Are you looking for a user-friendly way to store all your paper documents in digital form? Well, you’ve landed at the right place! Our today’s article is aimed to help people find the Best Scanning Software For Mac.
Yeah, we know what you’re probably thinking? “My printer/scanner already comes with its software bundle, so why would I need a scanning program. Well, the problem with the pre-installed scanner utility is that it might not work the best in the world. The market has tons of options designed for optical character recognition (OCR) and hassle-free image processing and batch scanning. With “WeTheGeek” you can expect the most suitable choices for every respective category. For your reference, you can check out some of our previous Top-10 Articles on software & apps!
Why Use A Scanning Software?
Listed are some of the simplest of reasons that have made “scanning technology” be counted on by many individuals.
- Saves time and avoids hassles.
- Allows you to scan paper documents & images and convert them into electronic docs.
- Almost all popular scanning tools come with easy file sharing.
- Almost all popular scanning software support text and image editing with ease.
Now that you know some of the attractive perks of using a scanning program, check out the comprehensive list of options for Mac to use in 2023.
Best Free Scanning Software For Mac (2023)
From scanning all kinds of documents, images to old film rolls and better organization of files on Mac or flash drive, these are our best pick of scanning tools you can rely on.
| Top 7 Free Scanners For Mac | Best-Known For | Try Now! |
|---|---|---|
| Abbyy FineReader | Offering Multilingual Support | Download Now |
| Adobe Pro DC | Being The Most Professional Tool | Download Now |
| VueScan | Saving Files In All Kinds Of Format (Including RAW) | Download Now |
| SilverFast | Retaining The Best Quality | Download Now |
| ExactScan | Highly Compatible With Most Scanners | Download Now |
| Readiris | Easy-To-Use Tool To Convert, Copy & Edit | Download Now |
| TWAIN SANE | Effortless Scanning Experience |
1. Abbyy FineReader – Offering Multilingual Support
Abby has been known in the market for producing effective business-oriented utilities and with FineReader, leading the Scanning Software Market, Abby continues to prove its worth. The scanner application allows users to edit, review, protect, compare and convert documents in a few clicks. It even helps in adding comments and notes to PDF files. Additionally, its unique ‘document comparing feature’ helps in locating what changes were made in different versions of a file. This further helps in saving the time you need to spend on proofreading. Quite helpful, right?
Pros
- Exceptionally clear dashboard.
- Capable of exporting to multiple formats.
- Unique document-compare feature.
- Leading OCR Solution in the market.
Cons
- Several features can be accessed in the PRO version.
2. Adobe Pro DC – Being The Most Professional Tool
You knew this would be coming, right? Well, we certainly can’t afford to miss out on the software company that truly knows how to handle, manage and control single or multiple docs with ease. The scanning platform helps in creating PDFs from just anywhere; MS Office Applications, via the camera of your smartphone, from emails, spreadsheets, and more. Unlike most of the scanner software for Mac, Adobe provides a unique set of features for additional security, keeping docs in standardized templates or performing reverse conversions from PDF to Word, Spreadsheets, or PowerPoint.
Pros
- Powerful suite for scanning & other doc-related needs.
- Supports tons of integrations.
- Lots of standardized templates to keep docs consistent in style.
- Capability to edit and annotate.
Cons
- More centric to PDF management & editing needs.
3. VueScan – Saving Files In All Kinds of Format (Including RAW)
You can count on VueScan when it comes to choosing the best scanning software for your Mac. The free application is effortless to use and supports over 2800 scanners that function on multiple operating systems. In addition to this, VueScan offers you to preview the scanned documents in multiple formats, such as JPEG, TIFF, or PDF. So, that you get the best output possible. It is probably the best scanner app available when it comes to working with transparent originals (negatives, slides) since it contains all the information about the color characteristics of over 100 film types.
Pros
- Package of powerful features.
- View documents in multiple formats.
- Best for working with transparent originals (negatives, slides).
- High scanning quality, comparatively.
Cons
- Interface needs updates.
