Pro No No Trial 30 Days Windows and Mac On Request
NAPS2 Yes No Yes Windows and Mac -
CloudScan No Yes No Online Subscription - $20
SimpleIndex Yes No Trial 30 Days Windows Workstation - $500

1. Adobe Acrobat DC(Document Cloud)

Adobe Acrobat DC is easy to use and one of the best software available. With the Adobe Acrobat DC user can compress, decompress, edit, merge, split, review, and sign pdf. It is easier to work across computers and mobile devices. It is available on all platforms like Windows, Mac, Linux, and Android. Adobe Acrobat is integrated with adobe document cloud which provides cloud storage for sharing the document with workflow management and email management. Work with a team and collaborate with a single document or multiple documents in real-time across all platforms. Features like real-time activity notifications and on working mobile, a tablet makes adobe acrobat DC unique.

adobe acrobat dc

Pros

  • Work with a team and collaborate

  • Complete multi-device PDF solution

  • Available in 28 language

  • 19+ operating system support

  • Technical support Available

  • Free Version Available (with limited features)

  • Collaborate in real-time on all platform

  • IAM(Identity and Access Management) on different levels

  • Cloud sharing with sharing enabled

  • Email workflow

  • Signature collection simple

  • Work on PDF on a mobile device

Cons

  • The minimum RAM requirement is 2GB

  • Application is too large more than 1GB

  • Complicated to customize the interface

  • OCR proofreading features not good

  • Frequent crashes and freezes

Pricing

  • Acrobat Pro DC - $192 annually(subscription-based)

2. Readiris

Readiris is more OCR focused. With Readiris, users can aggregate and split, edit, and annotate, protect and sign PDF. Readiris is a global solution to convert, edit and transform a paper document into a digital format of the user's choice. The software is user friendly and supports all file types like indexed PDF, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, JPG, Audio, and ePub. Readiris has a unique feature to export a document in all formats or many formats with one click. It supports 100+ OCR languages. Also, user can export text as an audio file, enabling to listen to books, image, and document.

readiris software

Pros

  • High-speed OCR

  • Wide range of file format - PNG, TXT ,RTF,BMP,TIFF ,ODT, ePUB, GIF,JPEG and HTML

  • Supported Operating system - Windows 7, 8, 10

  • Possible to edit text embedded in an image using OCR

  • Annotate and comment on PDF

  • Good for collaboration

  • Security to protect, sign PDF

  • Software available in 26 languages

  • Supported OCR language - 100+

  • Scanned text can be shared with multiple users for sign and review

  • Best PDF/A solution

  • Batch processing of document

  • Export to Office formats

Cons

  • No keyboard shortcuts

  • Options like align, insert clipboard are missing

  • Most features are in a higher pricing model

Pricing

  • Readiris PDF 17 - $49

  • Readiris Pro 17 - $69

  • Readiris corporate 17 - $99

3. ABBYY FineReader

ABBY FineReader is one of the best software available. With ABBY FineReader users can create, edit and organize PDF. Scanning and editing documents are made easy. ABBY FineReader has compare feature which allows users to keep track of the changes made by the users. A feature like the Hot Folder tool makes ABBY FineReader unique. The software supports automatic indexing and classification of the document using AI. Also, OCR accuracy can improve up to 99.8% on Mac. Using Mac ABBY FineReader software enables users to save a document in PDF/A for long term archiving.

abby finereader software

Pros

  • Create fillable PDF forms

  • Collaborate in real-time

  • Flexible licensing - per seat, concurrent, remote

  • OCR recognition language - 198

  • Compare feature

  • Documents can be automatically be scanned using Hot Folder Tool

  • Convert formats like Excel, Word can be converted into PDF format

  • Smooth search feature for OCR result

  • Automatic indexing and classification

  • The document scanning process is quick

Cons

  • No version control

  • No support to full-text indexing feature

Pricing

  • Standard version - $199

  • Corporate version - $299

  • Mac version - $119.9

4. VueScan

VueScan is a freeware software, it is focused on photographs and negatives. VueScan works on any scanner user may be using, VueScan reverse engineered 6500 scanners and included built drivers for working with any scanner. The scanner that doesn't work under an OS like Canon CanoScan LiDE 100 doesn't work on Windows 7 but VueScan is compatible with Scanner. Features like scan with Flatbed and Automatic Document Feeders make VueScan unique.

VueScan software

Pros

  • VueScan works on any scanner

  • Scan with Flatbed and Automatic Document Feeders(ADF)

  • Automatic color detection

  • Support small document size

  • Scan JPEG or TIFF

  • Scan multiple photos on the flatbed

  • Video support

  • Supported OS - Windows, Linux, and Mac

Cons

  • Complicated to understand

  • User interface not good

  • The sticky watermark at bottom of the page or document

Pricing

  • Free with WaterMark

  • Standard - $49.9

  • Professional - $ 99.9

5. ScanSpeeder

ScanSpeeder scans documents with the click of a few buttons. ScanSpeeder allows multiple documents to be scanned together on the flatbed scanner. The tool automatically separates images that are scanned together and can be saved as a different image file. Also, the tool allows restoring faded photos with one click.

scanspeeder scanning software

Pros

  • Scan comment on the back of photo or document

  • Fast and easy

  • Scan multiple photos at once

  • Cost-effective

  • Auto separate photo from multiple photos while scanning

  • Scan slides and negatives

  • Direct scan from photo album

  • Auto fix images

  • Supports WIA and TWAIN drivers

  • Photo and document feeder support

  • Supported OS - Windows 10, 7, 8.1, 8 and vista

Cons

  • Error while scanning sometimes

  • Edge detection of the photo is not accurate

Pricing

  • Standard Edition - $29.95/year

  • Pro-Edition - $39.95/year

6. FileHold

FileHold is a Document Management software system used to Organize and archive documents. The software has excellent document scanning as well as text capture tool OCR. The scanned documents are indexed which can be searched and control documents from anywhere. Beneficial for a large corporate organization that has continuous document workflow.

