Microsoft Lens AlternativesTop Document Scanners and other similar apps like Microsoft Lens

Microsoft Lens is described as 'Trims, enhances, and makes pictures of whiteboards and docs readable. You can use Office Lens to convert images to PDF, Word and PowerPoint files, and you can even save images to OneNote or OneDrive' and is a document scanner in the photos & graphics category. There are more than 50 alternatives to Microsoft Lens for a variety of platforms, including Android, iPhone, Windows, iPad and Android Tablet apps. The best Microsoft Lens alternative is Pocket Scanner. It's not free, so if you're looking for a free alternative, you could try Crow Translate or GImageReader. Other great apps like Microsoft Lens are Snagit, CamScanner, Google Lens and NormCap.

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Microsoft Lens alternatives are mainly Document Scanners but may also be Image Scanners or Screenshot Capture Tools.  Other popular filters includes Android + Scan to PDF. Filter by these or use the filter bar below if you want a narrower list of alternatives or looking for a specific functionality of Microsoft Lens.
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Microsoft Lens trims, enhances, and makes pictures of whiteboards and docs readable. You can use Office Lens to convert images to PDF, Word and PowerPoint files, and you can even save images to OneNote or OneDrive.

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Microsoft Lens alternatives page was last updated Sep 18, 2024
  1. Pocket Scanner icon
     120 likes

    Pocket Scanner Ultimate is the stand-alone version of Kdan’s Pocket Scanner series. Search “Pocket Scanner Cloud” in the App Store and try out the app & cloud services for free!

    109 Pocket Scanner alternatives
    Pocket Scanner screenshot 1

    License model

    Platforms

    • iPhone
    • iPad

    Pocket Scanner Features

    1.  Cloud Sync
    2.  PDF annotation
    3.  Mobile Scanner
    4.  Document structure management
    5.  Optimized for Mobile
    6.  Scan to JPEG
    7.  Scanner
    8.  Scan to PDF
    Pocket Scanner iconMicrosoft Lens Icon

    Pocket Scanner VS Microsoft Lens

    Is Pocket Scanner a good alternative to Microsoft Lens?
     
    Comments about Pocket Scanner as an Alternative to Microsoft Lens
     
    Charles Jones

    Office Lens is adapted to many platforms, but if I talk about iOS, I choose Pocket Scanner.

    Positive commentFeb 25, 2019
    11
    Microsoft Lens Icon
    Pocket Scanner icon
    • Almost everyone thinks Pocket Scanner is a great Microsoft Lens alternative.

    • Pocket Scanner is the most popular iPhone & iPad alternative to Microsoft Lens.

    • Pocket Scanner is the most popular commercial alternative to Microsoft Lens.

    • Pocket Scanner is Paid and ProprietaryMicrosoft Lens is Free and Proprietary
  2. Snagit icon
     198 likes

    The ultimate screen capture tool. With Snagit’s capture, edit, organize and share technology… it’s easy to create engaging visuals that grab attention and keep it. Let images do the talking for you.

    193 Snagit alternatives
    Snagit screenshot 1

    License model

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows

    Top Snagit Features

    1.  Full-page Screenshot
    2.  Edit screenshots
    3.  Upload Screenshot
    4.  Ad-free
    5.  No registration required
    6.  No Tracking
    7.  Annotate Screenshot
    8.  Works Offline
    9.  OCR
    10.  Dark Mode
    11. YouTube icon  Upload directly to YouTube
    12.  Auto Scrolling
    Snagit iconMicrosoft Lens Icon

    Snagit VS Microsoft Lens

    Is Snagit a good alternative to Microsoft Lens?
     
    • Snagit is the most popular Windows & Mac alternative to Microsoft Lens.

    • Snagit is Paid and ProprietaryMicrosoft Lens is Free and Proprietary
  3. Crow Translate icon
     34 likes

    Crow Translate is a simple and lightweight translator programmed in C++ / Qt that allows to translate and speak text using Google, Yandex and Bing translate API.

    73 Crow Translate alternatives
    Crow Translate screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub

    Properties

    1.  Privacy focused

    Features

    1.  Translator
    2.  Online translation
    3.  Real-time translation
    4.  OCR
    5.  Sits in the System Tray
    6.  Desktop Application
    7.  Ad-free
    8.  No Tracking
    9.  Works Offline
    Crow Translate iconMicrosoft Lens Icon

    Crow Translate VS Microsoft Lens

    Is Crow Translate a good alternative to Microsoft Lens?
     
    • Crow Translate is the most popular Linux alternative to Microsoft Lens.