4. SilverFast – Retaining The Best Quality
SilverFast is yet another top free scanning software for Mac that allows users to perform both document and image scanning, irrespective of the colors. It’s an incredible utility that knows how to adjust itself amongst the 340 different scanners and ensures that users have the highest-quality output of the scanned file. The Mac Scanner App is integrated with special functionality that reads the picture data from your cameras and then processes the same on your Mac. Cool, right? It would not be a bad idea to say that SilverFast is the best photo scanner software as well, available in the market right now!
Pros
- Capable of scanning photos in colored & B&W modes.
- Can work with over 340 scanners.
- Known for producing the best quality results.
- Great photo scanning capabilities.
Cons
- Slightly complex dashboard.
5. ExactScan – Highly Compatible With Most Scanners
Next on our list of Best Free Scanning Software for Mac is ExactScan by ExactCode. The program holds the strong capacity to scan about 200 documents and is compatible with other scanners as well. You can even create individual profiles according to the required settings and processing needs. This will further save a lot of your time and effort when it comes to batch scanning and management. The free scanning software for Mac is equipped with lots of advanced photo algorithms that enable integrated drivers to automatically detect how files should be properly cropped and aligned. Interesting, right?
Pros
- Save multiple profiles for quicker scanning.
- Doesn’t occupy lots of storage space.
- Simple & clean interface.
- Suggests how files should be aligned & cropped.
Cons
- Doesn’t support old scanners.
- Can face performance issues, sometimes.
6. Readiris – Easy-To-Use Tool To Convert, Copy & Edit
Readiris is a top-notch scanning program for Mac users. All thanks to its OCR technology, which makes the entire process of capturing and converting documents into editable files a hassle-free one. Using this Best Mac Scanner Application, you can even convert PDFs, pictures, and texts from an image or scanned doc into Word, PowerPoint, Excel, etc. To match its capabilities with its counterparts, it also allows users to annotate files, add comments and offers plenty of collaboration features for a better user experience.
Pros
- Tons of useful collaboration features.
- Unique option to convert to audio.
- Supports up to 30 languages.
- Great management & archiving options.
Cons
- Free version has limited functionalities.
7. TWAIN SANE – Effortless Scanning Experience
Our list of best free scanning software for Mac would remain incomplete without mentioning TWAIN SANE. All thanks to its straightforward and easy-to-understand interface and its high compatibility with popular image-centric applications. TWAIN SANE is capable of scanning documents through SANE Backend Libraries that offer an incredible range of scanners under one package. Not to forget, TWAIN offers a binary package to its users, which is easy to download & install.
Pros
- Effortless scanning process.
- Easy to understand dashboard.
- Offers an incredible range of scanners.
- A variety of updates are added for users to experiment while scanning.
Cons
- There’s a reported issue of software & system crashing.
What’s Your Pick For Best Scanning Software For Mac?
Well, we’ve covered some of the most popular and major contributors in the scanning industry. These scanner applications proffer all the significant features needed for archiving, digitizing, and managing documents and other multimedia files. If you ask for WeTheGeek’s Recommendation, we suggest using Abbyy FineReader or Adobe Pro DC, since both solutions support a wide range of scanners and are known for producing high-quality results.
There are other photo scanning applications available in the market, which are worth considering. If you have any doubts regarding any of the scanning utilities mentioned above, free feel to mention them in the comments section below!
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. How Do I Scan To PDF On Mac?
Q2. How Do I Install Scanning Software On Mac?
Follow the instructions below:
- Click on the Apple icon and choose System Preferences.
- Navigate to the Printers & scanners section.
- Your Scanner should appear in the left-hand side panel.
- Click the Add button.
Q3. How Can I Make a Scanned Document Look Clearer?
Follow the tips shared below to ensure successful scanning and make your docs sharper and readable:
- Enhance default resolution to a minimum of 300 dpi.
- Set your multifunction printer or scanner to detect and delete blank pages for a more concise document.
- Enable color scanning feature to add value to the doc’s content.
- Active two-sided scanning feature to save time.
- Make sure you Index as you scan. OCR capabilities in scanning software ensure every doc is searchable for easy retrieval & sharing.
NEXT READ:
- How To Quickly Scan & Digitize My Old Photos?
- Top 8 Best Document Scanner Apps For Android & iPhone
- Stack App From Google: The All-New AI-Based Document Scanner
- Best Alternatives to Camscanner
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