# OpenScan (open source CamScanner alternative)

**URL:** https://discuss.privacyguides.net/t/openscan-open-source-camscanner-alternative/17857
**Category:** Tool Suggestions
**Created:** 2024-04-14T06:11:07Z
**Posts:** 4

## Post 1 by @jerm — 2024-04-14T06:11:07Z

> **[GitHub - ethereal-developers/OpenScan: Document Scanner that protects your privacy](https://github.com/ethereal-developers/OpenScan)**
>
> Document Scanner that protects your privacy

> An open source app that enables users to scan hardcopies of documents or notes and convert it to a PDF file. No ads. No data collection. We respect your privacy.

> Why use this app? Sometimes, you require to scan several documents and share them in this fast-paced professional world. Maybe, you want to scan and store your receipts and billing information for filing taxes. In this day and age, we look for not only ease of use in technology, but also apps which respect our data privacy and apps which doesn’t force ads on our screen every other second.

CamScanner is known for [distributing malware](https://www.kaspersky.com/blog/camscanner-malicious-android-app/28156/) through it’s ad library.

Their [privacy policy](https://v3.camscanner.com/web/privacy?language=en-us) is also weird, when you click on one of the following topics, you get redirect to some chinese login website.

> **User-generated content**. When you use Our Services to scan documents or images for recognizing text automatically (OCR), we will collect the **documents** or **images** which you choose to take or upload when you sync files. When you use Our Services to convert documents in multiple formats to PDF, we will collect the **documents** you choose to upload.

lmao. Sums it up.

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## Post 2 by @jerm — 2024-04-14T06:14:24Z

A quick tutorial showcasing it from 2021 (there are probably more features introduced), incase you are not familiar with CamScanner use cases.

> **[I tried using the Android application 'OpenScan' that can scan documents and...](https://gigazine.net/gsc_news/en/20210109-open-scan/)**
>
> ' OpenScan ' is an Android application that allows you to create PDF files simply by taking a picture of a document with your smartphone's camera. I actually tried using a document scanning app with simple operability developed in open source....

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## Post 3 by @exaCORE — 2024-04-14T14:57:30Z

It was unmaintained for a long time, but there seems to have been some commits recently. Hopefully, they can can get it into working order, but im not counting on it…

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## Post 4 by @anon94009837 — 2024-04-17T02:14:59Z

There’s [OSS Document Scanner](https://github.com/Akylas/OSS-DocumentScanner) if you are looking for a CamScanner alternative to use in the meantime. It is maintained and works quite well from my experience.