Overview

Brother iPrint&Scan is a free companion app for people who own a supported Brother printer or all-in-one and want to print or scan from a phone, tablet, or computer. Its strongest case is practical control across mobile and desktop, especially reusable scan workflows on Windows and macOS; it is a poor fit if your machine is incompatible or you need mobile use away from the machine’s Wi-Fi network.

Key features

Mobile printing and scanning

The app handles mobile printing of photos, documents, and web pages; the Android FAQ also includes Gmail and cloud services as sources. Scans can go to the mobile device or cloud storage, be emailed, or open in another app, depending on platform. That flexibility suits routine home or office jobs, but the range of available actions depends on both platform and machine.

On iOS, Dropbox, OneDrive, and Evernote are named for cloud printing, while iCloud is a scan destination. PDF and JPEG are supported output formats, and OCR and ADF support are included. Those capabilities do not remove the central compatibility caveat: mobile printing and scanning are not available on every Brother machine.

Model-dependent mobile tools

Some newer supported models add image editing, fax sending and preview, copy preview, and machine status. These extras can make the app more useful as a printer companion, but they are not a reason to assume every Brother all-in-one exposes the same controls. On iOS, contacts access is needed for fax functions; location access is optional for device search features such as Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth, or NFC.

Desktop scanning controls

Windows and macOS users can adjust scan size, color, resolution, brightness, contrast, file type, destination, and target application. They can also save common settings as Workflows. That combination is the app’s clearest advantage for repeat scanning: once a job’s settings are saved, they can be reused rather than rebuilt each time. It remains a Brother-machine companion, not a general scanner tool for unrelated hardware.

Pricing

Free: 0.00 USD per free. The free application includes printing and scanning features for supported Brother machines, with functions varying by model. There are no paid tiers, trial period, renewal terms, or seat quotas to weigh. The tradeoff is hardware and network dependence: owning a compatible Brother machine is required, and mobile jobs require the phone or tablet to share its Wi-Fi network.

Platforms

Brother iPrint&Scan supports Android, iOS, Windows, and macOS. The referenced Brother support page covers Windows 7 or later and macOS 10.10 or later. Mobile use requires same-network Wi-Fi between the device and machine. Google Play’s developer disclosure says data is encrypted in transit, no data is shared with third parties, and users can request deletion.

Who it's for

This is a sensible choice for owners of supported Brother printers or all-in-ones who want direct phone printing, device or cloud scanning, and desktop scan controls without paying for companion software. It is especially useful where the same scan settings recur. Look elsewhere if you do not have a supported Brother machine, need a Linux app, or expect mobile printing and scanning to work over a separate network.

Pros and cons

Pros

No software charge: the app is free for supported Brother hardware, so there is no subscription or per-seat cost.
Useful desktop scan control: adjustable image and destination settings plus saved Workflows help with repeat scanning jobs.
Multiple mobile outputs: scans can be saved, emailed, sent to cloud storage, or opened in another app, depending on platform.

Cons

Brother-only fit: a supported Brother machine is required, and mobile features vary by model.
Mobile network constraint: the mobile device must be on the same Wi-Fi network as the machine.
Some extras are conditional: newer-model tools such as fax and copy previews are not universal.

Alternatives

For a different scanner workflow, these options serve distinct hardware and platform needs:

Scanner Software is a broader category to compare if you want to explore scanner tools beyond a Brother companion app.
Photo Scanning Software is a category to consider when photo scanning is the priority.
Scanbot Barcode Scanner SDK is a paid option with web, Windows, Linux, iOS, and Android platforms; consider it if those platforms or a paid product are a better fit.
PaperScan runs on Windows and offers a free edition capped at 10-page batch TWAIN/WIA scanning or import, plus a 79.00 USD per once Home Edition for unlimited batch scanning or import; choose it if you need those Windows batch-scanning options.
XSane is free for Linux and Windows but requires a SANE-compatible scanner; choose it if that platform and scanner requirement suit your setup.
Epson Scan 2 is free for Linux, macOS, and Windows, requires an Epson scanner or multifunction printer, and varies by scanner; choose it for compatible Epson hardware.
GNOME Document Scanner is a free Linux desktop app; it is an option for Linux users.
iCopy - Free Photocopier is a free Windows application under GNU GPL v3; it is an option for Windows users.
PaperStream Capture is a free Windows download for current fi Series scanners and requires PaperStream IP TWAIN or ISIS drivers; choose it for that compatible scanner setup.
Skanpage is a free Linux scanning application; it is an option for Linux users.

Verdict

Brother iPrint&Scan is a strong free companion for supported Brother owners who want mobile printing and scanning plus configurable desktop scan workflows. Its main reason to choose it is that breadth without software cost; its main reason to look elsewhere is that the machine and same-network Wi-Fi requirements sharply limit who can use its mobile features.

	Brother iPrint&Scan	SilverFast
Free plan	Yes	No
Free trial	No	No
Paid from	Free	—
Open source	No	No
Platforms	Android, iOS, macOS, Windows	Windows, macOS
Free plan	Yes	No

Brother iPrint&Scan vs SilverFast

Brother iPrint&Scan

SilverFast