Microsoft Lens vs ScanWow
A detailed comparison to help you choose the right document scanner
Microsoft retired Lens in 2026. It was removed from the App Store on February 9, 2026, and it can no longer create new scans after March 9, 2026, so many former Lens users are looking for alternatives. ScanWow covers the same core scan to PDF workflow and adds search inside your scans and iCloud backup. Let's see how they compare.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | ScanWow | Microsoft Lens |
|---|---|---|
| Status | ✓ Active & Updated | ✗ Retired |
| Price | 3 documents free, then $4.99 one-time Pro | Free |
| Subscription Required | No | No |
| Account Required | No | Only to save to OneNote, OneDrive, Word or PowerPoint |
| Text Recognition (OCR) | ✓ On your device | ✓ |
| Works Offline | ✓ Scanning, text recognition (most languages), search and PDF export | No new scans since March 9, 2026 |
| PDF Export | ✓ | ✓ |
| Searchable PDFs | ✓ From version 3.0.5 | ✓ |
| Multi-page Documents | ✓ | ✓ |
| Search Inside Scans | ✓ On-device | Searchable PDFs |
| Cloud Backup | Your own iCloud (Pro, turn on in Settings) | OneDrive, with sign-in |
| Business Card Mode | No (scans and reads the text like any page) | ✓ |
| Whiteboard Mode | No (scan a whiteboard like any page) | ✓ |
Detailed Comparison
App Availability
Winner: ScanWow
Microsoft retired Lens in 2026. It was removed from the App Store and Google Play on February 9, 2026, support ended after February 9, 2026, and it can no longer create new scans after March 9, 2026 (source: Microsoft Support, Retirement of Microsoft Lens). ScanWow is actively developed and will continue to receive updates and improvements.
Pricing Model
Winner: Tie (different approaches)
Microsoft Lens was free. ScanWow is free to try with 3 documents, then ScanWow Pro is a one-time $4.99 with no subscription. While free is attractive, a one-time Pro price means no ads and no recurring fees.
Privacy & Data Handling
Winner: ScanWow
Microsoft Lens asked you to sign in when you saved to OneNote, OneDrive, Word or PowerPoint. ScanWow reads text on your device and needs no account. AI cleanup with Magic Enhance runs only on pages you choose, and you can turn it off entirely in Settings. Your choice, your data.
Offline Functionality
Winner: ScanWow
ScanWow reads text on your device. For most languages you can scan, extract text, search, and export PDFs without an internet connection. A few languages may need to download their language data the first time, so that first scan needs a connection. Magic Enhance always needs a connection.
OCR Accuracy
Winner: Tie
Both apps read text from scans. ScanWow reads text on your device, and its optional Magic Enhance sends only the pages you choose to Anthropic Claude (with Google Gemini as a backup) to clean up and format the text.
Ease of Use
Winner: ScanWow
ScanWow requires no account creation or login. Install, open, and start scanning immediately.
Best For Different Users
Business Users
Choose ScanWow for its privacy options and professional PDF output. No Microsoft 365 subscription required.
Privacy-Conscious Users
Choose ScanWow because text recognition runs on your device. Leave Magic Enhance unused, or turn off Magic Cloud in Settings, and no page is sent for text recognition.
Frequent Travelers
Choose ScanWow because scanning and text recognition work without a connection for most languages. Scan receipts and documents anywhere, even without cell service.
Microsoft 365 Users
While Lens integrated with OneDrive, you can easily share ScanWow PDFs to any cloud service including OneDrive.
Switching from Microsoft Lens
Migrating to ScanWow is simple:
- Export your Lens scans to OneDrive or your device
- Download ScanWow from the App Store
- Start scanning immediately, no account needed
For a detailed migration guide, see our complete article on the Microsoft Lens retirement.
Our Verdict
With Microsoft Lens retired, ScanWow is a simple replacement for the core Lens workflow. It does not have Lens's whiteboard or business card modes, or export to Word and PowerPoint, but it adds:
- No account required
- Privacy-first design with on-device option
- Scanning and text recognition that work offline for most languages
- On-device search: find any scan by the text written in it
- Automatic iCloud Backup to your own iCloud account (Pro)
- Siri & Shortcuts integration
- Import from Photos, Files, and PDFs
- One-time purchase, no subscriptions
- Active development and support
Pro is a one-time $4.99 in the US. Your first 3 documents are free.
Ready to Make the Switch?
Try ScanWow free on your first 3 documents. Unlimited scanning is a one-time Pro purchase, with no subscription.
Try ScanWow free