Adobe Scan alternatives that don't make you sign in
Updated
Looking for an Adobe Scan alternative that lets you scan without signing in first? Doc Scanner by Ginowl is our pick for iPhone and Android: open the app, point the camera and get a crisp, searchable PDF with no sign-up, no ads and no watermarks.
Scanning, image processing and text recognition happen on your phone, merging and signatures are on the free plan, and the app runs on iOS 15.5 and Android 7.0 or later. Below you'll find an honest, sourced comparison with Adobe Scan, plus the other alternatives worth a look.
Scan with your phone camera to get the app
Doc Scanner by Ginowl — iPhone & Android · Free to download
Disclosure: Doc Scanner is made by us (Ginowl), so we rank it first. Other apps are described only from their store listings, official sites and the sources listed on this page.
How to switch from Adobe Scan to Doc Scanner
Install Doc Scanner
Get Doc Scanner from the App Store or Google Play. There's no sign-up screen: open it and you're ready to scan.
Bring your existing PDFs
Open a PDF you saved from Adobe Scan and send it to Doc Scanner with Open in on iPhone or Share to / Open with on Android, or use Import PDF in the Tools tab.
Scan something new
Tap the camera button and choose Document or Batch. Doc Scanner finds the edges, straightens the page and captures it for you.
Clean up the pages
Crop with the corner handles, rotate, and pick a filter such as Magic Color, Grayscale or B&W. Tap Apply to all pages to match every page.
Sign, share or print
Tap Sign to place your saved signature, then Share: choose PDF or JPG, the quality (Low, Medium or High), the page size and the pages, or tap Print.
1. Doc Scanner: the Adobe Scan alternative with no sign-up
Doc Scanner is made by us, Ginowl. We rank it first because it changes the two things people most often want to change about Adobe Scan: the login before the first scan, and a saved copy of every scan in an online account.
- No sign-up. Install, open, scan. An account is set up for you in the background, and signing in with Apple or Google is optional.
- Many pages, one PDF. Smart edge detection finds the corners, corrects the perspective and captures each page automatically, up to 100 pages per scan. Add, reorder or delete pages later.
- Searchable PDFs on the free plan. Every exported PDF gets an invisible text layer, so you can search and select its text in any PDF reader.
- AI-powered text recognition on the device. Doc Scanner reads text with Google ML Kit on your phone. It works offline and nothing is uploaded for recognition. Copying text, the Extract Text mode and Word/TXT conversion are Premium.
- Free signatures and merge. Draw your signature once, place it on any page, and merge documents on the free plan.
- More when you need it. ID card front and back on one page (Premium), password-protected PDFs with AES-256 encryption (Premium), six filters, and export to PDF, JPG, TXT, Word and PowerPoint.
Doc Scanner is free to download and has a free plan. Premium is an optional subscription for the extra tools.
Why people look for an Adobe Scan alternative
Adobe Scan is a capable, well-known scanner with huge store ratings. The reasons people search for something else are usually about how it works, not how well it scans:
- A login comes first. TechRadar's 2025 review puts it plainly: you need an Adobe ID and you have to log in before you can use Adobe Scan. Adobe's own user guides start with a choice of sign-in options: an Adobe, Google, Facebook or Apple account.
- Every saved scan goes online. Adobe's 2026 guides say that when you tap Save PDF, the scan is saved to Adobe cloud storage. Questions about switching that upload off have appeared on Adobe's community forum since 2017, and the answers there describe the app as cloud-based.
- Key tools sit behind Premium. Adobe's subscription pages list combining files, exporting to Word and other Office formats, password protection, compression and a higher text-recognition page cap as Premium features.
- The current version needs a recent phone. On the App Store, Adobe Scan requires iOS 18.0 or later, and Adobe's Android release notes say Android 10 and above.
TechRadar's reviewer also flagged the free-versus-paid split in the review's 'don't buy it if' box: "You don't like the tease of giving you some features for free but expect you to rent the best ones on a monthly basis." If any of these is your reason for switching, the sections below show what to use instead.
