GNOME Document Scanner vs SilverFast

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.

SilverFast is scanner and digital imaging software for digitizing photos, slides, negatives, and Kodachromes. Its scanner software is individually adjusted for about 340 scanner models. WorkflowPilot guides image-processing tasks, while color management, scanner-specific profiles, NegaFix, automatic and manual optimization, and dust and scratch removal provide tools for scan work. Some functions, including infrared dust removal and Multi-Exposure, depend on scanner hardware. Ai Studio includes automatic IT8 color calibration. The Archive Suite can save scans as RAW files, which may preserve an infrared channel for later dust and scratch removal. SilverFast HDR works with scanned and other digital images; HDR Studio adds color restoration, exposure compensation, sharpening, and related controls for 64-bit/48-bit image data. JobManager handles scan sequences and batch optimization. The software runs on Windows and macOS as a standalone application or Photoshop plug-in; iOS is also listed. SilverFast SE costs $49, paid once, SE Plus $99, paid once, and Ai Studio $249,349, paid once. A free trial is available.