14 Best OCR Software: Image & PDF Text Extractor

In the past, extracting text from digital documents – such as digital image files, scanned documents, and photographed documents – was a time-consuming task. However, with the rise of OCR software, data extraction from digital files has become super quick and easy. Today, many businesses across the globe use the best OCR software or OCR API for its enormous benefits, such as enhanced productivity, cost reductions, and improved data entry accuracy.

Since OCR software is pretty helpful, I’ve put together a list of the 14 best OCR software that we can use to accurately extract text from digital files.

What Is An OCR Software?

OCR (Optical Character Recognition) is a very helpful technology that allows us to extract text from digital files. It enables automated data extraction from digital images, PDFs, and photographed and scanned documents (such as passports, driver’s licenses, or credit cards), thereby saving time and cost. It is also used to convert PDF files and scanned documents into editable documents. For instance, we can make copies of PDFs without the need to retype all the text.

The history of OCR dates back to the 1900s. However, the technology has improved significantly over time, and today OCR software is capable of accurately recognizing text (handwritten, printed, or typed) within digital documents, images, and written notes. This means we can scan written documents or printed text files and then use the best OCR software to automatically extract data/text.

What Are Some Of The Best OCR Software?

FileStack

Filestack’s OCR API is one of the best OCR tools in the market right now that can help you interpret and extract data from digital files. The efficient API provides accurate results, reduces errors, and increases data collection efficiency. Additionally, the tool streamlines the data extraction process.

Features

Filestack OCR allows you to extract text from images and documents like tax documents, invoices, business cards, credit cards, and IDs
Can efficiently detect printed as well as handwritten texts in images
Filestack’s efficient OCR also provides all the details about detected text areas, lines, and words
The OCR also improves the data collection efficiency and reduces errors

Pros

Comes with detailed documentation (with examples)
This efficient tool helps extract and organize text from documents, such as passports, credit cards, driver’s licenses, and tax receipts
Streamlines the data extraction process

Cons

Some organizations may find pricing plans a bit expensive. There is also a free plan but with limited features

G2 Reviews

Here are some recent G2 reviews for Filestack:

“Easy to use files upload for software projects” – Martin T., November 2024

“One stop center for application file handling and upload” – Cochise M., October 2024

“Reliable file handling and content delivery network” – Stasso B., October 2024

Pricing

Filestack offers a free plan with limited capabilities. Its paid plans start at US$ 69 per month. You can start paid plans with a free trial. We can also get additional features and customize our Filestack plans according to our requirements.

Adobe Acrobat Pro DC

Adobe Acrobat DC is a highly efficient PDF editing tool that also offers OCR conversion. It can convert scanned documents into editable PDFs.

Features

Efficiently converts text extracted from scanned documents and images into editable files and searchable PDFs
Can accurately identify the font used in the document and then use the same font while converting the text into a PDF document
Can also scan documents, such as handwritten notes and receipts
Also allows users to reorder pages of PDF documents

Pros

Adobe Acrobat DC offers a wide range of impressive features
Supports digital signatures as well as batch processing

Cons

Can be confusing for beginners

G2 Reviews

Here are some recent G2 reviews for Adobe Acrobat:

“Reliable and Trustworthy” – Shashi P., December 2024

“Adobe Acrobat useful tool” – Akash K., December 2024

“Adobe Acrobat is a must-have application for everyone!” – Gaurav A., December 2024

Pricing

There are many Adobe Acrobat Pro plans to suit individuals, businesses, students, and teachers. Their subscription plans start at US$ 19.99 per month, and they come with a free trial.

OmniPage Ultimate

OmniPage Ultimate is one of the best OCR software for professional use and batch processing. It is specifically designed for use on Windows-based PCs.

Features

Supports batch processing
OmniPage Ultimate can handle complex documents efficiently
Using Omnipage, users can also convert printed text into digital files
OmniPage Ultimate also allows users to create searchable PDF files and editable text formats from photos captured on the mobile phone camera
Supports multiple languages (both scanning and document creation)

Pros

User-friendly and easy-to-use
Allows users to edit, process, store and share documents

Cons

Supports Windows OS only

Pricing

OmniPage Ultimate costs US$ 499 as a one-time payment, and it includes a free trial.

Abbyy FineReader PDF

Abbyy FineReader PDF uses AI technology to accurately extract text from documents and images. This tool supports Windows and Mac operating systems.

