# A scanner app without watermarks or ads, free on Android

> Scanly is a free Android scanner app that never adds a watermark to exported PDFs and shows no ads. The only watermark in a Scanly file is one you add yourself with the Watermark tool.

Watermarks and advertising are the two costs people run into most often with free scanner apps. A free plan may stamp a logo across every exported page, and ads can appear between scans or on the export screen. The result is a document that looks like a trial copy when you send it to a landlord, employer or school.

Scanly takes a different route. The full scan, edit, export and PDF toolset is available without a subscription or paywall, and the app ships with no ad SDK and no analytics SDK. This page explains what the app does with your pages and where the trade-offs sit.

## Why a watermark or an ad matters

- A logo across an invoice, application or signed form makes it look unofficial to the person who receives it.
- Ads interrupt a task that should take a minute, and they can appear at the moment you are trying to export.
- Upgrade prompts often push you toward a paid tier to remove a stamp you never asked for.

## What Scanly leaves out on purpose

- No watermark on exported PDFs or ZIP files.
- No ads on any screen.
- No account, so you are not asked to sign in before you scan.
- No paid tier. The scan, edit and PDF tools are free.

## When you do want a watermark

The Watermark tool adds text such as CONFIDENTIAL, DRAFT, COPY or "For KYC use only", or any custom text you type. It is applied only when you use it. Your original file is never changed, so you can always export a version without the stamp.

## How to check the claim yourself

Scanly is open source under AGPL-3.0, and its code is public on GitHub. You do not have to take the no-watermark or no-ads claim on trust. You can read the export code and check the dependencies for advertising or analytics libraries.

Scanly is Android-only and has no cloud account. If you want the same documents on several devices, you will need to share the files yourself.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is there a free scanner app that adds no watermark to PDFs?

Yes. Scanly is free and does not put a watermark on the PDFs it exports. A watermark appears only when you add one with the Watermark tool.

### Does Scanly show ads?

No. Scanly includes no ad SDK, so there are no ads in the app.

### Do I have to pay to get rid of a watermark?

Scanly does not add a watermark to its exports, and there is no paid plan. Every scanning, editing and PDF feature is free.

### Do I need to sign up before I can scan?

No. You do not need an account to scan or to export.

### When would a paid scanner still make sense?

Paid scanners often add cloud sync, team sharing or extra storage. Scanly offers none of those, so if you need documents on several devices, a cloud-based app may suit you better.

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/scanner-app-no-watermark