Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Simple Scan VS Amazon Textract

Compare Simple Scan VS Amazon Textract and see what are their differences

Simple Scan logo Simple Scan

Project information. Part of: The Gnome Project. Maintainer: Simple Scan Development Team. Driver: Simple Scan Development Team. Licence: GNU GPL v3.

Amazon Textract logo Amazon Textract

Easily extract text and data from virtually any document using Amazon Textract. Textract goes beyond simple optical character recognition (OCR) to also identify the contents of fields in forms and information stored in tables.
  • Simple Scan Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-25
  • Amazon Textract Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-04-13

Simple Scan features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    Simple Scan boasts a clean and intuitive interface that is easy for users of all skill levels to navigate.
  • Lightweight
    The application is lightweight and doesn't consume significant system resources, making it ideal for older machines and systems with low specifications.
  • Integration
    It integrates seamlessly with GNOME desktop environments, providing a consistent user experience for those using GNOME-based systems.
  • Quick Scanning
    Simple Scan allows for quick scanning of documents and images, providing basic functionalities needed for everyday scanning tasks.
  • Open-Source
    As an open-source project, Simple Scan is free to use and can be modified by anyone, promoting transparency and community-driven development.

Possible disadvantages of Simple Scan

  • Limited Features
    It lacks advanced features such as OCR (Optical Character Recognition) and extensive image editing capabilities found in more comprehensive scanning software.
  • GNOME Dependency
    While it works best in GNOME environments, users on other desktop environments might experience less seamless integration.
  • Manual Updates
    Users need to manually check for updates or rely on their distribution's package manager, as there is no built-in automatic update feature.
  • Basic Configuration Options
    It offers limited configuration options for power users who require more control over scanning settings and output formats.
  • Scanner Compatibility
    While it supports many scanners, some less common or newer scanner models may not be fully compatible without additional driver installations.

Amazon Textract features and specs

  • Accurate Data Extraction
    Amazon Textract uses machine learning and OCR technologies to provide high accuracy in extracting text and structured data from various document formats.
  • Supports Multiple Formats
    Textract can handle different document types, including PDFs, scanned images, and more, making it versatile for various use cases.
  • Ease of Integration
    Amazon Textract offers APIs that are easy to integrate with other AWS services and external applications, enhancing its usability.
  • Security and Compliance
    Being part of AWS, Textract adheres to robust security and compliance standards, ensuring data protection and privacy.
  • Scalability
    Textract is highly scalable and can process large volumes of documents efficiently, catering to both small businesses and large enterprises.

Possible disadvantages of Amazon Textract

  • Cost
    Amazon Textract can become expensive as the volume of document processing increases, which may be a concern for small businesses with limited budgets.
  • Complexity of Setup
    Though integration is straightforward, initial setup and configuration can be complex, requiring familiarity with AWS services and APIs.
  • Limited Advanced Features
    Textract may lack some advanced features and customization options that are available in more specialized OCR alternatives.
  • Dependency on AWS Ecosystem
    Exclusive reliance on AWS services can be a drawback for organizations that utilize a multi-cloud or hybrid cloud strategy.
  • Quality of Original Documents
    Textract’s accuracy largely depends on the quality of the original documents. Poor quality scans or heavily damaged documents may yield less accurate results.

Analysis of Simple Scan

Overall verdict

  • Simple Scan is generally considered a good choice for users with basic scanning needs. It is particularly well-suited for users who prefer open-source software and those using Linux-based operating systems. Its ease of use and reliability make it a popular option among the Linux community.

Why this product is good

  • Simple Scan is a straightforward, easy-to-use scanning application that's part of the GNOME desktop environment. It is appreciated for its simplicity and is ideal for users who need to perform basic scanning tasks without the complexity of more advanced software. It supports a variety of scanning devices and works out of the box with minimal configuration.

Recommended for

  • Linux users
  • people who need basic scanning functions
  • those who prefer open-source software
  • GNOME desktop environment users

Analysis of Amazon Textract

Overall verdict

  • Yes, Amazon Textract is generally considered a good service for its intended purposes.