Features

Abbyy FineReader PDF allows users to accurately extract data from scanned and digital PDF documents
With Abbyy FineReader PDF, users can instantly edit and convert PDF files
Allows users to modify sentences and adjust paragraphs once the document is scanned
Users can also annotate any section in the PDF files
Allow users to comment on documents
Abbyy FineReader PDF also allows users to split a single large PDF file with too many pages into multiple files

Pros

Allows businesses to streamline their workflows
Can efficiently handle complex documents with several pages

Cons

A bit expensive

G2 Reviews

Here are some recent G2 reviews for FineReader PDF:

“A Comprehensive PDF Solution for Professionals” – Bakul J., December 2024

“A Great Tool for working PDFs remotely” – Arjun P., December 2024

“One Thing the best about the fine reader is it allows us to convert multiple or various file formats into PDFs in very easy manner. ” – Verified User, December 2024

Pricing

Abbyy FineReader PDF offers different plans for individuals and businesses to suit their requirements. Individual plans currently start at a discounted price of US$ 69.30. We can contact the sales for the business plans. They also provide free trials for both individual and business plans.

Readiris

Next on the list of best OCR software is Readiris for Windows and Mac. It’s a great tool for protecting and annotating PDF documents.

Features

Readiris can extract text from paper documents and images
It supports several image file formats, such as PNG, BMP, TIFF files, and more
With Readiris, users can extract text from specific sections or the entire file
Readiris supports batch processing
Readiris also supports text-to-audio file conversion

Pros

Offers a range of useful features and functions
Professional-grade OCR software

Cons

Text extraction accuracy for handwritten documents is low

G2 Reviews

Here are some recent G2 reviews for Readiris:

“Readiris the best PDF edit” – martins t., August 2019

“Clean U.I., but too focused on generating formatted PDFs” – Mike C., April 2019

Pricing

Readiris offers many options to purchase based on our requirements. Their pricing starts at 69 Euros per lifetime. They also provide a free trial.

Rossum

Rossum provides a highly accurate AI-based OCR service. It is widely used for printed documents like invoices and receipts.

Features

Rossum can be integrated with a variety of other tools, such as QuickBooks, Microsoft Dynamics, and SAP
Rossum can accurately extract data from invoices with different formats and layouts
With Rossum, users can add or modify data once the document is scanned
Rossum supports multiple image formats, such as PNG, PDF, and JPG

Pros

Minimizes the risk of errors due to manual data entry
Can scan multiple documents simultaneously

Cons

Rossum doesn’t support iOS and Android

G2 Reviews

Here are some recent G2 reviews for Rossum:

“Robust and Helpful” – Verified User, December 2024

“Rossum is a great product with a great team of people behind the scenes” – Verified User, December 2024

“Rossum can help you to be more efficient” – Verified User, December 2024

Pricing

Rossum offers a 14-day free trial. Also, they provide flexible plans that meet our business requirements. We can contact sales and get a quote for the best plan for our business.

Nanonets

Nanonets is another AI-based OCR software to extract text from unstructured data.

Features

Nanonets can efficiently extract data from printed documents, such as tax forms, invoices, insurance forms, purchase orders, ID cards, bank statements, and more
Supports batch processing
With Nanonets, users can export files in multiple formats, such as Excel, PDF, JSON, and XML
Nanonets also supports audio file conversion

Pros

Comes with a free plan
Nanonets is a no-code platform

Cons

Doesn’t support scanner integration

G2 Reviews

Here are some recent G2 reviews for Nanonets:

“Streamlining new vendor onboarding and invoice processing” – Verified User, December 2024

“Nanonets: Ease of use and number of features.” – Vlad B., December 2024

“Building efficiencies (both time and costs) with Nanonets” – Jyoti F., December 2024

Pricing

Nanonets offers its Starter plan for individuals and teams looking to try out this platform. It offers the first 500 pages free. After that, it will charge US$ 0.3 per page on a pay-as-you-go basis. We can contact sales and get quotes for Pro and Enterprise plans.

ABBYY Flexicapture

Next on the list of best OCR software is ABBYY Flexicapture, another reliable OCR tool for businesses that offers intelligent document processing and scanning.

Features

ABBYY Flexicapture utilizes several modern recognition technologies, AI, and machine learning to efficiently extract text from images and PDFs
The efficient tool enables automation
ABBYY Flexicapture also supports batch processing
Supports more than 200 languages

Pros

Reduces the need for manual processing
ABBYY Flexicapture offers a variety of business-grade advanced features

G2 Reviews

Here are some recent G2 reviews for ABBYY Flexicapture:

“Limited Customization Features” – Verified User, January 2024

“The ability to OCR scanned documents is incredible. It can handle mostly all kinds of scans.” – Verified User, January 2024

“Limitations in terms of documentation and community support” – Richard S., January 2024

Pricing

ABBYY FlexiCapture offers flexible pricing options tailored to meet the needs of businesses of different sizes. While ABBYY does not publicly disclose specific prices on its website, the cost typically depends on factors like the volume of documents processed, features required, and the number of users.

IBM Datacap

IBM Datacap is part of IBM Cloud Pack. It’s one of the best OCR software for streamlining the process of extracting unstructured data from business documents.

