Honest comparison · Updated 2026-09-18
CardSweep vs CamCard
CamCard has been the category leader in business-card scanning for years, with over 90,000 ratings, and has since expanded into AI voice transcription and meeting summaries. CardSweep stays narrowly focused: scan a card, save it to Contacts, done — entirely offline.
Dimension-by-dimension
| Dimension | CardSweep | CamCard | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Card scanning | Apple Vision OCR scans any business card in seconds. | AI-powered business card recognition, a long-refined core feature. | |
| Where contacts go | Saves directly into iOS Contacts with one tap — your existing address book. | Saves into CamCard's own contact database, with its own search and organization layer. | |
| Processing | 100% on-device OCR — no cloud, no account. | Cloud-based AI processing for recognition, transcription, and summaries. | |
| Beyond scanning | Just scanning and storage — no meeting tools. | AI voice-to-text meeting transcription and AI summaries alongside card scanning. | |
| Pricing | Free core scanning; Pro one-time unlock adds CSV/vCard export and unlimited storage. | Free with a trial of premium AI transcription features, then subscription-gated. | |
| Maturity | New, focused app. | Long-established, 90,000+ ratings, an AI-assistant platform now. |
CardSweep advantage · CamCard advantage · roughly equal
Where CardSweep wins
- Fully offline OCR — the card image and text never leave your phone, no account needed to scan a single card.
- Saves straight into Apple Contacts instead of a separate app-specific database you have to search inside.
- One-time Pro purchase, not a subscription, for export and unlimited storage.
Where CamCard wins
- AI meeting transcription and summaries go well beyond card scanning if that's what you actually need.
- Deep category experience — CamCard has refined card recognition accuracy across many card layouts and languages for years.
Pick CardSweep if…
You just want business cards turned into real iOS Contacts entries, fast, without a cloud account or a subscription.
See CardSweepPick CamCard if…
You want an AI assistant that also transcribes meetings and summarizes conversations, not just a scanner.
Visit CamCard siteCamCard has grown into a broader AI tool; CardSweep stays exactly what its name says — a card scanner, nothing more.
Frequently asked questions
What's the main difference between CardSweep and CamCard?+
CamCard has been the category leader in business-card scanning for years, with over 90,000 ratings, and has since expanded into AI voice transcription and meeting summaries. CardSweep stays narrowly focused: scan a card, save it to Contacts, done — entirely offline.
Should I choose CardSweep or CamCard?+
Pick CardSweep if: You just want business cards turned into real iOS Contacts entries, fast, without a cloud account or a subscription. Pick CamCard if: You want an AI assistant that also transcribes meetings and summarizes conversations, not just a scanner.
What can CardSweep do that CamCard can't?+
Fully offline OCR — the card image and text never leave your phone, no account needed to scan a single card. Saves straight into Apple Contacts instead of a separate app-specific database you have to search inside. One-time Pro purchase, not a subscription, for export and unlimited storage.
Where does CamCard win over CardSweep?+
AI meeting transcription and summaries go well beyond card scanning if that's what you actually need. Deep category experience — CamCard has refined card recognition accuracy across many card layouts and languages for years.
How much does CardSweep cost compared to CamCard?+
CardSweep: Free core scanning; Pro one-time unlock adds CSV/vCard export and unlimited storage. CamCard: Free with a trial of premium AI transcription features, then subscription-gated.