Get All Access for $5/mo

CamScanner Banned: 5 Indian Alternatives That Will Sort Your Scanning Work If you were using CamScanner and you need a replacement that can do the same job or even better. Entrepreneur India brings you a list of five made-in-India application for your document, photo, receipt scanning

By Priyadarshini Patwa

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.

Entrepreneur India

The ban on 59 Chinese apps by the government has left both app users and entrepreneurs in a tizzy. While the news did shock many, finally we are working on finding the best alternatives to the banned one. With apps like Camscanner, Tik Tok, and ShareIt having had more than 10 million users daily, there is a high demand for finding the best replacement.

Indian Entrepreneurs and Tech Geeks have stepped up to fill the void in the tech space and the moment could not have been better for schemes like "Make In India" and "Atma Nirbhar Bharat" to flourish. With Camscanner being a Chinese app that has the potential of being spyware with access to all user data, the Indian alternatives are created keeping users' safety, protection, and country's well-being in mind.

Bringing you a list of four Indian alternatives that will sort you scanning work seamlessly:

Zoho Scanner

A desi version of China's CamScanner is Zoho Doc Scanner. Launched by Chennai-based software-as-a-service Zoho the app is available for free use for a year in India. With a rating of 4.4, the app is downloaded more than 10,000 times and also has a premium service.

The paid service includes features like:

  • Digitally sign up to 10 documents yourself
  • Translate extracted content from your scanned documents into 15 different languages including French, Spanish, German, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese, Italian and more
  • Automatically backup your scanned docs in Google Drive
  • It also has a card scanner app

Kaagaz Scanner

Created by IIT graduates, Kaagaz Scanner was launched 10 days before the Chinese App Ban. With Camscanner getting banned, this one comes as a perfect replacement. At the moment only available in the Google Playstore, the app allows Android devices to be used as image scanners. Since the ban, the app has gained popularity among the consumer, getting a rating of over 4 stars and has already been downloaded over 5 lakhs times. Quite easy to use, the app lets you scan and share documents without having to create an account.

The app has features like:

  • Multiple Page Scanning
  • Sharing PDF through email, social media or text,
  • Enhanced scan quality
  • No Watermark
  • Free of charge
  • Scanning modes- black and white, colour scan, and grayscale

Considering the app was recently launched, the team is quite active in fixing the bugs, giving responses, resolving problems, and updating every couple of days.

SelfScan

India's answer to CamScanner, the chief minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee launched "SelfScan'. Developed by the state's information technology department, the app is built to scan documents. The beta version of the app is already available on Amazon App Store and the Samsung Galaxy Store and will soon release on Google Play Store. Talking about the app she said, "I would always want to use an app prepared in my country. It reflects patriotism. What Bengal thinks today, the whole world thinks tomorrow."

The app has features like:

  • Auto crop and auto edge detection
  • Once downloaded, no internet connection needed
  • No Registration

The app-makers claim as the app use internet, it doesn't send the users data to any server. However, it does face problems while scanning handwritten documents but they are working on fixing that problem. At the moment the app is available only in the English language but the developers are working on making it available in Bengali, Hindi, and other regional languages as well.

Bharat Scanner

Made by the team of BITS Pilani, IIM Bangalore Alumni, Bharat Scanner is next on our list that lets you scan the documents easily using your mobile phones. Everything scanned by you is stored on the Indian Servers so that no data is ever transferred out of India. The app also lets you add filters on the scanned image, enhance its color, let you do a black and white scan.

The app has features like:

  • Lets you add pages to documents
  • Create, share PDFs, and share through Mail or Whatsapp.

DocScanner

Developed by Easy Mob Apps, DocScanner has been in the market for quite a long time. The app has seen a steady rise across the past few months and the Chinese App ban gave it a nice push forward. It's a simple PDF document scanner app that lets you scan documents, receipts, photos, reports, and more. The app already has over 1 million+ downloads and 4.3 ratings on the Google PlayStore. However, the only drawback is that the app contains ads and takes time to process documents.

The app has features like:

  • Page edges are detected automatically.
  • Set page sizes for PDF (Letter, Legal, A4, and more)
  • Share PDF/JPEG files.
  • Print and fax the scanned doc directly from the app
Priyadarshini Patwa

Former Features Editor, Entrepreneur India

Priyadarshini Patwa is the Former Features Editors of Entrepreneur India and hosted an Instagram show every Friday named ‘Lighten Up’, about people from different walks of life and talk about their work and beyond. She handled the lifestyle, features, technology, entertainment segments and was also responsible for the Digital Covers. Previously she has worked with MensXP, a Times of India entity and Deccan Chronicle. 

News and Trends

"45% of All Ongoing Hydropower Projects in India are Ours": Patel Engineering

Patel Engineering reported a turnover of INR 4,400 crore in the last fiscal year, with a projected 10 per cent growth for the current year.

Growing a Business

Stop the Errors: Set a Review Process That Works

Mistakes make you look unprofessional and hurt your growth. Fix them today.

Side Hustle

'Hustling Every Day': These Friends Started a Side Hustle With $2,500 Each — It 'Snowballed' to Over $500,000 and Became a Multimillion-Dollar Brand

Paris Emily Nicholson and Saskia Teje Jenkins had a 2020 brainstorm session that led to a lucrative business.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

News and Trends

Broadcom Stock Soars on AI Growth Outlook

Broadcom's next-generation AI chips, built with advanced 3-nanometer technology, are set to debut in the spring

Leadership

Should I Stay or Should I Go? 8 Key Points to Navigate the Founder's Dilemma

Here are eight key signs that help founders determine whether to persevere or let go.