NAPS2 vs VueScan
NAPS2
naps2.comVueScan
hamrick.comSide by side
| Figure | NAPS2 | VueScan |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | $2.50/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 2 | 6 |
| Spec score · Document Scanning Software | 8.6 (#3) | 7.5 (#19) |
| Purpose | NAPS2 is free, open source scanning software for scanning documents and saving them as PDF, TIFF, JPEG, or PNG. | VueScan is a scanning application for Windows, macOS, and Linux that replaces scanner software and works with flatbed, document, and film/slide scanners. |
| Scanner support | It supports WIA and TWAIN drivers and can scan from a flatbed or automatic document feeder, including duplex scanning. | The maker says VueScan supports over 8,000 scanners from 42 manufacturers. |
| Security | Scanner sharing uses HTTPS with an automatically generated self-signed certificate by default, may fall back to HTTP, and can be configured to require HTTPS or use a custom certificate. | The privacy policy says Hamrick uses reasonable safeguards but cannot guarantee absolute security. |
| Support | Users can file a support ticket and attach NAPS2 error logs to help diagnose a problem or report a bug. | The maker asks users to submit a Problem Report for help with specific issues and says reports are personally reviewed by Ed or David Hamrick. |
Plans
VueScan
- Standard Edition$7.46 a month
- Professional Edition$14.96 a month
- Standard Edition$29.96 a year
- Professional Edition$67.46 a year
- Standard Edition One Time Purchase$89.95, paid once
- Professional Edition One Time Purchase$206.95, paid once
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.
VueScan
VueScan is scanning software for Windows, macOS, and Linux, designed to work with flatbed, document, and film or slide scanners. Its maker says it supports over 8,000 scanners from 42 manufacturers. For flatbed photos, it can detect, crop, and separate multiple images. Document tools include OCR, searchable and multipage PDFs, automatic deskewing, and blank-page removal; 49 OCR languages and batch scanning are listed. Film tools include infrared dust and scratch removal, faded-color restoration, multi-exposure scanning, IT8 calibration, and RAW output. Film and slide scanner support and RAW output require Professional; Standard includes document feeder support and OCR. The trial has no stated time limit, but its scans carry a watermark that cannot later be removed. Monthly plans are $7.46 a month for Standard and $14.96 a month for Professional. One-time editions cost $89.95 as a one-time purchase for Standard and $206.95, paid once for Professional, each including one year of free updates.