No sign-in, and your scans processed on your phone
With Doc Scanner there is no registration screen between you and your first scan. Tap the camera button, choose Document for a single page or Batch for a stack of pages, and your PDF is ready in seconds. If you later want to sign in with Apple or Google, you can. You never have to.
Your scans sit in the app's library on your phone, organised in folders, and you decide where each file goes: Mail, Messages, WhatsApp, the Files app, Google Drive or a printer, all through your phone's share sheet. Scanning, image processing and text recognition happen on the device, and nothing is uploaded for recognition. That matters for a passport page, a bank statement or a medical form: nothing to register before the scan, and no upload step to wait for.
Adobe Scan does let you copy a scan to your device, Google Drive or Dropbox, but according to Adobe's guides the saved PDF itself lives in Adobe cloud storage. If your main goal is to use a scanner without logging in, Doc Scanner is the direct fix. Scanning in a basement archive or on a plane? See our offline scanner app page.
Merge, sign and search on the free plan
Three everyday jobs are where Doc Scanner's free plan goes further than Adobe Scan's.
Merge documents
Select two or more documents in your library and tap Merge to get one PDF. Adobe lists combining files among its Premium features. For a stack of paper you can skip merging entirely and scan multiple pages into one PDF with Batch mode.
Sign inside the scanner
Open a document, tap Sign, draw your signature once and reuse it on any page: drag it into place and pinch to resize. Adobe Scan has a freehand Markup tool, and its App Store listing sends you to the separate Acrobat Reader app to fill and sign. Here's how to sign a PDF on your phone with Doc Scanner.
Searchable text in every PDF
Doc Scanner adds an invisible text layer to every PDF you export on the free plan, so a long contract stays searchable from the first page to the last. Adobe's 2026 Android settings page says text recognition does not run on longer scans for free users, and Premium raises that page cap. Read how a searchable PDF works.
Need the text itself? The Recognized Text screen lets you copy text or share it as TXT, and Tools → Convert turns a scan into a Word file (both Premium).
Doc Scanner vs Adobe Scan at a glance
Adobe Scan facts come from Adobe's store listings, user guides and help pages and from TechRadar's 2025 review, checked on 1 October 2026. Every link is in the sources list at the end of this page. Where the two apps match, the table says so.
Adobe Scan is stronger in some areas, and it's fair to name them: it recognises text in more languages (including Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Russian), has Book, Whiteboard and Business card modes, runs on iPad, opens your files on computers through Acrobat, and offers Premium tools such as Magic eraser. If those matter most to you, Adobe Scan remains a solid choice.
| Doc Scanner | Adobe Scan | |
|---|---|---|
| Sign-in before scanning | No sign-up; Apple or Google sign-in is optional | Log in with an Adobe, Google, Facebook or Apple account (Adobe guides; TechRadar, 2025) |
| Where saved scans go | Your phone's library; share anywhere with the share sheet | Adobe cloud storage when you tap Save PDF; copies can go to the device, Google Drive or Dropbox |
| Merge documents | Free plan | Combine files is Premium |
| Signatures | Built in, free: draw once, reuse on any page | Freehand Markup; fill and sign in the separate Acrobat Reader app |
| Searchable PDF text layer | Every exported PDF, free plan | Free plan runs text recognition on shorter scans only; Premium raises the cap |
| Text recognition offline | On the phone, works offline | Android: on-device language packs (2026); iPhone help page lists a network connection as required (2024) |
| ID card front and back on one page | Yes (Premium) | Yes |
| Word and PowerPoint | Word and TXT (Premium), PowerPoint, PDF, JPG | Word, PowerPoint, spreadsheet and rich text through Premium Export PDF (online service) |
| Password-protected PDF | AES-256 encryption (Premium) | Premium |
| Current minimum system | iOS 15.5 · Android 7.0 | iOS 18.0 (App Store) · Android 10 (Adobe release notes) |
| Interface languages | 21 | 19 (App Store list) |
Older phones: Doc Scanner runs on iOS 15.5 and Android 7.0
The current Adobe Scan needs iOS 18.0 or later on iPhone (App Store, 1 October 2026) and Android 10 or later (Adobe's Android release notes), and the iPhone download is listed at 418.3 MB. Apple can offer the last compatible version to some older devices, but new features only reach newer systems.
