The 4 Best Portable Scanners for Mac

We chose 4 portable scanners out of 60 that can pair perfectly with your Mac, MacBook pro or any other invention that Steve Jobs created. We looked at how fast they are, how much performance you get for the money, how many features are built in and how easy it was for Mac users to get them set up

Our choice is the Fujitsu ScanSnap S1300i, but all the scanners listed here will pair perfectly. Here is our definitive list of the 4 portable scanners perfect for your Mac.
The 4 Best Portable Scanners for Mac
ProductImages / MinuteFormatConnectivityMax. document sizeADF TrayWeightPrice
Our choice

Fujitsu Scansnap S1300i

Fujitsu Scansnap S1300i
24 IPMA4USB 2.0, USB 1.18.5 in. x 34 in. (215 x 863 mm)Yes3.08 lb. (1.4 kg)Click for more info

Canon imageFORMULA P-215

Canon imageFORMULA P-215
30 IPMA4Hi-Speed USB 2.0, USB 3.08.5 in. x 39.4 in. (215 x 1000 mm)Yes2.2 lb. (0.99 kg)Click for more info

Epson ES-60W

Epson ES-60W
15 IPMA4USB 2.0, Wireless 802.11 b/g/n8.5 in. x 72 in. (215 x 1828 mm)No0.66 lb. (0.3 kg)Click for more info

Brother ADS-1500W

Brother ADS-1500W
36 IPMA4Wireless 802.11 b/g/n, Hi-Speed USB 2.08.5 in. x 34 in. (215 x 863 mm)Yes3.5 lb. (1.58 kg)Click for more info


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

Fujitsu Scansnap S1300i

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Fujitsu Scansnap S1300i

Fujitsu Scansnap S1300i
24 IPMA4USB 2.0, USB 1.18.5 in. x 34 in. (215 x 863 mm)Yes3.08 lb. (1.4 kg)Click for more info
So, as we mentioned earlier, Fujitsu’s smallest ScanSnap document scanner is our number 1 choice when it comes to compatibility with Apple computing devices. It is one of the top portable scanners for Mac and also PC. If you are a Mac (or Macbook) user, you might have experienced some issues with scanner software before. The Fujitsu Scansnap S1300i is not only Apple compatible with Mac and Apple Macbooks, it also has duplex scanning, so you will be able to scan both sides of a document at the same time (good points for productivity).

The dimensions of this portable scanner for Mac are 11.1 in. x 3 in. x 3.9 in. (28.4 x 7.7 x 9.9 cm) and it weighs 3.08 lb. (1.4 kg), making it the second heaviest scanner reviewed in this article. However, unless you are planning to move it around a lot, this won’t really be noticeable while using the scanner.

The presence of OCR makes it possible to scan to editable Word and Excel files and you can also create searchable keywords from highlighter text. The scanner also comes with an automatic document feeder ADF Tray, so you won’t have to feed the documents manually sheet by sheet. It can be USB powered or AC powered.

This A4 color duplex document scanner has an Optical Resolution of 600 DPI (Dots per inch), which is more than enough in this category. The maximum document size you can scan with the Fujitsu Scansnap S1300i portable color duplex document scanner is 8.5 in. x 34 in. (215 x 863 mm).

As for the image enhancement software, the scanner does not have Background Removal and Punch Hole Removal but you will still find Automatic Color Detection and Image Rotation, Automatic Image Cropping and Automatic Deskew. The document scanning software bundle includes: ScanSnap Home, ABBYY FineReader for ScanSnap.



Pros: 2. Duplex scanning, OCR included.

Cons: 3. You can find a faster scanner than 24 IPM in this category, At 3.08 lb. (1.4 kg), it is not the lightest device you can find.


Canon imageFORMULA P-215

ProductImages / MinuteFormatConnectivityMax. document sizeADF TrayWeightPrice

Canon imageFORMULA P-215

Canon imageFORMULA P-215
30 IPMA4Hi-Speed USB 2.0, USB 3.08.5 in. x 39.4 in. (215 x 1000 mm)Yes2.2 lb. (0.99 kg)Click for more info
If you are looking for a sleek portable scanner for Mac, compatible with all your Apple devices, the Canon imageFormula P-215II might be the one. Also known as Scan-tini Personal Document Scanner, this portable device can also serve as a desktop scanner. It even features an auto document feeder ADF Tray and has Optical Character recognition (OCR).

