In this article we present all of the major brands that manufacture and sell book scanners. We discuss the differences between the brands and the advantages each of them has. To learn more about the specific models check out our book scanners model comparison table.
What Types of Book Scanners Are There?
There are four types of book scanners to consider for books digitization; Flatbed, Overhead, A-Shaped, Handheld, and fully automatic book scanners.
The most common type is the overhead book scanner for its simplicity and ease of use.
Fully automatic book scanners are big and expensive machines suitable for libraries or scanning businesses.
You can read more about the different features in our article about the functionality of book scanners.
6 Most Popular Book Scanners Brands
1. Czur
Czur is probably the most well-known brand in the book scanning industry, based in the US, they ship their scanners almost anywhere in the world. They accept orders through their website but their products are also available on Amazon.
Czur scanners are the most common book scanners to be found in libraries across the US.
They have six different models of book scanners, four under the personal series and two under the professional series. You can view a comparison of all brands here.
All of Czur scanners are overhead book scanners built with portability and ease of use in mind. Some scanners come with a rechargeable battery to use unplugged, and their latest model, the ET18 Pro even has wireless connectivity.
Price ranges between $80 – $525 depends on the model. Scanning speed is between 1 and 2.5 seconds, also depends on the model.
The scanner works with an in-house software by Czur, and the latest version can be easily downloaded from the site for Mac or Windows devices.
They ship to over 220 countries worldwide, and orders of over $50 are eligible for free shipping. Czur provides 1-Year warranty on all of its products.
2. IRIScan
IRIScan is another well-known brand for book scanners, sheet-fed scanners and software to convert or edit PDFs.
The company is based in the US with offices in Europe, and it’s a part of the famous Canon group.
Unlike the other brands in this article IRIScan provides both handheld and overhead book scanners. They have 3 models of handheld book scanners and 5 models that are overhead.
You can purchase their products directly through their website or through their Amazon store. Price range is between $200-450 for overhead scanners and $100-189 for handheld scanners.
To learn more about the difference between handheld and overhead book scanners read our article about the different types of book scanners.
Other than scanners, IRIScan is also offers all sorts of document management software.
Their scanners come with IRIScan book scanning software, suitable for Mac and Win, and can easily be downloaded through their website after filling a short form.
3. iOCHOW
The iOCHOW brand belongs Codis Electronic, an Hong-Kong based electronic company that manufactures book scanners, visualizers and projectors.
They only ship within the US and mostly via DHL. They have a 30-day refund policy and their products are available through their site or on Amazon.
iOCHOW offers 4 different models of book scanners ranging from $179-399, all overhead scanners with OCR reading. The main difference between the different models is the scanning camera quality and the newest models have page turning detection.
The scanners come with a software CD that can also be easily downloaded through the website. Please note that these scanners are only compatible with Windows and not with Mac.
4. Viisan
Viisan is a brand based in China and Taiwan. Alongside book scanners, they also make documents cameras, visualizers, and video conference devices.
Their products are available on most Amazon stores worldwide: Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.de And more.
The Viisan brand offers 5 different types of book scanners, all overhead scanners, ranging between $269-419.
The main difference between the models is camera quality and features like auto flattening of curved pages and page turning detection.
They have their own scanning software that is fully compatible with Mac and Win and can be easily downloaded from the site.
5. Joyusing
Joyusing is a China based brand but with a global reach. They offer document cameras, Webcams, speakerphones and of course books scanners.
They have 6 different models of book scanners available for order through Amazon.
The price range is between $100-200 and the difference between the model is mainly camera quality and size of object (A2/A3/A4).
The software in use is the Joyusing Book Scanner and its OCR supports over 180 languages. Note that the software only works with Windows and not with Mac.
6. Ipevo
The Ipevo brand specializes in making teaching tools, and visual communication aids. They are based in the USA with offices ion Europe and East Asia.
From the first view you can immediately tell that Ipevo’s book scanners (“Document cameras” as they call it) are on another level of design. They have 6 models of book scanners that come in different beautiful colors and shapes. They are all portable and multi-functional with USB connectivity, but the more advanced models also have WiFi and HDMI connections.
The main difference between the models is the camera quality, connectivity options, special features and fold-ability levels.
Sum up
I hope you appreciated our book scanners brands review, if you believe there are other brands we should mention here, please drop us a comment and we will make sure to add them.
Before you buy a book scanner
There are a few things you might want to consider before getting a book scanner:
- Legality of book scanning – Books are protected and copyrights law and you should check the rules in your country about scanning books.
- Methods for scanning books – There’s more than one way to scan a book. With the right phone camera and book scanning app you can easily scan an entire book on your phone. Another option is to to use a book scanning services to do all the leg work for you.
- Scanning old books – If you’re scanning an old gentle book consider learning more about how book scanners work and what is the best way to digitize the book without hurting it.