CamScanner is a free productivity software that allows you to turn captured images into clean-looking digital photos. Developed by INTSIG, this image scanner program features high-quality scanning of images and documents, a format conversion function, the ability to edit documents, and even text recognition. 

Similar to Adobe Scan, CamScanner is designed to be highly portable and easy to use. It’s great for rush jobs in case you don’t own an actual scanner machine or if you’re currently on the go. It’s available on PC, mobile, and web browsers, but take note that the PC version only does online file management.

Is CamScanner safe?

CamScanner first became popular due to its user-friendliness and HD image conversions. As a mobile app, it allows users to turn their phone or tablet into an image scanner and turn pictures of physical documents into digital files for easier sharing online. Its basic functions include auto-trimming, various photo filters, OCR recognition, and PDF editing. There are some malicious reports about it but it’s fairly safe to use.

However, the image scanning function is only available on the mobile version. For the PC and web versions, you can do everything else except that — as the program doesn’t support webcams. Nevertheless, if you want to do some editing while on your desktop, you can simply import files from your mobile device or access your PC’s pictures directly through the software. It’s mostly for managing your documents, after all.

The PC version’s interface is easy to navigate. You have a Home tab that’s similar to a browser tab. Here, you can access recent files, your documents, tools, and the trash bin. You can simply upload a file and use any of the tools. When you upload a file and open it, it will create a new tab at the top so you can simultaneously work on multiple files.

Some caveats

Users mostly report that the mobile document scanning and management app surpasses their expectations, delivering a user experience that is not just satisfactory but also highly impressive. The efficiency and convenience offered by the app drastically simplify the often tedious process of document digitization, thanks to features that facilitate easy scanning, cropping, and enhancement of documents. However, there are a few downsides to the free version of the app. 

It is plagued with a substantial number of ads, which tend to be intrusive and can detract from the overall user experience. The constant interruptions caused by these ads can be quite distracting, making the app’s usage less seamless than it can potentially be. Plus, as mentioned, the desktop version doesn’t support direct scanning of documents — having to switch between the desktop and mobile versions of the app just to scan a document can be a hassle.

Handy to have on the desktop

All in all, CamScanner is a great productivity tool to have around if you’re constantly working with digital files. While the PC version doesn’t have the direct image scanner feature, it can still edit documents not imported from your mobile device and is versatile software that can convert formats and retrieve text from images. For another similar program, you can try out Fast Scanner : Free PDF Scan, too.