Freedom251 › Business Card Scanner Software

QardQntac

Free plan LinuxSelf-hostedWeb

What QardQntac is

QardQntac is a free, open-source business-card scanner that runs on a server you host. Scan or upload a card image, review and correct the extracted contact details, add color-coded tags, then export or sync contacts. Extraction can use Ollama models hosted locally or cloud services from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google Gemini. The project says data stays on your server unless you choose a cloud AI provider; its Ollama option runs models locally without internet access. Contacts sync with standard CardDAV servers, including Nextcloud, Radicale, and Baikal, or download as .vcf files. Duplicate checks compare names, email addresses, and phone numbers. Passwordless email sign-in uses magic links when SMTP is configured; without SMTP, links appear in server logs. Administrators can restrict sign-ins by domain or disable registration. The interface supports English and French. Deployment instructions cover Docker Compose and containers on Linux with Docker and Node.js. Phone and tablet camera scanning requires HTTPS with a valid certificate; PostgreSQL is recommended for production because the embedded database fallback is not suitable for it.

Who it suits

QardQntac suits people who want to manage scanned business-card contacts on a server they control. It is designed for Linux server deployment and supports CardDAV syncing and .vcf export.

What it does well

Supports local Ollama and three cloud AI providers
Syncs with standard CardDAV servers
Exports contacts as .vcf files
Duplicate checks use name, email, or phone
English and French interface

What to know first

Phone and tablet camera scanning requires HTTPS
Embedded database fallback is not suitable for production
Email magic links require SMTP or server-log access

Limits

The embedded database fallback is explicitly not suitable for production; PostgreSQL can be configured for production use. Phone and tablet camera scanning requires HTTPS with a valid certificate.

Getting started

Open the project's GitHub page.
Deploy the application on a Linux server with Docker and Node.js using its Docker Compose or container instructions.
Configure PostgreSQL through DATABASE_URL for production use.
Configure SMTP for passwordless email sign-in, or use the server-log links when SMTP is not configured.
Serve the app over HTTPS with a valid certificate if scanning from a phone or tablet.

Verdict

QardQntac combines card scanning and contact management with self-hosted deployment and multiple export options. For production use, configure PostgreSQL; mobile camera scanning also needs HTTPS.

Questions

Is QardQntac free?

Yes. It is free and open source, and the repository identifies it as MIT licensed.

Where does QardQntac run?

It is self-hosted and provides deployment instructions for a Linux server with Docker and Node.js.

Which AI providers can it use?

Extraction supports locally hosted Ollama models and the cloud providers OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google Gemini.

Can contacts sync to an address book?

Yes. Contacts can sync to any standard CardDAV server, with Nextcloud, Radicale, and Baikal listed as examples.

Can I scan cards with a phone or tablet?

The app supports camera scanning in a browser on phones and tablets. Network access from real devices requires HTTPS with a valid certificate.

How does sign-in work?

Passwordless magic links are sent by email when SMTP is configured. Without SMTP, the links appear in server logs.

Facts from QardQntac's own pages

Access control: Administrators can restrict sign-ups to specified email domains or disable new registrations entirely. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
AI providers: AI extraction supports local Ollama models and cloud providers OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google Gemini. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
Authentication: Sign-in uses passwordless magic links sent by email when SMTP is configured; otherwise links appear in server logs. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
CardDAV: Contacts can sync to any standard CardDAV server, with Nextcloud, Radicale, and Baikal listed as examples. · github.com, 4 Oct 2026
Contact export: Contacts can be downloaded as standard .vcf files, and tags sync as the vCard CATEGORIES field. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
Contact management: Users can create color-coded tags, apply multiple tags per contact, filter contacts, and detect duplicates by name, email, or phone. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
Database limitation: The embedded database fallback is explicitly described as not suitable for production; PostgreSQL can be configured through DATABASE_URL. · github.com, 4 Oct 2026
Data handling: The project says data stays on the self-hosted server unless a cloud AI provider is selected; its Ollama option runs models locally and is described as fully private. · github.com, 4 Oct 2026
Deployment: The app runs on a Linux server with Docker and Node.js, and the project provides Docker Compose and source installation instructions. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
Duplicate detection: Duplicate detection checks existing contacts by name, email, or phone. · github.com, 4 Oct 2026
Export: Contacts can be downloaded as standard .vcf files, and tags are exported as the vCard CATEGORIES field when syncing. · github.com, 4 Oct 2026
Headquarters: France · github.com, 28 Sept 2026
Integrations: CardDAV sync supports Nextcloud, Radicale, Baikal, and any standard CardDAV server. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
Languages: The interface supports English and French, selected through an environment variable. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
License: The repository identifies the project as MIT licensed. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
Limit: The README says the embedded database fallback is not suitable for production and recommends configuring PostgreSQL for production use. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
Mobile camera requirement: Using the camera scanner from a phone or tablet requires serving the app over HTTPS with a valid certificate. · github.com, 4 Oct 2026
Mobile use: The README describes phone and tablet camera scanning in a browser and says network access from real devices requires HTTPS. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
Privacy: The project says data stays on the user's server unless they choose a cloud AI provider; Ollama runs models locally without internet access. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
Purpose: QardQntac is an open-source, self-hosted business card scanner that extracts contact details from card photos using AI. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026
Workflow: Users can scan or upload a card image, review extracted fields, tag the contact, and export it or sync it to CardDAV. · github.com, 9 Oct 2026

Where QardQntac stands on Freedom251

Business Card Scanner Software#16 of 24