Haystack vs ScanBizCards (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, we pick Haystack: it is second in our ranking of digital business cards, and it grades higher too, 3.0 against 2.2.
Checked Oct 24, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 24, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Haystack grades higher on value for money, the free plan, ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Haystack
Digital-only business cards with directory sync for large companies
ScanBizCards
Business card and conference badge scanner that exports leads to CRMs
Which one is for you
Pick Haystack if
- Fits if you want free digital cards and scan a lot of paper cards
- Works for companies that want staff cards created and switched off from their directory
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want a physical NFC card, as Haystack sells none and suggests printing your QR code on paper
- Watch out: prices carry a dollar sign without saying US or Australian dollars, and the page takes both
- Not for you if you want your own card design, email signatures or CRM links for free: those need Pro or Business
- Tight if your team is under 10, as Business starts at 10 users, and HRIS sync and custom fields need Enterprise from 250
- Pricey if you pay monthly: Pro is $7.95 against $4.50 yearly, and the 14-day trial takes your card up front
Pick ScanBizCards if
- Fits if you collect leads at trade shows and want badges and cards scanned into a CRM
- Works for teams of up to 50 users that want one admin panel and lead assignment
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want a digital card to share, as the site describes no NFC card or shareable profile
- Tight if you stay on the free plan: it only adds contacts to the address book and includes 2 human transcriptions, once
- Watch out: human transcription is capped at 100 per user a year on Sales Ninja, and extra packs cost $25 per 100
- Watch out: Sales Ninja covers up to 50 users, and bigger teams are quoted
- Not for you if you work from a computer, as only iOS and Android apps are listed
How we grade them
| 3.0GPAHaystackVery good | 2.2GPAScanBizCardsFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BPro is $4.50 a user a month on yearly billing, inside this category's cheapest quarter ($4.99), though $7.95 monthly. Business is $2.50 a user for 10 users or more, $25 a month at the least. The page doesn't say which dollar. | CSales Ninja is $100 a user a year, about $8.33 a month, which is just above the $8 where this category's dearer quarter starts. Extra transcription credits are one-time packs such as 100 for $25. |
| Free plan and trial | APersonal is free with no cap on cards, shares, contacts or AI card scans, plus your logo, photos, notes, tags and both phone apps. Custom card design, email signatures and CRM links are the paid part. | BThe free plan is free for life and covers scanning cards and badges into the address book. It includes only 2 human transcriptions, one time only, and CRM export is paid. |
| Features | CUnlimited cards, a paper card scanner, sharing by QR, link, widget and email signature, directory sync, admin templates, CRM links, Zapier, webhooks and a REST API. The listing's gap: no NFC cards, so a physical card means printing its QR code. | CScanning, batch scanning, human transcription, CRM export and a scan API. It's a scanner, not a digital card you share, and CRM export, cloud backup and the admin panel are paid. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating on record. You make a card in the iOS or Android app and share it by QR, link or widget. Directory sync and admin templates are for companies setting up their staff. | CNo store rating on record. Paid use means connecting a CRM and setting up an admin panel and lead assignment. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iPhone and Android, with Microsoft Entra ID, Google Workspace, Microsoft Teams, Outlook, Zapier, webhooks and a public REST API. No desktop app. | CiPhone and Android apps only, with an API and CRM export. |
| Best for | free digital cards with unlimited card scans | scanning business cards and conference badges for leads |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Haystack and ScanBizCards. How we grade
Price against what you get
Haystack starts at $2.50 a month for each person and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. ScanBizCards starts at $8.33 a month when paid by the year for each person and scores 2.0.
Haystack scores higher and starts $5.83 a month lower. Of the other digital business cards on the chart, none scores higher than Haystack for less, and 8 score higher than ScanBizCards for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Haystack also covers email signature.
- ScanBizCards also covers transcription.
At a glance
| Haystack | ScanBizCards | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $2.50 per user / month, billed annually (Business, 10+ users) | $100 per user / year |
| Free plan | Personal plan, free: unlimited cards, shares and contacts, unlimited AI card scans, logo and photos, social links, notes and tags, and the iOS and Android apps. | Trail-Blazer: free app for scanning business cards and conference badges, adding them to the address book, and 2 human transcriptions (one time only). |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial of Pro and Business; the card is charged only when the trial ends | The site advertises a free 14-day trial. |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Haystack Australia Pty Ltd | ScanBiz Mobile Solutions LLC |
| Price read from | thehaystackapp.com | scanbizcards.com |
| Checked | Oct 24, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Haystack
- Prices carry a dollar sign without saying whether they are US or Australian dollars; the page lists USD and AUD as payment options.
