10 Best Portable Document Scanners

Are you tired of lugging around stacks of paper and struggling to keep track of important documents? A portable document scanner is a perfect solution for digitizing and organizing your documents on the go. With high resolution, fast scan speeds, and wireless connectivity, these scanners make scanning and saving documents, receipts, and business cards easier. Most of these Portable Document Scanners are lightweight and ideally powered by USB cables or batteries.

Whether you’re working remotely or simply looking for a more efficient way to manage your documents, a portable document scanner is a must-have for any modern office. These are some of the portable handheld scanners that can be useful for you when traveling.

Epson WorkForce ES-50 Portable Scanner 

What We Like: Perfect for On-the-Go Scanning | Supports Epson ScanSmart App | USB Powered | Automatic Feeding Mode | Nuance OCR

The Epson WorkForce ES-50 is the smallest and lightest mobile single-sheet feed document scanner in its class, making it perfect for scanning on the go. It allows for quick scans that take 5.5 seconds for a single page. Scan documents up to 8.5 x 72 inches, ID cards, and invoices with versatile paper handling. The Epson ScanSmart app makes scanning, viewing, and saving simple.  

There is no need for batteries or an external power source when connecting via USB to your computer. The Nuance OCR feature on the Epson ES-50 produces searchable PDFs and editable Word and Excel files. With the accompanying software, you can scan files directly to cloud storage accounts. It works with your current setup and is Windows and Mac compatible, Twain driver included. Multi-page scans can be combined into one file using the automatic feeding mode, which also automatically takes fresh sheets as they are introduced into the scanner. 

Tech Specs: 1200dpi | 2.1W Power | 5.5 second for single page scan | 85×72 inch paper sizes

Brother DS-640 Compact Mobile Document Scanner

What We Like: Supports Color and Black & White Scans | MicroUSB powered | Supports Cloud storage | Brother iPrint&Scan App with OCR | Plug and Play Drivers | Automatic Color Adjustment

With lightning-fast speeds of up to 16ppm, the Brother DS-640 Portable Scanner can scan documents in both color and black and white. You can fit this device almost anywhere because it is less than 1 foot long and weighs only 1.5 pounds. With the MicroUSB 3.0 cable plugged into your computer or laptop, the DS-640 mobile scanner is powered and ready for use. 

Scan to PC, network, cloud services, Email, and OCR with the Brother free iPrint&Scan desktop app. It has drivers for TWAIN/WIA for Windows, ICA for Mac, and SANE for Linux. Features such as automatic color identification and adjustment, image rotation (PC only), bleed-through prevention and background removal, text enhancement, and color drop are all supported to improve scan quality. 

Tech Specs: 16ppm (pages per minute) | 1 foot long | 1.5 pound weight | 300dpi | 2.5W Power | 3.40×3.40 Sheet size

Epson WorkForce ES-300W Wireless Portable Document Scanner

What We Like: Cloud storage supported | Single Step Technology for Dual sided scans | 3 Power Modes – USB, AC Outlet, Battery | Plug and Play support | OCR feature | Epson Intelligent Color for clearer scans

With the Epson WorkForce ES-300W, you may scan wirelessly to your mobile device, computer, or cloud storage service of choice. At speeds of up to 25 pages per minute (ppm), Single-Step Technology scans both sides simultaneously. Select between AC, rechargeable battery, or USB power for complete versatility. With its 20-page Auto Document Feeder, scanning piles of paper is fast and easy. Automatic file naming and object recognition help save time while scanning with the Epson ScanSmart Software.  

The TWAIN driver provided with Epson ES-300W Portable Scanner makes it simple to link to virtually any DMS. PDFs can be converted into editable Word or Excel documents with the help of the integrated Nuance OCR. Easily scan various media, including two-sided documents, receipts, business cards, and plastic IDs. With Epson’s Intelligent Color and Image Processing Technology, you can easily change colors, crop images, fix skew, delete unwanted backgrounds, and more. 

Tech Specs: 25ppm (pages per minute) | 1200dpi | 8W Power | 20-page document feeder | Letter sheet size

Brother DS-600 DSMobile Scanner

What We Like: Very Lightweight and Portable | Detachable USB interface | Full Drivers for all Operating Systems | Plug and Play support | OCR support

The Brother DS-600 DSMobile is a portable printer that packs a lot of functionality into a little package. The DS-600 can scan at 600 dpi on various media sizes, from business cards to 8.5″ x 14″ sheets of paper. The one-of-a-kind USB power/data interface includes a detachable USB cable and gets its juice straight from the computer.

The DS-600 uses a low 0.2W of power when dormant, despite being connected to a fast USB 2.0 interface. Users have full control over their scanners thanks to the bundled TWAIN and WIA drivers. It can scan up to five pages per minute in either color or black and white. You can quickly convert scanned documents to shareable PDF, TIFF, or JPEG files for online sharing or email attachments. 

