Looking for the best scanners currently available? We've got you covered, as on this page we've selected the best devices for home and office use.
Buying the best standalone scanner money can buy is still a wise investment for many people. Sure, there are some great all-in-one printers that can be used for scanning, but they just cannot compare to the best scanners that have been built for the specific purpose of digitally converting documents, photos and more.
If you work in a busy office that needs fast, high-quality, scanning, then you'll want one of the best scanners we've listed right here.
So, if you’re in the market for one of the best scanners for your office or home, any of the scanners we’ve gathered up in this list will make sure you have a dependable and great-performing device.
You'll also find our price comparison tool on this page, and it will automatically compare prices from a number of online retailers to make sure you get the very best deals when buying a new scanner.
We've compared these scanners across numerous aspects, from their scanning speed and resolution to build quality and design. We also looked at how intuitive the scanners were, their pricing, and overall performance.
If you're after something for your photos - check out our list of the best photo scanners
The best scanners of 2023 in full
Why you can trust TechRadar Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
The Canon ImageFORMULA R40 scanner is a handy document scanner ideal for one-off projects or, more seriously, regular document imaging.
It lacks networking, making attachment to a host computer a necessity in using it. Still, in every other respect, it's an excellent choice for those that want to dip their toes in document imaging without overspending.
We especially liked the bundled applications that cover conventional scanning tasks, OCR, and even business card capture. The default CaptureOnTouch tool is simple yet has sufficient features to satisfy business workflows.
It shines in those scenarios involving emailing scanned documents and saving them to a local folder and on the cloud. Multiple operations can be executed with a single scanning action, which makes for efficient scanning and reduces the cost of ownership.
As dedicated business scanners go, the R40 is highly affordable, and Canon has designed it with roller replacements for those who want to utilize this design's 4,000 pages a day potential.
Read the full review: Canon ImageFORMULA R40 scanner
Flatbed scanners are the only way to go should you want a versatile unit to scan photos at high resolution, and the Canoscan 9000F Mark II ticks all the right boxes. It might be three years old, but like the scanner market in general, there hasn't been a lot of meaningful innovation in this particular arena.
The 9000F offers a scanning resolution of up to 9600x9600 dpi for film/slides and a quarter for photos and documents, all at 48-bit. It can handle negatives and film strips thanks to a built-in adaptor. It doesn't require warm-up time and can scan straight to several cloud-based services. It might be a tad bigger than its cousins (many of which would be using CMOS rather than CCD technology), but features like FARE (Film Automatic Retouching and Enhancement) will more than make up for that.
Epson's WorkForce DS-790WN is great for quick, portable scanning needs. While the price is higher than others, it is well worth the cost. This compact scanner can be easily moved from room to room or even beyond if needed. Built out of an impact-resistant plastic and metal frame, this device is shockingly light for what it is.
One feature worth mentioning is that this scanner can be operated entirely without any true computer. However, some features may be limited.
Small and mid-sized businesses must be flexible, and the same is true for the office equipment they use, which is why the ideal scanner for a small business may combine scanning, printing, and, more often than not, faxing. Purists might not agree, but a single unit handling all these essential business functions is often better than having dedicated devices, especially if you are a one-man band or a small team.
The HP Officejet 7612 is near that sweet spot: it copies, scans, and faxes, has an Ethernet port and offers Wi-Fi, scans up to A3 size (and to several destinations), and does not cost the Earth. Users will love that it supports Mac and Linux and sports a large touchscreen control panel.
A portable scanner is all about compromises – you swap the convenience of having a large flatbed area for mobility. The best models will do duplex scanning (the ability to scan both sides of a sheet), scan more than one page simultaneously, offer macOS and Windows compatibility, and have a decent software package. Optionally, they can be battery-powered and offer Wi-Fi and the ability to scan to the cloud.
The ADW-1600W from Brother fits the bill in terms of cramming features – despite its diminutive size, this device sports an LCD touchscreen and a 20-sheet automatic document feeder (ADF) and can scan up to 18 pages per minute. It also has built-in TWAIN and ISIS drivers, a USB port, and Wi-Fi connectivity. Surprisingly, it even supports Linux and has a clever slot allowing you to scan plastic IDs.
Check out our list of the best printers, the best small business printers, and the best wireless printers.
What is a scanner?
A scanner is an electronic machine that captures text and images from physical documents and converts them in digital formats. These converted digital scans are generally stored on computers, and can be viewed and edited using computer apps.
How to choose the best scanner for you?
When choosing the best scanner for yourself, start with evaluating whether you want just a photo scanner or a multi function device that prints and copies along with scanning.
You'll want to consider the size of the documents you plan to scan. If they're tiny photos, a small scanner will work well. But if you need to scan larger sizes of photos and documents, then a large scanner is apt.
You'll then want to check the scanner's resolution. The higher the resolution, the better the digitized quality of the documents. 1200 to 3200 dpi is suitable if you plan to scale up scans to decorate your home, but 300 dpi should be fine for most other cases.
Lastly, you'll want to look out for the network connectivity features, scanning enhancements, scanning speed, and the machine's price.
The best scanners: How we test
To test the best scanners, we looked at their scanning resolution, scanning speed, and designs. We checked if they featured additional functionality, like printing and copying, and evaluated if they added enhancements to the digitized scans.
We checked their paper capacity, scan quality, network connectivity, and dimensions. We assessed what types of users the scanners would be best suited for, and whether their user interface was intuitive and easy to use.
Lastly, we considered whether the scanners had additional features like card reader compatibility and ADF, and their pricing.
