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Head-to-head · Best Document Scanners For Home Office

Brother ADS-4900W vs Epson FastFoto FF-680W

Which is the better buy? Side-by-side on rating, price, strengths, and watch-outs — with the published ratings we averaged to get there.

The short answer

Epson FastFoto FF-680W comes out ahead by a narrow margin (4.1 vs 4.2). The gap is mostly about photo professionals — read the strengths below before deciding.

Brother ADS-4900W
Ranked #4 in Best Document Scanners For Home Office
Brother ADS-4900W
$780as of Jun 7

The Brother ADS-4900W sets a high standard for desktop scanning with its 60ppm scan speed, 100-page ADF capacity, and robust wireless connectivity. PCMag and IT Pro reviewers praised its performance, ease of installation, and versatile software bundle that includes OCR tools and cloud integration capabilities. The device supports major cloud services like SharePoint, Dropbox, and Google Drive, making it ideal for SMBs seeking reliable, high-speed scanning. However, it lacks an NFC chip and has a limited daily duty cycle compared to some competitors.

Strengths
  • — Scans at 60ppm for both color and mono at 300dpi resolution
  • — Automatic Document Feeder (ADF) holds 100 pages
  • — Supports 802.11a/n 5GHz wireless networking
Watch-outs
  • — No NFC chip included (replaced by external IC card reader support)
  • — Limited to 9,000 pages daily duty cycle
$780 · Check Price on AmazonFull review →
Epson FastFoto FF-680W
Higher ratedRanked #2 in Best Document Scanners For Home Office
Epson FastFoto FF-680W
$595as of Jun 7

The Epson FastFoto FF-680W is a high-performance scanner that delivers excellent photo and document scan quality with fast speeds. TechGearLab rated it #1 among 13 scanners tested, praising its intuitive software and professional-grade capabilities. The device excels in speed, completing a 10-page double-sided black and white document in just 58 seconds. However, reviewers noted it's expensive and has limited auto-dust removal functionality, requiring manual cleaning when dust lines appear. Best for professionals and enthusiasts willing to invest in premium scanning performance.

Strengths
  • — Excellent scan quality for both documents and photos
  • — Fast scanning speeds with duplex capability
  • — Intuitive and feature-rich software
Watch-outs
  • — Expensive price point
  • — Auto-dust removal in software is limited
$595 · Check Price on AmazonFull review →

How they stack up

Brother ADS-4900W

The Brother ADS-4900W leads in wireless connectivity with 5GHz support and comprehensive cloud integration, something the Ricoh iX2500 and Epson models lack. It's faster than the Epson FastFoto FF-680W for document scanning and offers a better software bundle with OCR tools, but it's less portable than the Brother DS-940DW and lacks NFC support. Unlike the Epson Perfection V39 II, it doesn't offer flatbed scanning, but it's more suited for SMBs requiring high-volume scanning.

Epson FastFoto FF-680W

The Epson FastFoto FF-680W delivers superior photo scanning quality compared to the Ricoh iX2500 and Epson Perfection V39 II, making it the best choice for enthusiasts and professionals. While it's slower than the Brother ADS-4900W for documents and lacks the flatbed scanning of the Epson V39 II, it provides the most intuitive software and fastest scanning speeds for both documents and photos. Unlike the Brother DS-940DW, it's not portable but offers the highest performance in its class.

Specs side-by-side

SpecBrother ADS-4900WEpson FastFoto FF-680W
Scan Speed60ppm at 300dpi color/mono14 seconds for colored 600 DPI scan
ADF Capacity100 pages36 photos or 100 sheets
Resolution600dpi600 DPI
ConnectivityEthernet, 802.11a/n 5GHzUSB 3.0
Scanner TypeSheetfedSheetfed, one-pass duplex color scanner
Supported PlatformsWindows, iOS, AndroidWindows 7 onwards, macOS X 10.7 onwards
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