Why this product is good

  • Amazon Textract is effective because it uses advanced machine learning techniques to automatically extract text, handwriting, and data from scanned documents. It is highly accurate, scalable, and integrates well with other AWS services, which makes it convenient for businesses looking to automate document processing.

Recommended for

  • Organizations looking to automate data extraction from large volumes of documents.
  • Companies needing to process forms and tables quickly and accurately.
  • Developers looking for a cloud-based OCR service that integrates with other AWS solutions.
  • Industries such as finance, healthcare, and legal, where document digitization is essential.

Simple Scan videos

To Scan Or Not To Scan..Simple Scan

More videos:

  • Review - Simple Scan Document Scanner Beginner Simple Example

Amazon Textract videos

Amazon Textract: First Look

More videos:

  • Review - AWS re:Invent 2018 – Announcing Amazon Textract
  • Review - Introducing Amazon Textract: Now in Preview

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Simple Scan and Amazon Textract)
OCR
28 28%
72% 72
PDF Tools
100 100%
0% 0
OCR API
0 0%
100% 100
PDF Editor
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Simple Scan and Amazon Textract

Simple Scan Reviews

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Amazon Textract Reviews

2019 Examples to Compare OCR Services: Amazon Textract/Rekognition vs Google Vision vs Microsoft Cognitive Services
Pricing: Amazon Rekognition, Amazon Textract, Google, Microsoft. We don't really care which one you use, but Microsoft did best by our sample data. Textract was a very close second if you only need its headline feature: extracting text from digital documents. If someone wants to email bill -at- amplenote.com with comparable data for other images/services, I can try to...

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Amazon Textract seems to be a lot more popular than Simple Scan. While we know about 37 links to Amazon Textract, we've tracked only 1 mention of Simple Scan. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Amazon Textract mentions (37)

  • From PartyRock to Bedrock: AI-Powered Automation at Work
    We were a little concerned that working with documents and Bedrock was going to mean a bunch of effort by using Texttract. I was glad we were proven wrong. I was able to build a quick proof of concept using the Bedrock API in 10 - 15 minutes. - Source: dev.to / 4 months ago
  • Mastering Text Extraction from Multi-Page PDFs Using OCR API: A Step-by-Step Guide
    Amazon Textract is an OCR service provided by Amazon Web Services (AWS), specifically designed to extract text and data from scanned documents and images. It not only recognizes text but also comprehends the document's structure, including tables and forms. This capability makes it especially valuable for applications requiring detailed data extraction, such as invoice processing and form digitization. - Source: dev.to / 11 months ago
  • Ask HN: How to OCR a PDF and preserve whitespace?
    Did you try textract? https://aws.amazon.com/textract/ In my experience it works amazingly well with columns / tabulated content. - Source: Hacker News / 12 months ago
  • Classifying and Extracting Data using Amazon Textract
    Amazon Textract has an Analyze Lending API for evaluating and categorizing the documents contained in mortgage loan application packages, as well as extracting the data they contain. The new API can assist in processing applications quicker and with minimal errors, therefore improving the end-customer experience and lowering operational costs. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • Ask HN: OCR for 100 year old (German) handwritten cursive script?
    You could try something like https://aws.amazon.com/textract/ or https://cloud.google.com/vision/docs/handwriting. Both have support for modern handwriting. I don't know if it will work with a script written a century ago though. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing Simple Scan and Amazon Textract, you can also consider the following products

NAPS2 - NAPS2 is a document scanning application with a focus on simplicity and ease of use.

DocParser - Extract data from PDF files & automate your workflow with our reliable document parsing software. Convert PDF files to Excel, JSON or update apps with webhooks.

VueScan - Third-party software for film scanners and flatbed scanners.

Pen to Print - Pen to Print: Convert handwriting to text created and published by Serendi LTD.

XSane - A good proposal for SANE-2 has been written.

Nanonets OCR - Intelligent text extraction using OCR and deep learning