This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Naps 2
Why NAPS2 Needs Minimal Requirements
NAPS2 was designed with performance and accessibility in mind. It doesn’t require a high-end PC and works on many older systems. This makes it ideal for users with limited resources.
How System Specs Impact Scanning Performance
Although the tool is lightweight, hardware like RAM and CPU still affect scan speed and OCR quality. Higher specifications improve performance for bulk scanning and OCR processing.
- What Are the Official Windows Requirements for NAPS2? Which Windows Versions Are Supported? NAPS2 officially supports:
Older versions like Windows XP and Vista may work with older NAPS2 builds but aren’t recommended due to outdated .NET compatibility.
Hardware Essentials: CPU, RAM & Disk Space
To run NAPS2 efficiently on Windows, the minimum hardware requirements are:
CPU: 1 GHz or faster
RAM: At least 512 MB (1 GB recommended)
Disk Space: Minimum 50–100 MB for installation
For optimal performance, especially with OCR, 2–4 GB RAM is advisable.
- Exploring macOS Compatibility Needs Supported macOS Versions & Architectures NAPS2’s macOS version is still under active development. It is compatible with:
macOS 10.15 (Catalina) or later
Both Intel and Apple Silicon (M1/M2) chips (via .NET 6 and .NET MAUI)
Dependencies on macOS: Libraries & Drivers
macOS users must install additional drivers or frameworks such as:
ESCL-compliant scanner drivers
Latest version of .NET 6 runtime from Microsoft
OCR support is not yet fully developed on macOS, so scanning may be limited to image export.
- Linux System Requirements for NAPS2 Compatible Distributions & Needed Versions NAPS2 supports popular Linux distros such as:
Ubuntu 20.04+
Debian, Fedora, and Arch (with minor tweaks)
Ensure your system includes:
glibc 2.31 or newer
Installing Additional Libraries: libsane & GTK
Linux users must install:
libsane for scanner communication
libgdiplus and GTK3 for the graphical interface
Use the terminal to run NAPS2 or create a desktop shortcut for easier use.
- .NET Framework & Runtime Dependencies Which .NET Version Is Required on Windows? NAPS2 needs the .NET Framework 4.6.2 or higher. Windows 10/11 usually includes this by default. On Windows 7/8, you may need to download and install it manually.
Optional OCR and SDK Requirements
If you plan to use OCR (Optical Character Recognition) features, make sure to install Read more.
This content originally appeared on DEV Community and was authored by Naps 2