Without the purchase of a license the program runs in fully functional demonstration mode, identical to Professional mode, except that watermarks are superimposed on saved and printed images. VueScan is supplied as one downloadable file for each operating system, which supports the full range of scanners.

VueScan supports an increasing number of scanners and digital cameras 2,400 on Windows, 2,100 on Mac OS X and 1,900 on Linux in 2018. The program uses its own independent method to interface with scanner hardware, and can support many older scanners under computer operating systems for which drivers are not available, allowing old scanners to be used with newer platforms that do not otherwise support them. VueScan enables the user to modify and fine-tune the scanning parameters. In response, Hamrick released VueScan 9.7, effectively saving thousands of scanners from being rendered obsolete.

In 2019 when Apple released macOS Catalina, they removed support for running 32-bit programs, including 32-bit drivers for scanning equipment. VueScan drivers can also be used without the VueScan program by application software that supports scanning directly, such as Adobe Photoshop, again enabling the use of scanners without current manufacturers' drivers. The VueScan program can be used with its own drivers or with drivers supplied by the scanner manufacturer, if supported by the operating system. Vuescan supports more scanners, with a single purchase giving access to the full range of both film and flatbed scanners, and costs less. The reviewer considered VueScan comparable to SilverFast, a similar program, with support for some specific scanners better in one or the other. The review did not report any advantages to VueScan's processing of documents over other software. A 2014 review considered that the reasons to purchase VueScan are to allow older scanners not supported by drivers for newer operating systems to be used in more up-to-date systems and for better scanning and processing of photographs (prints also slides and negatives when supported by scanners) than is afforded by manufacturers' software.

These scanners are supplied with device drivers and software to operate them, included in their price. VueScan is intended to work with a large number of image scanners, excluding specialised professional scanners such as drum scanners, on many computer operating systems (OS), even if drivers for the scanner are not available for the OS.

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