    • Crow Translate is the most popular Open Source & free alternative to Microsoft Lens.

    • Crow Translate is Free and Open SourceMicrosoft Lens is Free and Proprietary
    • Crow Translate is Privacy focusedMicrosoft Lens is not according to our users
  4. GImageReader icon
     71 likes

    gImageReader is a simple Gtk/Qt front-end to the Tesseract OCR Engine.

    80 GImageReader alternatives
    GImageReader screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux

    GImageReader Features

    1.  OCR
    2.  Image to text
    3.  PDF OCR
    4.  Annotate Screenshot
    GImageReader iconMicrosoft Lens Icon

    GImageReader VS Microsoft Lens

    Is GImageReader a good alternative to Microsoft Lens?
     
  5. CamScanner icon
     71 likes

    Your portable scanner. Use your camera to get high quality scans of paper documents, receipts, notes and more. Anytime, anywhere.

    116 CamScanner alternatives
    CamScanner screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreemiumProprietary

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad

    Top CamScanner Features

    1.  Export to PDF
    2.  Scanner
    3.  Annotate Screenshot
    4.  Mobile Scanner
    5.  OCR
    6.  No registration required
    7.  PDF OCR
    8.  Scan to PDF
    9.  Client side encryption
    10.  Sync with Google Drive
    11. Dropbox icon  Sync with Dropbox
    12.  Document structure management
    CamScanner iconMicrosoft Lens Icon

    CamScanner VS Microsoft Lens

    Is CamScanner a good alternative to Microsoft Lens?
     
    Comments about CamScanner as an Alternative to Microsoft Lens
     
    Guest

    can insert multiple photos

    Positive commentFeb 11, 2017
    0
    Microsoft Lens Icon
    CamScanner icon
    • Some users think CamScanner is a great Microsoft Lens alternative, some don't.

    • CamScanner is the most popular Web-based, Android & Android Tablet alternative to Microsoft Lens.

    • CamScanner is Freemium and ProprietaryMicrosoft Lens is Free and Proprietary
  6. Google Lens icon
     55 likes

    Google Lens lets you search what you see, get things done faster, and understand the world around you—using just your camera or a photo.

    25 Google Lens alternatives
    Google Lens screenshot 1
    Google Lens screenshot 2
    +4
    Google Lens screenshot 3

    License model

    • FreeProprietary

    Platforms

    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad

    Google Lens Features

    1.  Object identification
    2.  Reverse Image Search
    3.  OCR
    4.  Mobile Scanner
    5.  No registration required
    6.  Ad-free
    7.  Built-in viewer
    8.  Works Offline
    9.  Dark Mode
    Google Lens iconMicrosoft Lens Icon

    Google Lens VS Microsoft Lens

    Is Google Lens a good alternative to Microsoft Lens?
     
  7. NormCap icon
     18 likes

    OCR powered screen-capture tool to capture information instead of images.

    54 NormCap alternatives
    NormCap screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux

    Properties

    1.  Privacy focused
    2.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  OCR
    2.  Cross-Platform
    3.  Support for Multiple Monitors
    4.  Screenshot OCR
    5.  Image to text
    6.  Portable
    7.  No Tracking
    8.  No registration required
    9.  Ad-free
    10.  Dark Mode
    11.  Works Offline
    12.  High-dpi support
    NormCap iconMicrosoft Lens Icon

    NormCap VS Microsoft Lens

    Is NormCap a good alternative to Microsoft Lens?
     
  8. Capture2text icon
     34 likes

    Capture2Text enables users to quickly OCR a portion of the screen using a keyboard shortcut.

    55 Capture2text alternatives
    Capture2text screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows

    Capture2text Features

    1.  Built-in Screen Capture
    2.  Global hotkey
    3.  Screenshot OCR
    4.  OCR
    5.  Portable
    Discontinued

    The latest version (4.6.3) is from 2022.

    Capture2text iconMicrosoft Lens Icon

    Capture2text VS Microsoft Lens

    Is Capture2text a good alternative to Microsoft Lens?
     
  9. OpenScan icon
     24 likes

    OpenScan is an open source app that enables users to scan hardcopies of documents or notes and convert it to PDF or JPEG files. Its motto is "No ads. No data collection. We respect your privacy.".