Features

IBM Datacap automates the collection, identification, and classification of business documents
Rules-based capture and content management
One of the most loved features of IBM Datacap is that it can efficiently detect data from complex documents and organize it into fields

Pros

IBM Datacap is compatible with several devices, such as fax, mobile devices, multifunction peripherals, and scanners
AI-based intelligent processing
Easy to use

Cons

Online customer support needs improvement
IBM Datacap’s batch processing is slow

G2 Reviews

Here are some recent G2 reviews for IBM Datacap:

“The ease of workflow automation on manual tasks that user’s have to perform, this saves a lot of manual work and corrects mistakes.” – Ahmad A., April 2023

“Best used for classification and extraction of data from documents” – Verified User, January 2022

“We were able to develop and provide a solution to users in a matter of weeks into production” – Ahmad A., December 2021

Pricing

Pricing for IBM Datacap is not publicly listed on IBM’s website. To obtain detailed pricing information tailored to your organization’s specific needs, it’s recommended to contact IBM directly or consult with an authorized IBM reseller. Additionally, IBM offers a Cloud cost estimator tool that can help you configure IBM Cloud products and estimate costs.

Google Document AI

Google Document AI or DocAI is essentially a document processing interface that uses machine learning to automatically identify and extract data from documents. The tool is part of the Google Cloud AI portfolio.

Features

Google Document AI allows users to process a variety of documents, such as invoices, PDFs, and payment forms
It uses AI to provide highly accurate results
Easy to set up
Google Document AI also supports text editing, document splitting, and form parsing
Google Document AI supports several languages

Pros

Google Document AI reduces the need for manual data entry
Saves processing costs

Cons

With Google Document AI, customizing pre-built libraries and modules is a bit difficult

G2 Reviews

Here are some recent G2 reviews for Google Document AI:

“Highly Accurate data processor.” – Hosam K., March 2024

“Google Cloud Document AI – A Useful Document Extractor Tool” – Yogesh C., December 2023

“An Obstructive Data Extraction Tool” – Sofia B., December 2023

Pricing

Google Document AI offers flexible pricing based on specific features and usage. Costs are calculated per page processed, depending on the tool used (e.g., OCR, form parsing, or document classification). Some examples include:

Document OCR: $1.50 per 1,000 pages.
Form Parser: $30 per 1,000 pages.

Also, you can start free. Visit the Google Document AI pricing page for more details.

AWS Textract

AWS Textract uses machine learning and OCR technology to automatically extract text and other data from any scanned document. Additionally, the tool eliminates the need for extracting data manually.

Features

AWS Textract can automatically extract data from printed text and handwritten documents
It uses AI to extract structured data/text like forms and tables from documents
Doesn’t require any manual effort to extract text

When you use AWS Textract, you can extract data in minutes

Pros

Robust data privacy
AWS Textract also enhances security and compliance

Cons

Accuracy for extracting custom fields from a form is low

G2 Reviews

Here are some recent G2 reviews for AWS Textract:

“The best thing about Amazon Textract is that it accurately extracts text, handwriting, or any structured data from the document.” – Abhishek S., July 2024

“It is an amazing machine learning service that is used for extracting the text/data from scanned documents.” – Dolly B., July 2024

“Amazing Amazon Textract” – Mustafa Asif Ali T., July 2024

Pricing

AWS Textract offers a free tier for new customers for three months with limited features. You can use the AWS Pricing Calculator to create your custom estimate.

Docparser

Docparser is a cloud-based OCR software that you can use to automate low-value tasks and workflows. When you use this tool, you can also edit, organize, and filter converted PDF files.

Features

Docparser uses Zonal OCR technology to accurately detect and extract text from images
Docparser also allows users to edit, organize, and filter converted files
Comes with a QR code and barcode reader

Pros

Can extract numerical values like prices and mobile numbers, as well as emails
Cloud-based
No-code platform

Cons

Web-based only

G2 Reviews

Here are some recent G2 reviews for Docparser:

“Streamlined Data Extraction Made Easy” – Marc D., December 2024

“Efficiency at its best! So much time and money saved.” – Scott K., December 2023

“Great service!” – Tanner L., November 2023

Pricing

You can explore Docparser with a 14-day free trial. Its paid plans start at US$ 32.50.

Klippa

Klippa offers automated document processing, management, classification, and data extraction for organizations.

Features

When you use Klippa, you can collect, record, and process invoices from multiple platforms, such as apps, web, and email
Klippa also supports document scanning
Validates data and documents

Pros

Klippa is a great tool for scanning receipts and invoices
It also reduces errors and enhances efficiency
Klippa is compatible with multiple operating systems, such as desktop, Android, and iOS

G2 Reviews

Here are some recent G2 reviews for Klippa:

“Intelligent Document Processing – Klippa DocHorizon Platform – No Code Interface” – J R., October 2024

Pricing

The pricing of this OCR software depends on many factors, and we need to fill out a form through their website and request pricing.

