Key Points
- Our choice for the #1 Best Overall scanner on earth today is Fujitsu ScanSnap iX1600 Wireless.
- Scanners are surprisingly helpful, allowing you to digitize your documents into computer-readable data for efficient storage and management.
- With a good scanner, you can easily access your office’s digital data, increase productivity, relieve your office’s physical space, and boost your data security.
- When shopping for the best scanner, remember the following criterion: scanning speed, supporting software for advanced scanning, size, and available scanning modes.
Document, receipt, and image scanners are a micro list of scanners in the market. We also have printers with scanning abilities, but their specifications don’t resemble a standalone scanner. Epson and Brother are the two brands that have aggressively attacked the scanners market, but with new players joining in, expect neat devices with mind-blowing capabilities.
However, for a start, a good scanner should be fast, especially if you’re buying it to improve office productivity. Also, don’t compromise on wireless connectivity. Storing your documents on cloud storage is easier if you can connect the scanner over Wi-Fi.
Moreover, a portable scanner is key if you travel frequently; you can quickly generate digital receipts and mail them to the head office. So, check out our list of the five best scanners on earth today:
History-Computer’s Top Picks for Best Scanners on Earth Today
$401.32Buy Now on Amazon- Features an intuitive 4.3-inch touchscreen
- Wi-Fi compatibility
- Connects via USB
- 40ppm / 80ipm print speed
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11/27/2023 01:16 pm GMT
$673.00Buy Now- Speeds up to 60ppm
- Wide driver support for integration with your existing setup
- Wired or wireless with Ethernet and built-in dual-band wireless (2.4GHz / 5GHz)
- 4.3-inch color touchscreen display
- Direct scanning to multiple cloud applications
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11/27/2023 01:37 pm GMT
$319.99Buy Now- Wireless scanning to and from smartphones, tablets, and computers
- Scan up to 35 ppm/70 ipm
- Included TWAIN driver allows you to integrate with most software
- Email or upload to cloud storage services
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11/27/2023 03:53 pm GMT
$80.99Buy Now- 7.7 x 14.5 x 0.4 inches
- Scans as fast as 8 seconds
- Includes USB-C cable
- 4800 x 4800 dpi resolution
- Scan and send right to cloud services
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11/28/2023 02:43 am GMT
Buy Now- Easily portable at only 1.43 pounds
- Less than one foot in length
- Scan single- and double-sided documents as fast as 16 ppm
- Includes micro USB 3.0 cable
- Automatic color detection and adjustment
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#1 Best Overall Scanner on Earth Today: ScanSnap iX1600 Wireless
- Features an intuitive 4.3-inch touchscreen
- Wi-Fi compatibility
- Connects via USB
- 40ppm / 80ipm print speed
The ScanSnap iX1600 Wireless offers the perfect mix of high scanning speed and easy integration, making it our best overall scanner on earth today. This scanner is designed for small office desks, so its 6.3 x 11.5 x 6-inch dimensions won’t clutter your working area. It also weighs 7.5 pounds, making it very portable.
Zipping through the scans at 40ppm, the ScanSnap iX1600 can handle large bundles of paper daily. But its profile customization feature stands out the most, as you can tailor the scan profiles based on your needs. For instance, you can create a profile that mainly scans receipts and includes a receipt icon, which is impressive.
You will like the scanner’s 600dpi optical resolution. This increases the quality and sharpness of your scans. Moreover, the iX1600 has an automatic document feeder capacity of 50 sheets, increasing productivity.
Our main criticism is this scanner’s 2.4GHz Wi-Fi support, which limits users with other network configurations. Though this scanner connects to your smart devices easily, you must have the right network to enjoy some features.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| The scanner’s 40ppm scanning speed is fast. | Wireless connectivity is limited to 2.4GHz Wi-Fi. |
| A wireless connection allows you to pair the scanner with your smart devices. | |
| The scanner’s 50-sheet auto document feeder is a lifesaver. |
Best Scanner for Front Office Reception: Brother ADS-4900W Professional Desktop Scanner
- Speeds up to 60ppm
- Wide driver support for integration with your existing setup
- Wired or wireless with Ethernet and built-in dual-band wireless (2.4GHz / 5GHz)
- 4.3-inch color touchscreen display
- Direct scanning to multiple cloud applications
Get the Brother ADS-4900W if you are shopping for a scanner for your front office desk. With a 60ppm simplex scanning speed, the AD-4900W maximizes office productivity. But what impressed us the most is its 120ipm duplex scanning speed, which allows you to scan both sides of your documents simultaneously. Moreover, with an automatic document feeder capacity of 100 pages, the scanner will tirelessly work for you as you undertake other tasks.
