# A Google Drive scanner alternative for scanning without Drive

> If you want to scan without a Google account or Google Drive, Scanly is a free, open-source Android scanner that keeps your scans on your phone and works offline. The scanner built into the Google Drive app is the better fit if you want scans saved to Drive automatically.

The scanner inside the Google Drive app is convenient if your files already live in Google Drive. It needs a Google account, and it saves scans to Google Drive. That is a good trade when you want everything in one place, and a poor one when you want documents to stay on your own phone or you do not use Google’s cloud.

This page explains the difference and shows how to scan without Drive. We make Scanly, so read the comparison with that in mind and check current terms for any app before you rely on it.

## Scanly vs the Google Drive scanner

| Feature | Scanly | Google Drive scanner |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price model | Free, every feature | Built into the Google Drive app |
| Account needed | No | Yes, a Google account |
| Where scans are stored | On your phone; exported files go where you send them | Google Drive |
| Cloud backup | Opted out of Android automatic cloud backup | Scans saved to Google Drive |

_Google Drive details describe the scanner built into the Google Drive app. Check Google’s own documentation for current behaviour._

## What the Google Drive scanner does

- It is built into the Google Drive app.
- It needs a Google account.
- It saves scans to Google Drive.

## How to scan without Google Drive using Scanly

Scanly needs no account, so there is nothing to sign in to. You scan a page, crop and filter it, and export to PDF or a ZIP of JPEG images. Files can be saved to Downloads/Scanly or a folder you choose, or sent through the Android share sheet when you want to pass them on.

- Scanning, editing, storage and text recognition all run on your phone.
- Scanly opts out of Android automatic cloud backup, so scans are not copied to Google Drive that way. Phone-to-phone transfer on Android 12 and later still works.
- You can still import images from the Google Drive picker, and open a PDF from Drive in Scanly with "Open in Scanly".

## Who should pick what

- Pick Scanly if you want scans to stay on your phone, you do not want a Google account for scanning, or you want to decide when files leave the device.
- Pick the Google Drive scanner if your work already runs on Google Drive and you want every scan saved there automatically.
- Pick Adobe Scan if you would rather have scans synced to Adobe Document Cloud.

## When the Google Drive scanner is still the better fit

If you work across several devices with a Google account and want scans to appear in Drive without extra steps, the Drive scanner is the better fit. Scanly has no cloud sync, no web app and no iPhone version, so it will not put your scans in Drive or on another device for you. You would share or export each file yourself.

## Frequently asked questions

### Can I scan documents without a Google account?

Yes, with Scanly. It needs no account, and you do not sign in to scan, edit or export PDFs.

### Does Scanly save scans to Google Drive?

Not automatically. Scanly opts out of Android automatic cloud backup, so scans are not copied to Google Drive that way. You can send a PDF to Drive yourself from the Android share sheet.

### Can Scanly open PDFs from Google Drive?

Yes. Open the PDF from the Drive app and choose "Open in Scanly". You can then read, sign, merge or compress it. Your original file is not changed.

### Is Scanly free?

Yes. Every feature is free. There are no ads, no watermark on exported PDFs, and no subscription or paywall.

### Does Scanly work on iPhone?

No. Scanly is an Android app for Android 10 and later.

## Sources

- [Scanly on Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=in.c1ph3rj.scanly)
- [Scanly source code (AGPL-3.0)](https://github.com/c1ph3rj/Scanly)

Get Scanly free on Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=in.c1ph3rj.scanly

Last checked: 2026-10-22. Canonical: https://www.usescanly.co.in/google-drive-scanner-alternative