In June, I attended the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Berlin with hundreds of diplomats, investors, private donors, and more. I made friends with a handful of key people and even a minister — but I lost eight business cards either in my car, at home, or in a bag.
If only I had had a business card scanner on my phone, I wouldn’t be in this position.
Missing out on this important business contact information made me explore the top solutions on the market. I wanted to find a better way to manage and organize my business contacts.
Well, here’s what I found delivered straight in this post — the best business card scanner apps, the pros, cons, and features you’re going to love, and a few popular apps that don’t deserve your attention.
Table of Contents
1. HubSpot Business Card Scanner
HubSpot Card Scanner is a free business card scanner app that integrates seamlessly with HubSpot CRM. The app accurately records business card data to match necessary CRM property fields, helping you spend less time on manual entry and maintenance and more time connecting with your customers.
Features
- Instant CRM integration: Transform business cards into CRM contacts within seconds.
- Language support: Supports multiple languages, including English, Japanese, and German.
- Machine learning: Uses machine learning to be as accurate as possible and predicts which data points belong to which properties.
- Contact enrichment: Automatically enriches contacts and companies, adding data beyond what’s on the card.
- Caller ID and notifications: View caller details and get real-time notifications when a contact opens your email, enhancing follow-ups.
- QR code scanning: Scan QR codes to add new contacts in a few seconds.
Pros
- Available for iOS and Android.
- No expensive fees.
- More accurate scan results with time through advanced machine learning.
- Business cards immediately turn into CRM contacts.
Cons
- No in-app tutorial, so you have to guess where to find the scanner.
Pricing
- Completely free forever.
Best for: Sales and marketing teams looking to quickly turn business cards into CRM contacts.
Testing it out
I opened the app and was thrown to the home page of HubSpot CRM with tasks, etc. It took me about 30-40 seconds to find that scanning feature. So, I tapped “Create” and chose “Scan business card.”
It caught the job title and company details completely right but messed up with the full name field. For some mysterious reason, it placed the consortium name instead.
The good thing: You don’t have to fill everything out manually anyway. And you can edit fields later.
What I liked: One trick I found handy was creating an active list that automatically pulls in contacts scanned at events by date, which can then trigger a workflow. This keeps everything more organized and ensures a salesperson will work with these leads after the event.
2. ScanBizCards
ScanBizCards is designed to help you capture qualified B2B leads at events and conferences. You can scan cards and export the data to your CRM.
Features
- Email capture: Automatically grabs email signatures and turns them into contacts with just one click.
- CRM Integrations: Seamless integrations with Salesforce and SugarCRM.
- Human transcription service: 100 free manual transcription credits each year, handled by the ScanBizCards team.
- OCR technology: Uses advanced optical character recognition to accurately scan conference badges and business cards.
Pros
- Ability to sync address books.
- Contact exports and CRM integrations.
- Batch scanning lets you scan multiple cards at once for quicker contact capture.
Cons
- With the free plan, you can’t export contacts to a CRM like Salesforce.
- Address book sync is limited to only a certain number of contacts. For full sync, you’d need to upgrade.
Pricing
- Trailblazer: Free forever.
- Sales Ninja: $100 per user annually (for teams with 50 members).
- Growth Hacker: Custom price (for 50+ licenses).
Best for: Capturing B2B leads at events — especially when you want to scan many cards at once.
Testing it out
When I first installed the app, I noticed right away that the camera doesn’t have a targeting graphic in the viewfinder to help you get the card in focus. So, I just aimed it and tapped it to capture the image.
Once I scanned a card, the editor popped up, showing all the extracted info neatly organized in fields.
What I liked: The app recognized the full name correctly and most of the fields. After scanning and saving a contact, ScanBizCards suggested three productive next steps.
What I didn’t like: It added weird symbols to the email address making it wrong. Also, there aren’t any thumbnail previews of scanned cards for quick access. Instead, your cards are sorted into folders. You have to tap a folder to see the thumbnails and then tap a thumbnail to open a card.
3. iCapture
iCapture is a great tool if you frequently represent your company at expo events or perform product demos. You’ll be able to automate the heavy lifting of capturing leads so you can stay clear-headed during all your business interactions with your team.
Features
- Automated transcription: Quickly transcribes information, saving you the hassle of manual entry when you’re busy at industry events.
- Smart lead capture: Effortlessly capture key conversations at events and trade shows, ensuring you don’t miss valuable insights.
- Efficient badge scanner: Retrieve real-time data from barcodes, QR codes, and RFID tags for quick access to attendee information.
- File storage and transfer: Connect your iPhone to your iMac using iCapture software to easily monitor and download files with multiple options available.
