A Scan2CAD alternative
Same job, without a $89/month subscription or a desktop install.
Scan2CAD is the established name in raster-to-vector conversion for CAD and CNC, and it is a genuinely capable piece of desktop software with a long feature list. It is also $89 a month, which is a lot of subscription for someone who converts a handful of files a year.
That is the gap Bevell fills. It runs in the browser with nothing to install, converting is free and unlimited, and you pay £1.99 for a file only when you download it. If you convert constantly and need vectorisation as a daily production tool, Scan2CAD's feature depth is worth its price. If you convert occasionally, paying per file is the obvious arithmetic.
When Scan2CAD is the better choice
Pick Scan2CAD if conversion is a daily part of your work. Batch processing, the Python API, OCR for dimensioned drawings, offline licensing and its breadth of output formats are real capabilities that Bevell does not have, and at volume $89/month is cheap for them.
When Bevell is the better choice
Pick Bevell if you convert occasionally, want nothing to install, or object to a subscription for a tool you use a few times a year. Converting is free and unlimited so you can see the result before deciding, and £1.99 buys the file.
Side by side
Scan2CAD details verified on 15 September 2026 from their own site. Pricing changes, check theirs before deciding.
| Feature | Bevell | Scan2CAD |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £1.99 per file downloaded, one-off. 3 free on signup | $89/month, or $89/month billed annually with 10% off |
| Cost of converting one file | £1.99 | $89 for the month (or the free trial) |
| Cost of converting hundreds of files a month | £1.99 each, expensive at volume | Flat $89, unlimited conversions. Scan2CAD is better here |
| Installation | None, runs in the browser | Desktop software for Windows and macOS |
| Offline use | No, browser-based | Available on the Business tier. Scan2CAD is better here |
| Batch conversion | No, one image at a time | Yes, on the Business tier. Scan2CAD is better here |
| API access | No | Python API on the Business tier. Scan2CAD is better here |
| OCR (reading text on drawings) | No. Text is traced as shapes | Yes, enhanced OCR included. Scan2CAD is better here |
| Centerline tracing | Yes. Strokes thinned before tracing, so lines are single | Yes, a long-standing feature |
| Output formats | DXF and SVG from every conversion, one credit covers both | Broad CAD and CAM format support. Scan2CAD is better here |
| Try before paying | Convert and preview free and unlimited, no account | Free trial |
Rows in green are ones where Scan2CAD is genuinely better.
Common questions
- Is Bevell as capable as Scan2CAD?
- No, and it would be dishonest to claim otherwise. Scan2CAD has batch conversion, a Python API, OCR and a far wider format list. Bevell does one thing, turning an image into a clean, true-scale DXF or SVG, and is priced for people who need that occasionally rather than daily.
- Does Bevell do OCR on dimensioned drawings?
- No. Text and dimension numbers are traced as shapes rather than read as values, so you set the scale yourself from a dimension you can see. Scan2CAD's OCR is the better tool if reading text off drawings is central to your workflow.
- Can I batch convert?
- Not currently. Bevell handles one image at a time. Scan2CAD's Business tier does batch conversion, and is the right choice if you have a backlog to get through.
- What does Bevell actually cost?
- Converting is free and unlimited with no account. Signing up grants 3 free downloads, and after that it is £1.99 per file you take, as a one-off rather than a subscription. Re-downloading a file you already took is free forever.
Read next
Converting is free and unlimited, try it before you decide.
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