Doc Scanner supports iPhones on iOS 15.5 or later and Android phones on Android 7.0 or later. On Android, automatic edge detection uses Google Play services' document scanner. That makes Doc Scanner a practical pick for a second phone, an older family iPhone or a budget Android device that still needs to scan a lease, a school form or a receipt.
Its interface also speaks 21 languages, including Arabic, Hindi, Indonesian, Thai, Ukrainian and Vietnamese, none of which appear in Adobe Scan's App Store language list.
Other Adobe Scan alternatives worth knowing
Genius Scan
A long-running scanner from The Grizzly Labs in Paris. Its free Basic plan doesn't come with an account, adds no watermark, and includes batch scanning, merging and photo import. Text recognition and searchable PDFs need a paid plan, and its help centre says signing isn't supported inside the app (it points to the separate Genius Sign app). The current iPhone version requires iOS 17 or later.
Your iPhone's built-in scanner (Notes and Files)
Free and already installed. In Notes, tap Attachments, then Scan Documents; in Files, tap More, then Scan Documents and choose where to save. Notes can keep scans in an 'On My iPhone' account with no extra sign-in. Apple's guides describe page-by-page capture saved as a PDF; Doc Scanner adds both sides of an ID card on one page (Premium), PowerPoint export, and Word and TXT export (Premium).
Google Drive and Files by Google (Android)
Google Drive's scanner saves into your Google Account's storage, while Files by Google saves scans as PDFs in a Scanned folder on the phone. Both are free. Doc Scanner adds ID card mode and password-protected PDFs (both Premium), which Google's scanning help doesn't offer.
Microsoft Lens is no longer an option: Microsoft retired it in 2026. Our Microsoft Lens alternatives guide covers what to use instead.
See Doc Scanner in action
Scan your first document in seconds
Doc Scanner is free to download for iPhone and Android. No ads, no watermarks, no sign-up required.
Scan with your phone camera to get the app
Frequently asked questions
Is there an Adobe Scan alternative without login?
Yes. Doc Scanner for iPhone and Android needs no sign-up: install it, open it and scan. An account is set up automatically in the background, and Apple or Google sign-in is optional. Genius Scan's free version and the scanner in Apple's Notes app also work without a separate sign-up.
What is a free alternative to Adobe Scan?
Doc Scanner is free to download and has a free plan for scanning, signing and exporting PDFs, including searchable PDFs and merging documents. Premium unlocks text extraction, ID card mode, password-protected PDFs and more. Genius Scan's Basic plan and the scanners built into iPhone (Notes and Files) and Android (Google Drive, Files by Google) are other free options.
Is Adobe Scan free?
Adobe Scan is free to download with in-app purchases. According to Adobe's subscription pages, the free tier covers scanning, saving PDFs and JPEGs, sharing and text recognition on shorter scans once you sign in. Combining files, exporting to Office formats, password protection, compression and a higher text-recognition page cap need Adobe Scan Premium.
Does Doc Scanner have an ID card mode like Adobe Scan?
Yes. Doc Scanner's ID card mode (Premium) scans the front and the back of a card and puts both sides on one A4-style page, ready to share as a PDF or JPG or to print. Adobe Scan has an ID card mode too.
Does Doc Scanner upload my scans to the cloud?
Scanning, image processing and text recognition happen on your phone, and nothing is uploaded for recognition. Your documents stay in the app's library, and you choose where to send each PDF or JPG with your phone's share sheet.
Can I use Doc Scanner on an older iPhone or Android phone?
Doc Scanner runs on iPhones with iOS 15.5 or later and Android phones with Android 7.0 or later. The current version of Adobe Scan requires iOS 18.0 or later on the App Store and Android 10 or later, according to Adobe's release notes.