    106 OpenScan alternatives
    OpenScan screenshot 1
    OpenScan screenshot 2
    OpenScan screenshot 3

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Platforms

    • Android

    Properties

    1.  Privacy focused

    Features

    1.  Scan documents
    2.  Photo scan
    3.  Scanner
    4.  Ad-free
    5.  Sign PDF files
    6.  Built-in viewer
    7.  Works Offline
    8.  Fill PDF Forms
    9.  Mobile Scanner
    10.  No registration required
    Discontinued

    Not under active development.https://github.com/ethereal-developers/OpenScan#psa

    OpenScan iconMicrosoft Lens Icon

    OpenScan VS Microsoft Lens

    Is OpenScan a good alternative to Microsoft Lens?
     
  10. Open Scanner icon
     5 likes

    Open Scanner is a fast and simple-to-use paper-scanning app with AI features to speed up your scanning workflow:

    53 Open Scanner alternatives
    Open Scanner screenshot 1
    Open Scanner screenshot 2
    +2
    Open Scanner screenshot 3

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • iPhone

    Properties

    1.  Privacy focused

    Features

    1.  Works Offline
    2.  No Tracking
    3.  Ad-free
    4.  PDF annotation
    5.  OCR
    6.  Sign PDF files
    7.  Mobile Scanner
    8.  Sync with iCloud
    9.  AI-Powered
    10.  Scanner
    11.  Video annotation
    12.  Scan to PDF
    Open Scanner iconMicrosoft Lens Icon

    Open Scanner VS Microsoft Lens

    Is Open Scanner a good alternative to Microsoft Lens?
     
  11. Open Note Scanner icon
     39 likes

    This little application provides a way on scanning handwritten notes and printed documents.

    49 Open Note Scanner alternatives
    Open Note Scanner screenshot 1
    Open Note Scanner screenshot 2
    +1
    Open Note Scanner screenshot 3

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Android
    • Android Tablet
    • F-Droid

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  Scanner
    2.  Scan to PDF
    3.  Smart auto-align
    4.  Mobile Scanner
    5.  Content Templates
    6.  No registration required
    7.  Works Offline
    8.  Ad-free
    9.  Dark Mode
    10.  OCR
    Discontinued

    Not updated in 3 years. Google Play store says not compatible with current OS, and if you download from F-Droid it asks you to direct download another app to use it, which is not on Google Play or F-Droid.

    Open Note Scanner iconMicrosoft Lens Icon

    Open Note Scanner VS Microsoft Lens

    Is Open Note Scanner a good alternative to Microsoft Lens?
     
    Comments about Open Note Scanner as an Alternative to Microsoft Lens
     
    Guest

    Doesn't crash, easy install, easy to use, free, no ads.

    Positive commentOct 23, 2017
    -1
    Microsoft Lens Icon
    Open Note Scanner icon
    • This alternative is disputed. Open Note Scanner is a legitimate Microsoft Lens alternative, but it might have issues that some users think are important.

    • Open Note Scanner is Free and Open SourceMicrosoft Lens is Free and Proprietary
    • Open Note Scanner is LightweightMicrosoft Lens is not according to our users
  12. Genius Scan icon
     13 likes

    Genius Scan is a scanner in your pocket. Quickly scan your documents on the go and export them as JPEG or multi-page PDF files.

    59 Genius Scan alternatives
    Genius Scan screenshot 1
    Genius Scan screenshot 2
    Genius Scan screenshot 3

    License model

    • FreemiumProprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Android
    • iPhone

    Top Genius Scan Features

    1.  Convert images to PDF
    2.  Scan to PDF
    3.  Document Merging
    4.  OCR
    5.  Mobile Scanner
    6.  No Watermark
    7.  Support for Batch Mode
    8.  Data export/import
    9. Evernote icon  Evernote integration
    10.  WebDAV Support
    11.  PDF documentation generation
    12.  Password encryption
    Genius Scan iconMicrosoft Lens Icon

    Genius Scan VS Microsoft Lens

    Is Genius Scan a good alternative to Microsoft Lens?
     
    Comments about Genius Scan as an Alternative to Microsoft Lens
     
    RemovedUser

    The free version is in the best Scan app for Androïd I tested. Simple, efficient. No adds just less features

    Positive commentOct 29, 2021
    0
    gpm4pqqtddyg

    Magic Mode makes scanning multipage documents fast and easy (no need to snap a picture, the app automatically detects the document in the picture). Also, powerful document organization with smart naming and tags. It supports PDF merging too!

    Positive commentMar 13, 2017
    -2
    Microsoft Lens Icon
    Genius Scan icon
    • Some users think Genius Scan is a great Microsoft Lens alternative, some don't.

    • Genius Scan is Freemium and ProprietaryMicrosoft Lens is Free and Proprietary
12 of 74 Microsoft Lens alternatives