# An open source document scanner for Android you can read and verify

> Scanly is an open source document scanner for Android, licensed under AGPL-3.0 with its code published on GitHub. Because the source is public, anyone can check how scans, text recognition and exports are handled, rather than relying on a privacy policy alone.

Open source matters to people who scan sensitive paperwork. A privacy policy describes what a company intends to do, while source code shows what the app actually does. With an open source scanner, you or someone you trust can read the code, build it, and check that scans stay on the device.

Scanly is published under the GNU Affero General Public License v3 (AGPL-3.0-only). The project lives on GitHub, and the app is written in Kotlin. This page covers what the licence means in practice, what you can check yourself, and what reading the code cannot prove.

## What AGPL-3.0 means in practice

AGPL-3.0 is a copyleft licence. You can use, study and modify the code. If you distribute a modified version, or run a modified version as a network service, you must make its source available under the same licence. For most people who install the app from Google Play, the practical point is simpler: the source is public and anyone can inspect it.

## What you can verify in the code

- The permissions the app requests in its Android manifest. The internet permission is used only for optional update checks and links.
- Whether any advertising or analytics library appears in the build dependencies.
- How scans are stored, and whether there is any upload path beyond the share sheet you choose.
- Which on-device models are bundled, including the ML Kit text recognition model and the LiteRT page detection model.

## The technology behind it

- Kotlin and Jetpack Compose with Material 3 for the interface.
- CameraX for the live preview and capture.
- OpenCV for image processing, and LiteRT for on-device page edge detection.
- ML Kit Text Recognition v2 for on-device text recognition.
- Room for the local library database.

## Other open source options

Scanly is not the only open source document scanner for Android. Other open source projects exist, and one of them may suit you better for a particular feature. Compare the licence, the features you need and how actively each project is maintained before you choose. The value of open source is that you can check the code, so pick the app whose code you are able to read and verify.

## The limits of open source

Reading the code does not prove that the app you installed was built from it. For that, you would need to build the app yourself and compare the results. Open source also does not mean bug-free. Scanly is Android-only and has no cloud sync, so there is no hosted service to audit beyond the app itself.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is Scanly an open source document scanner?

Yes. Scanly is licensed under AGPL-3.0-only and its code is published on GitHub at github.com/c1ph3rj/Scanly.

### What license does Scanly use?

AGPL-3.0-only, the GNU Affero General Public License version 3. It is a copyleft licence, which keeps modified versions open, including versions run as a network service.

### Can I build Scanly from source myself?

Yes. The source is public on GitHub, so you can build it with standard Android tooling. Check the repository for the current build steps.

### Does open source mean my scans are private?

Not by itself. Open source lets you check the behaviour. Scanly also keeps scanning and storage on the device, needs no account, and includes no ad or analytics SDK, but reading the code is how you confirm those points.

### Which other open source document scanners can I use on Android?

Several exist, so compare them on features, licence and how actively they are maintained. Scanly is one option, and it is free, shows no ads, adds no watermark and keeps everything on the device.

## Sources

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