Sources
- TechRadar: Adobe Scan (2025) review (published 2025-07-20, checked 2026-10-01)
- Adobe Scan iOS user guide (sign-in options) (checked 2026-10-01)
- Adobe Scan Android user guide (sign-in options) (checked 2026-10-01)
- Adobe Scan iOS guide: Take scans (saved to Adobe cloud storage, ID card mode) (checked 2026-10-01)
- Adobe Scan Android guide: Scan (Save PDF to Adobe cloud storage, Markup) (checked 2026-10-01)
- Adobe Scan iOS guide: Share scans (copy to device, Google Drive, Dropbox; export to Office formats) (checked 2026-10-01)
- Adobe Scan iOS: Manage subscriptions (Premium features) (checked 2026-10-01)
- Adobe Scan Android: Manage subscriptions (Premium features) (checked 2026-10-01)
- Adobe Scan Android settings (text recognition page cap for free users) (checked 2026-10-01)
- Adobe Scan iOS troubleshooting (network connection for text recognition, last updated 2024) (checked 2026-10-01)
- Adobe Scan Android release notes (Android 10 and above; on-device text recognition languages) (checked 2026-10-01)
- Adobe Scan on the US App Store (iOS 18.0, size, languages, Acrobat Reader for fill and sign) (checked 2026-10-01)
- Adobe Scan on Google Play (checked 2026-10-01)
- Adobe Community: How to turn off Adobe Scan cloud upload (checked 2026-10-01)
- Adobe Community: Use the scanner app without Adobe cloud (checked 2026-10-01)
- Genius Scan help: Account management (free version has no account) (checked 2026-10-01)
- Genius Scan help: Text recognition (OCR) plans (checked 2026-10-01)
- Genius Scan help: Sign and annotate your scans (checked 2026-10-01)
- Genius Scan pricing page (Basic plan features) (checked 2026-10-01)
- Genius Scan on the US App Store (requires iOS 17.0) (checked 2026-10-01)
- Apple iPhone User Guide: Scan text and documents in Notes (checked 2026-10-01)
- Apple Support: How to scan documents on your iPhone (Notes and Files) (checked 2026-10-01)
- Apple iPhone User Guide: Add or remove accounts ('On My iPhone' notes) (checked 2026-10-01)
- Google Drive Help: Scan documents (Android) (checked 2026-10-01)
- Files by Google Help: Scan documents (checked 2026-10-01)
- Microsoft Support: Retirement of Microsoft Lens (checked 2026-10-01)
Doc Scanner is not affiliated with Adobe, Adobe Scan, Acrobat Reader, Genius Scan, The Grizzly Labs, Apple, Google and Microsoft Lens. Trademarks belong to their respective owners.
Related pages
- Adobe Scan without loginCan you use Adobe Scan without login? Adobe's guides say you sign in and scans save to its cloud. Doc Scanner for iPhone and Android needs no sign-up.
- CamScanner alternativesThe best CamScanner alternative for iPhone and Android: Doc Scanner has no ads, no watermarks and no sign-up, plus free searchable PDFs and signatures.
- Microsoft Lens alternativesMicrosoft Lens was retired in 2026. Compare the best Microsoft Lens alternatives for iPhone and Android, from OneDrive's scanner to Doc Scanner.
- Best scanner appsThe best scanner apps for iPhone and Android in 2026, compared on ads, watermarks, sign-up and free searchable PDFs. Every competitor fact is sourced.
- Offline scannerDoc Scanner is an offline scanner app for iPhone and Android: scan, make searchable PDFs and recognize text on your phone, with no internet needed.
- Searchable PDFMake a PDF searchable for free on iPhone or Android. Doc Scanner adds an invisible text layer to every PDF it exports, offline, with no upload needed.
- Sign PDFsSign a PDF on your phone for free: draw your signature once in Doc Scanner, reuse it on any page, export with no watermark. For iPhone and Android.