- Haystack sells no NFC cards; it suggests printing your card's QR code on paper cards if you want something physical.
- Card design, smart email signatures and CRM integrations need Pro or Business; HRIS integrations and custom fields are Enterprise features.
- Business is for teams of 10 or more, and Enterprise starts at 250 users with usage-based pricing.
ScanBizCards
- It is a scanner and contact manager, not a digital card you share: its site describes no NFC card or shareable profile page.
- CRM export, cloud backup and the admin panel are on the paid Sales Ninja plan; the free plan only adds contacts to the address book.
- Human transcription is limited: 2 on the free plan (one time only), 100 per user per year on Sales Ninja, and extra credits are one-time packs such as 100 for $25.
- Sales Ninja covers teams of up to 50 users, and the site lists only iOS and Android apps.
Key features
Haystack
- Digital cards
- Unlimited cards with a logo, profile image, gallery, theme colors, social and video links, a portfolio, brochures and a calendar scheduler.
- AI card scanner
- Scan paper business cards into contacts without limit on every plan, including the free one, and add notes and tags.
- Sharing
- Share by QR code, personalized link, iOS and Android home screen widgets, or a smart email signature.
- Directory sync
- Sync employees from Microsoft Entra ID, Google Workspace or an HR system so new hires get a card on day one and leavers' cards switch off.
- Admin controls
- An admin dashboard with card templates and employee permissions, such as locking synced job titles while people add their own links.
- CRM, Zapier and API
- Send new contacts met in person or over Microsoft Teams to a CRM, or connect other tools through Zapier, webhooks and a public REST API.
ScanBizCards
- Card and badge scanning
- Photograph a business card or conference badge and the app reads it with OCR. Batch scanning of several cards is supported.
- Human transcription
- Scanned cards can be transcribed by a person. Sales Ninja includes 100 per user per year, and extra credits are sold in one-time packs.
- CRM export
- Contacts export to Salesforce and other CRMs, or as CSV. Direct scan-to-CRM and batch export are listed under the paid plans.
- Email signature capture
- Saves and updates contacts from the signature block of emails. Listed with the paid features.
- Intro email and vCard
- Sends an introduction email with a vCard and a photo after a scan.
- Scan API
- The business card and badge scan APIs can be connected to a company's own systems.
Plans
Haystack
Personal$0
For sole operators: unlimited cards, shares, contacts and AI card scans, with logo, photos and social links.
Pro$4.50
per user / month, billed annually ($7.95 billed monthly)
Custom card design, user permissions, custom links, smart email signatures, CRM integrations and analytics. Currency not stated.
Business$2.50
per user / month, billed annually ($4.95 billed monthly)
For teams of 10 or more: everything in Pro plus teams for organizing shared contacts. Currency not stated.
EnterpriseCustom
For 250+ users: usage-based pricing, HRIS integrations, custom fields, contract terms and dedicated customer success.
ScanBizCards
Trail-Blazer$0
Free for life: card and badge scanning, address book export, and 2 human transcriptions, one time only.
Sales Ninja$100
per user / year, for teams of up to 50 users
Adds CRM export, cloud backup, email signature contact capture, an admin panel, lead assignment, batch export, custom fields and 100 human transcriptions per user per year.
Growth HackerCustom
For more than 50 user licenses, quoted by sales. Includes customized human transcription bundles and personalized onboarding.
Ways to pay less
Haystack
- Annual discount
Up to 40% off with annual billing
Haystack's pricing page marks annual billing -40%: Pro is $4.50 per user a month billed annually against $7.95 monthly, Business $2.50 against $4.95.
ScanBizCards
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Haystack or ScanBizCards?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Haystack is cheaper to start with: $2.50 a month for each person, against $8.33 a month when paid by the year for each person for ScanBizCards. Haystack starts at $2.50 per user / month, billed annually (Business, 10+ users), and ScanBizCards starts at $100 per user / year.
Which has a free plan, Haystack or ScanBizCards?
As of Nov 12, 2026, both Haystack and ScanBizCards have a free plan.
Which platforms do Haystack and ScanBizCards run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only Haystack lists a web app. Both list iOS and Android apps. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.