The ADS-4900W adapts to your work environment. It can send scanned documents to various areas, including your email and the cloud. Furthermore, it gives you multiple file formats, like Excel, Word, and PowerPoint, so little input is required during the scanning process. Brother went further and packed this scanner with a 4.3-inch touchscreen display for easier navigation. But what makes it intelligent is the ability to create roughly 56 customizable shortcuts for easier scanning.
Unfortunately, you must have at least a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi network to connect this scanner wirelessly. Moreover, you must cough up a whopping $699 to own this machine.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| The scanner’s 60ppm simplex and 120ipm duplex scanning speed is fast. | It is limited to a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi network. |
| It connects wirelessly, allowing you to save documents on the cloud. | This scanner is quite expensive. |
| The scanner supports multiple file formats. |
Best Wireless Scanner: ES-500W II Wireless Duplex Desktop Document Scanner
- Wireless scanning to and from smartphones, tablets, and computers
- Scan up to 35 ppm/70 ipm
- Included TWAIN driver allows you to integrate with most software
- Email or upload to cloud storage services
Next on our list is the ES-500W II Wireless Duplex Desktop Document Scanner, one of the best wireless scanners you can buy today. Thanks to the ES-500W II’s 50-sheet auto document feeder, you can feed the scanner with stacks of paper and leave it to scan. Furthermore, this scanner speeds through the scans at 35ppm, which is fairly decent but slow for its price tag.
Powered by the Epson ScanSmart Software, the ES-500W II can convert your work documents into readable PDF files or your preferred format. Additionally, this printer can upload your documents directly to the cloud for easier access and sharing. Adding to the scanner’s specs is a TWAIN driver, allowing you to scan images without installing third-party applications.
Our only criticism of this scanner is its slow scanning speed, which can be underwhelming when handling huge workloads.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| The scanner’s 50-sheet auto document feeder is impressive. | This scanner is relatively slow. |
| It supports multiple document formats. | |
| The scanner can upload documents directly to the cloud. |
Best Image Scanner: Canon CanoScan Lide 400 Slim Scanner
- 7.7 x 14.5 x 0.4 inches
- Scans as fast as 8 seconds
- Includes USB-C cable
- 4800 x 4800 dpi resolution
- Scan and send right to cloud services
We could not leave out the Canon CanoScan Lide 400 Slim Scanner, one of the best image scanners on earth today. Boasting a sophisticated design, this 14.5 x 9.9 x 1.7-inch scanner has a flatbed surface and weighs about 3.75 pounds, making it ideal for any environment.
This scanner is also easy to set up. All you need is a USB cable to connect it to your computer. It also has only five well-labeled buttons, making it easy to operate.
Thanks to its 25.4msec/line scanning speed and a 4800dpi optical resolution for colored pictures, you will have your scan in a few seconds. However, if you want faster results, you can opt for the 300dpi optical resolution for colored images, which takes roughly 1.7msec/line.
Moreover, this scanner is compatible with both Windows and MacOS, making it perfect for your home office. However, it is a bit selective, as you need a device with Windows 7 or MacOS 10 and above.
