NAPS2 vs VueScan

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.

VueScan is scanning software for documents, photos, film, and slides that replaces scanner software. It runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux and says it supports over 8,000 scanners from 42 manufacturers. Document tools include auto-crop, OCR, multi-page PDFs, automatic deskewing, and blank-page removal. Film and slide tools include infrared dust and scratch removal, faded-color restoration, multi-exposure scanning, and IT8 calibration. It also offers AI colorization, super-resolution, and on-device touch-up for dust, scratches, and unwanted objects. Monthly, annual, and one-time licenses are available. Monthly Standard costs £6.75 a month and Professional costs £13.55 a month; annual prices are £25.45 a year and £59.45 a year, respectively. One-time Standard costs £67.45, paid once and Professional costs £157.45, paid once. One-time purchases can be used indefinitely and include one year of free updates. The trial has no stated time limit, but its scans have a watermark that cannot later be removed. Personal licenses cover up to four personally owned computers; non-personal use requires a license for each computer.