NAPS2 vs SilverFast
NAPS2
naps2.comSilverFast
silverfast.comSide by side
| Figure | NAPS2 | SilverFast |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | — |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| iOS | — | Yes |
| API | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 2 | 3 |
| Spec score · Photo Scanning Software | 8.6 (#5) | 8.4 (#8) |
| Spec score · Scanner Software | 8.6 (#4) | 8.4 (#6) |
| Platforms | The latest NAPS2 release is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux; the current Mac version requires macOS 12 or later and current Windows versions support Windows 10 and 11. | SilverFast is available for Mac and Windows; the maker lists support for Intel and Apple Silicon Macs and 64-bit Windows systems for version 9. |
| Purpose | NAPS2 is free, open source scanning software for scanning documents and saving them as PDF, TIFF, JPEG, or PNG. | SilverFast scanner software is individually adjusted for about 340 scanner models to digitize analog images. |
| Support | Users can file a support ticket and attach NAPS2 error logs to help diagnose a problem or report a bug. | SilverFast provides a Help Center, FAQs, video tutorials, manuals, and a support tool. |
Plans
SilverFast
- SilverFast SE$49, paid once
- SilverFast SE Plus$99, paid once
- SilverFast Ai StudioPrice not published
In their own words
NAPS2
NAPS2 is free, open-source software for scanning documents and saving them as PDF, TIFF, JPEG, or PNG. It runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux, and supports WIA and TWAIN drivers with flatbed or automatic document feeder scanners, including duplex scanning. Users can reorder, interleave, rotate, crop, deskew, and adjust scanned pages’ brightness and contrast. OCR makes scans searchable, supports more than 100 languages, and can add text recognition to imported PDFs. NAPS2 can share scanners across a local network using ESCL, including with compatible Android and iPhone apps, but it must remain running on the server for sharing to work. It can send email through Gmail and Outlook, with the email address and secure sending token kept on the user’s computer and sent only to the relevant provider. Optional developer tools include a command-line interface for automation and a .NET scanning library. The free plan has no ads or restrictions, though OCR results cannot be saved directly to a text file.
SilverFast
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.