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Scanner app alternatives: switch without losing what you need

Looking for a scanner app alternative? These pages compare Doc Scanner by Ginowl with the scanners people most often want to replace, including CamScanner, Adobe Scan and the retired Microsoft Lens, feature by feature, with a source for every competitor fact.

Doc Scanner is made by us, Ginowl. We rank it first, and we say plainly where another app is the better fit. Doc Scanner works on iPhone and Android with no ads, no watermarks and no sign-up, gives you searchable PDFs and signatures on the free plan, and recognises text on your phone.

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QR code that opens Doc Scanner in the App Store or Google Play

Scan with your phone camera to get the app

Doc Scanner by Ginowl — iPhone & Android · Free to download

Doc Scanner's Tools tab with Document, Batch, ID Card, Extract Text, QR Scanner, Import PDF and Photos, plus Convert to PDF, DOC or JPG

In this section

CamScanner and Adobe Scan alternatives

CamScanner's store listings say it contains ads, and its own blog says free scans carry a 'Scanned by CamScanner' watermark by default. Our CamScanner alternatives list and the head-to-head CamScanner vs Doc Scanner show what you gain by switching, and what CamScanner still does better.

Adobe Scan asks you to sign in before you scan, and Adobe's guides say every saved scan goes to Adobe's online storage. If that's why you're leaving, start with Adobe Scan alternatives.

After Microsoft Lens

Microsoft Lens (formerly Office Lens) is retired. Microsoft removed it from the App Store and Google Play on 9 February 2026, and it stopped scanning on 9 March 2026. Microsoft now points people to the scanner in OneDrive, which needs a Microsoft account and, in Microsoft's words, 'does not support saving scans locally on your device'. Our Microsoft Lens alternatives page covers what to use now.

Genius Scan, iScanner, Scanner Pro and built-in scanners

Genius Scan's free plan has no ads and no watermark, but searchable PDFs need one of its paid plans. iScanner's free version leaves out text recognition. Readdle's Scanner Pro runs only on Apple devices and adds a watermark to exports in its free version. The scanners in iPhone Notes and Google Drive are free and fine for a quick page. Compared with those built-in scanners, Doc Scanner adds both sides of an ID card on one page (Premium) and works the same on iPhone and Android. For the full ranking, see the best scanner apps.

How we compare

Every competitor fact comes from the app's store page, official help, official blog or reputable press. The source link and the date we checked it are on each page. We never compare prices or ratings. When another app matches Doc Scanner on a feature, we call it a tie rather than a win. Doc Scanner is not affiliated with any app named here; trademarks belong to their owners.

Scan your first document in seconds

Doc Scanner is free to download for iPhone and Android. No ads, no watermarks, no sign-up required.

Download on the App StoreGet it on Google Play
QR code that opens Doc Scanner in the App Store or Google Play

Scan with your phone camera to get the app

Frequently asked questions

How do you compare scanner apps on these pages?

We use the app's own store listing, help centre and blog, plus reputable press, and link each source with the date we checked it. Doc Scanner is made by us, so we disclose that on every comparison and point out where a competitor is stronger.

Which apps do these comparisons cover?

CamScanner, Adobe Scan and Microsoft Lens first, with Genius Scan, iScanner, Scanner Pro, other scanner apps, and the scanners built into iPhone Notes and Google Drive on further pages.

Is there a scanner app without ads or watermarks?

Yes. Doc Scanner has no ads and never adds a watermark, on the free plan or on Premium. It works on iPhone and Android and needs no sign-up.

Is Doc Scanner free?

Doc Scanner is free to download and has a free plan for scanning, signing and exporting PDFs. Premium unlocks text extraction, ID card mode, password-protected PDFs and more.

Sources

  1. Microsoft Support: Retirement of Microsoft Lens (checked 2026-10-01)
  2. Microsoft Support: Use OneDrive on Android (sign in with a Microsoft account) (checked 2026-10-01)
  3. CamScanner on Google Play (Contains ads) (checked 2026-10-01)
  4. CamScanner blog: watermark on free scans (22 November 2022) (checked 2026-10-01)
  5. Adobe Scan iOS user guide: sign-in options (checked 2026-10-01)
  6. Adobe Scan iOS guide: scans saved to Adobe cloud storage (checked 2026-10-01)
  7. Genius Scan pricing and plan features (checked 2026-10-01)
  8. Genius Scan help: text recognition requires a paid plan (checked 2026-10-01)
  9. iScanner support: Free version vs Pro version (checked 2026-10-01)
  10. Readdle help: use Scanner Pro for free or subscribe (watermark on free exports) (checked 2026-10-01)
  11. Scanner Pro on the US App Store (Apple devices only) (checked 2026-10-01)
  12. Apple Support: scan documents on iPhone with Notes and Files (checked 2026-10-01)
  13. Google Drive Help: scan documents (Android) (checked 2026-10-01)

Doc Scanner is not affiliated with CamScanner, INTSIG, Adobe, Adobe Scan, Microsoft, Microsoft Lens, OneDrive, Genius Scan, The Grizzly Labs, iScanner, BP Mobile, Scanner Pro, Readdle, Apple and Google. Trademarks belong to their respective owners.