- Easy HubSpot integration: Simplify the process of mapping fields to HubSpot for seamless data management.
- Extensive customization options: Create tailored questionnaires and design lead funnels to match your specific needs.
Pros
- All leads are delivered to your CRM platform.
- Great customer support.
- Quick import and export of data.
- Works offline, too.
Cons
- The initial setup takes time.
- Integration issues.
- Limited customization.
Pricing
- Available with an annual service agreement — pricing starts at $8,000. Contact the team for custom pricing.
Best for: Capturing leads during field sales and exhibitions.
Platforms: iOS | Android | Web
Testing it out
Obviously, I couldn’t test iCapture myself because of the sky-high pricing. However, I was curious enough to watch demos and reviews from real customers who pay top dollar.
Most highlight a smooth integration process with CRM and mapping the captured information directly to my CRM.
Customers report that the great lead capture feature recognizes contact details almost flawlessly. When it extracts all the data from a business card, it allows you to label the lead — hot, warm, or cold. A handy feature to prioritize prospects while the iron is hot.
4. Haystack
Haystack is a digital business card app that lets you quickly scan and manage physical business cards using your phone’s camera.
It uses OCR technology to capture key contact details from scanned cards and store them digitally.
Features
- Detailed scanning: Scan paper business cards using your phone’s camera, extracting key details like names, phone numbers, emails, and job titles using OCR (optical character recognition) technology.
- Digital card creation: Create and share your own digital business card through a QR code, email, or messaging apps.
- Contact syncing: Sync Haystack contacts to your phone’s contact list, making them accessible from any phone app.
- Quick integrations: Nice and quick CRM integration.
- Contact enrichment: Automatically updates contact profiles and allows for personal notes on scanned cards.
Pros
- Nice virtual business cards with customizable logos and designs.
- Simple, user-friendly setup.
- Automatically sync cards to your contact list.
- Recipients can view and save their virtual card without needing the app.
Cons
- Contact grouping is missing.
- Some users reported poor navigation issues.
Pricing
- Personal: Free with unlimited card sharing, card scanning, and AI card scanning.
- Pro (for small teams): $7.95 per user (monthly) with email signatures, exposure analytics, CRM integrations, and more.
- Business (for big teams): $4.95 per user (monthly) with multiple admins, Azure AD integration, and more.
- Enterprise (for organizations): Custom price.
Best for: Creating digital business cards.
Platforms: iOS | Android | Web
Testing it out
Finally, the first app that allowed me to sign up in a mere two clicks with no email required and no unnecessary steps. I hope it will live up to my expectations with info capturing.
On the first screen, it offers two options:
- Create your digital business card (loving it)
- Scan in a paper card
Firstly, I tried to create a digital card for myself. It took me only a few minutes, and I was able to customize it with my logo and contact details.
Then, I tested the scanning feature. Turns out the app captured all the info 100% accurately.
When the card is scanned, the app allows you to sync it with a CRM and create a deal.
So far, this is my favorite app for its simplicity and accuracy.
5. snapADDY
snapADDY allows users to quickly scan and store contact information from business cards directly into their CRM systems, eliminating the need for manual data entry.
Its built-in artificial intelligence performs tasks like duplicate checking and updates information from various sources, including email signatures and public databases.
Features
- Accurate scanning: Scan and digitize business cards, automatically extracting contact details into your CRM.
- Integrated email validator: Verifies email addresses to ensure accuracy and reduce bounce rates.
- Duplicate checking: Identifies and eliminates duplicate entries to maintain a clean database.
- Customizable data fields: Offers the flexibility to customize data fields if needed.
Pros
- Transfers data to CRM without typing.
- Automatically checks for duplicate leads, contacts, and accounts.
- Integrates with SAP Sales, Microsoft Dynamics, and Salesforce.
Cons
- Azure AD authentication issues between CRM and snapADDY sometimes require an extra browser refresh.
- A bit on the expensive side.
Pricing
- Custom pricing.
Best for: Easy transfer of contact data to the CRM.
Testing it out
This app comes with a payment from the get-go, so I leaned on the latest app overviews to pinpoint its flaws and winning features.
What stands out is that it captures even a photo from a business card. But in reality, how often do you see cards with photos?
There’s also an option to capture the back side of the card, which perfectly recognizes QR codes.
Regarding its accuracy, as with many apps, this may result in mistakes in names or emails.
What I liked: I can add notes or attach files to record any extra information about my conversation partner.
6. HiHello
HiHello is an AI-powered app that scans paper business cards and turns them into digital contacts in seconds.
