GNOME Document Scanner vs PaperScan

GNOME Document Scanner makes digital copies of photos and documents on Linux. Scans can be cropped or rotated, printed, exported to PDF or saved as JPEG or PNG images. The app uses the SANE framework to support most existing scanners. With a scanner that has an automatic document feeder, it can scan pages from the feeder; two-sided scanning is available when the scanner supports it. The app can open the user's email program with a scan attached: text scans use PDF attachments, while image scans use JPEG attachments. The latest version is installed from Flathub, whose package is available for x86_64 and aarch64 architectures. Version 50.0 was released on 2026-04-02, and the project is licensed under GPL-3.0. The app is free and listed for Linux desktop use. Users can report issues through the project's GitLab issue tracker and consult the Document Scanner manual.

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.