Tech Specs: 600dpi | 2W Power | Legal Sheet Size | 5ppm (pages per minute) | USB2.0 interface | 16 oz weight

MUNBYN Portable Photo Scanner 

What We Like: Handheld Scanning for Ultra Portability | No damage to old photos | Plug and Play via USB | Included 16GB storage for scans | Works with Dual AA batteries

With the MUNBYN Portable Scanner, you can quickly and easily scan images, documents, and book pages at a resolution of 900 dpi in three to five seconds. This handheld scanner is simple to operate after a brief learning curve. Unlike the feeding scanner, the wand scanner eliminates the risk of damaging or folding fragile old photos. It supports documents up to A4 size. 

No driver download is necessary. The USB connector makes it simple to transfer scanned images and documents from the portable scanner to a computer. The 16GB SD card with the MUNBYN Wand scanner allows for storing thousands of scanned documents. Editable PDF scans can be converted to Word or Excel with OCR software. It works with dual AA batteries, which are sold separately. 

Tech Specs: 900dpi | A4 Sheet Size | 145W Power | 16GB Internal Storage | 20ppm (pages per minute)

Canon imageFORMULA R10 Portable Document Scanner

What We Like: Support Color and Black & White Scans | Compatible with PC and Mac | Advanced Image Processing | Edit the scan results for better clarity | Automatic Document Feeder

With the Canon R10 Scanner, you can quickly and easily transform paper documents into editable digital formats, including searchable PDF files, JPEGs, and more. Documents, reports, and legal papers can be scanned and converted to digital format. Scan in color or black and white at up to 12 pages per minute with the 20-sheet automated document feeder. It’s compatible with PCs and Macs.  

You may edit, straighten, and trim scanned files with individualized scanning settings using the Canon R10 Scanner, allowing you to adjust and organize your scanned files as needed. Incorporating the same image processing technology found in Canon cameras, capturing high-quality results in color, monochrome, or grayscale is possible. 

Tech Specs: 12ppm (pages per minute) | 600dpi | 20-sheet automated feeder | USB powered | 8.5×14 Sheet Size

Brother DS-940DW Duplex Wireless Mobile Document Scanner

What We Like: Desk Saving Design (DSD) | Supports Color and Black & White Scans | Built-in battery for portability | MicroSD slot | Supports Brother iPrint&Scan App | Plug and Play

The Brother DS-940W Portable Scanner has a DSD (Desk Saving Design) feature that makes the device more space-efficient, allowing you to use it in a more compact environment. Scan both sides of a document in one pass at speeds of up to 16 pages per minute. Color scanning is just as fast as black-and-white scanning, so you won’t have to worry about losing any time. 

This can be used independently almost anywhere thanks to its built-in battery and micro SD card slot, allowing you to scan to mobile devices using Brother’s free iPrint&Scan mobile app. Drivers for TWAIN/WIA for PC/ICA for Mac/SANE are compatible with Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux. Text enhancement, color drop, image rotation (PC only), and automatic color detection/adjustment improve scans. 

Tech Specs: 16ppm (pages per minute) | Dual-sided scan in 1 pass | 300dpi | 2W Power | 8.50 x 71.97 Sheet Size

BRTDS920DW – Brother DS-920DW MBL Scanner

What We Like: Desk Saving Design (DSD) | Supports Color and Black & White Scans | MicroSD slot | Supports Brother iPrint&Scan App | Built-in battery for portability | Text Enhancement feature

The DSD (Desk Saving Design) feature of the Brother DS-920W Portable Scanner reduces the amount of desk space required for its use. At speeds of up to 16 pages per minute, this scanner can scan both sides of a document in a single pass. You need not worry about the delay because scanning in color is as quick as scanning in black and white. 

Its built-in battery and micro SD card slot can be used independently almost anywhere, scanning directly to mobile devices via Brother’s free iPrint&Scan mobile app. All major operating systems (Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux) are supported by the TWAIN/WIA for PC/ICA for Mac/SANE drivers. Scans can be improved with text optimization, color drop, image rotation (PC only), and automatic color detection/adjustment.

Tech Specs: 300dpi | 16ppm (pages per minute) | Dual-side scan in 1 pass | 450W Power | 0.5kg weight

How Did We Choose the Best Portable Document Scanner

When searching for the best portable document scanner, we considered a few key factors. This is to ensure that this list will b the best for your needs. These include:

Scanning Resolution: The resolution of a scanner refers to the number of dots per inch (DPI) that it can capture. A higher DPI will result in higher-quality scans.

Scanning Speed: This refers to how quickly the scanner can process and save a document. If you need to scan a large number of documents, a faster scanner will be more efficient.

Connectivity: Consider if you need a wired or wireless scanner or one that can connect to your mobile device.

Size and weight: Portable document scanners are designed to be lightweight and easy to carry around.

Additional features: Some scanners come with additional features such as card scanning, duplex (double-sided) scanning, and text recognition.

Compatibility: Make sure the scanner software is compatible with your operating system before buying.

Price: Compare prices of different models to find one that fits within your budget.

A portable document scanner is a useful tool for anyone who needs to digitize documents and items on the go. These tiny scanners offer the convenience of being able to scan documents and items at any time and place. In addition to that, this help for saving physical space by digitizing paper documents and being able to share and access scanned documents from multiple devices easily.

When choosing a portable document scanner, consider factors such as resolution, scan speed, connectivity options, battery life, and software compatibility. With the right portable document scanner, you’ll be able to streamline your document management and make your work more efficient.

FAQs: Portable Document Scanners