If you are looking for a cheap document scanner with automatic document feeder, ADF as some call it, then this article should be of great help.

We have selected 10 alternatives that include scanners from Canon, Fujitsu, Kodak Alaris and even Brother scanners.

This review features color duplex devices only, which are not necesarily the cheapest in value, but rather the best value scanners we could find.

7 Best Cheap Document Scanners to buy in 2020

Product	Format	Scanning area	Connectivity	Sheets per minute	Images per minute	ADF Size	Daily Duty Cycle	Price
Panasonic KV-S1058Y	A4	8.27 in x 11.69 in	USB 3.1, Ethernet LAN	70	140	100 sheets	6,000 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
Kodak Alaris S2040	A4	8.27 in x 11.69 in	USB 3.1	40	80	80 sheets	5,000 sheets	Click for more info
Brother ImageCenter ADS-2800W		A4 – 215.9 mm x 355.6 mm ( 8.5 in. x 14.0 in.)	Gigabit Ethernet, Hi-Speed USB 2.0 or Wifi	30PPM	60IPM	50 Sheets	3000 Sheets	Click for more info
Epson ES-500WR	A4	8.27 in x 11.69 in	SuperSpeed USB 3.0 and WiFi	35	70	50 sheets	4,000 sheets	Click for more info
Our choice Fujitsu fi-7160	A4	8.27 in x 11.69 in	USB 3.0	60	120	80 sheets	4,000 sheets	Click for more info
Canon DR-M260	A4	8.27 in x 11.69 in	USB 3.1	60	120	80 sheets	7,500 sheets	Click for more info
Fujitsu Fi-800R	A4	8.5 in x 14 in	USB 3.2 Gen1x1 / USB 2.0 / USB 1.1	40	80	20 sheets	4,500 sheets	Click for more info

Let’s have a look at each product in particular.

Panasonic KV-S1058Y

Product	Format	Scanning area	Connectivity	Sheets per minute	Images per minute	ADF Size	Daily Duty Cycle	Price
Panasonic KV-S1058Y	A4	8.27 in x 11.69 in	USB 3.1, Ethernet LAN	70	140	100 sheets	6,000 sheets	Click for more info

This Panasonic model is another A4 scanner, with a scanning dimension of 8.3 by 11.7 inches.

Panasonic usually fits CIS sensors to its scanners, and this is no exception. It makes the capturing unit smaller and a bit cheaper.

This is another interesting device when it comes to connectivity. It features both a LAN Ethernet connection and a standard USB. More flexibility leads to better efficiency and higher productivity.

This scanner will work at around 70 pages per minute in simplex mode. The duplex, on the other hand, means that you can reach around 140 images per minute.

If you have very long documents, rest assured, you will be scanning them easily. The long document mode will let you scan paper sheets as long as 220 inches

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, color duplex document scanner, is a great little A4 device for PC and Mac. In fact, the scanning paper size will go a bit over A4, 8.27 inches by 11.7 inches to be exact. The sheet feeder will hold around 50 pages that are of relatively normal thickness.

Unlike the FI models, they have fitted this device with a CIS sensor. I would have loved a CCD for scanning color photo, but given the low price, this will do, especially for text documents. So please use it mainly for document scanning, as it was not built to be a photo scanner.

Like its predecessor, the IX1500 comes with a USB and Wifi connection, and this is a good thing, it gives us options. Take also into account that you can do a searchable PDF from your office documents, using the bundled software.

The scanner works in simplex or duplex, and it should convert around 30 ppm color pages, which is an increase over the old IX500 sheetfed document scanner. Just use the included touch screen to go over the settings you need. You can also run it connected to a PC, and see the settings on computer monitors, but it can work just as well standalone.

The long document mode is present and will reach around 118 inches for each long sheet you have to scan.

