FilmLab vs PaperScan
FilmLab
filmlabapp.com
PaperScan
paperscan.orpalis.comSide by side
| Figure | FilmLab | PaperScan |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $5/mo | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Android | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 4 | 8 |
| Spec score · Photo Scanning Software | 9.3 (#1) | 8.6 (#6) |
| Batch processing | The desktop release notes describe batch processing, batch export and applying film-stock and backlight choices to batches. | Professional Edition supports unlimited batch TWAIN/WIA scanning and automated deskew, rotation, border removal, punch-hole removal and negative processing. |
| Headquarters | Kennebunk, Maine, USA | Muret, France |
| Integrations | The App Store description names scanning setups from Negative Supply, Valoi, pixl-latr, Lomography and Kodak as supported equipment. | PaperScan can save to SharePoint on-premises and SharePoint Online and send email through Outlook. |
| Praise: ease of use | An App Store reviewer called the interface clean and straightforward and said the app worked better than competing negative-scanning apps. | G2 reviewers repeatedly describe PaperScan as easy to set up, intuitive and simple to navigate. |
| Rating on Google Play | 2.7 out of 5 from 163 reviews | The DocuWare PaperScan Android app is rated 2.9 out of 5 from 323 reviews on its listing. |
| Support | Support is provided by email, with the company saying a real person from its small team will respond. | Professional license owners are entitled to technical support through the Help Desk, with user guides, videos, FAQs and a glossary also provided. |
| System requirements | The download page lists Windows 8 or later with DirectX 12 graphics support and macOS 10.14 or later with Metal support. | The FAQ states that PaperScan requires Windows Vista or later and at least 512 MB of RAM. |
| What it does | FilmLab converts digital captures of film negatives into color or black-and-white photographs using a custom processing engine intended to reproduce darkroom-like tones. | PaperScan is a Windows TWAIN and WIA scanning application for acquiring, processing, annotating, OCRing and storing scanned documents. |
Plans
FilmLab
- EducationFree
- Monthly$7.99 a month
- Annual$59.99 a year
- Lifetime$199.99, paid once
PaperScan
- Free EditionFree
- PaperScan Free EditionFree
- Home Edition$79, paid once
- PaperScan Home Edition$79, paid once
- Professional Edition — single license$149, paid once
- PaperScan Professional Edition$599, paid once
- Professional Edition — site license$599, paid once
- Professional Edition — volume licensePriced on request
In their own words
FilmLab
FilmLab converts digital captures of film negatives into color or black-and-white images with a processing engine designed for darkroom-inspired tones. Desktop apps open raw files from popular DSLR and mirrorless cameras, along with raw DNG and TIFF files from scanners. Adjustment tools cover exposure, color balance, contrast, brightness, cropping, rotation, and perspective correction. Users can batch-edit and copy or paste settings across images. Editing leaves original scans unchanged and saves processing instructions in adjacent `.fprc` files. Mobile apps can preview negatives, create proof sheets, review older negatives, and make quick scans for sharing. FilmLab is standalone and does not require other software. Listed export formats include JPEG, TIFF, and JPEG XL. It runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android. The paid plans offer full access after a 14-day trial: $7.99 per month or $59.99 per year; lifetime membership is $199.99 once and includes future updates and features. Free education licenses are available by request to qualifying educators. Desktop does not support collaborative real-time editing, and nonrenewing customers can still access images and metadata they created.
PaperScan
PaperScan is a Windows scanning application that acquires documents through TWAIN and WIA and includes OCR for searchable output. It accepts more than 100 input formats and supports PDF-OCR output in more than 60 languages. Image tools include deskewing, rotation, border and punch-hole removal, blank-page removal, color adjustment, filters and effects. Annotation options include highlights, freehand marks, shapes, lines, pens, rubber stamps, text, sticky notes and a ruler. It can save to SharePoint on-premises or online, send email through Outlook, read encrypted PDFs, create encrypted PDFs and support digital signatures. Output options include PDF/A, TIFF, JPEG, PNG, DOCX, XLSX and other listed formats. The Free Edition allows 10-page batch scanning or import. Home Edition costs $79, paid once for unlimited batch work; Professional single license costs $149 as a one-time purchase for one user on one computer. Home and Professional trials include all features for 30 days without a credit card, then require a license key to continue.