The app verifies the information for accuracy and syncs it directly to your CRM. You can design custom digital cards, interactive email signatures, and professional virtual backgrounds.
Features
- Lead capture: Captures leads and syncs them to your CRM or business contact manager.
- Human verification: Ensures accuracy by having real humans verify AI-generated transcriptions.
- Contact manager integration: Integrates with existing contact management systems.
- Customizable cards: Users can create and design digital business cards tailored to their brand.
- Easy sharing: Allows users to share digital cards easily via QR codes or links, regardless of whether the recipient uses HiHello.
Pros
- User-friendly with easy setup and navigation.
- Consolidates contact information in one place.
- The home screen widget provides easy access to digital cards.
Cons
- Occasional bugs.
- Issues when saving cards.
Pricing
- Free: Unlimited sharing, basic tracking, and 5 AI scans/month.
- Professional: $8 per user monthly. All free features + customizable designs, analytics, and 20 AI scans/month.
- Business: $6 per user monthly (5+ users). All Professional features plus team integration tools and unlimited AI scans.
- Enterprise: Custom pricing. Advanced security, integrations, and dedicated support.
Best for: Anyone wanting to simplify networking and improve lead capture.
Platforms: iOS | Android | Web
Testing it out
The first impression? It was all quick and smooth. I just opened the app, skipped the creation of my card, and tapped the Scan button. Snapped a pic of the card and saved it as a new digital contact.
Then, the verification feature kicked in — it took about 40 seconds for AI to analyze the card and provide me with accurate contact information.
I also tried sharing my card, and it was pretty easy, both via QR code or link, even for people who don’t have the app.
I did run into a couple of minor bugs. The app crashed while scanning, forcing me to reopen and start over. But honestly, that only happened once in five tries, so it wasn’t a big deal.
7. Evernote
Evernote is famous as a digital note-taking application. But did you know there is also a business card camera built-in? Evernote promises to capture the name, title, company, and contact information listed on the card.
Features
- Contact info storage: Saves details like name, title, company, and other contact information into a contact note.
- Editable contact info: You can review and edit the scanned info for accuracy.
- Device compatibility: Available on iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Android devices, with optimal results on devices with flash and higher camera resolution.
- Location and time metadata: It saves the location and time of the scan, making it easier to find contacts later.
Pros
- You can save card details as a contact.
- Ability to combine it with Evernote’s organizational and team management features.
Cons
- Need to be super careful about lighting and image position.
- Blurry, low-quality scans.
- Poor UX.
Pricing
- Free: 1 notebook, 50 notes, and sync to 1 device.
- Personal: $14.99 per user monthly. 150,000 notes, and unlimited devices sync.
- Professional: $17.99 per user monthly. Adobe Acrobat Standard, AI edit, and more.
- Teams: $24.99 per user monthly. With shared team spaces, Centralized account administration, and more.
Note: The business card scanner app is available only in Personal, Professional, and Teams plans.
Best for: Can’t recommend this tool.
Platforms: iOS | Android | Web
Testing it out
To put it bluntly, my experience with this feature was a nightmare. The quality of the scan is so low that I can’t even distinguish text on it. At that point, I stopped testing the app, and I can’t recommend this scanner.
8. ABBYY Business Card Reader
ABBYY is a mobile app that allows users to quickly scan and digitize business cards using advanced OCR technology. It captures contact information accurately in over 25 languages and organizes it into fields like name, company, and phone number.
Features
- Cloud sync: You can easily sync and back up your business card contact data across all of your devices.
- Smart recognition: Backgrounds are automatically cropped out.
- Contact sharing: Users can share contacts via email as JPEG files or VCards.
- Export options: Export contact data to platforms like Excel, Salesforce, or your phone’s address book.
Pros
- Scans text from 25 languages and supports up to three languages on one card which is great for international contacts.
- Includes an Apple Watch widget.
- Highlights unrecognized data for easy manual correction.
Cons
- Struggles with unstructured files.
- Batch verification halts if a section fails.
- Low-quality hardcopies require extra effort for accuracy.
- Annoying error messages for unused items.
Pricing
- Free.
Best for: Scanning multilingual cards.
Testing it out
I pointed my phone’s camera at the card, and a rectangle appeared to help me line it up. When it locked onto the card, the app took the picture automatically, no button needed.
After scanning, I got to the card editor, where all the contact details were organized into fields.
What a bummer!
The picture quality is totally off, and the info it picks up has so many mistakes it’s basically useless.
Verdict: This app is a waste of time.