Kodak Alaris S2040

Product	Format	Scanning area	Connectivity	Sheets per minute	Images per minute	ADF Size	Daily Duty Cycle	Price
Kodak Alaris S2040	A4	8.27 in x 11.69 in	USB 3.1	40	80	80 sheets	5,000 sheets	Click for more info

The Kodak Alaris S2040 is another great little scanner from this manufacturer. It will scan 8.3 by 11.7 inches which is a bit over A4.

CIS sensors seem to be the norm for cheaper smaller scanners and this model is no exception in this sense.

The data transfer is speed is very good, and it is to be expected, given that this device will work through USB 3.1.

It scans in simplex or duplex, and the estimated scanning speed is around 40 sheets every minute. Images per minute in duplex mode should be double. If you compare it to a Kodak i3300 it is definitely a slower scanner, but you can use most of the features the more expensive has.

A long document mode is available, for lengthier sheets and the exact value is around 160 inches. For most office documents, this should be enough I think. The searchable PDF feature will also work for these documents.

Brother ImageCenter ADS-2800W

Product	Format	Scanning area	Connectivity	Sheets per minute	Images per minute	ADF Size	Daily Duty Cycle	Price
Brother ImageCenter ADS-2800W	A4 – 215.9 mm x 355.6 mm ( 8.5 in. x 14.0 in.)	Gigabit Ethernet, Hi-Speed USB 2.0 or Wifi	30PPM	60IPM	50 Sheets	3000 Sheets	Click for more info

The maximum page size that you can scan with this scanner is up to A4. To be more precise, you can scan documents up to 215.9mm by 355.6mm, which in inches should be about 8.5 by 14.

Being a cheaper scanner, this means the scanner will be boasting a CIS sensor, which makes it ok for documents but not necessarily great for photos or images.

A great thing about this device is the variety of connectivity options. You would expect it to have a High Speed USB, but this scanner also boasts a Wifi and a very quick Gigabit Ethernet connection.

As you would expect this scanner does duplex automatically as the page goes through the device. It can scan up to 30ppm in Simplex, while the speed in duplex doubles to 60 images per minute.

I love that I can just get a very long document and scan it. In this mode, the scanner will process sheets up to 197 inches in length, or 5,000mm. Of course, it will also accommodate paper sizes in between.

We could have also included the Brother ADS1700W, but it’s not really worth the money you save when compared to the 2800W.

Epson ES-500WR

Product	Format	Scanning area	Connectivity	Sheets per minute	Images per minute	ADF Size	Daily Duty Cycle	Price
Epson ES-500WR	A4	8.27 in x 11.69 in	SuperSpeed USB 3.0 and WiFi	35	70	50 sheets	4,000 sheets	Click for more info

Last but not least we have the Epson ES-500WR A4 document scanner. A great little device to scan letter documents up to 8.2 by 11.6 inches.

It’s a cheap scanner so it comes with a CIS sensor. This allows the manufacturer to offer more features in a smaller package and at a better price point. Yes, other models, such as some flatbed Epson Workforce or Epson Perfection models will deliver higher scanning quality.

It does, however, offer an interesting approach to connectivity. While USB is available in the 3.0 version, it also features a WIFI capability, which is great for decentralized scanning.

Scanning speed for A4 documents should be around 35 pages per minute when you use the simplex mode. When you want to scan in duplex, you can achieve double the value.

I must say the long document mode is really impressive. It features a value of around 240 inches, which for such a small scanner is highly impressive. And the price is really cheap, even compared to most other scanners on the market.

Fujitsu fi-7160

Product	Format	Scanning area	Connectivity	Sheets per minute	Images per minute	ADF Size	Daily Duty Cycle	Price
Fujitsu fi-7160	A4	8.27 in x 11.69 in	USB 3.0	60	120	80 sheets	4,000 sheets	Click for more info

As you already know, the Fujitsu Fi 7160 is probably one of our favorites. This is an A4 desktop scanner with features that you only get in a high-end document scanner.

The CCD sensor they have fitted to this device provides great image quality, while the colors are superb on most documents you scan. I still feel that text recognition and the optical character recognition process is more reliable with high-end CCD sensors.

