OCR: extract text from a scan
Turn a scanned document or a photo of a page into editable text. Recognition runs without leaving your computer, so you can do it with contracts, invoices or reports without them leaving your computer.
Drag your scanned PDF or a photo here
or click to select it
Neither the document nor the recognised text is uploaded to a server
How to do it, step by step
Upload the document
Drag in a scanned PDF or a photo of a page. The sharper and straighter it is, the better the result.
Pick the language
Getting the language right noticeably improves accuracy, especially with accents. By default it recognises Spanish and English together.
Press Extract the text
The first time it downloads the recognition engine, about 20 MB that stays cached. After that it is much faster.
Copy or download
You can copy the text to the clipboard or save it as a TXT file.
Related conversions
Merge PDF
Combine several PDFs into one document and order them however you like.
Split PDF
Split a PDF or pull out just the pages you need.
Rotate PDF
Turn pages that were scanned sideways and save the result.
Several images into one PDF
Bundle all your photos into a single document, one per page.
Merge files into one PDF
Combine PDFs, Word docs, photos and spreadsheets into a single document.
Compress PDF
Cut a PDF down to size so it fits in an email or an upload form.
This converter is free, and it will stay that way
No accounts, no limits, no watermarks, and your files never leave your device. There is no company behind this: there is one person keeping it running.
If it saved you time today, you can buy me a coffee: that is what can keep this project growing.
Buy me a coffee
Payment is handled by PayPal.
And if not, that is fine. Come back whenever you need it.
Frequently asked questions
Is ocr: extract text from a scan free?
Yes. No accounts, no file limits and no watermarks. The site is funded by the ads on the page.
Are my files uploaded to a server?
No. Your files are never uploaded to a server: we do not receive them at any point, so no copy is left to delete.
Does it work on a phone?
Yes, on Android and iPhone, with no app to install. Just open this page in your phone browser.
Is my original file modified?
Never. We produce a new file and the original stays untouched where it was.