Tesseract

Developed by Google, Tesseract is one of the best free OCR software that supports various operating systems.

Features

Open-source
Supports text formatting
Supports more than 100 languages
Tesseract can also detect handwritten text

Pros

When you use Tesseract, you’re sure to get highly accurate results
Tesseract is also free to use

Cons

Not suitable for businesses

G2 Reviews

Here are some recent G2 reviews for Tesseract:

“Less accuracy but more control” – Surbhi G., July 2022

“Really helpful Image OCR experience with Tesseract” – Verified User, June 2022

“Best cloud-based service management solution” – Verified User, August 2021

Pricing

Tesseract is an open-source OCR tool developed by Google and is completely free to use. As an open-source project, it does not have any pricing plans or subscription costs. It is available for download and use on various platforms, making it a cost-effective choice for developers and organizations looking for a customizable OCR solution.

Comprehensive Comparison of the 14 Best OCR Tools

Tool Name	Key Features	Pros	Cons	Pricing	Trial Available
Filestack	Extracts text from images/documents like IDs, invoices; Detects printed and handwritten text.	Detailed documentation, efficient, organizes text.	Pricing plans can be expensive.	Free plan; Paid plans from $69/month.	Yes
Adobe Acrobat Pro DC	Converts scanned documents to editable/searchable PDFs; Batch processing.	Wide range of features, supports digital signatures.	Confusing for beginners.	Starts at $19.99/month.	Yes
OmniPage Ultimate	Handles complex documents, supports multiple languages, batch processing.	User-friendly, processes/store documents.	Windows-only.	$499 one-time payment.	Yes
Abbyy FineReader PDF	AI-powered text extraction, edits PDFs, splits large files.	Streamlines workflows, handles complex docs.	Expensive.	Starts at $69.30.	Yes
Readiris	Extracts text from images, supports batch processing, text-to-audio conversion.	Professional-grade OCR software.	Low accuracy for handwriting.	Starts at €69 one-time payment.	Yes
Rossum	AI-based OCR, integrates with QuickBooks/SAP, supports multiple formats.	Reduces manual errors, multi-document scanning.	No iOS/Android support.	Custom pricing; Contact sales.	Yes (14-day)
Nanonets	Extracts data from forms, supports audio conversion, batch processing.	No-code platform, free for 500 pages.	No scanner integration.	Pay-as-you-go ($0.3/page); Custom plans.	Yes
ABBYY FlexiCapture	AI/ML for text extraction, supports 200+ languages, batch processing.	Reduces manual processing.	Limited documentation/community support.	Custom pricing; Contact sales.	No
IBM Datacap	Automates data capture; AI-based intelligent processing.	Compatible with various devices, easy-to-use.	Customer support needs improvement.	Custom pricing; Contact IBM.	No
Google Document AI	Uses ML for document parsing, supports multiple languages.	Reduces manual data entry, high accuracy.	Limited customizability.	$1.50/1,000 pages (OCR); Free trial available.	Yes
AWS Textract	Extracts text from printed/handwritten docs; AI-driven.	Robust security and compliance.	Low custom field accuracy.	Free tier; Pay-per-use pricing.	Yes
Docparser	Zonal OCR, edits/filters converted PDFs, barcode/QR reader.	Cloud-based, extracts numerical values/emails.	Web-based only.	Starts at $32.50/month.	Yes (14-day)
Klippa	Document scanning, data validation, works with multiple platforms.	Great for receipts/invoices.	Requires contact for pricing.	Custom pricing.	Yes
Tesseract	Open-source, supports 100+ languages, detects handwriting.	Highly accurate, free to use.	Not suitable for businesses.	Free.	No

How Can I Test The Best OCR Software?

You sign up for a free trial (if there is one) and try the features of the OCR software. Additionally, you can test different tools and then choose the best OCR software for your needs.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What does OCR mean?

OCR stands for Optical Character Recognition, which allows you to extract text from digital files, such as images or PDFs. Additionally, you can also use OCR to convert PDF files and scanned documents into editable documents.

Which is the best OCR software?

Some of the best OCR software include Filestack OCR, Abbyy FineReader PDF, Adobe Acrobat Pro, and Google Document AI. However, you should always check the features of the software before deciding which one is the right tool for your needs.

Can OCR software detect handwriting?

Efficient OCR Software, such as Filestack, can efficiently extract handwriting. Additionally, these tools help streamline the data extraction process.

Sidra

Sidra is an experienced technical writer with a solid understanding of web development, APIs, AI, IoT, and related technologies. She is always eager to learn new skills and technologies.