When it came out, USB 3.0 was not present on many scanners. In fact, the transfer speed difference was so high, that most of the scanners that were launched after that came with a 3.0 USB.

Scanning speed is very good for such a device, and it can easily do 120 images per minute in duplex, even when you scan 300dpi color documents.

Fujitsu has always focused on delivering scanners that work with a long document mode. This is no exception, and it can process documents up to 220 inches long. Also, you can check the FI-7260 if you also want to use flatbed scanners connected to your ADF.

You should know from the start, that when compared to the Fujitsu scansnap ix1500 color duplex model, the fi 7160 is more expensive and does not have a wireless transfer.

But out of all the models here, it is the only one I would recommend for fast scanning in production environments. It’s definitely not the cheapest, but it all depends on what you use it for.

As mentioned, this is the only scanner in the list that can be used for low volume production. Therefore, if you have a lot of work, the scanner is really cheap.

Canon DR-M260

Product	Format	Scanning area	Connectivity	Sheets per minute	Images per minute	ADF Size	Daily Duty Cycle	Price
Canon DR-M260	A4	8.27 in x 11.69 in	USB 3.1	60	120	80 sheets	7,500 sheets	Click for more info

The Canon Imageformula Dr-M260 will scan documents as large as an A4. So expect this to be around 8.27 inches by 11.69 inches.

A CIS sensor has been fitted to this device, so it will not take a lot of space and also make the machine a bit lighter. However, don’t expect the quality to be close to a CCD sensor, even if the scanning resolution is identical. For that there are some Canon Canoscan Lide flatbed scanners which might deliver higer quality scanning, especially when searching for a purpose photo scanner.

The connection is going through a USB 3.1. This machine is more focused on being a desktop scanner rather than a digital sender, especially given that it uses the USB port only.

Scanning speed is high and comparable with a Fujitsu FI-7160. This means around 60ppm in simplex and doubles the value when scanning in duplex mode.

There is now also a newer model coming from the manufacturer, called the Canon Imageformula R40. This is also a good scanner that you can take into account when searching for a cheap scanner.

Fujitsu Fi-800R

Product	Format	Scanning area	Connectivity	Sheets per minute	Images per minute	ADF Size	Daily Duty Cycle	Price
Fujitsu Fi-800R	A4	8.5 in x 14 in	USB 3.2 Gen1x1 / USB 2.0 / USB 1.1	40	80	20 sheets	4,500 sheets	Click for more info

Let’s not forget about the Fujitsu FI-800R. This A4 scanner is the newest scanner out of all the models listed on this page.

The sensor mounted in this equipment is CIS, but interestingly it’s not one of the cheapest in the list. Actually it’s more expensive than most models listed here.

So why should you pay for it? Well, it’s the only one to come with the special passport scanning feature. Just slide the passport or ID in it, and the scanner will digitize it immediately.

It also features a special layout capture for most of the ID, so for example in a hotel lobby or in a public institution it should be a lifesaver. Especially for environments scanning ID’s or passports constantly.

Now is it worth the investment? If you need the ID scanning feature I’d say why not. It provides a decent scanning speed, it has an ADF, so you are combining features of both worlds.

Editors Opinion

If you were to ask me what is the best cheap document scanner to buy in 2019, I would say that the Fujitsu Scansnap ix1500 is right up there.

First of all the price is not very high, at 420 dollars it is cheaper than a lot of scanners and offers more features than similarly priced items.

It’s a color duplex machine, the document feeder ADF can hold around 50 sheets, and it’s a good scanner for PC or Mac. At work, it will be the most reliable office document scanner and when compared to a portable document scanner, for example, the scansnap s1300i, it will be more robust and more effective.

Oh, and it has a touch screen that lets you distribute your scans wirelessly very efficiently, without having to use a PC. Image Quality might not be comparable to CCD models, but it has a document feeder, ADF, and it also comes with Optical Character Recognition included.

Our Score