In our earlier article, we’ve covered the topic of book scouting from every angle (you can read it on our blog — The Definitive Guide to Book Scouting), and we also singled out another meaning for the term book sourcing (or book hunting), where we specifically highlighted used book hunting and reselling, as well as making a profit on second-hand books. We also mentioned the tools that book scouts use to find books and resell them most profitably (on Amazon and not only).
Today, we’d like to focus on tools more specifically and discuss several instruments you can use to scout books.
What Is a Book Scanner App?
Let’s get the terms straight. A book scanner app is used to scan the ISBN barcode to quickly view the current prices and sales trends — usually on Amazon. Book scouts use book scanner apps in book arbitrage to buy books low and sell them high in a different market.
How to Choose the Right Book Scanner App?
A book scanner, no matter its quality or price, should be able to show pricing info and sales rank — these are the most critical metrics you need when you scout books. Besides, you should be able to scan many books quickly, which is another feature you should pay attention to. Some book scanner apps will show you Amazon sales rank, which is also a crucial metric for any seller regardless of whether you sell on Amazon exclusively or not. So with a proper scanner app that gives you information about the prices and the sales rank and allows scanning books quickly, you can have a very profitable book reselling business, either large or small.
Two Types of Book Scanner Apps
Various book scanner apps are available — paid and free, more effective or less effective, depending on your purpose. However, the most important thing is to find the book scanner app that’ll work for you. There are two types of barcode book scanner apps book scouts prefer to use in book reselling:
Local Database Apps (PDA)
Such apps also go with scanning devices, and you must pay a monthly subscription. They provide access to a local database of prices and allow scanning more books quicker due to the laser scanner’s higher efficiency. These apps are best for used bookselling businesses, as you can scan way more books with a laser scanner than using your phone’s camera, and you’re not tied to an internet connection.
Popular Local Database Book Scanner Companies
- ASellerTool
- Neatoscan
These tools are not just a scanner app and a scanner.
ASellerTool offers a broad range of solutions for Amazon resellers, from Android/iPhone sourcing and PDA sourcing to AST online book arbitrage. Several packages are available:
- Lite: $9.95 for 12 months (2 months free): Unlimited Live Searches + Amazon Turbo Listing Software
- Standard: $30 for 12 months (2 months free): Local Database + Amazon Turbo Listing Software
- Professional: $35 for 12 months (2 months free): Local Database + Live Searches + Amazon Turbo Listing Software
Neatoscan is a full-scale inventory management system that includes a Neatopricer book scanning app, Neatoscan inventory evaluator, and Neatoscan inventory manager — all of which can equip a professional book reseller with everything they need for business. (Read our article on Book Inventory Management Software: Comparative Overview)
Live Scanning Apps
You need to download them to your phone (iPhone/Android). The benefit of such apps is that you only need your phone and a working internet connection. You don’t need to purchase any extra hardware (e.g., laser scanner), and you can have access to the most recent data.
PROS |
CONS |
| Cheap (or free) | Low battery life |
| Access to live pricing and sales rank data |
Scanning books takes longer |
Most Popular Live Book Scanner Apps
- Amazon Seller App
- ScoutIQ
- Scoutly (FBAScan)
- Scan Power Mobile
- Seller Mobile
- Scoutify 2
- Profit Bandit
- Keepa
- BookScouter
So, the former option is best for reselling books as a business — a full-time or part-time one, while the latter is more convenient for individual book resellers and businesses alike. Now, let’s take a look at the best and most recommended book scanner apps that can help you scout books quicker and with the highest profit.
Amazon Seller App
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Compatibility: |
iOS | Android |
| Price: | Free |
| Available On: | App Store | Google Play |
As the name suggests, Amazon Seller App is specifically designed to help sellers manage their businesses on Amazon. It’s not aimed at book resellers in the first place, and it’s not a simple scanning app. Rather, it’s an app with a scanner that can be used for managing all types of products. However, seasoned booksellers know it well. You need to have an Amazon seller account to use it; otherwise, you won’t get access to all the essential information like Amazon price, product category and FBA fees, potential profit, and the Amazon Best Sellers Rank, and you won’t be able to see how competitors perform.
ScoutIQ
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Compatibility: |
iOS | Android |
| Price: | $44/month ($432/year) |
| Available On: | ScouteIQ website |
As opposed to the Amazon Seller App, ScouteIQ has been designed with booksellers in mind — this is the app that helps you sell books on Amazon profitably (but, of course, you can use it for retail arbitrage in general). The company urges its users to ”Scan it, list it, sell it.” And according to numerous user reviews, it works well. You can scan ISBNs and get the lowest FBA prices (according to the ScoutIQ website). It has plenty of analytical features (e.g., eScore, a rating history for the past six months) and provides access to offline Amazon’s product database. It’s not free, but the price ($44/month or $432/year) is worth it if you’re doing book arbitrage professionally.