9. CamCard
CamCard is another business card scanner app that customizes your business card records by adding notes and setting reminders to follow up with your contacts. They also have a tagging feature that makes your contact records easy to find and update.
Features
- Smart management: Manage business cards efficiently by adding notes, setting reminders, tagging contacts, and sharing cards.
- Multi-language support: Accurately read business cards in 16 different languages.
- Batch scanning: Scan multiple paper cards at once to avoid physical card clutter.
- E-card exchange: Exchange e-cards with nearby individuals during networking events for quick connections.
Pros
- Automatic search for profiles on LinkedIn.
- You can batch-scan multiple paper cards at once.
- Exchange e-cards with folks at events, meetings, or seminars.
- You can access contact addresses on a map.
Cons
- Text recognition needs adjustments on some cards.
- Difficulties in capturing clear images, leading to blurriness.
- Reportedly, issues with foreign character recognition.
- Outdated design that may not appeal to younger users.
Pricing
- Basic: Free. Create a digital business card with a personal QR code and unlimited fields.
- Pro: $4.16 per month (billed annually). Unlimited business card scans and advanced features like artificial proofreading and export options.
- Business: Custom pricing. Centralized management for teams with unlimited recognition, security settings, and integration options.
Best for: Close team collaboration.
Platforms: iOS | Android | Web
Testing it out
There were three options for adding a new contact — import from your phone app, create a digital card from scratch, and capture an image of a physical card.
I opted for capturing a business card, and the editor was prompted upon with card contact details. The data quality is substandard, with inaccuracies in the company’s name and other text on the card. But it accurately recognized the full name, email, and phone number.
10. CardHQ
CardHQ is a straightforward business card scanner app that can quickly scan and store contact information for easy retrieval.
Features
- Scanning: Scans and captures business card information using OCR, converting text into editable digital formats.
- Integration: Connects with various CRM systems and applications and enables seamless import/export of contact information.
- Data enrichment: Automatically enriches contact details by adding missing information, such as job titles and company names.
- Cloud storage: Stores scanned business cards securely in the cloud, providing access from multiple devices.
- Easy sharing: Share your cards through social media, email, or WhatsApp.
Pros
- Scan multiple cards at once to save time.
- Automatically sends a personalized introduction email for each scanned card.
- Works in 22 languages.
Cons
- Frequent error messages.
- Loading problems.
Pricing
- $4.99 — one-time payment
Best for: Quick and easy scanning.
Testing it out
Since this app comes with an instant payment and no free trial, I researched its reviews and watched explainers.
Reportedly, the scanning process is fast — with multiple cards scanned in about three seconds.
However, users run into some hiccups. For example, text recognition of some fancy fonts or unusual text dispositions doesn’t work well.
Overall feeling: It’s good, but there’s room for improvement.
11. Sansan
Sansan’s scanner was designed to streamline business card contact management for large companies. If you’re looking for an enterprise solution for turning physical business cards into digital contacts, SanSan allows teams to scan and upload contacts to the cloud, allowing each company to create an organized database for the entire team.
Features
- Cloud interface: Users can sync and upload contacts to the cloud.
- Quick digitization: Utilizes manual input and OCR to convert physical cards into virtual ones quickly and accurately.
- Database management: Meeting reports, notes, and tags help you manage your database.
- Contact update: Sansan automatically updates contact information based on changes to their profiles.
- Searchability: Use filters to search for contacts and save your searches for quicker access next time.
Pros
- Build a clean database for your team.
- Track your contacts’ work progress.
- Scan four business cards at the same time.
- Share contact info with any team member.
Cons
- Access to data is shared across the organization, which may raise privacy concerns.
- Some users may experience delays in data digitization.
Pricing
- Custom pricing.
Best for: Team and enterprise business card scanning.
Platforms: iOS | Android | Web
Testing it out
I couldn’t test the Sansan app myself since it’s only available after contacting the team and getting pretty high custom pricing.
But, based on reviews from G2 and Capterra, users generally find the scanning process fast and efficient, with cards being digitized in 2-3 seconds.
Searching for past connections by company name seems to work well for most, making it easy to retrieve relevant contacts.
The cloud storage feature is another highlight, allowing access to data from multiple devices. On the downside, some users mentioned that while scanning is smooth, the manual input process can feel a bit clunky at times, leaving room for improvement.
Let’s Get Digital
Personally, I decided to keep Haystack for its simplicity and flawless information capture since I have no need to transfer contact data to a CRM. Otherwise, I’d prefer the HubSpot Business Card Scanner, which can create new records and enrich data.
I’d not recommend trying apps from Evernote and ABBYY. As for the rest, I’d give them a go if they offered a free trial.