Speaking of which, its weight and dimensions will be relatively light or heavy, depending on whether you intend to use it as a desktop or portable scanner. 11.2 in. x 1.6 in. x 3.7 in. (28.4 x 4 x 9.3 cm) in size, a weight of 2.2 lb. (0.99 kg), we will let you decide.

However, do note that the maximum document size you can scan with this device is 8.5 in. x 39.4 in. (215 x 1000 mm).
We like the fact that the Canon imageFORMULA P-215 has Duplex scanning and fast scan speeds up to 30 images per minute. The built-in Contact Image sensor offers a 600 DPI image Resolution. You are probably wondering about connectivity, so it is equipped with Hi-Speed USB 2.0 and USB 3.0. Canon offers ISIS and TWAIN drivers for Mac and PC and both operating systems, Windows and Mac OS X on their website for this mobile document scanner. The scanning software is also Mac compatible.

Does it have Automatic Color Detection, Background Removal, Automatic Image Cropping and Automatic Deskew? Yes. Does it also have Automatic Image Rotation and Punch Hole Removal? No. So as far as Digital ICE features go, it is average.

The best thing to do would be actually to buy the improved version, the canon imageformula p-215ii mobile document scanner which brings improvements on every level. Check prices on Amazon and compare the two versions and find out which fits your budget.

Epson ES-60W

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Epson ES-60W

Epson ES-60W
15 IPMA4USB 2.0, Wireless 802.11 b/g/n8.5 in. x 72 in. (215 x 1828 mm)No0.66 lb. (0.3 kg)Click for more info
Besides being a portable scanner for Mac and MacBook, the Epson Workforce ES-60W has a built-in rechargeable battery and wireless connectivity (Wireless 802.11 b/g/n). The great battery makes it a better travel scanner than the other mobile scanners featured here. It is a mac accessory that is easy-to-use and ideal for home use and light office use.

It also supports USB 2.0. So even if it has a scanning speed of 15 IPM and no duplex scanning, this device will still get the job done and is a fully compatible mobile scanner with the Apple ecosystem whether it is a Mac Mini or Macbook Pro. You can scan any document up to A4 format on this Apple-compatible device.

This portable scanning device has a small footprint: 0.66 lb. (0.3 kg) and 10.7 in. x 1.3 in. x 1.8 in. (27.1 x 3.3 x 4.5 cm).

This A4 handheld scanner can scan documents up to a paper size of 8.5 in. x 72 in. (215 x 1828 mm) at 600 DPI Optical Resolution. All the devices listed here will output the same number of pixels in a scan. You can scan a large variety of media types from documents, receipts, business cards and plastic cards through this device. It has a little LCD screen which shows the battery and status of the scanner, it is not a touch screen but still useful.

This office document scanner even has Automatic Color Detection, Automatic Image Rotation, Automatic Image Cropping, Automatic Deskew, Punch Hole Removal and OCR. The scanning software can convert the high-quality scanned images in JPEG, BMP Bitmap, PNG, TIFF and searchable PDFs at a vivid 24-bit RGB color depth for color scans and 8-bit in grayscale mode.

Another feature worth mentioning is that this portable scanner for macbooks and iMacs will detect whether a scan was initiated via USB or wireless connection so as to adapt its interface accordingly. This is the most compact and lightweight scanner featured in this article so it is one of the strongest choices for home office or on-the-go professionals just because of the weight. It’s a compact desktop document scanner for pc and Mac with drivers available for both Windows and Mac OS X on Epson’s website.

This device is better suited for home offices where you would scan receipts once in a while or a few documents per day at most. For larger offices with more scanning power needed, it is best to look at the Fujitsu or Brother scanners. Other options for a mobile scanner for mac from Epson include the Epson workforce es-50 portable sheetfed document scanner and also mobile printing devices like the WF-100W which is a standalone portable printer.

