
OnlineOCR.net
Free online OCR to convert scanned PDFs and images to editable text
About OnlineOCR.net
OnlineOCR.net is a browser-based OCR service that converts scanned PDFs, photos, and images into editable Word, Excel, PDF, RTF, or plain-text files. Guests can convert a limited number of files per hour without signing up, and registered users get multipage PDFs, ZIP uploads, language selection, and paid page bundles. The same team runs a SOAP and REST OCR Web Service API for developers.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Converts images and scanned PDFs to text in the browser with no signup or software install
- Supports 46 recognition languages, including mixed-language documents
- Exports to Word, Excel, PDF, RTF, or plain text rather than just raw text
- Low-cost paid options, including a one-time $49.95 bundle of 30,000 pages with no expiry
- Developer API with SOAP and REST interfaces and zonal OCR is available for automation
Cons
- Free guest mode caps file size at 15 MB, limits hourly conversions, and shows ads
- Multipage PDFs, ZIP uploads, and language selection require a registered account
- Output still needs proofreading on low-quality scans; accuracy drops below 200 DPI
- Registered users' files are stored on the service for a month, which may not suit sensitive documents
- Dated interface and no team, workflow, or document-management features
Key Features
Image and PDF to Text
Extracts text from scanned PDFs, faxes, photos, and camera captures in PDF, TIFF, JPEG, BMP, PCX, PNG, and GIF formats.
46 Recognition Languages
Recognizes Western and Asian languages, including Chinese, Japanese, and Korean, and handles documents that mix more than one language.
Five Output Formats
Exports recognized text as Adobe PDF, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, RTF, or plain text, or copies it straight to the clipboard.
Multipage and Page-Range Conversion
Registered users can convert multipage PDFs and TIFFs, choose specific pages or ranges, and upload ZIP archives of images.
Image Pre-processing
Applies automatic rotation, full-page deskew, and black-and-white conversion, and can retain non-text color regions in the output document.
Email OCR
Converts images and PDFs sent by email and returns the editable documents to your inbox.
Image Translator
Extracts text from an image and translates it into another language in one step.
OCR Web Service API
SOAP and REST cloud API (via ocrwebservice.com) with zonal OCR for integrating text recognition into your own apps and websites.
Pricing
- No registration required
- Limited conversions per hour
- Max file size 15 MB
- Files deleted after conversion
- Ad-supported
- 2,000 pages per week
- Max file size 200 MB
- ZIP archive input
- Multipage file support
- Faster processing
- No ads
- Cancel anytime
- 10,000 pages per month
- Max file size 200 MB
- ZIP archive input
- Multipage file support
- Faster processing
- No ads
- Cancel anytime
- 30,000 pages, no expiry
- Max file size 200 MB
- ZIP archive input
- Multipage file support
- Faster processing
- No ads
Best For
Digitizing Scanned Documents
Turn scanned contracts, letters, and archives into editable Word files or searchable PDFs without retyping.
Student and Lecture Notes
Convert photographed textbook pages and lecture notes into text that is easier to search, edit, and store.
Table and Invoice Extraction
Export scanned tables, invoices, and receipts to Excel to build spreadsheets from paper records.
Quick Translation of Photographed Text
Snap a photo of foreign-language text and use the Image Translator to extract and translate it.
Embedding OCR in Applications
Use the OCR Web Service SOAP or REST API to add text recognition to your own software or website.
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