There are several types of digital scales, including floor scales, drum scales, crane scales, and platform scales.  In recent years, digital scales have become more popular than mechanical scales, for a variety of reasons. Digital scales are more precise than their mechanical counterparts, and they are easier to calibrate. Further, digital readouts are easier to read than non-digital displays.

Each type of scale varies in the amount of weight it can handle, meaning that businesses and individuals select particular scales to meet their specific needs. For example, a veterinary office may need a variety of animal scales, which will be made to different standards than scales created to count pieces of paper.