Brother ADS-1500W

ProductImages / MinuteFormatConnectivityMax. document sizeADF TrayWeightPrice

Brother ADS-1500W

Brother ADS-1500W
36 IPMA4Wireless 802.11 b/g/n, Hi-Speed USB 2.08.5 in. x 34 in. (215 x 863 mm)Yes3.5 lb. (1.58 kg)Click for more info
This portable scanner for Mac will allow you to scan directly to an assortment of cloud services from Google Drive to Evernote and Dropbox through the Brother Web Connect software. You can use it as a business tool and also integrate it into more complex scan solutions. You can use the Wi-Fi connection to connect to a network hotspot. It also has the ability to scan to an FTP server and mobile scanning. Along with the Wireless connectivity it also has the classic USB port like all office products.

Compatible with Windows, Mac and Linux, some of its advanced scanning features include Automatic Deskew, Automatic Image Rotation, Automatic Image Cropping, Background Removal and OCR. It even has an ADF Tray.

This portable sheetfed scanner can easily scan 18 pages per minute and 36 images in duplex scanning mode. It is a single-pass duplexing scanner. This Brother Mobile scanner is the fastest portable scanner featured in this article and one of the best Brother wireless scanners. The pixel density is similar to its competitors, i.e., 600 DPI. This scan quality is good enough to notice even the smallest details in the scans on most computer monitors but it also produces a large file, so it is best to use only when scanning photos and use 300 dpi when scanning documents. The maximum document size is 8.5 in. x 34 in. (215 x 863 mm). The media thickness range is large enough for you to use it as a receipt scanner or even ID Card scanner.

Aimed at small offices or home users, this wireless document scanner measures 11.2 in. x 3.3 in. x 4.1 in. (28.4 x 8.3 x 10.4 cm) and has a weight of 3.5 lb. (1.58 kg). It is the heaviest portable scanner featured in this article but you will still be able to use it comfortably and carry it around, so mobility shouldn’t be affected.

Another great wireless mobile scanner from Brother is the ADS-1700W compact mobile document scanner that has even more powerful specs and Brother’s wireless portable scanner ADS-1250W. The brother wireless document scanner ads-1700w is one of our favorite devices in this category because it offers everything that you would want. If your budget is lower, then you can try the Brother DS-640 or DS-620 brother mobile color page scanner.



Pros: 2. Bundled with a robust suite of scanning software, ADF Tray, Compatible with Windows, Mac and Linux, 36 IMP.

Cons: 3. If you have security concerns about using Wi-Fi connection to scan to the cloud services, you might want to pass this one.




Which is the best portable scanner for mac?

Even if we believe the Fujitsu ScanSnap S1300i is the best choice for a great portable scanner that is compatible with Mac or MacBook, the Epson ES-60W will also work well for small scanning jobs. Also, we recommend the Brother ADS-1500W if you need to scan directly to cloud services, but do remember that you will only be able to do so using a wireless network connection. The 36 IMP scanning speed might however seal the deal. And let’s not forget the Canon imageFORMULA P-215, which features Duplex scanning and can scan up to 30 images per minute at 600 DPI Optical Resolution. So who is not on the party list of portable document scanners for mac? Brother ds-720d mobile color page scanner, brother ds-620 color page scanner, doxie go se wifi which doesn’t need a Mac nor a PC because it saves the digital images to an SD Card, Doxie Flip, epson workforce es-300w wifi scanner, epson fastfoto ff-680w photo scanner, fujitsu scansnap ix100, vupoint solutions magic wand portable scanner which also can save the digital images to a memory card. We also reviewed flatbed scanners for Macbook Pros, Macbook Airs and iMacs like the Epson Perfection V600 and Canon CanoScan Lide 300. If the scanning power of these mobile scanners for Mac is not enough, we also reviewed desktop sheetfeed scanners which might suit your project better. Scanners like the HP ScanJet Pro 2000 and the Raven Pro for instance. Check out our homepage for articles on these.
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