Scoutly (FBAScan)
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Compatibility: |
iOS | Android |
| Price: | Depends on the package |
| Available On: | App Store | Google Play |
Scoutly and TurboLister combo app by ASellerTool allows you to check all Amazon products’ pricing information offline and online. Live search is available for Amazon US, Canada, UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain. If you’re reselling books in the following regions: Amazon U.S., Canada, and the UK, you can access the offline Amazon database and manage your business without an internet connection. Scoutly, formerly FBAScan, is developed by ASellerTool and has a range of benefits as opposed to its competitors: among other things, it gives access to eBay prices, gives you Keepa information, displays the number of days with sales, and allows you to set profit triggers. Surely enough, it costs more than some of its competitors, too. Yet, all in all, it’s a great tool that can be used both by individual book resellers and businesses.
ScanPower Mobile
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Compatibility: |
iOS | Android |
| Price: | Requires ScanPower subscription |
| Available On: | App Store | Google Play |
The next book scanner app we’d like to review is ScanPower, which offers a range of similar functions to the scanner apps mentioned earlier. It’s, in fact, an e-commerce seller, too, that gives access to the current market pricing and demand for Amazon products. Yet again, while ScanPower hasn’t been specifically designed for book resellers, it can scan book barcodes and display relevant book information. It also supports search by ISBN, ASIN, UPC, or keyword. It’s compatible with Bluetooth scanners and can provide all book details such as title, cover art, rank, best offers, and five lowest New, Used, and FBA offers, among other things. With 30 days trial with all plans, you can choose the one that suits you most depending on your business size and needs: Basic ($49/month), Pro ($99/month), or Enterprise ($199/month).
Seller Mobile
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Compatibility: |
iOS | Android |
| Price: | Depends on the package |
| Available On: | App Store | Google Play |
Another eCommerce solution that book resellers can effectively employ is SellerMobile. The platform contains features that help you run your Amazon business smoothly. The app lets you scan products using UPC or ASIN and access all your FBA and FBM orders, inventory, and sales — all on one screen and through the dashboard you can customize. You can also keep track of your account’s profits, margins, and inventory. As a business, you can use this app to your best advantage and maximize profitability by automating pricing and product reviewing. You can also reduce potential revenue loss through advanced inventory management and forecasting.
Scoutify 2
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Compatibility: |
iOS | Android |
| Price: | Requires InventoryLab subscription |
| Available On: | App Store | Google Play |
Scoutify 2 is an InventoryLab product and a mobile scouting application that can help you determine the potential profitability of a product (a book, in our case) and keep all your expenses on track: see if it’s profitable to scout, check all available offers for it on Amazon, check your history of sales and purchases. All these features can be used on the go; however, you’ll have to pay for the InventoryLab subscription: $69/month or $690/year. It’s not the cheapest option, but according to many users, ”The price is totally worth it.”
Profit Bandit
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Compatibility: |
iOS | Android |
| Price: | Free trial; Unlimited scanning for $9.99/mo |
| Available On: | App Store | Google Play |
Profit Bandit is yet another Amazon barcode scanner app you can use for book arbitrage. It lets you scan a barcode quickly and check a book’s profitability, postage rates, and Amazon FBA fees. Profit Bandit can be used in two modes, depending on your needs: the non-Pro and Pro modes. Among the features available in the Pro mode are Amazon global store support, the history of all your scans, access to the offline database, and product restriction alerts. The app has a built-in profit calculator that will accurately calculate the possible profit from listing a book on Amazon. There’s a ”Manual Keyword Search” function that lets you search for products without scannable barcodes.
Keepa
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Compatibility: |
Web extension | iOS | Android |
| Price: | Free |
| Available On: | App Store | Google Play |
While Keepa is a web-based price tracking software, it also has a full-scale Android version and an iOS app with price history charts and alerts. The app allows you to scan barcodes and access a detailed price history of a product as well as many other data points (e.g., product rating, review count, and new offers). You can use this tool in book arbitrage to get the most accurate price history information.
BookScouter
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Compatibility: |
iOS | Android |
| Price: | Free |
| Available On: | App Store | Google Play |
Alternatively, you can use BookScouter for the same purpose — and more. While BookScouter isn’t an eCommerce solution that will connect you directly to Amazon, it can do a lot more for you. This online price comparison platform and app delivers data from over 30 book buyback vendors. First, you can scan barcodes and ISBNs with it; next, you compare real-time price quotes and choose the best ones. Finally, you sell books to vendors with the best offers (not necessarily on Amazon). You can do the live scanning in local shops and on sales; you can also search the books by their IBSNs, titles, and authors. The best BookScouter’s advantage is that you get access to the prices of various online booksellers (not just Amazon), and you can choose the best offer on the market. BookScouter also offers Pro Tools ($29.99/mo) for seasoned book scouts and professional resellers. Read more about the ISBN / Book Barcode Scanner App from BookScouter.
The Final Thoughts
As you can see, you can do book arbitrage more productively than ever. There are plenty of instruments that can help present-day book scouts to improve the efficiency of their sales and increase profits. Undoubtedly, all the apps we’ve covered today can successfully do this. However, we’d like to emphasize BookScouter, and for a reason. While most of these apps focus on retail arbitrage in general, BookScouter has been designed specifically for book arbitrage — which means it’s all about books — not only about Amazon. And this is the best advantage you can utilize as a book reseller — using as many channels as possible and getting access to as much data as available.
