Choose Mac software for a USB document camera

See what you need for a live class view and for a saved scan, and how VeeCam handles both with an external camera.

Document-camera software has two jobs that are easy to mix up. One is the live picture a class looks at. The other is a file you keep: a page, a spread, a card, or a code. VeeCam does both on a Mac, with a USB document camera, visualizer, or UVC webcam. It is an IPEVO Visualizer and HoverCam alternative. This page does not compare prices.

What the live view should do

Show the external camera, not the built-in FaceTime camera.
Freeze, zoom, rotate, and mirror.
Adjust focus, exposure, white balance, and color when the room lights change.
Let you draw on the picture, or switch to a light or dark board.
Put more than one view on screen when you are comparing pages.

What the scan should do

You should be able to save a snapshot, a document, an open book as a full spread or a single page, a card, or a QR code or barcode. Crop automatically or by hand, and keep going for more than one page. OCR can read the camera view, and text-to-speech can read those words aloud.

What you should not have to accept

The pages should stay on your Mac. VeeCam does not require a Kingfont account and does not track usage. It is not a screen recorder. Recording the camera or the screen is optional, for a lesson, and it is not the reason to install the app. You need macOS 11.5 or later and an external camera.

Install VeeCam on the Mac App Store.