Unfortunately, you cannot load several photos simultaneously, as the CanoScan Lide doesn’t have an automatic document feeder. This may put off users who hope to load documents and leave them scanning as they tend to other tasks.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| The 4800 x 4800dpi resolution is perfect for images. | It is limited to specific Windows and MacOS versions. |
| It is suitable for small office spaces. | The scanner lacks an automatic document feeder. |
| This scanner is easy to set up. |
Best Portable Scanner: Brother DS-740D 2-sided Portable Document Scanner
- Easily portable at only 1.43 pounds
- Less than one foot in length
- Scan single- and double-sided documents as fast as 16 ppm
- Includes micro USB 3.0 cable
- Automatic color detection and adjustment
Opt for the Brother DS-740D if looking for a portable scanner you can carry when on the road. Weighing just 1.43 pounds, you can pack this 11.9 x 2.5 x 1.8-inch scanner in your travel bag. This means you can send digitized documents back to the office even while on vacation.
This two-sided scanner will bring your documents to life, thanks to its 15 pages per minute simplex speed and 30ipm duplex speed. Moreover, besides your work documents, you will enjoy scanning receipts and ID cards while on the road. Plus, with the included TWAIN driver, you can easily scan your documents without resorting to third-party applications.
Now let’s talk about this scanner’s compatibility. The Brother DS-740D scanner is compatible with both Windows and MacOS devices. Unfortunately, it is mainly limited to Windows 7 and MacOS 10 versions and above. Moreover, it lacks an automatic document feeder, meaning you must feed the documents manually, which is time-consuming.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| It is easily portable at 1.43 pounds. | The scanner is limited to Windows 7 and MacOS 10 and above. |
| You can scan documents, receipts, and ID cards. | It lacks an automatic document feeder. |
| The addition of a TWAIN driver is welcome. |
How to Pick the Best Scanner on Earth Today: Step-by-Step
First, determine whether you need an office or home scanner, as they often have different features and speeds. Now, let’s focus on factors to remember when shopping for the best scanners on earth today.
- Scanning speed
- Size
- Automatic document feeder
- Price
Scanning Speed
The scanner’s speed is measured in ppm, or pages per minute. On average, a good scanner should scan roughly 20 to 40 pages per minute for home use. However, businesses that handle a lot of documents may require a machine that scans more than 200 pages per minute.
Size
Get a scanner that suits your workstation. Some scanners are bulky and oversized and may clutter your office, especially if you want to station them next to your computer and printer.
Other scanners like the Brother DS-740D are small and fit perfectly even in a small home office. Large scanners aren’t necessarily better than small scanners, so the one thing you must compare is both scanners’ outputs.
Automatic Document Feeder
Flatbed scanners are quick at making single copies. However, feeding the scanner one page at a time may be cumbersome, especially when scanning a stack of documents. A good scanner offers a handy solution, the automatic document feeder, which allows you to feed the scanner multiple pages, and it will automatically scan each page.
Price
Price is king when shopping for a scanner. First, you must determine if the scanner is a “must-have” device before investing in one. You must also assess how much scanning work your office has, as this determines the scanner you buy.
If they are in the budget, handy features like an automatic document feeder and cloud upload services will increase productivity. However, if you only need to scan a few pages every now and then, it will make better financial sense to purchase a less expensive scanner with fewer features.
What to Know Before Buying the Best Scanner on Earth
Check the scanner’s compatibility with your computer. Some scanners are compatible with either MacOS or Windows computers, whereas some are compatible with both. You must also check the Windows and Mac versions compatibility to avoid disappointments. For instance, the Brother DS-740D scanner is compatible with Windows 7 and MacOS 10 and above, so your laptop must meet these criteria to pair with the scanner.
The scanner’s wireless connection also matters. A good scanner should connect wirelessly, as wireless scanners are not only easier to install, but they also allow you to connect to multiple devices simultaneously. You can also use a wireless scanner anywhere Wi-Fi is in range, making it easily portable. A wireless connection likewise allows for direct-to-cloud scanning, which is convenient for sharing and storing documents.
Using a Scanner: What It’s Like
Most scanners are easy to set up. All you need is to connect the power cord, then use a USB cable to connect the scanner to your computer. However, you must have a compatible device to enjoy all the scanner’s features.
Most scanners also include a touchscreen that you can use to control its settings. You can customize several things, including digital formats and document orientation, among other settings. However, since not all scanners work exactly the same, take some time to learn about all of the features and controls.
The image featured at the top of this post is ©FabrikaSimf/Shutterstock.com.
