PDF OCR - Recognize text - easily, online, free (2024)

PDF24Tools

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PDF24 Creator

Recognize text via OCR and create searchable PDF files.

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Information

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How to recognize text

Select your files you want to apply OCR for or drop the files into the file box. Modify the settings and start the OCR. After a few seconds you can download your new searchable PDF files.

OCR settings

You can modify several settings to control the OCR process. You can save as PDF/A, remove artefacts and noise, deskew pages, set meta information and join to a single output file.

Easy to use

PDF24 makes it as easy as possible for you to recognize text via OCR. You don't need to install and worry about any software, you just have to choose your files you want to apply OCR for.

Supports your system

You do not need any special system to recognize text via OCR. This OCR app runs in your browser and therefore functions under all operating systems. Just drop your files and start OCR.

No installation required

You don't need to download or install any software. The text is recognized on our servers in the cloud and therefore will not consume any resources from your computer.

Security is important to us

This OCR tool does not store your files on our server longer than necessary. Your files and results will be deleted from our server after a short period of time. File transmissions are SSL secured.

Developed by Stefan Ziegler

What others are saying

This tool allows me to apply OCR to my scanned documents and invoices very easily. I get a searchable PDF/A back for archiving.
I use this tool to convert images and photos taken with my smart-phone into searchable PDFs, so that I can search and copy text.

Questions and Answers

How can I recognize text in files using OCR?

  1. Use the file selection box at the top of the page to select the files in which you want to recognize text.
  2. Change the settings to tell the app how the text recognition should work.
  3. Start the recognition by pressing the corresponding button.
  4. Press the Download button to save the PDFs with recognized text to your computer.

Is it secure to use PDF24 Tools?

PDF24 takes the protection of files and data very seriously. We want our users to be able to trust us. Security aspects are therefore a permanent part of our work.

  1. All file transfers are encrypted.
  2. All files are automatically deleted from the processing server within one hour after processing.
  3. We do not store files and do not evaluate them. Files will only be used for the intended purpose.
  4. PDF24 is operated by a German company, Geek Software GmbH. All processing servers are located in data centres within the EU.
  5. Alternatively, you can get a desktop version of the PDF24 tools with the PDF24 Creator. All files remain on your computer here, as this software works offline.

Can I use PDF24 on a Mac, Linux or Smartphone?

Yes, you can use PDF24 Tools on any system with which you have access to the Internet. Open PDF24 Tools in a web browser such as Chrome and use the tools directly in the web browser. You do not need to install any other software.

You can also install PDF24 as an app on your smartphone. To do so, open the PDF24 Tools in Chrome on your smartphone. Then click on the "Install" icon in the upper right corner of the address bar or add PDF24 to your start screen via the Chrome menu.

Can I use PDF24 offline without an Internet connection?

Yes, Windows users can also use PDF24 offline, i.e. without an Internet connection. Simply download the free PDF24 Creator and install the software. The PDF24 Creator brings all PDF24 tools to your PC as a desktop application. Users of other operating systems should continue to use PDF24 Tools.

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PDF OCR - Recognize text - easily, online, free (2024)

FAQs

How do I extract text from a PDF OCR for free? ›

Google Drive OCR is a free OCR tool to convert PDF images to text online using a free Gmail account. The tool is free and easy to use. To use, you simply upload your PDF image to Google Drive and use its OCR feature to convert it into a text document.

What is the best free PDF OCR online? ›

Consider using Xodo if you're looking for a reliable PDF OCR conversion tool. Xodo enables you to easily convert your scanned PDF into an editable TXT file directly in your browser.

What is the free PDF editor that recognize text? ›

PDF24 makes it as easy as possible for you to recognize text via OCR. You don't need to install and worry about any software, you just have to choose your files you want to apply OCR for.

How do I make a PDF OCR searchable for free? ›

How To Do OCR on PDF for Free
  1. ​​Import or drag & drop your file to our PDF OCR tool.
  2. Wait a few seconds while our OCR tech works its magic.
  3. Edit the PDF with our other tools if needed.
  4. Download or share your editable PDF file—done!

Is Google OCR free? ›

Knowing this, Google Docs OCR is essentially one of the free alternatives offered by Google Drive to convert images to text. The process behind Google Docs OCR is nothing more than uploading images from which you need the data, into Google Docs, and exporting the data as a text format into your computer.

How do I recognize text in a PDF using OCR? ›

Open Scan and OCR Tool

If you open a PDF with un-recognized text, click the main document of the PDF. From the menu, choose Recognize Text. This will open the Scan and OCR tool. You can also right click the main document and choose Recognize Text from the menu.

Is there any free OCR? ›

Ocular is an open-source OCR system that is free to use and enables the conversion of historical and printed documents into digital formats.

Is there a truly free PDF Converter? ›

Yes, just download the free and easy to use PDF24 Creator and install this program. This software is an offline PDF solution, which also includes a PDF Converter that allows you to convert files to and from PDF.

Is Adobe Acrobat OCR free? ›

Free OCR PDF tools are now available and they allow static content to transform into a smart, searchable file.

Is there a truly free PDF editor? ›

Completely online for PDF editing, PDFescape is FREE to use.

What is the free app to extract text from a PDF? ›

PDFgear is the best free PDF text extraction tool. It uses OCR technology to extract text from even the most complex PDFs, and its easy-to-use interface ensures that users can quickly and easily extract the text they need.

Is there a free online PDF editor for existing text? ›

Xodo provides a PDF Text Editor for you to change and update your existing PDF text online for free. Simply select the PDF file you want to update and use the online PDF Text Editor to update, edit, or delete text. Click on the desired paragraph and start typing, formatting, or adding hyperlinks to the text as needed.

Why is OCR not working on PDF? ›

There are several common reasons why OCR might fail to recognize text in a PDF. Addressing these common pitfalls can significantly improve OCR performance and ensure more accurate text recognition: Image quality. Low-resolution scans, poor image clarity, or text distortion can hamper OCR accuracy.

What is the difference between OCR and searchable PDF? ›

The basic function of a searchable-PDF is to make image-based PDFs text-searchable. To do this, OCR (Optimal Character Recognition) is applied to the document. This recognition tool is able to read handwritten text in a variety of fonts and digitise it for use on a computer. OCR technology dates back to the 1970s.

How do I convert a PDF to Word OCR for free? ›

Use the OCR PDF tool to copy and extract text from a PDF after creating selectable text from your original file.
  1. Go to the OCR PDF tool.
  2. Upload the PDF you want to convert with OCR from your computer, Google Drive, or Dropbox.
  3. Select the main languages of the PDF for the most accurate conversion.

What is the best way to extract text from a PDF? ›

One of the most widely used options to extract text from PDF documents is to simply copy and paste the text. Many people prefer this method because copying and pasting text is a familiar process — something that you do nearly every day.

Is OCR text scanner free? ›

With Docsumo's free OCR tool, extract data accurately from any image or pdf document in any layout without any manual setup.

How do I extract text from OCR? ›

Follow these steps to use OCR to copy text from an image:
  1. Open your OCR app to scan a document.
  2. Wait until your app prompts you to scan or until it has recognized text.
  3. Scan the image.
  4. Edit or extract text from the document.

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