NAPS2 and ScanRoute Local solve the same problem at different moments. NAPS2, free and open source scanning software, controls your scanner and can start a new file each time it scans a Patch-T separator page. ScanRoute Local, a Windows app from Automata Labs, works after the scan: it opens the combined PDFs your copier or scanner already saved, splits them at Code 128 or QR separator sheets, blank pages or every N pages, and names and files each document from a zone you draw. If you scan at a desk scanner NAPS2 can drive, NAPS2 may be all you need; if the office copier saves one big PDF and you need named files in client folders, ScanRoute Local is built for that.
This is a fair comparison of what each one documents, with a table and a quick way to decide.
Split the combined PDFs your copier saves into named files in the right client folders.
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What does NAPS2 do?
NAPS2 describes itself as “free and open source scanning software for Windows, Mac and Linux.” It talks to scanners through WIA or TWAIN drivers on Windows and saves to PDF, TIFF, JPEG or PNG. At the time of writing, its download page lists version 8.5.1.
The feature that matters here is in its Batch Scan documentation. With “Save to multiple files” selected, you can choose “Separate files by Patch-T”: “Whenever a Patch-T code is scanned, a new file is started.” NAPS2 says it “supports patch codes on all scanners with both WIA and TWAIN,” and advises a resolution of at least 300 DPI if patch codes are not recognized. File names come from placeholders, for example ”$(nnn)” becomes 001, 002 and so on.
The same split is available from the command line with --splitpatcht. NAPS2 also offers OCR to make PDFs searchable, in over 100 languages according to its home page, and its OCR page says it can add OCR to existing PDFs you import. Its profile settings include an option to exclude blank pages.
What does ScanRoute Local do?
ScanRoute Local starts where the scanner stops. According to its Microsoft Store listing and product page:
- Opens PDFs you already have. Drop combined PDFs on the window, open them, or watch a folder on your PC that the copier saves into. It does not control the scanner.
- Splits three ways. At Code 128 or QR separator sheets, at blank pages, or every N pages. Separator pages are left out of the output.
- Names each document from its own content. Draw one zone over the reference line on the page. A pattern pulls fields such as type, date, client and number out of it and checks each one, and a template such as
{Client}\{Date}_{Type}_{Id}.pdfbuilds the file name and folder. - Shows everything before it writes. Preview lists every proposed name and folder. Documents that need a decision wait in an inbox: a read that failed its checks, shown with its zone crop, a missing separator, a bad file name, a duplicate, an unreadable PDF, or no OCR language.
- Leaves a record. Each commit writes a CSV manifest listing every file written with its SHA-256 hash.
- Never touches the originals. They are only read, never changed, moved or deleted, and no file is overwritten.
Text is read with the Windows OCR language installed on the PC. Upright scanned pages without text also get an invisible text layer, so they become searchable. It makes no network connection, has no account and no telemetry. It is a one-time purchase with a free trial.
How do NAPS2 and ScanRoute Local compare?
| NAPS2 | ScanRoute Local | |
|---|---|---|
| When it works | While scanning | After scanning, on saved PDFs |
| Controls the scanner | Yes, WIA or TWAIN on Windows | No |
| Splits PDFs a copier already saved | Not described; Patch-T splitting is documented for Batch Scan | Yes; this is its main use |
| Separator type | Patch-T patch code page | Code 128 or QR sheet, blank page, or every N pages |
| File names | Placeholders such as $(nnn) and date and time | Fields read from a zone on each document, through a template |
| Folders per client or type | Not described in the Batch Scan docs | Built from the template |
| Review before saving | ”Load images into NAPS2” option to edit before saving | Preview of every name and folder, plus an inbox for unsure reads |
| Record of output | Not described | CSV manifest with SHA-256 per file |
| OCR | Built in, over 100 languages, downloaded in the app | Windows OCR language installed on the PC |
| Platforms | Windows, Mac and Linux | Windows |
| Price | Free and open source | One-time purchase, free trial |
The cells marked “not described” mean we did not find the feature in NAPS2’s documentation, not that it is impossible. Check NAPS2’s docs for your version.
Read the date, client and type from each document and file it, with a preview first.
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When is NAPS2 the better choice?
- You scan at a PC with a scanner NAPS2 supports, and you want splitting to happen as the paper goes through.
- You already have Patch-T sheets and a habit of dropping them between documents. Our guide to patch codes vs barcode separator sheets explains the difference.
- Numbered or dated file names are enough, and you rename or file the results yourself.
- You need Mac or Linux, or you want free and open source software.
When is ScanRoute Local the better choice?
- The office copier saves one combined PDF to a network folder or USB stick, and nothing on your PC drives the scan.
- You need meaningful names and folders, such as client, date and document type, and do not want to type them for every file. Our file naming convention for scanned documents guide covers choosing a pattern.
- You need a check before filing. Preview and the inbox catch a misread date or a missing separator before anything is written.
- You need a record. The CSV manifest lists what was written, with a SHA-256 per file.
- You have no separator sheets. Splitting at blank pages or every N pages works on stacks that were scanned without them.
Can you use both?
Yes. They do not overlap at the same step. NAPS2 can be the scanning tool that saves PDFs into a folder, and ScanRoute Local can watch that folder, split what arrives at Code 128 or QR sheets or blank pages, name each document from its reference line, and file it. One thing to plan: ScanRoute Local reads Code 128 and QR barcodes, not patch codes, so a stack separated only with Patch-T sheets needs those replaced, or NAPS2 to do the split before ScanRoute names the files.
ScanRoute Local adds an invisible text layer to upright scanned pages without text. If NAPS2 already ran OCR, the pages have text and our guide to making a scanned PDF searchable offline explains how to check.
Frequently asked questions
Does ScanRoute Local read Patch-T codes?
No. It splits at Code 128 or QR separator sheets, blank pages, or every N pages.
Can NAPS2 split a PDF the copier already saved?
NAPS2’s documentation describes Patch-T separation in Batch Scan, during scanning. We did not find a documented way to split an imported PDF at patch codes. Check the docs for your version.
Which is more private?
Both run on your PC. NAPS2 is open source, so its code can be inspected. ScanRoute Local makes no network connection, and has no account and no telemetry.
Do I need an OCR language for ScanRoute Local?
For reading names, yes: it uses the Windows OCR language installed on the PC. Without one, splitting still works and the fields wait for you to type them.
Try ScanRoute Local
ScanRoute Local is a one-time purchase in the Microsoft Store with a free trial. Open a combined scan you already have, draw the zone, and look at the names in Preview before you commit anything. More detail is on the ScanRoute Local product page.
Turn one combined scan into separate, named PDFs filed in the folders you choose.
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ScanRoute Local is not affiliated with NAPS2. Windows is a trademark of the Microsoft group of companies.
Last updated 21 October 2026. Published by Automata Labs, a software company in Canada.