It’s all about finding the right compromise, from the features you need in your document scanner and not paying extra for the features that you don’t require
There are a couple of good budget scanners, and it allows for easy document scanning. Who knows, you might be suprised for the features you are receiving.
| Product | Format | Scanning area | Connectivity | Sheets per minute | Images per minute | ADF Size | Daily Duty Cycle | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Epson ES-400  | A4 | 8.27 in x 11.69 in | SuperSpeed USB 3.0 and Ethernet (optional) | 35 | 70 | 50 sheets | 4,000 sheets | Click for more info |
Popular choice Fujitsu Scansnap IX1500  | A4 | 8.27 in x 11.69 in | USB 3.1, WiFi | 30 | 60 | 50 sheets | 400 sheets | Click for more info |
Our choice Raven Pro Document Scanner  | A4 | 8.5 in. x 11.7 in. | Wi-Fi (2.4ghz), Ethernet | 60 | 120 | 100 sheets | 6000 sheets | Click for more info |
Brother ADS-2700W  | A4 | 8.27 in x 11.69 in | Fast Ethernet, Wireless and Hi-Speed USB 2.0 | 35 | 70 | 50 sheets | 3,000 sheets | Click for more info |
Let’s have a look at each product in particular.
Epson ES-400
| Product | Format | Scanning area | Connectivity | Sheets per minute | Images per minute | ADF Size | Daily Duty Cycle | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Epson ES-400 | A4 | 8.27 in x 11.69 in | SuperSpeed USB 3.0 and Ethernet (optional) | 35 | 70 | 50 sheets | 4,000 sheets | Click for more info |
This Epson ES 400 scanner is quite a good machine. It comes at a friendly budget and it offers A4 scanning at 35 pages per minute.
Connectivity is great, as it has both a USB 3.0 and an Ethernet connection, but the latter is optional. Depending on the cost you are charged for this option, it could turn the odds in his favor or not.
I don’t really like the fact that it requires a computer to be connected to it permanently ( without the ethernet option ). This will only increase the overall cost and therefore make it less budget-friendly than the rest.
Other options are pretty much similar, a 50 sheet ADF and standard duplex scanning, which you should expect in this price range.
Fujitsu Scansnap IX1500
| Product | Format | Scanning area | Connectivity | Sheets per minute | Images per minute | ADF Size | Daily Duty Cycle | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fujitsu Scansnap IX1500 | A4 | 8.27 in x 11.69 in | USB 3.1, WiFi | 30 | 60 | 50 sheets | 400 sheets | Click for more info |
The Fujitsu Scansnap IX1500 is a popular choice in general and even as a budget scanner you can’t really fault it much.
First of all it has a touchscreen display, which helps the users operate it. This instantly means that you don’t need to attach a computer to it. Use all the options it has at a touch of a screen.
Performance-wise it has average values, such as 30 images per minute in simplex and 60 images in duplex. The ADF is only 50 sheets, but it’s well in the price range average.
I really like this device, and it works great as a budget scanner. The touchscreen and WIFI connection allow not to use a computer for scanning and easily distribute to mobile devices.
Raven Pro Document Scanner
| Product | Format | Scanning area | Connectivity | Sheets per minute | Images per minute | ADF Size | Daily Duty Cycle | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Raven Pro Document Scanner | A4 | 8.5 in. x 11.7 in. | Wi-Fi (2.4ghz), Ethernet | 60 | 120 | 100 sheets | 6000 sheets | Click for more info |
The Raven Pro Document Scanner is our choice for the best budget document scanner.
It has a large touchscreen that totally removes the need of using an attached computer or a PC monitor. You can do just about any operation using that touchscreen, so a computer is definitely no longer needed.
Performance-wise, it will go up to 60 sheets every minute in simplex and 120 images per minute in duplex mode. The ADF is the largest by far, reaching around 100 pages.
Connectivity works either through ethernet or Wi-Fi. It’s clear that this scanner was designed to be a digital sender and not a dedicated scanner. At the same time, I think that if you make the settings right, it can prove to be a decent dedicated scanner.
Brother ADS-2700W
| Product | Format | Scanning area | Connectivity | Sheets per minute | Images per minute | ADF Size | Daily Duty Cycle | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Brother ADS-2700W | A4 | 8.27 in x 11.69 in | Fast Ethernet, Wireless and Hi-Speed USB 2.0 | 35 | 70 | 50 sheets | 3,000 sheets | Click for more info |
The Brother ADS-2700W is a decent scanner that won’t kill your budget too much. It has most of the features you’d expect in this price range, a 50 sheet ADF and a scanning speed of around 35 pages per minute.
What is interesting is that it comes with all 3 connectivity options, an Ethernet connection, wireless and Hi-Speed USB. In this price range, I haven’t seen that many scanners offering all 3 connectivity options.
Last but not least, the touchscreen helps to operate the scanner without the need of a dedicated workstation. I must say you can’t really abuse this feature, as the touchscreen is rather small. For standard scanning operations, this should work just fine though.
Editors Opinion
If I were to choose the best budget scanner, the Raven Pro Document scanner would have to be my choice. Just because of the various features it offers, the device will simplify scanning.
Price-wise it’s not the cheapest, but it does offer wireless and ethernet scanning, which is great to have in this connected world we are living today. Even more, this does not require a workstation to attach to it, so it will reduce your overall budget this way.
The other good alternative is the Fujitsu Scansnap IX1500. It cost just as much so it’s still a budget friendly scanner.
One advantage it does have, is that it can be connected to a PC and you can take advantage of the software bundle it offers.