OCR PDF - Convert Scans to Searchable Text
Make scanned PDFs searchable—OCR in your browser
or Drag & drop files here
Supported formats: .pdf, application/pdf
Free OCR PDF Online - Convert Scanned PDFs to Searchable Text
Transform scanned PDFs and image-based documents into searchable, editable text with our free online OCR tool. Our PDF OCR converter uses advanced Tesseract.js technology to extract text from scanned documents, make PDFs searchable, and recognize text in 100+ languages—all processed securely in your browser without uploading files to any server.
Process scanned documents instantly with 90-95% accuracy for clean printed text
How to OCR a PDF Online
Convert scanned PDFs to searchable text in 4 simple steps
Upload your scanned PDF
Drag and drop your scanned PDF or click to browse. Our OCR tool processes files up to 50MB with a limit of 30 pages for optimal performance.
Select document language
Choose from 100+ supported languages including English, Spanish, French, German, Chinese, Japanese, and Arabic for accurate text recognition.
Choose output format
Select searchable PDF to create a document with an invisible text layer, or plain text (.txt) to extract just the recognized text.
Download searchable PDF or text
Download your OCR-processed document. Searchable PDFs maintain the original appearance while allowing text selection and search.
Why Choose PDFyogi's Free OCR PDF Tool?
Professional OCR capabilities without subscription fees
100% Free OCR Processing
No hidden costs, watermarks, or daily limits. Convert unlimited scanned PDFs to searchable text completely free, unlike Adobe Acrobat's paid OCR feature.
100+ Languages Supported
Recognize text in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Arabic, Hindi, and 90+ more languages.
Complete Privacy Guaranteed
All OCR processing happens locally in your browser using WebAssembly. Your scanned documents never leave your device—perfect for sensitive documents.
High Accuracy Recognition
Achieve 90-95% accuracy on clean printed text using Tesseract.js, the same engine powering Google's OCR technology.
Searchable PDF Output
Create PDFs with invisible text layers that look identical to originals but are fully searchable and support text selection.
No Installation Required
Use OCR directly in your browser on any device. No software downloads, Adobe Acrobat subscription, or plugins needed.
PDF OCR Use Cases
How professionals use our OCR tool to make PDFs searchable
Digitizing Old Documents
Convert scanned paper documents, archived files, and legacy records into searchable digital formats.
Example: Law firms OCR decades of case files to create searchable archives for quick reference.
Processing Receipts & Invoices
Extract text from scanned receipts, invoices, and financial documents for accounting and expense tracking.
Example: Accountants OCR boxes of receipts to extract vendor names, amounts, and dates for bookkeeping.
Research & Academia
Make scanned books, journal articles, and research papers searchable for academic work.
Example: Researchers OCR historical documents and rare books to search for specific terms and references.
Contract & Legal Review
Convert scanned contracts and legal documents into searchable PDFs for efficient review.
Example: Legal teams make signed contracts searchable to quickly locate specific clauses and terms.
Medical Records Processing
Digitize scanned patient records, prescriptions, and medical documents for healthcare management.
Example: Healthcare providers OCR patient forms to integrate information into electronic health records.
Immigration & ID Documents
Extract text from scanned passports, visas, ID cards, and immigration documents.
Example: Immigration services process scanned identity documents to extract names, dates, and document numbers.
How to OCR PDF on Any Device
Make scanned PDFs searchable on your platform
OCR PDF on Windows
Convert scanned PDFs to searchable text on Windows 10/11 without installing OCR software or Adobe Acrobat Pro.
- Open Chrome, Firefox, or Edge browser
- Navigate to PDFyogi OCR PDF tool
- Upload your scanned PDF document
- Select language and download searchable PDF
OCR PDF on Mac
Perform OCR on scanned documents on macOS. More powerful than Preview's limited text recognition capabilities.
- Open Safari, Chrome, or Firefox
- Visit PDFyogi OCR tool
- Drop your scanned PDF file
- Process OCR and download searchable PDF
OCR PDF on Linux
Full OCR capabilities on Ubuntu, Fedora, and other Linux distributions without installing tesseract-ocr packages.
- Open Firefox or Chromium browser
- Go to PDFyogi online OCR
- Upload scanned document
- Download searchable PDF or text file
OCR PDF on iPhone & iPad
Convert scanned documents to searchable text on iOS without downloading OCR apps.
- Open Safari on iPhone/iPad
- Navigate to PDFyogi OCR PDF
- Select scanned PDF from Files
- Download searchable document
OCR PDF on Android
Free PDF OCR on Android phones and tablets. No app installation needed.
- Open Chrome on Android device
- Visit PDFyogi OCR tool
- Upload or capture scanned document
- Get searchable PDF instantly
PDF OCR Tool Comparison
How PDFyogi compares to other OCR solutions
| Feature | PDFyogi | Adobe Acrobat Pro | Google Drive | OnlineOCR.net |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free to Use | ✓ Always Free | ✗ $239.88/year | ✓ Free | ⚠ 15 Pages Free |
| Languages Supported | ✓ 100+ Languages | ✓ Many Languages | ⚠ Limited | ✓ 40+ Languages |
| Searchable PDF Output | ✓ Full Support | ✓ Full Support | ✗ Google Docs Only | ⚠ Basic |
| Text Extraction | ✓ Plain Text Export | ✓ Word Export | ✓ To Docs Format | ✓ Multiple Formats |
| Privacy (Local Processing) | ✓ 100% Local | ✓ Desktop App | ✗ Cloud Upload | ✗ Server Upload |
| No Registration | ✓ Anonymous | ✗ Adobe Account | ✗ Google Account | ⚠ Registration for More |
| Batch Processing | ✓ Multiple Files | ✓ Batch OCR | ✗ One at a Time | ✗ Free Tier |
| Accuracy Level | 90-95% Accuracy | 95%+ Accuracy | Good Accuracy | Good Accuracy |
| Daily Limits | ✓ Unlimited | ✓ Unlimited | ✓ Unlimited | ⚠ 15 Pages/Hour |
PDFyogi offers the best combination of features for free PDF OCR: unlimited processing, 100+ languages, complete privacy with local processing, and no registration required—capabilities that typically cost $20+/month elsewhere.
Pro Tips for Better OCR Results
Maximize accuracy when converting scanned PDFs to text
Use High-Quality Scans
Scan documents at 300 DPI or higher for best OCR accuracy. Low-resolution scans (under 150 DPI) significantly reduce text recognition quality.
Ensure Proper Orientation
Make sure pages are correctly oriented before OCR. Rotate any upside-down or sideways pages using our Rotate PDF tool first.
Choose the Correct Language
Always select the document's primary language for best results. For multi-language documents, use the dominant language setting.
Clean Up Image Quality
For poor scans, consider improving contrast and removing background noise before OCR. Clear black text on white background yields the best results.
Use 'Best' Quality for Important Documents
Select 'Best' OCR quality setting for critical documents where accuracy is paramount, even if it takes longer to process.
Review OCR Output
Always review OCR results for important documents. Common errors include confused characters (0/O, 1/l/I) and merged or split words.
Technical Specifications
Detailed specifications for our PDF OCR tool
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about PDF OCR and text extraction
OCR (Optical Character Recognition) is technology that analyzes images of text and converts them into machine-readable text. It works by identifying patterns of pixels that form letters and words, then mapping them to text characters.
Troubleshooting
Solutions to common PDF OCR issues