FileHold document scanning software

Pros

  • View and Approve document anytime, anywhere with mobile FileHold

  • Electronic document workflow with enabled collaboration

  • Scalable

  • Client-server document management

  • Direct integration with Microsoft Office suite

  • Supported OS - Windows and Android

  • Detect data type using OCR

  • Support WIA and TWAIN drivers

  • IAM(Identity and Access Management) Support

  • Color customization

Cons

  • Data storage controlled by the third party

  • Complicated demo video and trial

Pricing

  • Free Trial - 30 Days

  • Express version - $1000/year up-to 5 user

  • Enterprise version - $18/month/user for more than 20 user

7. PaperScan Software

PaperScan is a powerful TWAIN and WIA scanning application. PaperScan has a wide range of output formats with post image processing like color adjustment, color space conversion, effect, filter, and crop. The software also has features like PDF encryption support, flatbed and document feeder support, and Duplex scanning which make PaperScan unique.

paperscan software

Pros

  • Output formats available - PDF/A, TIFF, JPEG, JPEG 2000, PNG and WEBP

  • PDF encryption

  • Flatbed and document feeder support

  • Duplex Scanning support

  • Perform a wide range of image adjustment/enhancement

  • Annotate with a sticky note

  • Rubber stamp support

  • 300+ language support

  • Batch scanning support

  • Image printing

  • Single page scan format

  • Digital signature

Cons

  • Displays ads

  • Not possible to use with cloud

Pricing

  • Free Version - $0

  • Home Edition - $79

  • Professional Edition - $149(Single License)

  • Professional Edition - $599(Site License)

  • Professional Edition - On Request(Volume license)

8. Alaris Capture Pro

Alaris Capture Pro is one of the best tools for high volume scanning. The software comes with a smart GUI (Graphical user interface) with the capability to auto-scale GUI to fit many images on the screen. Alaris Capture Pro directly integrates with Microsoft SharePoint to share information, also it can scan a high volume of multiple documents simultaneously.

Alaris capture pro software for document scanning

Pros

  • Smart GUI - auto-scale GUI to fit images

  • Data capture

  • Document indexing and sophisticated scanning

  • Scan up to 25,000 pages per day

  • High-speed document scanning

  • Barcode Reader

  • Document protection like encryption

  • Integrated with WIA and TWAIN drivers

  • Streamline Workflow

Cons

  • Single document scanning not possible

  • One-click scanning option not available

  • Rotate and crop feature not available

Pricing

  • Free Trial - 30 Days

  • Smart Touch Technology Price - On request

9. NAPS2

NAPS2 stands for "Not Another PDF scanner 2". NAPS2 is open-source software that is maintained by Ben Olden-Cooligan on GitHub repositories. NAPS2 allows scanning documents to PDF format and other file types. Features like support to command-line interface for scripting makes NAPS2 unique. Also, the software enables the custom ordering of pages and custom image-processing features.

NAP2 photo scanner software

Pros

  • Developers can collaborate on GitHub to improve technology

  • Scan with a single click

  • IAM support

  • Email workflow

  • Output formats available - PDF, TIFF, JPEG, and PNG

  • Compatible with WIA and TWAIN drivers

  • Automatic document feeder

  • Rotate, crop, and rearrange scanned image

  • Supported OCR languages - 100+

  • Software available in 40 Languages

  • Supports Command-line interface

  • MSI installer and application-level configuration

  • Open Source

Cons

  • Simple interface for Corporate companies

  • Only available in Windows

Pricing

  • Free And Open Source

10. CloudScan

CloudScan is online software that doesn't require any installation on the computer the user-friendly website makes scanning of documents simple. CloudScan can be used directly from any modern browser. The online Software can scan documents inside a web browser without having to install anything also it works with any TWAIN. Features like online scanning make CloudScan unique.

cloud scan for document scanning

Pros

  • Scan Document or picture to PDF, PDF/A, TIFF

  • Improve image quality during scanning

  • Work with TWAIN drivers

  • Scan directly inside a web browser

  • Export to Google Doc or Microsoft SharePoint

  • drag and drop feature

  • Easy color configuration

  • No setup Required

  • User-friendly website

  • Easy to understand Settings

Cons

  • Features are Basic

  • Expensive and pricing tier not modeled right

Pricing

  • Subscription based - $20 monthly

  • Site License - $990

  • Organization license - $1990

11. SimpleIndex

SimpleIndex is an affordable and simple document scanning Software. SimpleIndex manages multiple document processes in a single workflow the software also has good performance in handling large files.

simpleindex software

Pros

  • Streamlined interface

  • Barcode recognition

  • Dynamic OCR

  • OCR recognition language - 100+

  • OMR(Optical Mark Recognition) to mark checkboxes

  • TWAIN drivers Scanning

  • Supports new image format - PCX, TGA, WMF, EMF, PSD, WBMP, TLA, and PCD

  • Batch document scanning

  • Disaster Recovery

Cons

  • Expensive for small business

  • Supported OS - Windows only

Pricing

  • 30 Days Free Trial with full working features

  • Workstation version - $500

  • Concurrent version - $1250

Conclusion

These scanning and editiing software can work like magic. So, go for a free trial for any of these software