You want to go paperless.
Scan contracts, letters, and bank statements, then find them instantly with full-text search.
ScanKing
Paper in. PDF out.
ScanKing is the scanning software for document scanners from almost all manufacturers: load the stack, scan, and get a searchable PDF or editable Word file in the correct folder – all from one interface, regardless of which device is on your desk.
incl. VAT · One-time purchase · one license for up to 2 devices
What ScanKing requires
macOS 15 Sequoia or later · all requirements
- Drivers
- 83 built-in, nothing to install
- Scanners
- wide range of USB and network devices
- Output
- searchable PDF or Word file
- License
- One-time purchase for 2 devices
What it’s for
One software for your scanners, regardless of the brand.
Most manufacturers bundle their own scanning software – and it only works with their own devices. ScanKing supports scanners from many brands, via USB or network, and comes with built-in drivers. I was often frustrated with the user experience of proprietary software. That's why ScanKing is built the way scanning should be: entire stacks in a single run, deskewed pages, long receipts, text recognition, and a filing workflow that sends every PDF straight where it belongs.
Who it’s for
You digitize receipts.
Invoices and receipts for taxes and accounting: feed the whole stack, get searchable PDFs saved directly to the right folders.
You have an older scanner.
Even if the manufacturer no longer provides software updates: many older devices keep running on your new Mac with ScanKing, instead of ending up in the trash.
ScanSnap S1500 and S1500M: supported and tested
ScanKing has its own device profile for the S1500 and can read information that previously only Fujitsu’s software could.
- Scan button – Press the button on the device to start a scan; ScanKing brings its window to the front.
- Paper sensor – ScanKing shows whether there’s paper in the feeder.
- Duplex – Scan both sides in one pass or just one side; in color, grayscale or black and white.
- Long receipts – Up to 876 mm: ScanKing enables the scanner’s long-document detection, so the PDF matches the actual length of the receipt.
- Blank pages – The S1500 automatically removes blank backsides; ScanKing enables this feature and can turn it off if you prefer.
- Other Fujitsu devices – Many other fi and ScanSnap devices work with the same driver, but haven’t been tested individually. If yours isn’t listed, request support with “Request scanner support”.
PDF or Word
New: Save as Word.
Only the printed price list left, and prices have changed? Scan, save as Word, adjust prices, done: ScanKing reconstructs the paper as a Word document – as close to the original as possible, yet fully editable. When saving, simply choose "Word" instead of "PDF".
- Like the original – Text with font size, bold, and color; tables with and without gridlines; right-aligned prices and lines; logos, photos, stamps, and signatures as images.
- Truly editable – Everything flows in normal text; nothing floats in loose text boxes. Change a word, and the rest adjusts automatically.
- On your computer – Recognition runs entirely locally. Your document never leaves your machine.
Example: the price list as a Word file
The price list from the image, as ScanKing saves it as a Word file. Open it in Word, Pages, or LibreOffice and adjust the prices. The nursery is fictional.
What ScanKing can do
From a stack of paper straight to a filed PDF.
01 · 83 Treiber
Scanners nobody else supports anymore
Drivers for many USB document scanners are built right into the app: Fujitsu fi and ScanSnap, Canon imageFORMULA DR, Kodak, Avision, Epson, Plustek, and more. No Homebrew, nothing extra to install.
02 · Netzwerk
Network scanning included
ScanKing discovers most current devices from Brother, Canon, Epson, and HP via the macOS scanner service, plus any device with a manufacturer driver. One interface for all of them.
03 · OCR
Searchable PDFs
OCR embeds text invisibly into the PDF: You can find every document via full-text search and copy text from it. ScanKing also displays the recognized text directly – for reading, copying, or saving as a text file. Everything runs on your Mac; nothing goes to the cloud.
04 · Word
Edit as Word
Instead of a PDF, a Word file that looks like the paper: text, tables, logos, and images, all fully editable.
05 · Freistellen
Straight and clean
ScanKing detects paper boundaries, straightens crooked pages, and trims borders, even on narrow receipts. Empty pages, such as blank backs, can be automatically skipped.
06 · bis 876 mm
Long receipts
Receipts up to 876 mm long; the scanner only captures the actual length (on supported devices).
07 · Dokumente
Split and merge
Rotate, reorder, and delete pages; split batches, select multiple documents, and merge them into one. Every step can be undone.
See what it looks like
Get started
- 01
Connect a scanner
Connect it via USB or turn it on in your network; the setup assistant will find it. Network scanners show up after a few seconds.
- 02
Choose a save location
Choose a folder. Pages, color, and resolution are set directly under “Scan” and can be changed before each scan; ScanKing only shows what your device can do.
- 03
Scan
Load your pages and click “Scan” (⇧⌘S) – or, with many USB scanners, simply press the button on the device. ScanKing scans and brings its window to the front.
- 04
Save
Assign file names directly to the document or use the timestamp, then save – individually or all at once.
Batch scanning
One batch, one pass.
Scan all receipts at once and split them into individual documents afterward – or merge what belongs together.
- Split here – Press ⇧⌘T to split a document at the selected page, or choose “Split into individual pages” to make each page its own document.
- Merge – Click document boxes, hold ⌘ to select others, and press ⌘J to combine them into one document.
- Separator sheet – If you like, a blank sheet can separate receipts as you scan; for double-sided scanning, both sides must be blank.
- Undo – Every step can be reversed with ⌘Z – even an accidentally deleted document.
Filing
Every PDF in its place.
The library is on the right side of the window. You choose the folder and assign file names directly to each document – or use the suggested timestamp.
- Save all – Save the entire batch with one click, each document under its own name.
- Replace – Overwrite an existing file on purpose, for example with an improved version.
- Multiple locations – Place the same document into multiple folders sequentially.
- History – Your last ten PDFs stay close at hand. One click shows the file in its folder.
Fair
Try it before you buy.
You can use ScanKing without a license for as long as you like: scan, view and edit to your heart’s content. Only saved PDFs will have a watermark.
- One-time purchase – No subscription, all updates included. ScanKing updates itself.
- Two devices – One license covers two of your Macs.
- Scanner not listed? – Request support for your device right from the app with “Request scanner support”. I’ll check whether it can be supported.
- Support – Send your wishes and questions directly from the app, optionally with a screenshot. My response comes back to the app.
Requirements
- System
- macOS 15 Sequoia or later
- Word Export
- macOS 15 and up; ScanKing captures tables with grid lines even more accurately starting from macOS 26
- Scanners
- USB document scanner with SANE driver (83 included), network scanner with AirScan/eSCL, or a device with manufacturer driver
- Account
- None required to scan
K·I·N·G — Keep it neat & good.
Buy ScanKing · €19.99