10 Great Mobile Scanning Apps With OCR: The Best of 2024
By Abhishek A Agrawal
April 19, 2024
Table of Contents
A scanning app with OCR (optical character recognition) is indispensable for staying organized. They can help you convert physical documents into digital files, as well as capture many different kinds of information – from receipts for taxes to passport copies for traveling.
If you’re looking for a powerful scanning tool, consider these ten mobile scanner apps. In our guide, we’ll tell you more about these apps for scanning and their key features.
A good mobile scanner app with OCR text recognition should have the following features:
Image correction and editing: Check your app’s resolutions and image filters. They should smooth wrinkles, remove blemishes, and adjust shadows.
Multiple sharing options: Share scans and OCR results quickly through email, Google Drive, Dropbox, and other cloud storage options.
Excellent text recognition: Apps should accurately identify, capture, and convert text into OmniOutliner editable documents. Some apps will export this as a raw TXT file, while others have formatted output options like DOC. The more file formats to choose from, the better.
What Are The Benefits Of Using Mobile Scanning OCR Apps?
Document scanning apps are helpful for many reasons, including the following:
Easy document sharing: Use your phone to scan and share important documents with your team for quick collaboration – any time, anywhere.
Save important material: Keep copies of important contracts, identification cards, and financial records without the clutter of a physical document.
Better client management: Send out bills, invoices, and other documents with just a few taps, no matter where your clients are.
Our Top Picks For The Best Mobile Scanning OCR Apps For 2024
Here are ten best document scanning apps for your phone that we strongly recommend:
Need to manage and organize documents across multiple platforms? FineReader PDF (formerly ABBYY FineScanner Pro) can bulk-convert scans of your paperwork into PDFs, Word, Excel, and other common formats.
Pros
Automatic edge detection feature: Digitize pages and split facing pages into two.
Smart classification: The smart gallery automatically recognizes and categorizes scans into 7 types: A4, receipts, handwritten, business cards, books, IDs, and other documents.
Those familiar with Microsoft systems may prefer Microsoft Office Lens. This free app converts your snapshots of documents into PDFs, Powerpoints, and Word.
Pros
Scanning modes: Use manual or automatic modes to scan single pages or multipage documents.
Annotation tools: Add text or markups before saving your office documents.
Cons
Apple integration: Apple users need to install Word before using this app.
Businesses that need batch scanning and organizing should try Scanbot Pro (aka Document Scanner SDK). Its smart tags quickly organize a range of documents by date, location, and other suggested categories.
Pros
Barcodes and QR codes: Extract product information and links with just a few taps.
MRZ extraction: Directly extract and match data from an original scan of passports, visas, and other IDs.
Cons
Inconsistent recognition: User reviews report occasional spacing and alignment problems.
If you frequently scan documents in a hurry, ScanHero (formerly Scanner For Me + OCR) is the smart doc scanner for you. Quickly scan, save images, and directly print with just one app!
Pros
Flexible scanning and sending: Scan images or text, then send these via email, Apple Message, or other apps with permission to access.
Lightning-fast scanning: This app is one of the fastest at scanning and OCR.
Cons
Limited languages: There are only 13 language options.
Pricing
ScanHero is free with in-app purchases on the Apple App Store.
Save yourself the time and stress of manually fixing your documents with Scanner Pro. Its automatic adjustment features remove image distortions and straighten documents before sending.
Pros
Privacy policies: Add passwords, Touch ID, or Face ID protection to secure your scans.
Full text search: Search through the entirety of your scanned documents’ text.
Cons
Slow multi-page scanning: It produces accurate and high-quality scans but at a slower pace than other apps.
Pricing
Scanner Pro is free with in-app purchases on the Apple App Store.
If you want a document scanner app that has advanced features for editing, try SwiftScan. Its automatic edge detection and filter tools can create high-quality JPGs and PDFs from your documents.
Pros
Actions: This advanced editing feature analyzes OCR results and gets extractable elements like an email address or URLs.
Prompts: Helpful features remind you to square up your camera to reduce distortion or rotate the camera for landscape documents.
Cons
Cost: SwiftScan comes at a higher price tag than other apps with similar advanced features.
Pricing
SwiftScan costs $99.99 with in-app purchases on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
If you work with a lot of legal documents, we recommend Evernote Scannable. Its high-quality scanning captures and preserves details even if your papers are faded or damaged.
Pros
Time-saving editing features: Automatically rotate, crop, and adjust your digital documents.
Business card extraction: Save contacts from business cards’ information.
Cons
No convert-to-text feature: You can’t create editable text from digital copies of documents.
Need to archive different kinds of documents? CamScanner has special modes for scanning books, ID cards, and photos.
Pros
Customized watermarks: Protect document confidentiality and discourage unwanted image sharing by adding your own watermarks.
Quick-search features: Search for images using tags or OCR-scanned content.
Cons
Limited support: Users need to send emails for feature queries and troubleshooting.
Pricing
CamScanner is free with in-app purchases.
What’s The Best Mobile Scanning OCR App For You?
Choosing the best from these apps depends on your needs and work style. Microsoft users may prefer Microsoft Office Lens for easy integration with their desktop and other Microsoft apps. Scanner Pro may be preferred by those who work with many confidential documents and need extra privacy.
If you’ve been looking for a mobile document scanner app, we hope this guide has narrowed down your options. Be sure to look at an app’s scan quality, editing features, and options for exporting and sharing.
Want to simplify your work even further? Try Integrately to automate millions of actions and save time!
Which scanner is best for scanning pages of books?
Determining which scanner is best for scanning pages of books depends on whether your book scans will need edits, quick sharing options, or multiple sharing options. FineReader PDF is a solid choice because of its batch mode scanning and edge detection features. Microsoft Office Lens is best for scans that need to be annotated or marked before sending, especially if you're already a Microsoft user.
What is the best free scanner app for Android?
There are many great free scanner apps for your Android device, but choosing the best one depends on your needs. Adobe Scan is one of the best free apps that creates crisp, clear PDF copies.
Is there any scanning software that can extract information from scanned files?
Yes. Scanning apps with advanced OCR features can extract text from scans, or clickable links from QR codes, barcodes, or URLs.
Author - Abhishek A Agrawal
Abhishek is the founder of Integrately, CompanyHub, and Dreamwares. He is passionate about technology and entrepreneurship. He is always looking to leverage technology for the growth of the business. He has a deep understanding of how businesses work and uses this knowledge to build products that help entrepreneurs grow their businesses.
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